[wp-hackers] php -v

[Ian Dunn]

On 11/8/13 8:36 AM, Eric Mann wrote:
> My hesitation here is the same as Helen
> pointed out earlier - most end users have no idea what PHP is, how it
> works, what version they're running, or how to upgrade.  By hiding new
> features behind a versioned wall, we're introducing a world where WordPress
> is advertised to have X feature, but when Jimmy Blogger clicks the
> auto-install button on his hosting dashboard, X feature is nowhere to be
> found.  He'll blame WordPress, not his host, for the discrepancy.

What if instead of hiding the feature, we replaced it with a short 
explanation? So, if they have 5.3+ then the screen for Feature X works 
like normal, but if they don't then the screen will still appear in 
menus, etc, but when the user visits the page they'll see a paragraph 
saying something like, "Your server is running a very old version of 
PHP, and it is not capable of supporting Feature X. Please contact your 
hosting company or administrator and ask them to upgrade your site to 
the latest version of PHP."

That way the user would know that the feature exists, and that their 
hosting company is to blame for why it doesn't work, and that the action 
they need to take is to contact the host.