WordPress 3.9 Update - The Roads Traveled

Robert Frost, wrote an epic poem "The Road Not Taken" in his 1916 publication of "Mountain Interval". Frost caused his peers to think carefully before making a decision or reaching a conclusion. The preponderance of peers amongst the debate was historic.

Our brain is in a constant mode of ponderation. We think what if, how to, why to and what do we need to know to choose given the facts, or what we know at the moment causing us to choose.

The human emotion of regret or realization can be a painful, individual one.

I believe Frost intended for us to be proud of our decisions because they were made in the spirit of adventure during an interval of time.

A period of time to experience the duration between two events, two roads, one taken and one not. To reflect and assess the road we chose.

The WordPress 3.9 update paired with the change on the MCE plugin was eventful. My spirit of adventure was challenged with a few snafus .

Why? Because as a mere student what I needed to know was not readily available. Some acted surprised, others implied I should have known, a few provided me a direction.

I found myself at an impasse and questioned upon which road to travel.

As a curious student I have learned there are certain rules to obey or conform to, and at the same time given an ocean of themes and plugins to ponder and choose encouraged to use.

An adventurous ocean of pathways.

I selected a theme and the plugins first introduced in my training, but the emotional regret and the realization that the MCE was under reconstruction, renamed and a new plugin replacement happening concurrently seems to remain more than many realized.

The interval of multiple events became a road of conflict and circumstance.

Granted, had many plugins to add to my experience with a spirit of adventure in learning by trial and error, however these plugins remained deactivated, and only essential ones activated.

The conflict? One.

The UltimateTinyMCE was the problem plugin and certainly no fault of mine. A plethora of editor options utilized to create a page or post easily used by many, authored by a well-known programmer in the WP network.

The circumstance? The disappearance of the editor.

When I asked if anyone else was experiencing the disappearance I was told the plugin should be deactivated. It seemed that those 'in the know' didn't think we 'needed to know' a 'behind the scene' redevelopment was happening. No announcement, no forewarning, no explanation was found.

The consequence? My website development ceased.

Today I know the options of the MCE plugin once familiar were being divided into the MCEAdvanced and WPEdit to meet the deadline of the WP 3.9 Update coined 'SMITH'.

I was instructed to add the WPEdit plugin. When I did the plugin page I was sent to was WPEditPro with all the options once enjoyed before the division, for an additional fee.

Once again, the world of the internet had something for free with an upsell, a choice to purchase an upgrade to gain what I already had. This did not make sense.

An upgrade with additions to enable excellence once for free revoked.

As a reader and an intermediate website developer this meant disaster coupled with a huge sinking feeling. What now? What next?

To those 'in the know' no consequence because they knew to wait and see, to many the realization is yet to be realized, or not.

To me, the WP Update was overshadowed by the new WPEdit, the inactivated plugin renamed TinyMCEAdvanced, causing me to ponder if I would see a benefit in activation. Do I take the leap? No, must enter the WP forums to search the discussions.

The "SMITH" update was to provide us a 'rare distinction' similar to how the Jazz and Blues musician Jimmy Smith was received, influencing rock bands similar to the Beastie Boys.

So I started writing. Initially the musical experience was deafening. The fluid changes off harmony. A list of new editor options to inspire improvisation were confusing with horizontal and vertical lines of chords appearing off key.

Then I realized the WordPress 3.9 Update was influenced by the art of Jimmy Smith's organic improvisation, his creative behavior within an immediate environment, chords of stimuli experienced in a new way to inspire writing "on the spot" or "off the cuff".

Wow! A new skill to acquire to inspire improvisation in a new environment. Okay.

My spirit of adventure has returned. Learning something new along the way has been inspiring with a bit of added comfort. The new editor and website framework closely parallels my Apple word processing applications.

Am traveling a road less traveled as if nothing happened, but I know did. Am entering the next phase of adventure off road into a tunnel of trees called image editing and video podcasting.

A new adventure likely full of challenge, defeat, re-entry and renewal. Definitely what owning a successful business inline, offline and online is all about.

I have had an experience without regret of a past conflict, circumstance, consequence, to propel into yet another road.

Am experiencing a blend of new two operating systems, PC and Mac with the ability to drag and drop images and documents converted from Mac to Word.

Please feel free to note in comments how the WPEdit has improved your editing abilities within your WordPress theme framework.

Curious to know what happens with activation of the TinyMCEAdvanced with an update to 4.02 now available. Will the options augment the WPEdit editor or a return of the once revoked options?

Still having fun learning the Live Previews of Widgets and Galleries, the new Media Manager Testing of Audio/Video, the Drag & Drop Images, the New Theme Browsing from the WP forums.

Thank you to @Rich, BiS and Old Mule. Know I am thinking of you as I travel this new path.

Look forward to fluttering around the community, getting to know more, and remain more importantly willing to help anyone with what I already know and can.

No worries, no regrets, may your days be favorable. ^_~