There is a big debate within the WordPress development world on the future of WordPress 3.6 over this idea of post formats. The funny thing is that a vast majority of experienced WordPress users never knew about post formatting before this discussion even started. Here is a link to the deeper debate on if WordPress should implement a half-baked administration GUI alteration in the next iteration. (The current proposed GUI is shown in the featured image above)
What I want to discuss here is the idea of using WordPress’ post formats well.
- Use A Theme That Capitalizes On Them
While the post formats have not formally been introduced into the administration GUI, it is already coded into WordPress and a forward thinking WordPress theme may already be implementing it. Standard Theme is one of those and I have been utilizing the image and video formats. - Improve Medium Delivery
The biggest reason for post formats is because you are highlighting the medium you want to post. If it is a link, it should look differently than if you want to share a quote or a video. - Break Up The Monotony
If your blog is full of post after post that has 3-10 paragraphs full of texts, it can become very boring, very quickly. Post formats with WordPress may be the challenge you as a blogger needs to use different mediums to communicate the message you want your blog to convey. Take the challenge head on and come up with great quotes, links, photos, videos, and more to deliver more than just a bunch of words, but instead a well communicated idea.
How can your blog begin to think about using post formats well?
Dustin W. Stout says
I struggle with this a bit. Because of all the hacking I’ve done to my theme to make it do a couple things exceptionally beautiful, I’ve had to forego some fo the post format individuality. For instance the Standard, Image and Video post formats now look exactly alike.
I try to remember to use the Quote post format every now and then. The Status format still serves a very specific purpose. The Link format though is, IMHO, useless.
seventy8Productions says
Dustin, no doubt that customizing your Standard theme will hurt integrating this quickly, but the challenge still stands on how you implement them into your site design. I was surprised to see your interviews not use the video format differently than the rest of your posts and maybe that is what you want, but it does give your site a bit of monotony from post to post.
Tim Young says
I like the post formats that come with the standard theme, but I have had to hack a bit to get certain post formats to behave the way I want them to. Also, I agree with Dustin Stout on his commentary on the link format….useless ๐
seventy8Productions says
Tim, also note that Post Formats are in its infancy and the way Standard does it is at the forefront of WordPress’s implementation, so know that it will get better at WordPress 3.6 and 3.7.
Ray Flores says
Post Formatting is not new to WP, as Stated, but the rendering (and forward thinking) is… and that is really what they are trying to achieve with this…basically, just the ‘what ifs’ and making them default… WP is creating these for default… it will be up the devs to make them ‘jump’ and then get them into the ‘non-useless’ category ๐
I have always been a big can of CPT, so with this addition, it makes it that much easier to stylize ๐
This is one addition that I am looking forward to in the coming releases…it can only get better anyways, right?
seventy8Productions says
What are CPTs? As for WordPress themes, if they are on the ball, they already have post formats implemented and are just waiting for WordPress to make up its mind for the admin GUI.
Ray Flores says
Custom Post Types