Working With WordPress 2.5

Update: Apparently there were some issues with MarsEdit, the blogging software I and many other Mac bloggers use to compose blog posts offline, and its compatibility with WordPress 2.5. According to this post at The Blog Herald, that’s been fixed. I can happily report I haven’t had any issues with WordPress and Mars Edit after the update of each — they seem to get along quite well.

I’ve been working with WordPress 2.5 for a few days now, and am ready to report back on what the new release is really like.

Dashboard Improvements

First, the dashboard. Don’t let the underplayed descriptions on the WordPress blog fool you. This is a greatly redesigned dashboard, both in look and function. And while it took some time to get used to it, I admit, it’s an improvement.

I also love the new feature that allows you to change your permalink without radically altering your normal architecture across the board.

Overall, it’s a much cleaner appearance, which makes it easier to compose, I think

Images

Working with images is greatly improved as well, although it requires some getting used to. Formerly, the upload box was on the same page as the post editor. Now, it’s a pop-up box that allows you to work with each file individually. There are many more options for working with your images, too — from changing the URL, adding a new size (medium) to the old options of thumbnail and full sized, to (best of all) automatic positioning. Check it out:

Posting

The post editor is pretty nifty. The same old code buttons (or, if you use the visual editor, the formatting buttons) are there, but there’s that “add media” function now, which makes adding podcast files or images a snap. Then on the right, the “Related” list shows the most commonly used tasks (managing comments, managing all posts, managing categories, etc.).

Below the post editor box, there are tools for working with tags, categories, and all the other tools you’re used to — except now they’re below the post, out of the way, leaving a more uncluttered working space.