Please update now.
What am I speaking of?? The version update feature that is packaged in the new 2.3.+ version of WordPress. I heard about it in the buzz about the new version in the weeks prior to it being released. Now that WordPress 2.3.1 is out - I’m seeing it in my WordPress Dashboard and it looks like this:
This nifty feature tells you when your WordPress software is out of date and a new version has been released. This is really nice, especially for those who don’t keep updated on such information on a regular basis.
Now, there are some folks who are concerned about the privacy issues surrounding this particular feature. In order for this feature to work - there is a bit of code in the core WordPress files that need to ‘call home’ to the WordPress servers. It makes sense - in order for your WordPress Dashboard to notify you that you’re out of date with your version - there needs to be a call to a central server at WordPress.org - - it sends information like your version, your domain and your blog name - and returns the message back that you’re out of date.
Likewise, there is another update notification system in place for your WordPress plugins. It’s a nice feature you’ll see under the Plugins tab that will tell you if you are using an old version of a particular plugin - - it’s really nice to know if there is a new version of your favorite plugin, isn’t it? That notifcation looks something like this:
Same type of call home - - same privacy concerns, for some.
Due to privacy concerns surrounding this (some people just aren’t comfortable with that call back to WordPress.org) - there have been some plugins developed to disable this feature. Just know - if you use any of these plugins, you will need to keep yourself informed about WordPress update releases as they come out! Here’s a few plugins to disable the software and plugin update notification feature in WordPress:
Disable WordPress Core Update by John Blackbourn
Disable WordPress Plugin Updates by John Blackbourn
Anonymous WordPress Plugin Updates by Hannes Hofmann (this plugin allows the updates but anonymizes the plugin update checking system)
