The three week wait for WordPress 2.4 has now been extended to three months, as the result of the big changes expected for the next version. This is great news for all WordPress users and developers - creating a higher quality blogging platform when all is said and done.

Instead of releasing version 2.4, it will be released as 2.5 in early March.

Matt Mullenweg released this statement from the WordPress mailing list:

In light of the big changes happening in the codebase and admin section, we’re going to push back the next release to be aimed for early March.

This is the timeframe when 2.5 was originally schedule for, so we’re treating the originally planned 2.4 in December as a skipped release, as
a result of both the holidays and the large changes which we weren’t able to start on until late October.

There’s some good stuff in the oven, and we don’t want to rush it.

The new release shall be called 2.5. Various official docs and roadmaps will be updated in due course.

We have lots of great changes to look forward to as March approaches. There will be more time for the development of WordPress, as rushing any new release has never proven to be effective. Current users will be able to take advantage of current plugins and themes before the next version.

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A new write post template was also released on the SVN yesterday, shown below, which can also be previewed here. 

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WordPress is compared once again to another CMS, Graffiti (landing page). WordPress is a blogging platform, but can also be used/considered a CMS. Ads were targeting current users of WordPress or people deciding to switch/start using it.

Graffiti makes direct comparisons such as WordPress being known for having an install that takes five minutes or less, whereas Graffiti’s takes less than two. Graffiti doesn’t involve knowing PHP, as it is built in .NET. And ‘just enough workflow’ doesn’t sound all that promising if you need themes or plugins. WordPress is extremely simple for users who just want to run a blog. SEO-wise, WordPress excels in and has extensions to make it even more so.

WordPress is built by Automattic, who have enabled thousands, if not millions of people express their views on the web. Designed on an Open Source mindset, there are few limitations to the platform. How much is WordPress for all users - both personal, commercial, non-profit, and educational - FREE. Graffiti is on sale now for just $99, which will then be priced at $399. For a product that’s still in beta, maybe they shouldn’t attack a system that will celebrate five years of popularity.