[wp-hackers] Simplicity in 2.next

[Doug Stewart]

Doug Stewart wrote:
> That seems like a particularly unhelpful analogy to be following here. 
> Linux distros ship a lot of software with each release and are 
> responsible for insuring that all that software works together. 
> WordPress' model is exactly the opposite: you get core functionality and 
> Hello Dolly, nothing else.  Unless you're proposing shipping a massive 
> .zip/.tar.gz with every bloody plugin known to the WP community, I fail 
> to see the comparison as a valid one.
> 
> Most plugins are the work of a single author, with little code control 
> or existing bug tracking interface.  The best way to keep plugins 
> working and up to date is to bug the authors, a task which is best left 
> to a decentralized infrastructure (i.e., let the people who use the 
> plugins annoy the plugin authors).
> 
> I think something along the lines of the old One-Click installs from 
> wp-plugins.net or the direction that Alchemy/Elixir were heading is a 
> much better idea, IMNSHO.
> 

Not to reply to myself here or anything, but perhaps what everyone would 
prefer is something along the lines of the Six Apart/Movable Type model, 
wherein a centralized official feed of recent plugins (and "Featured" 
plugins, as well) is available on their central server.  There's even a 
nice Atom feed showing the newest releases. Everyone else is pretty much 
operating off the ranch.

http://www.sixapart.com/pronet/plugins/

Just 'cause they're the "competition" doesn't mean we can't "steal" good 
ideas from 'em.  In fact, I'd say it's a great idea.  *grin*
-- 
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Doug Stewart
Systems Administrator/Web Applications Developer
Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Labs
dstewart at atl.lmco.com