Blog Tipz

When it comes to upgrading or trying new blog services, whether your weblog software – WordPress, Blogger (beta), new social networking tools, and so on – do you perform the upgrade the same day it is released or are you more reluctant in upgrading and wait until a patch/security release has been released or you read feedback from others?

The decision to upgrade or try new things is a popular dilemma that people in the online/blogging community face on an everyday basis.  Some look at upgrading as a good thing – being able to try new features before they are released to the “general” public, while others feel that they should be avoided, as they may risk security, traditional methods for completing daily occurrences, or potentially “break” your blog, or whatever it may be.

Upgrading your blog or trying new features has never been easier, as more people are willing to try them, but hundreds of hours of dedication may mysteriously disappear if you do some small task wrong.

Should I Upgrade?

A few tips to keep in mind when deciding whether it is time to upgrade from an older version of a piece of software to a new version.

1. If you don’t like the particular features that something has, check out a preview of the new features and changes that are coming in the next version, or a version that has just been released.
2. Secondly, if you don’t like the version of the tool or service you are using, search for alternatives.  Just because everyone else is using it doesn’t mean it’ll be the right choice for you.
3. If you encounter bugs or problems in the version that you are currently using, make sure that you have upgraded to the most recent version.
4. Never versions do not always mean that it will work better or be more optimized.  In addition, there hasn’t been as much testing on the code of recently released versions of software (in comparison to older versions).
5. Finally, if you’ve simply grown tired of using a particular version, or it has become outdated with other services, trends, or plugins you need to use for it to work properly. 

Main Advantages and Disadvantages of Upgrading vs. Not Upgrading

• Upgrading, theoretically keeps you more secure than versions that have security vulnerabilities
• Speed improvements and a streamlined experience may come with an updated version
• Bug fixes and general fixes come with new versions, whereas not upgrading can leave you out of these enhancements and fixes
• Data may be lost with either option, although more people are hesitant when upgrading, as overwriting key files can lead to data loss/corruption
• The experience/interface that people are used to may be changed with upgrade versions, sometimes for the better/worse

Why You Shouldn’t Upgrade

After asking others about their experience using the newest version, and you receive a mixed reactions – both negative and positive, you must think about whether there are any true benefits of upgrading.  Whether it may be security, new features, a better experience, or fixes for bugs that you previously needed a work-around to use the program, often you find yourself not upgrading until you really feel the need to do so.

In addition to a few of the points mentioned in the above topic, upgrading can wreak havoc for both yourself, clients, and visitors, who may be depending on the tools, services, and uptime that should be available to them at least 99.9% of the time.  When it causes problems with others, it means that you’ve likely lost money in the downtime.

For example, relating this back to blogging, we all depend on an internet browser (or possibly an offline blog client), and when upgrading, should something go wrong, you must step away from your comfort zone and blog/write from a new “perspective”, which may ultimately affect your performance/creativeness.

Many software developers, including the Automattic (WordPress) team suggest that you upgrade with each new version, although there are still a number, although not a huge percentage, using WordPress 2.3, down to 2.0, for frequently updated blogs.  Open source software is *more* likely to be plagued by viruses, yet these select people have chosen not to upgrade, despite the warnings.  Do they feel there are no benefits to upgrading, or is it such a cumbersome process that it is just easier putting all your work at risk and keeping an outdated version?

Conclusion

No matter what type of business you run, you likely depend on a core set of products, possibly from a certain vendor, unless you produce the software/products yourself.  Although a lot of testing is put into each release, everyone knows the detrimental effects that can cause a standstill in your business life.

The main point to remember is, that while software, whether blog clients, web browsers, etc., isn’t fail-proof, you should try to stay as up-to-date as possible, so that you are aware of the new features, streamlining your time spent working on something that can be cut down in half the time with a different version.  Finally, keep backups of all your important information, so you don’t even have to hesitate when an update fails, as you will always have a recent update on hand.

What other benefits or disadvantages can you name for upgrading software (blogging systems and writing tools)?