Alex Reid

It’s only been a few days since the release of WordPress 3.3, and naturally the WordPress hardcores are working on version 3.4. Specifically the next upgrade will include the new year’s default theme – twenty twelve – which will start with fresh code.

It’s young in thought but the core features planned include:

• mobile version of a website
• variable height header image
• default to static front page
• editor styles the same as front end.
• no featured image in header

WordPress now has an upgraded Toolbar (previously known as the admin bar) and a new HTML5 media uploader that uses Plupload, an open source upload handler with drag-and-drop functionality. WordPress now supports RAR and 7z archive formats.

The responsive design usability of HTML5 has been implemented to help WordPress work on small-screen devices like the iPad and tablets. As you reduce the screen size, features such as the side menu automatically collapse.

Users will find a reduction in repetitive clicking with our new flyout submenus. As you hover over each main menu item in your dashboard navigation, the submenus will appear, providing single-click access to any dashboard tool.

For browsers without HTML5 support, it uses fallback methods, which includes Flash and HTML4. There are also improvements to the Metadata, Settings and Editor APIs, and a new tutorial for beginners has been added.

Overall performance of WordPress is improved.

However, one of the best changes is how quickly I can write a new post or enact a new action within the WordPress dashboard.

Another good feature is the tutorial pointers which appear the first time you see the changes in the dashboard. It’s useful for novice WordPress users.

I highly recommend upgrading or using WordPress today.

Over the past two years, I’ve been asked by many organizations and business start-ups which Content Management System (CMS) platform is right for them: WordPress, Drupal or Joomla.

For individuals and small businesses, I suggest WordPress.

For organizations with money, I suggest Drupal.

For anyone with money and time, I suggest Joomla.

Here’s a cute infographic you should check out.

Usability

Drupal is more of an API or framework than a high-level publishing platform. It’s made by and for developers who want to get their hands dirty under the hood playing around with the engine. Newbies beware.

The complexity of Drupal allows for a powerful taxonomy mechanism built in that allows for maximum content categorization. Drupal is better used for sites wanting to create a large community (say like a large membership base or a social network platform).

WordPress on the other hand was built by a community of bloggers and increasingly over the past couple of years, web site owners using WordPress as a CMS platform. It is a publishing platform.

You can also publish a ‘network’ of blogs like the New York Times did.

WordPress is very easy to use. Install is a snap, and upgrades can be uploaded using a friendly FTP upload or even auto-updated without any extra work, which is really handy for those starting off as a web site owner.

Security

WordPress used to be behind on this aspect but has really caught up in the past 18 months with the other CMS platforms like Drupal or Joomla.

Flexibility

Drupal has 7,000 modules/plugins and WordPress has over 12,000 plugins. Drupal has almost 800 themes and WordPress has nearly 1300.

Daylight savings can screw with your mind as well as web site application settings, but thankfully WordPress had the brilliance to update its software with time zones by city, a few weeks ago. The cities are organized by continent.

Log in to your dashboard, click on Settings > General, and scroll to Timezone. You now have the option to pick a city that’s in your current timezone instead of a UTC timezone.

Once you’ve set your timezone this way, you won’t need to change it again to account for Daylight Saving Time.

After the election was official this past weekend, canada.votes2011.ca went live, gathering up steam on Facebook and Twitter. It’s a project that I’ve been somewhat busy with for the past ten weeks, in anticipation of the five provincial elections coming up this fall.

The site is built around using the new functionality of WordPress’ Multi-site network, and a subtle domain hack. I’m still adding to the site, and recruiting writers to add content over the next five weeks, and again closer to the five provincial elections in October.