[wp-hackers] State of WP

[Doug Stewart]

On 4/9/07, Brian Layman <Brian at thecodecave.com> wrote:
> > WordPress is being actively developed 100% ==
> > WordPress isn't lacking in terms of development.
>
> There we go, that works for me.  Stick with that. ;)
>
> On the other hand, the original was perfect(!) sales pitch lingo.  I was
> certain it was straight out of a WordPress marketing brochure.
>
> OK, Kevin, I'll get back to your topic here.  The requirements you've
> mentioned are significant.  100,000 sites, running out of any central
> system, will require significant resources and optimizations.  AFAIK, any
> existing blog/CMS system that you choose will require customization to scale
> to that level of deployment.
>
> MySQL, to be brutally honest, is not a very mature database system. (Does
> anyone else here have a transactions-check mark shirt from the 4.1(?)
> deployment?)  MySQL IS rapidly improving.  So, I've got to ask you if your
> 100,000 site quote is an eventually goal, or a realistic appraisal of your
> current planned deployment.  (BTW, either way, I believe WordPress will give
> you a good foundation.)  The size of the initial deployment, may be the
> biggest factor in deciding what you want to do next.
>
> DrMike has already told you that MySQL cannot handle that capacity.  So, if
> you are deploying at that size, you need to invest design and implementation
> into converting the database over to something that can handle that scale.
> For example, Interbase or Firebird should handle that with out a problem and
> doesn't limit your platform, but you'll have to over come issues like how to
> handle the missing MySQL InsertID feature.  MSSQL is another option, of
> course, and there are others beyond that.
>
> If, in the near term, your actual needs are significantly smaller,
> implementing your site in phases, maybe the key to success. Take advantage
> of improved compatibility with the WordPress core by deploying under MySQL.
> You could then use the first phase to determine if what your scaling
> problems will be and THEN decide your best avenue of attack. WordPress and
> MySQL will have matured further, you will get a number of improvements by a
> quick upgrade to the current system, you will be more proficient with the
> actual WordPress code, and then you can switch over to the actual end system
> that is capable of handling the workload you've mentioned.
>
> That's my take on the whole thing without knowing more about the why's and
> wherefore's of your actual plan.  And please don't take the grumblings and
> gripes on a news list as large red flags.  The core folks who live and
> breath WordPress each day are a good bunch of people who give every change
> request due consideration.
>
> As for how many developers there are, that varies.  There are a large number
> of people that contribute.  Each has their own special concern, point of
> view, and desired goal.  That's the nature of open source.  The number of
> people who can commit the changes that are submitted is smaller number, oh,
> around half a dozen, I guess.  They take a look at how WordPress is being
> used today, and just as importantly, how it isn't being used.  The then the
> development to the benefit of the community as a whole.
>
> WordPress is being adopted for ever larger deployments and is the core
> technology of an increasingly larger number of media outlets.  You would not
> be alone in your choice of WordPress for your foundation and I expect the
> choice would serve you well.
>
> I hope that answers some of your questions.
>

Actually, this brings up a topic that I've been mulling over for a
bit: "federated" WordPress installations.  Obviously, there will be
security ramifications, but what if you had the capability of creating
a TRUE network of WP blogs on separate servers, blended between MU and
WP.org codebases?  It would be very handy in corporate environments,
for sure, but if security was Done Right, you could even organize such
a thing on the public Internet.*  And no, OpenID won't suffice, as
that's just identity-, not capability-driven.

What if there were a SOAP/XML-RPC-esque interface wherein federated
blogs could phone the authoritative server and request user
capabilities, profile information, etc.?  Think of the
possibilities...


*Of course, the security considerations would be decidedly monstrous.
Potentially so monstrous as to make the whole endeavor infeasible.  In
which case, these aren't the droids you're looking for.  This email
never existed.
-- 
-Doug

http://literalbarrage.org/blog/