Breaking news

[Ryan]

In the past I wouldn't have considered this to be a huge development as the use of WP Mu was so minimal. But with the likes of BuddyPress rapidly gaining steam it makes this a lot more significant for the wider WP community.

[Ryan]

lol Yeah. I'm with Carlhancock in that BuddyPress should remain an independent project instead of being merged in.

Yeah. I wouldn't like to see the core become too bloated. Perhaps the more popular ones could just be bundled together as the raw plugins like Akismet is?

Man, I wonder how easy it will be for existing WordPress MU users to migrate or upgrade to a merged WordPress/WPMU

Extremely easy I would imagine. The databases aren't setup that differently from what I can tell, so I'd guess they'd just autodetect what the old setup was and update it to match a combined system. I doubt the average Joe user would even notice the changeover ... that's just a guess on my part though.

I also wonder if after the Merge, the WPMU name will be retired and it will simply be WordPress?

I assumed so. Not much point in having two different names for the same product.

[trent]

It is pretty startling news for myself even though I was thinking that was the direction it was heading. It is one thing to assume it "might" happen and another to actually hear the announcement.

[andrea_r]

Extremely easy I would imagine. The databases aren't setup that differently from what I can tell, so I'd guess they'd just autodetect what the old setup was and update it to match a combined system. I doubt the average Joe user would even notice the changeover ... that's just a guess on my part though.

If it's WPMU now going to the new merge, yeah - shoudl be hardly any issues.

Single WP to the WPMU merge? Depending on how they handle it. LOADS of speculation going around, including a backend "switch".

It remains to be seen.

I can just see the support forums lighting up...

that's what I thought (she said, with some trepidation... )

And I can't see them rolling in BuddyPress.

[williamsba]

This is pretty wild news. The only thing that has me a little concerned is stability. I manage a few different WPMU networks and there are always many more bugs in WPMU than standard WP. I hope by merging the two they aren't degrading the firmness of standard WordPress.

[Cristi]

If they manage to include Widged Logic until then this will be great. I would really like some sort of Widget Logic (without the use of a plugin)

[Jeffro]

Widget Logic is a fantastic plugin. If they add that plugins functionality without the need to remember and know off hand template tags, that would be great. Preferably, and interface like what is in Kaspars Widget Context plugin would work for me.

[Cristi]

Granted, the Kaspars Widget Context plugin if really something. But I did test it and just didn't work properly. Sure it's in the initial stages of development, but that's why I would want this functionality to be included in WP: if it's included it won't have bugs... at least not so many :)

[andrea_r]

there are always many more bugs in WPMU than standard WP. I hope by merging the two they aren't degrading the firmness of standard WordPress.

I think it will wind up being better, becasue for MU there's *one* dev, while for WP, there's quite a few more. More eyeballs, more things can be ironed out.

[andrew]

They could also take this opportunity to call the open source effort something different, like SitePress or some such.

It would be great fun to start the domain hunts all over again.