WordPress 3.8 was released to the public on December 12, 2013.
They have named the update “Parker” in honor of Charlie Parker, a bebop innovator. WordPress 3.8 brings with it a facelift and a fresh new look to the entire admin dashboard. Also included is the new Twenty Fourteen theme, several bug fixes, and cool enhancements.
The official release page offers the following description of the updated look:
Gone are overbearing gradients and dozens of shades of grey — bring on a bigger, bolder, more colorful design!
Modern aesthetic – The new WordPress dashboard has a fresh, uncluttered design that embraces clarity and simplicity.
Clean typography – The Open Sans typeface provides simple, friendly text that is optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing. It’s even open source, just like WordPress.
Refined contrast – We think beautiful design should never sacrifice legibility. With superior contrast and large, comfortable type, the new design is easy to read and a pleasure to navigate.
WordPress on every device – We all access the internet in different ways. Smartphone, tablet, notebook, desktop — no matter what you use, WordPress will adapt and you’ll feel right at home.
Be Careful About Updating
Enjoy the new look and functions by updating to WordPress 3.8, however as a word of caution, be sure to backup your site – just in case there happens to be a conflict with your existing WordPress installation, plugins, themes, or other components.
One of my favorite tools for backing up WordPress is the BackupBuddy plugin.
Save 40% now on BackupBuddy and any other iThemes products
through December 31, 2013 with Coupon Code: HOLIDAY40
So before you push the “Please update now” link in your WordPress Dashboard, be sure you have a full backup of all your site files and database.
Ensure that everything works after upgrading. Check your site's appearance and functionality, both in the theme and plugin features you rely upon.
Very Helpful Links:
- WordPress News: WordPress 3.8 “Parker” – Official Press Release
- WordPress Codex: Version 3.8 – Summary of highlights and features
- Troubleshooting WordPress 3.8 Master List – LINK COMING SOON!
- WordPress Trac: Milestone 3.8 – Tickets active and closed
- WordPress Codex – Changelog/3.8
- Download WordPress 3.8
- WordPress Codex – Upgrading WordPress Extended << Our preferred upgrade method
As always, we'll be watching for plugins and themes for security issues as they update to fit WordPress 3.8. Want to check plugin compatibility yourself? Open each plugin page and look at “Compatible Up to: 3.8”. For example, you can see that the Better WP Security plugin is now compatible with WordPress 3.8.
Leave Your Feedback:
Help give back to the community so we can all stay safe online.
Have you upgraded to WordPress 3.8 yet? Did you discover any conflicts or issues? Please let us know how your update went and if you have any questions or concerns, just leave a comment below for discussion!
Just a question (off topic I know), have you guys look at a system called zbblock? It suppose to reduce the chances of getting your site hacked by stopping sql injections and other attack vectors. I used it myself and found it useful.
Hi Daniel,
I have tested it before and it was cumbersome. However, we use the Better WP Security plugin which takes care of that.
May I ask how long ago it was since you used it? Maybe it have improved since you last used it? The best thing is that it will stop many attacks before wordpress or any other system before it get to the point of connecting to your database.
Hi,
I did the upgrade today – kinda neat…
One question: When you update a WP page cones up allowing one to make changes – colors, etc. How do you get that page back after doing other work on the site? Okay, so I’m an aged, April Fool Baby in need of glasses but darn if I see it!
Go to your WordPress Dashboard. Click on “Screen Options” in the upper right hand corner and check the “Welcome” box. You will see the welcome message that says “Customize Your Site.”
Thank you and I will make an appointment to get these old old eyes checked 🙂
Back on topic, I just upgraded my blog while writing this post and so far everything is working well. Mind you I been running the RC version on my local computer so that I can make sure that my custom written theme will work without any major issues.
Daniel
Glad it all worked out for you, it looks quite interesting. Now knowing that it is mobile responsive out of the box makes it very impressive. If you have any questions fill free to ask. One thing make sure you have a good backup system in place when going through these updates as they will be coming fast and furious.