WordPress 2.3 has just been released, but I’m not going to be installing it just yet. Partly because not all the plugins that I use are compatible with the new version. But mainly for some reason, the authors feel the need to include an “update service” that sends information back to WordPress.org. This update service sends information such as you blog URL, the version of the various plugins installed, server variables etc. Why they need this information is difficult to fathom, but until I know exactly why they need all this data, I won’t be using it.
Important Update
After further research, including comments from Matt at WordPress, I am retracting my initial comments above. I do not have a problem with WordPress sending my Blog URL, after all I post it myself whenever I’m commenting on another Blog, and I ping several Blog Aggregators when I post a new comment. In relation to the plugin versions being sent to WordPress, I can understand the need in order to ensure that the current version is checked against the latest version. However, I still will not be upgrading to 2.3 until such a time as all the plugins I use are compatible with 2.3.
Tags: Blog, Security, Software, Technology
That Slashdot article is shockingly wrong in several ways, which I’m happy to enumerate, but if you the read the comments you’ll see a few people already have. This is a pretty reasonable look at both sides of the issue:
http://just-thinkin.net/2007/09/wordpress-23-privacy-issue-your-opinions-please/
I won’t be updating either. Thanks for the heads up.
Matt,
Thanks for the link. The article does put a more reasonable “spin”, if that’s the right word, on the entire process. My initial issue was not so much with the blog URL, but with the plugin versions being sent.
Considering the additional information and clarifications that have been provided, I will be withdrawing my initial remarks, but I have to say that I still won’t be upgrading to 2.3 until all the plugins I use are compatible with the new version.
Matt thank you for coming to my blog and commenting too.
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