It’s been a while now (almost 3 months!) since the last update to our WordPress plugin, and a lot has been going on here at IntenseDebate HQ since then. We’ve been working on our end to improve how the plugin interacts with our servers, and now we’re ready to release a new version which updates how it operates as well. Here are some of the new and improved bits in this version:

• Added a bunch of new API functions to enable better remote queue management (for syncing): get comment counts, get approved comment counts, get a copy of your sync queue, manage individual operations, lock queue temporarily
• Improved handling of duplicate comments
• Improved syncing on comment statuses
• Fixed a bug with closing comments on a Post/Page
• Added partial support for the Trash feature coming in WordPress 2.9*
• Added functionality to allow us to re-import a single Post to help fix up any sync problems (more efficient than re-importing your entire site)
• Lots of small improvements and fixes to the way the sync queue operates to avoid overloading your site (and ours) and to increase the success of requests.

* We’re going to be releasing an update in the near future, once we sort out a few remaining issues with the Trash functionality. When you upgrade to WordPress 2.9 (once it’s released!) you’ll also want to upgrade to that new version.

This version of the plugin has gone through a load of testing on WordPress versions 2.5, right up to the current “trunk” and WordPressMU version 2.6 to the current release (2.8.5.2). We’d like to note that in the next versions, we’re going to drop support for versions of WordPress below 2.7, so if for some reason you’re running an old version of WordPress, we’d strongly recommend that you upgrade!

If you are already using IntenseDebate on your WordPress blog then you should see a plugin update notification in your admin dashboard soon. If you haven’t tried us out yet, then now is the perfect time, with our best plugin release to date! You can search for the plugin (“IntenseDebate Comments”) under Plugins > Add New, or download it directly from the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Posted by Beau Lebens in WordPress Plugin

Bonjour!  We spent last week in Quebec with our fellow Automattic colleagues for our annual company meetup, and we had an amazing time.  This was the first time Jon, Isaac, Beau, and I have been in the same room, so it was a pleasure to work side-by-side and kick around some ideas together.

We also got the chance to collaborate with the rest of the Automattic crew to look at how IntenseDebate can integrate with other Automattic projects, and learn how to apply their scaling knowledge to our systems.

While some of the projects aren’t ready to be disclosed yet, here are some general details about what we’re working on (please note that these include long-term projects):

• Backend Loading Optimization: We’re really excited about this project.  We are currently working on a new method for optimizing how we load comments and trackbacks.  This will improve load times even as the volume of comments on your blog continues to increase, as well as correct a couple of bugs.  Loading IntenseDebate will be even more seamless!
• More Sync Improvements: We had the opportunity to pick the brains of our brilliant WordPress system engineers about the inner-workings of WordPress. We will be adapting some of the code and principles they use to improve the quality of our syncing engine.  This is going to be huge for our plugin and will correct those pesky sync discrepancies that have been floating around affecting comment counts and backups.
• WordPress Plugin Overhaul: The core of our WordPress plugin was written prior to joining Automattic.  Since then our understanding of the WordPress codebase has drastically improved.  We have now identified significant portions of the plugin code that can be simplified or optimized making it much more lightweight and perform better.  The principles that we are applying in this overhaul will eventually be applied to our integrations with other platforms across the board.
• Moderation, Moderation, Moderation! Bug fixes aside, optimizing moderation is high priority.  The main moderation project that we’re currently working on is reworking your moderation page.  We will be minimizing the time you spend moderating comments and filtering spam, and simplifying your user experience.
• Support Documentation and Forums: We’re beefing-up our FAQ and support resources for end users, publishers and developers. This will help  everyone to find the answers they’re looking for.  More info to come on this one soon.

It’s an exciting time here at IntenseDebate!  We’re looking forward to pushing out loads of new code, and we will be depending on you for your feedback.  Keep an eye right here on our blog for the latest news.

Posted by Michael Koenig in News,WordPress Plugin

Today we’re releasing an update to our WordPress plugin that fixes a problem some of you were having where other plugins/widgets/JavaScripts were preventing IntenseDebate from loading. This is a minor update, but we recommend that everyone upgrades. It loads your comments slightly faster, and also corrects a URL that will allow us to improve the Facebook Connect functionality in the the plugin as well. This version also displays a neat little icon while the comments section is loading. 😉

You should get an upgrade notification in your WordPress admin panel soon, or you can also go to the WordPress Plugin Directory to download it directly. If you’re not using IntenseDebate on your WordPress site yet, now is the perfect time to get started!

Posted by Beau Lebens in WordPress Plugin

The team at Instinct Entertainment has been hard at work, and we’re excited to post about their latest release. Their famous WP e-Commerce Plugin now features integration with IntenseDebate!

About WP e-Commerce:

WordPress e-Commerce is a WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin that is truly an industrial strength elegant easy to use and fully featured shopping cart solution suitable for selling your products, services, and or fees online.

Using IntenseDebate with your WP e-Commerce plugin gives your customers the ability to submit product reviews and comments while they’re shopping.

Hats off to Dan Milward, Thomas Howard, Chris Beavan, Allen Han and the rest of the team at Instinct. Thanks all of your hard work fellas! We’re looking forward to giving you a hand with your shopping.

If you’re not using the WP e-Commerce Plugin to power your shopping cart, then get with it already and install it! IntenseDebate and WP e-Commerce: it’s so choice.

Posted by Michael Koenig in WordPress Plugin

As of this morning, the long awaited version 2.4.1 of the WordPress plugin is now available for download!

I want to give a big shout-out and thank you to everyone who volunteered to help test this version and make sure there were no show-stopper bugs in there. We really appreciate your feedback and suggestions and are actively using them to drive the direction of our development.

To find out more about the new features and changes in this version, you can read the announcement about the initial beta testing. If you are already using IntenseDebate then you should get an upgrade notification in your WordPress admin panel soon. Not using IntenseDebate yet? Now is the perfect time to get started!

Posted by Beau Lebens in WordPress Plugin