10 Reasons why I’m not upgrading to WordPress 2.7

WordPress 2.7 arrived on the scene only a few days ago and I’ve been feeling a subtle pressure within to upgrade. For many years now I have followed a rigorous routine of maintaining all my software at the latest versions. Although the advantages of this approach are numerous there’s also the time and energy that go into making this happen that needs to be considered.

I remember when WordPress 2.6 was released a few months ago and how I boasted about probably being the 1st in the Pacific to have a WordPress Blog running on latest version. Within a few hours of 2.6 becoming available I was in there like Flynn updating my precious WordPress setup to the latest.

Despite Lorelle’s post on “WordPress 2.7 Upgrade Tips” and the strong case she presents on why it’s a good idea to upgrade now – I have made a management decision to hold back for a little. Blogging can be an all consuming affair and those that are fortunate enough to be able to dedicate a big chink of their day and their time to this very rewarding pastime, Lorelle’s arguments might very well hold strong, but to us mortals that have to schedule blogging time in between other worldly responsibilities, perhaps one might be better of just holding back a little and wait for a more appropriate or convenient time!

Here is a list of 10 reasons why I’m not upgrading to WordPress 2.7 right at this moment:

1. There are other things in life besides WordPress, Upgrades and Internet. Blogging can quite easily become an obsession and one needs to find balance in all things – Yes… even blogging.
2. My WordPress setup is partially based on the functionality of approximately 60 plugins. As it turns out about a third of these are not yet supported under the newer WordPress version. If you wish to see what WP Plugins I currently have active just click here.
3. To the unfortunates (like me) to still be using a dialup speed connection – a WP upgrade just becomes another “something” that consumes scant bandwidth.
4. And whilst on the subject of a slow connection : it generally goes like this… the slower the available ISP service… the more costly it is. Going through the motions of upgrading my Blog to the latest version just adds to the overall cost of my Internet bill.
5. On the subject of bucks… volunteer’s wages in a slow and costly Internet country – doesn’t go very far.
6. The upgrade process of WordPress – although it’s now easier than it ever was and despite Lorelle’s words of wisdom – remains a complex and fiddly process that can potentially “break” one’s blog. When upgrading – always proceed with caution!
7. I’m not that impressed with the UI of WordPress 2.7 even after taking it for a decent test run. Note that the only folks I have heard sprook about the new 2.7 interface are people with a personal interest in seeing others upgrade (ie: developers and full time blog writers).
8. Despite the effort that has gone into ensuring WP 2.7 is bug free – all software applications will always suffer from unknown bugs after going live. I might start thinking about the upgrade when 2.7.1 is released.
9. With each new release of WordPress there are added features, functionality and whistles. This is all good and proper but the law of systems dictates that increased complexity does come at a price. When you make changes to a highly complex system such as the WordPress software then eventually there will arise behaviours which could not have been predicted at the start. How many more releases of WordPress before we see this issue kick in?
10. And finally how could I forget about themes? My blog is based on the K2 theme – so I am lucky – it’s 2.7 ready – but what about all the other folks out there running WP themes that are incompatible with the latest release?