Frequent plugin updates

[sooskriszta]

One of the concerns of prospective bbPress users is the apparent lack of basic features: Forum users, whether or not they own/manage forums, have come to expect certain basic features like:

• quote, multiquote
• topic view stats
• unread posts link
• Signature
• Profile photo/avatar
• bbcode
• WYSISYG editor
• forum search, context search
• uploading images
• members online
• private messaging
• smilies/emoticons
• forum moderation
• user registration approval

etc.

I understand that bbPress is built to be modular, and I think bbPress is right in leaving this functionality to plugins.

However, if you look at bbPress plugin browser http://bbpress.org/plugins/ most plugins are quite old...updated in 2010, 2009, even 2008! This is not very reassuring or confidence inspiring. Now, many of the old plugins may still be working fine, but when I see the "last updated" date is June 2010 for a plugin, I assume it is outdated, not developed and not supported anymore. I perceive that this will be a trouble plugin if I install it, and consequently end up with less functionality than I want. And I blame bbPress for it, saying bbPress doesn't have all the features I want.

Solution

Every time there is a new version of WordPress or bbPress, the bbPress plugins should release a new version too, even if the only difference is to add a comment line that says "compatible with version so and so". This will go a long way in reassuring prospective users that can install the plugin with confidence.

Task

Now, I know that bbPress doesn't control plugins, and besides abandoned, unsupported plugins should be allowed to die.

So what bbPress should do is, in "Best practices for bbPress plugin development", it should include that plugin developers should always *update* their plugins every time there is an update for bbPress. In general they should test if the plugin is compatible with the new version of bbPress. If it's not, they should fix and release new version. If it is, then they should add a comment "compatible with bbPress version so and so" and release a new version in this way.

[johnjamesjacoby]

You make a great point, but it's not a bbPress core issue.

Closing as invalid.

[sooskriszta]

I think it should be part of plugin author documentation, so a bbpress.org issue, no?

[Sadr]

Further enhancements to plugin/forum e-mail notifications could also add greatly to this.

From a developer's stand point, imagine how you'd feel if you got an e-mail saying:

"Your plugin, {PluginName}, is currently marked as out of date in the WordPress Plugins repository. This is a consequence of the following dependencies being updated recently:

• WordPress 3.3.2 (your plugin supports up to 3.3.1)
• bbPress 2.1.0 (your plugin supports up to 2.0.2)

Please test your plugin with the updated depencencies, patch your code if necessary, and update your compatibility statement accordingly."

I'd update my plugin ;)