Massive changes to the WP interface
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All
WP was last valued at $1.4 billion, reputed to have 37 million wordpress.com users. Bloggers either pay $30 to keep advertising off or WP probably receives about the same in advertising revenue.
However, there will be some low activity blogs that do not attract adverts and a good many defunct blogs which are probably still counted.
Nevertheless, income must be substantial.
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Mullenweg: People think that WordAds and VIP are big parts of our business—they’re about 10% each. They’re important and for many reasons we invest in them, but the vast majority of revenue comes from subscriptions, the other 80%. So people signing up for WordPress.com to get extra features or a domain name.
It’s old news actually from 6/11/2014 … lol :D
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so the interesting question becomes… is Automattic a media company?…
in the sense that it provides carriage (like, say, Comcast) to rich media content .. or is the company a mixed model media company in the sense that in effect it exclusively collects ad revs as well as sub revenue on content produced by others (most of whom do not benefit financially from the production of this content).. or is it more accurately a tech company that provides a technical platform (that may or may not be popular 1-5 years from now) that gives the illusion that it is in fact a media company?
with that in mind… does its 1 billion + valuation do little more than add to the sense that we are in the midst of a deja vu tech bubble and that a major correction a la 2001 is in the offing?
the bigger question, then, becomes the following: it is obvious from the Matt interview in Forbes that the changes in the stats page and elsewhere is driven by Automattic’s strategic push into mobile
but given that much of WP’s DNA — both at the developer as well as content producer level — is based on the long form content model… will this new but late-to-the-game, hop-on-the-bandwagon strategy ultimately produce a crippling exodus that will inevitably hollow out the core legacy user base without replacing it with a sustainable revenue stream from the various mobile platforms Automattic hope to target?
put simply, WP is about blogging.
can it be credibly argued that a mobile device is the right tool for consuming or producing long form content?
the answer seems obvious.
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From the Forbes interview with Matt:
Very closely related to that is mobile. This new interface we’re building works fluently whether you’re on the desktop, a tablet or notebook and it’s a consistent experience between them. Right now only about 30% of our active users use our mobile apps and I want that to be half within a few months, and a plurality by the end of the year.
I think this is key. The apps have had lots of problems… the iOS app has had terrible reviews from the beginning. The latest version just came out and most of the 5-star ratings look like they are fake. Basically they failed with their apps and now are being pressured to make the website work for mobile.
The overall new standard resolution for desktop users according to different stats (e.g. Techcrunch) is 1366 × 768…
I mentioned this earlier. A single-column 960px and less is not a “fluent” desktop layout. It’s not responsive for anything but mobile devices. It’s a copout.
Matt again:
Automattic is basically a big experiment. Can we create something that’s fully open source to the core, that becomes a big Internet-scale business?
Automattic wants to play with the big boys. They want to scale big, really big. I’m not sure they can do that and still keep their core mission intact. Many more companies have failed at scaling than have succeeded.
I hope this works out for Automattic. However, I see the direction that the company seems to be heading is one that does not accommodate the kinds of people that I work with and to whom I have been promoting WP.com.
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This new interface we’re building works fluently whether you’re on the desktop, a tablet or notebook and it’s a consistent experience between them.
No, it isn’t consistent at all. The experiences are very different on each platform, which is to be expected. The narrow interface might make sense on a phone or tablet, but it’s an inefficient nightmare on a desktop (or most laptops, for that matter).
We have responsive themes that take these differences into account—why on earth can’t they do something similar with the interface?
I’m trying to keep an open mind here, but the new interface is simply a disaster. After a few seconds of scrolling on the new, downgraded page, I always revert to the older stats where I can find all of the relevant information at once.
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I’m catching up with all the recent feedback on this thread, and I’m just going to post a few replies to a few comments/questions from the past several this time.
Note: The bar graph is going to be updated to show more days. I think I said this earlier too, but there were still additional questions about it after that.
I cannot find the summaries for the different sections on it, which I have always found helpful.
Thanks for posting your comment. Adding the all-time summary back is a planned update.
It looks as if all this effort is beginning to pay off.
I’m glad you noticed. :)
re the featured blogs, I always wondered why has never been (to my knowledge!) been a sort of monthly contest where bloggers can vote on each other’s blogs? might be a headache to administer, but it could add to popularity, and increase views all around. a sort of democratic nominee vote getting system, with 19 finalists being voted on by the WP community at large.
It’s not a contest, but there are weekly challenges and photo and writing prompts at https://dailypost.wordpress.com/ where people leave tons of comments. You might really like The Daily Post blog.
WordPress.com has opted to curate content instead of trying to manage contests. There is a list of posts at https://wordpress.com/fresh/ managed by the WordPress.com editorial team.
can it be credibly argued that a mobile device is the right tool for consuming or producing long form content?
I’m not as passionate about this particular topic compared to some other people I know, but the answer could certainly be argued yes. iPads come to mind too.
Also: I noted the suggestion to add a way to compare stats to other similar blogs. Cool suggestion!
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After following this thread for what feels like a year, but probably is only a week or more, have to had my thoughts – –
1. I do blog, with a FREE blog at WordPress – yes, my older posts have adds on them – – it is done discreetly and I have yet to see an ad on my older posts (that I check off and on) that is in opposition to what I would want on my blog – – so, if WP makes money off the adds and I get a free place to commune/write, whaddya I care?
2. I still dislike having to perform more ‘clicks’ to get to what used to take just one, but after viewing the various posts for quite some time, believe that I can adjust, if it’s really that damn important to the growing smartphone/tablet crowd – – but still not happy about the less friendly user-interface as a desktop primary user.
3. I only check my stats to see if I need to revisit popular old how-to post to update with new info – – – I’m rather flummaxed by all the concern over stats – -I’m presuming these complaints come from those who have paid/hosted blogs through WP.com? BECAUSE….
4. If you are truly serious about building a business, gaining followers/customers etc., and your stats are how you gauge on how best to make money, seriously, why aren’t you self-hosted and building your business?
5. I know, #4 sounded harsh – but when I saw the changes here, I was truly petrified that my self-hosted sites with WP platform were headed down the road to Armageddon – – but just updated all my sites to 4.1 this past week – all went smooth – – no major issues/conflicts and I can still manage my customers sites with an ease that is now missing here at WP.com – –
6. IF and I say IF WordPress .com is a hint of things to come for self hosted sites utilizing the WP core software, THEN YES! I announce my whole dissastisfaction with the whole enterprise – — but if you are simply taking a model out to see how to increase profits off of the gazillion free blogs you host – then by all means – go ahead – – – I’ don’t have a huge following – – but those I have really like what I have to say – – and if I move my ‘free’ blog over to my own site and go the self-hosted route, then so be it. I just don’t know how much you can ‘demand’ if the service you are using is free to use…..Just my thoughts – – -I see both sides of the argument, see the reasoning one each side, but, after a week of thinking about it, I keep coming back to, “If you want something done right, do it yourself” and since the inefficient changes are only showing up here and not on my self-hosted/updated sites, I have to believe that if you really want good stats, user-friendliness, etc., then time to leave WPc.com and move to self hosted WP.org…..
I do love the community here, so hope you realize I’m commenting on my own experience and my overview of comments that I do not know fully who has paid for services and who is using the free version.
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>designsimply
1. this is actually a user-driven thread. with all the flack you have gotten, the message should probably have reached you by now that those who come to this thread probably are more eager at this point to discuss with each other various issues without interference. your general tone and attitude are not appreciated by many, and, if i may suggest it, perhaps you can spare us the unhelpful lectures.
2. re your Daily Post suggestion… realize that it contains dumbed-down tips about writing that would be considered jejune in a frosh creative writing class for talent-less tyros. This is in line with the unwanted and condescending attitude — wrapped in a less than credible mantle of corporate happy talk and double speak — that you personally bring to this thread. Many of the commentators here are considerably older and more experienced than you appear to be, and have probably forgotten more about how to write well than you will ever know. again, snide condescension is not really desired — luckily you do not have access to private emails that are sent on the subject, which are exchanged for the benefit of those who are not tone deaf.
>tankera13
1. the reason self-hosted is unappealing to many (apart from the cost issue) is probably that most do not want the hassle of dealing with the intricacies and headaches of quasi managing their own site. for many, it is about the content, not the mechanics of how the content is delivered. If I am a writer, for example, I do not need to know the details of how a Montblanc pen is manufactured, or how to make paper. I just use these tools as a medium for conveying my thoughts. And if a particular pen or type of paper is unsatisfactory, I use another. unfortunately, the list of blogging platforms is limited, but there are many other venues constantly emerging in that regard. look, for example, for self publishing startups coming out of , say, Brooklyn and Berlin. It’s a big world out there!
2. I seriously doubt that many people view WordPress.com as a way to “build a business.” The very notion, in fact, is rather laughable. WordPress.com is best viewed as a tool for well-meaning enthusiasts who wish to broadcast their passion for some hobby. The only people actually making money off WordPress are Matt and his minions. The truth is, WordPress is nothing if not staid: technically it is not advanced, and the overall vibe of the place is overwhelmingly the antithesis of cutting edge. Hack marketeers who wish to peddle trinkets are probably best off going to digital flea markets such as eBay and Amazon. Professional writers do not write for free (other than self promoting blurbs and snippets); but amateurs can and will, ad nauseam — the results being mixed: some end up producing very good prose (I actually refuse to utilize the New Media term “content” to characterize good writing: a book is not “content” — if you don’t see the distinction, then you probably have no business attempting to write in the first place) indeed; most, however, generate tediously boring dreck. Typing does not equal writing.
3. The reason people use WP (still), is probably in the hopes of — not building a business — but building an audience. Human beings are social animals, mostly, except for writers, who are notoriously solitary creatures — despite the nature of their craft, or perhaps because of it. But if someone is stuck somewhere in deepest Wappalazoo, with no one with half a brain to talk to, they will attempt to “blog,” and in doing so yearn for feedback — or de minimus, views. I blog therefore I am, being the M.O. Like most self prescribed paths to existential relevance, this line of reasoning is of course specious, and is well described in Nathaniel West’s Miss Lonelyhearts, written in 1933, long before most of us were born.
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I agree with the great majority of these comments. The changes – with zero consultation with members – are a huge disimprovement. My particular issue is that I need to know my total number of views – country by country – since I started my blog (www.2irelands2gether.com) 18 months ago. That facility has disappeared at a stroke. Similarly in the ‘countries’ box – in which the stats are extremely unclear (as to which period they refer to) – neither the ‘yesterday’ nor the ‘summaries’ link works. It’s a mess. Andy
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Your item 3/ is a very salient point. We all have a lot of time and effort put into out blogs and WP ensure that there are follows, comments and likes that create a blogging community. This is a lot to leave behind.
Woe betide WP if another host understands this and make an easy transfer without loss available.
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It looks as if all this effort is beginning to pay off. I'm glad you noticed. :)I hope you’re not patting yourself on the back. That was taken out of context. I referred only to the one sensible and considerate person who attended the “Notifications” thread and wisely decided to restore the original.
I consider it unfriendly and grossly inconsiderate that WP:-
1/ Has not restored the Reader’s small drop-down menu that allows us to move directly to our Admin page
2/ Has not restored the direct link between a published post and the original Editor.
3/ Has not made it clear the new editor does not Auto-Save and people can, and have, lost their work that way.
4/ Has cost us all a great deal of time attempting to remedy such obvious nuisance and dysfunction.
Restoration of workable function does not take time or require the monitoring of trends. If anyone dares to be so condescending as to offer me a “Happy Meal”, I’ll make their ears burn.
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I agree with you Graham! How self indulgent to hijack a comment and quote it completely out of context.
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@ kerin2014
Re #2 (the one about The Daily Post)
I also find a lot of DP offerings on the ultra-basic side but, then again, I suspect that they’re writing to where the bulk of their audience is. When you’re dealing with educational materials (among other forms of writing), quality is determined by how well it is targeted to the diagnosed needs of the readers/learners. For that reason, it’s hard for me to criticize WP for the level at which DP posts are offered.
However, I’m not here to lecture. I’m here to advertise my new blog. Starting January 5th, I’ll be offering challenging writing prompts for advanced writers at blacklightcandelabra.wordpress.com .
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Thanks, but all your points fail to answer the concerns expressed. It’s perfectly simple and could be resolved in five minutes. Leave the new stats page for those who want it and leave the old stats page for those who prefer it. Give us all the ability to decide which page will be our default. How hard can that be? Go on, Engineer some Happiness and help us Cultivate our Creativity…
Merry Christmas!
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Also: I miss the “kitchensink” – that word has been replaced by “Toolbar toggle” – why replace the cutesy words?
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You can contact Matt Mullenweg at
http://matt.wordpress.com/contact-me/
and ask him to check the forums. I suggest using the topic name(s) rather than the URL’s as they may put the request in moderation.
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I hope you’re not patting yourself on the back.
I was just glad you noticed what had been updated! That’s all.
Hopefully you can see that I am here to listen and to do what I can to help and that I am doing that.
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@designsimply
Thanks for listening, updating, and remaining professional, regardless of the snark and repetitive outpourings of user disappointment.I want you to know that I do appreciate your general tone and attitude and always have. You are polite, consistently up beat and your respônses are clear. I do not doubt for a single instant that every complaint and point of view made here will be accounted for in your tallying up and repôrt to the support team and developers.
What I don`t appreciate here or comprehend here or anywhere else in my life is those who demonstrate a learned inability to make themselves happy accompanied by an ongoing desire to posture as prisoners when they and their content are not imprisoned.
The way I see things is that if one does not like what is happening here at WordPress.com then their content can be moved. WordPress.org software provides remarkable flexibility in that regard. So, though I am not more nor less happy than those posting here, I am a big girl who can take care of her own future blogging needs and I have done that.
I would like to wish you a very happy holiday.
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