[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #10365: Gzip compression should be offered by default in Wordpress

[WordPress Trac]

#10365: Gzip compression should be offered by default in Wordpress
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 Reporter:  caesarsgrunt     |        Owner:          
     Type:  feature request  |       Status:  reopened
 Priority:  normal           |    Milestone:  3.0     
Component:  Optimization     |      Version:  2.9     
 Severity:  normal           |   Resolution:          
 Keywords:  has-patch        |  
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Comment(by micasuh):

 Replying to [comment:17 Denis-de-Bernardy]:
 >
 > > Also, not all users know how to switch hosts or can afford to.
 >
 > Then they should switch to http://hub.org. It's run by one of the
 postgresql founders, the owner is the very best system admin I can name,
 they have one-click WP installs (I maintain the script myself) and they
 migrate sites for free.
 This argument sounds like Windows vs. Mac or Ford vs. Chevy. It's not
 Wordpress community's job to make developers choose a host. There are MANY
 hosts who support no or only one gzipping method.

 I've seen certain hosts [http://forums.hostgator.com/its-time-enable-mod-
 gzip-mod-t59242.html lock down module requests for security or performance
 reasons], but that does not mean this host is bad. You have to take into
 account those people who maintain their own VPS or physical server as well
 as people who don't have a clue what they are doing. Those on a shared
 server environment might not be able to choose which method or any method
 at all.

 >>How many apache 2 hosts don't offer mod_deflate. Personally, I don't
 know any.
 >How about Site5.com? A very good host in all other respects.

 > [comment:13 Denis-de-Bernardy]: We should educate users to switch to
 better hosts, of the kind that enable this by default.
 User education to go with hosts that support mod_deflate or gzip
 compression is a noble cause but not practical. I'm sure there are
 countless other hosts which don't offer mod_deflate like Site5.com. Are
 old Apache 1.3 servers completely out of date? I guess this is a similar
 debate for which PHP versions Wordpress should support, and obviously
 anything before PHP 4.3 is not compatible and with good reason.

 Replying to [comment:15 ceasarsgrunt]:
 >We could make it an option when installing - either use mod_deflate, or
 ob_gzhandler, or neither.
 >
 >Alternatively, detect whether mod_deflate is enabled, and if not do it
 through php.

 This is exactly what I think. Is there any reason why something like this
 cannot be implemented into Wordpress? It just makes no sense not to do
 this.

 The reason I resurrected this ticket is because of increasing noise from
 Google (specifically Matt Cutts) about Google's next generation search
 engine build called Caffeine which is coming out after the holidays. Matt
 said specifically that [http://videos.webpronews.com/2009/11/13/matt-
 cutts-interview/ site speed is now a factor for page ranking]. While this
 isn't the main reason for gzip implementation, Google's influence and new
 position on site speed gives this issue new light.

 Finally, and please excuse my ignorance, but are mod_deflate and
 ob_gzhandler the only two server side methods for gzip compression on
 Apache 2?

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/10365#comment:23>
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