WordPress Wish List
With upcoming release of WordPress 2.5 which introduces some large changes to administrative backend I thought it was appropriate to share my personal WordPress Wish List.
I know it will be largely ignored but hey – let the guy share the dream… 
In creating this list I was guided by my personal experience that comes from working with multiple Content Management Systems and support I provide to my customers and readers of this blog. I still believe that WordPress is unprecedented in its flexibility and customization but I think there are a few things that could be mentioned on administrative side, so here goes my WordPress Wish List:
1. Built-in Backup Option
I know there are some third party plugins that do the job nicely but having first hand experience with disaster some of them create I would love to have the comfort of knowing that Backup is part of the core and supported by very same talented team that develops it.
Call it a comfort cushion if you like but I think Database Backup should be integral part of the WordPress.
2. Built-in Core Update Option
This one is probably too much to ask but I don’t think its impossible. WordPress is one of the most supported platforms and releases updates quite frequently, which creates an administrative nightmare for bloggers who have several blogs and have to scramble to keep the up to date.
Obviously some safeguards will have to be built in if this option is ever provided but if it becomes available – it will make WordPress a MUCH more deployed platform. As it stands right now – frequent upgrades is one of the biggest gripes I have found against the system.
3. One Click Plugins Install from Admin Interface
This one will probably not get much interest from developers but I base it on excellent system that Typo3 CMS uses that allows you from Extensions module to search and locate appropriate plugins in central repository and install them if the fit your needs.
You can select that ONLY plugins compatible with current core are available for install to provide that safety net many bloggers need.
4. Built-in Plugins Upgrade
And here I’m only talking about plugins that are already in central repository and we get notifications when new version is available. Hey – if we can get notified – why can’t we be provided with option to upgrade.
I think this one might require setting more strict guidelines on plugins design to ensure they don’t break the system once new version becomes available and perhaps more strict requirement on testing them. It might limit our choices to some extent but I think this option will ensure that only the best and most supported plugins make it to your blog.
Obviously an option to install “less supported” plugins will still exist but then people who decide to use them will do so at their own risk.
5. Themes…
This one is a biggie since theme is what defines the look and feel of our blogs and also helps us to create a unique presence on the net. My personal wish to this one would be an option to install a theme with once click once you provide the location of the file.
Kind of like what OneClick install plugin does right now. And the reason I don’t personally want the theme choices to be part of the core is because I like the freedom with this one 
. I do think that Themes Marketplace would be extremely useful addition to allow bloggers Not Only get free themes but perhaps purchase a better quality themes at a reasonable price.
While $80-$100 might not seem like much to professional bloggers for well supported and developed theme I think there is a room for $10-$15 themes marketplace. Many bloggers write for fun and joy and simply can’t shell out the price for premium while still would like the quality.
These are just my personal thoughts and my WordPress Wish List. I would love to hear your opinion! Perhaps if enough of us chime in – we get the attention
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About The Blog Author
Alex Sysoef is an IT Consultant, Internet Marketer and ProBlogger who shares his passion and knowledge of WordPress, SEO, Social Media and traffic strategies on his blog WordPress Howto Spotter. Connect on Twitter or Facebook
I would like a one-click WordPress duplication goodie. Once you have setup all the plugins you use, you can then duplicate the options and transfer them to another site (without having to go zipADeeDoDah with zip files/etc.).
Enjoy,
Barbara
Barbara Ling (aka Owlbert)’s last blog post..Simplifying WordPress category hell – Utilize The Evil Temptation of Overkill
Barbara,
I had a similar thinking but as I have learned it doesn’t work very well
what you can do is create a folder with all your plugins and update them in one swoop but it will still require activation and configuration, which to my best attempt is unable to “duplicated”. There is more to the plugins activation then just the database entires – it seems. So keeping a reference file with all your settings for copy/paste alone with folder I mentioned above might be your best option ..
I’d just be happy if they could fix the WordPress bug that makes code disappear when you switch back and forth between the visual and code views in some browsers.
Good news for you…a lot of your wishes are already available in 2.5 (the RCs right now) and another one or two are pretty likely!
1. Built-in backup. Not in the pipeline that I know of, but like you said, there are at least two good plugins I know of.
2. Core updates. I’d consider putting money on this being in version 2.6 or 2.7 depending on how hard it is to do, given the status of #4 below.
3. & 5. Install plugins from within admin interface. Someone just suggested this for a Google Summer of Code project on the wp-hackers mailing list today, and Matt Mullenweg piped up the he thought it would be a great idea, and he also likes the idea of expanding this to themes. His support means this has a pretty good chance of happening, esp. if the GSoC project gets approved/picked!
4. Plugin auto-upgrade. This was in 2.5 RC1 and is even better in 2.5 RC2. It even tries to do it directly on the file system and falls back to FTP (prompting for your credentials) if that fails. So it’s already there…no more wishing!
That leaves 1 as not likely (they could have done it already, it’s easy enough and the plugins exist) and 2 as a future possibility, with the other three either there or a near-term possibility. I think you need some new wishes
David Szpunar’s last blog post..Secure Shell from Palm OS Treo Phone
Oh, but you are wrong David!
That was just a short list of wishes that a pure MUST HAVE
I’ll come up with some more in due time … Thanks for feedback, I have been playing around with new version and testing it.
Alex
wordpress do update so frequently nowadays that the built-in core update option would hav been so useful!
anirban roys last blog post..how to set gmail as your default mail client in FF3
I’m with two hands for some sort of backup option – this is needed!
In regards to the plugins, I’d like to see not the automatic update but rather the automatic compatibility check. Because if it works – why change?
And also about themes… I don’t understand why would someone often change the theme? One can do it once every 5 years but more often? – I’m not sure because in my view theme is like a website face. You build and tweak it long and hard and don’t change easily.
That theme is useful for me and hope for others also. Nice Work…
Thanks for sharing…..