I’ve upgraded my WordPress this evening, after having waited until my StumbleUpon traffic slowed a bit (yes, still getting hits from them) because I didn’t want to present a bunch of Stumblers with errors if it all went wrong. After doing so, I went on the hunt for a couple of plugins, and have come to the conclusion that the world of WP plugins is fucking irritating at best.
#1. No ‘Settings’ consistency
Plugins don’t seem to be consistent in where they stick their options pages… some end up under the Settings tab, some in Plugins. I always end up picking the wrong one which means I have to do extra clicks to get to where I want to be. Personally, I prefer the options under Plugins, because it’s from the Plugins page that I expect to do anything and everything with… well, plugins.
#2. Bold link is wrong
On most WordPress admin pages, a bold link usually signifies edit functionality. Post, Pages, Links, Media Library… bold is edit. Yet, on the plugin page, the bold link goes to the author home page. I cannot count how many times I’ve clicked on that bloody bold link only to end up somewhere completely other than where I want to go!
#3. Redundant features and mark-up
When I install a plugin, I want to install just that plugin. I don’t want to install several lines of superfluous mark-up (it’s bad enough that I have to hack WordPress to get rid of some of the shit it puts in); I don’t want to install a plug into the footer of every page; I don’t want to install a PayPal donation button so that I can increase your bank balance.
I’m a developer, I know what it’s like to create something and have it used and abused. However, if you create a fantastic product, people will link to it anyway. If you don’t want to accept the “risk” of not being linked to, create your own script with a credit link instead of tacking on to someone else’s.
#4. Inaccurate plugin instructions
Most of the time a plugin is installed by unzipping the download, uploading it and then clicking Activate in Plugins. Sometimes I see specific instructions on a plugin download page, so I follow them to the letter. Imagine my surprise, then, when I installed the Custom Smilies functionality today (purely because I’m lazy and want clickable smilies in the admin panel) and it broke because the bloody instructions are wrong! If you can’t get your own instructions right, don’t write them. It would have worked perfectly if I’d have just done what I normally do.
#5. Plugins that don’t work with the latest version of WP
WordPress 2.6 has been out since the middle of July, if I recall correctly. It is now August 5th and yet every single plugin I checked today is not yet compatible with 2.6. Surely WordPress doesn’t change that much between versions? (This is not really a ranty point, more a subtle reminder, because I wouldn’t want anyone to point out the length of time it took for me to upgrade the BellaBiblio Ajax patch :P )
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Maybe when I finally get off my arse and create my own public WP plugins I’ll see it from t’other side of the fence, but at the moment I’m all about complaining. If you’re a developer writing WP plugins, please for the love of all that is geeky bear in mind my niggles?!
PS. If anyone knows of a plugin that would give me clickable smilies in the admin panel only, that is compatible with 2.6, let me know.
05 Aug at 7:10 pm
wp-grins will do clickable smilies!
05 Aug at 7:10 pm
You could always do what I do and… not smile. :P
05 Aug at 7:12 pm
The page I looked at said it’s not compatible with 2.5 (and therefore I assumed logic dictates it won’t work in 2.6 either). Do you have it working in WP2.6?
05 Aug at 7:12 pm
I agree about #1. It would be A LOT easier if they were all under plugins. :/
ps. I use custom smilies, http://onetruebrace.com/2007/11/28/custom-smilies/
05 Aug at 7:22 pm
I used WP-grins and it worked fine for me – a user of 2.6! Fire ahead :P
05 Aug at 7:26 pm
Thanks Chelsea (and Han :) )
05 Aug at 7:36 pm
I have wp-grins installed. The smilies show up in the admin panel, but are not clickable :P
My plugin options are located under Settings because the WP Plugin Documentation recommends you put them there (I think…)
05 Aug at 8:02 pm
I agree. You forgot the biggest problem of all is that there are so many shitty, useless, ridiculous, redundant, (insert other words) plugins that nobody could ever POSSIBLY want out there.
Speaking of plugins, if you use one to display your related posts on the sidebar, what is it? If it’s not a plugin, mind pointing me in the right direction for instruction on how to get related posts in the sidebar? The plugin I’m using hasn’t worked.. yet.
06 Aug at 12:46 am
What I’m annoyed with is that 2.6 doesn’t seem to be a security fix, but they won’t keep 2.5 updated?? What if I don’t WANT any of 2.6’s superfluous new features? What do I do then?
I was thinking of asking you that, too. Maybe I should check the WP forums for reviews of 2.6 or complaints, because from their feature list, I can’t think of a single reason to upgrade. I think I’d get annoyed by most of their new “features” anyway.
06 Aug at 7:25 am
I hate it when I have to go search for the plugin options, it’s annoying and a waste of time it should just all be in the same area.
I was planning on upgrading this weekend, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it as it’s not a security fix. Although the new features seem OK.
06 Aug at 10:50 am
You think it’s bad having your plugin settings under Settings, Twitter Updater has them under Manage -> Twitter Updater!!
06 Aug at 4:03 pm
@Stephanie/Chans: the wordpress trac says 2 security issues were fixed for 2.6:
http://trac.wordpress.org/query?component=Security&milestone=2.6
06 Aug at 4:37 pm
Even with tons of problematic wordpress pluggins out there, wordpress is still the best way to go. Its just a matter of finding the best ones, the ultimate list of wordrpess pluggins.
06 Aug at 5:18 pm
Hm, yes, I was thinking about a lot of those peeves lately. My solution: stave off a lot of plugins and just wait until they’re implemented into WordPress. Surely the ones worth having will become standard…eventually (especially the one about plugin options). Patience, however, can only hold out for so long. Damn.
06 Aug at 11:26 pm
From my understanding, WP Grins (http://alexking.org/projects/wordpress) adds cliquable default smilies and then when used with Custom Smilies (http://onetruebrace.com/custom-smilies) you can add your own smiley images to replace the default ones. n_n
07 Aug at 12:25 am
All of 2 security fixes? :/
Thanks for the link! I could never figure out those trac things..
07 Aug at 2:53 am
Honestly, it’s a pain to re-install after you have 2.5 AND when you are a clueless idiot like me when it comes to database backup!
08 Aug at 3:26 am
*is alive…*
Glad to hear WP still sucks. Maybe you’ll get around to writing your own :)