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WordPress has been facing a lot of problems since the release of its version 2.5. A number of bugs have been discovered since then. Some of the modifications were so severe that users were waiting for the next better version i.e. 2.6. If you’re one of those users then you don’t have to wait for any long as WordPress 2.6 Beta 1 has been released. It is an improved version of WordPress 2.5. This time there wasn’t as much hype created as it was with the release of WordPress 2.5.

The new version has following features:

• Caching of static files with Google Gears for faster Admin page loads

• New better image editing dialog that offers various controls over the images in a post

• Theme preview

• Default word counting in post editor (thats gona help a lot of users)

• Capability to disable remote publishing for security awareness

• XML-RPC API to change blog options

• Improved SSL support for admin

• Hierarchy aware paging in the Manage Pages and Manage Categories admin pages

• Capability to relocate content directory

• Capacity to move wp-config.php away from web root

• Drag and drop sorted galleries

• Modifiable default avatars

• Bulk activate, deactivate and delete for plugins

• Check box range selection with shift-click

• TinyMCE 3.1.0.1 with various bug fixes

• Performance improved jQuery 1.2.6

• jQuery UI 1.5

• A number of fixed bugs and improved performance (unlike the previous release of WordPress 2.5)

Changes have been made in the dashboard and design user interface of the whole WordPress system. There are a lot of people who might not like the new interface so it would be better if they can provide an option of reverting back to the old (classic) interface. Also they can provide customisable dashboard themes so that users can change it according to their likes/dislikes.

WordPress 2.6 Beta 1 is available for download here. Before installing it, don’t forget to take the backup.

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