Changes in Wordpress 3.0

The initial version of WordPress was released in 2003. Multiple versions later, WordPress 3.0 was developed in 2010. WordPress is an open source blog publishing software, the most popular blog software in the world in fact.

WordPress 3.0 offers its users numerous changes and new features, including:

* Welcome guide *

WordPress will be less intimidating to the new user, as it now comes with a welcome guide with every installation.

* Improved menu management *

Custom Woo Navigation brings drag and drop and other usability features to facilitate the management of widgets, menus, and submenus.

* New design theme *

WordPress has a new default design theme to replace the familiar Kubrick and Classic, called Twenty Ten, with the intention of introducing a new default design theme for each succeeding year.

* Merging of WordPress MU and WordPress.org *

WordPress MU is the platform from which users can run multiple sites under one installation. It is now easier for those not familiar with WordPress MU to have multiple sites, plus WordPress MU users now have access to all the WordPress.org plug-ins.

* Standardized comment form *

WordPress has been redesigned to facilitate the use of plugins to add extra functionality to a theme's comment form.

* Custom background support *

A code change enables a user to replace the default gray background with a background image of their choice.

* New login form *

A new login form can be outputted to give users a more intuitive login.

* Custom post types *

Categories remain, but now users can create any post or content type, such as products, portfolio listings, admin pages, permalinks, or simply normal posts.

* Use of custom username *

In the past, the first user was automatically assigned a default username of "admin", which they could later change if they remembered and got around to it. Now during installation the user must select their own username from the start, which is clearly a security improvement.

* Author specific templates *

The capacity to create author specific templates has been expanded, making it easier to mark one's posts or entries with a signature line.

* Shortlinks *

WordPress now comes with the capacity to shorten long URLs, so as not to use up too many spaces on a site like Twitter.

* Canonical plugins *

Plugin authors have been united into a community such that if a certain individual who developed a plugin drops out, it doesn't mean that that plugin will no longer be upgraded, have bug fixes, work with future versions of WordPress, etc., as now the group will step in and provide the necessary support.

On the whole, WordPress 3.0 constitutes a significant upgrade with much to please its users.

Sources:

Edward Korcheq. "It's Coming! WordPress 3.0 - Pros and Cons." TemplateMonster Blog
Rohan Mehta, "10 Features to Look Forward to in WordPress 3.0." net tuts+.
Justin Tadlock, "Looking Forward to WordPress 3.0." Life, Blogging, and WordPress.
"What's Coming in WordPress 3.0 (Features)." Wpbeginner.