11:12 PM
Usability vs. Sustainability
stormbreaker
I have used a lot of plugins in this blog. In fact, majority of the websites I operate have their own sets of plugins. Whether it is a blog, a forum, or a directory, I always see to it that I use these add-ons to make it better than the default installation. Since I am an avid user of open source technologies, I have easier access to this plugins. Most of them are widely available in the Internet and can be downloaded freely. The question now is, Am I after the usability of an add-on or its sustainability?
In my situation, it is both. I mentioned that my sites have different sets of add-ons. This is due to that fact that every site has its own needs. I do not use plugins that I don’t need, and I don’t use them just because many are using them. However, I also consider sustainability as one of my criteria when deciding to use an add-on or not. Sustainability in a sense of the programmer’s/author’s capacity to support the plugin for a long period of time, especially that the core software/script (e.g. Wordpress) had upgraded into a newer version. I see to it that these plugins are always compatible with the new version. I am not a programmer and I can’t modify codes that I use to make it compatible with the recent releases of the scripts that I use. Hence, sustainability is of the essence.
Also, this is also true with themes, styles, or templates that are available for open source scripts. Changes in the codes and tags require codes of these templates to be updated too. That is why one of my observations why many Wordpress blogs change it look every time a major upgrade was released is because of the fact that their current template doesn’t support the upgrade.
For others, which do you prefer, usability or sustainability?
In my situation, it is both. I mentioned that my sites have different sets of add-ons. This is due to that fact that every site has its own needs. I do not use plugins that I don’t need, and I don’t use them just because many are using them. However, I also consider sustainability as one of my criteria when deciding to use an add-on or not. Sustainability in a sense of the programmer’s/author’s capacity to support the plugin for a long period of time, especially that the core software/script (e.g. Wordpress) had upgraded into a newer version. I see to it that these plugins are always compatible with the new version. I am not a programmer and I can’t modify codes that I use to make it compatible with the recent releases of the scripts that I use. Hence, sustainability is of the essence.
Also, this is also true with themes, styles, or templates that are available for open source scripts. Changes in the codes and tags require codes of these templates to be updated too. That is why one of my observations why many Wordpress blogs change it look every time a major upgrade was released is because of the fact that their current template doesn’t support the upgrade.
For others, which do you prefer, usability or sustainability?