IP.Content, our popular content management and creation tool, allows administrators to manage content throughout their site. You can create templates, pages, blocks that can be embedded anywhere (even outside of IP.Board!), and databases of custom data with many easy to use yet comprehensive tools built into the software. Development is underway on the next major version of IP.Content, version 2.3, and we wanted to take a moment to let you know what you can expect to see in this release.
Please keep in mind that all specific features and release schedule time frames are subject to change depending on circumstances outside of our control. With that in mind, let's take a look at the areas we will be focusing on for IP.Content 2.3.
Usability
One of the most important areas of the software we are focusing on with 2.3 is usability. We have received and reviewed much feedback regarding the way IP.Content users utilize the many features in the software and will be placing a very heavy focus on streamlining the interface to make your work flows quicker, easier and more intuitive. Every word, button, link and form option for every page of IP.Content has been scrutinized, and we have found many areas we feel we can make more intuitive without removing functionality for advanced users.
To go along with improving the ease of use of the software, we are intending to include some new functionality to help novice users get started using the software quicker. Certain requests in the forums show a pattern, and we've been paying attention to these patterns. IP.Content 2.3 should prove much easier to use, for beginning users, average webmasters, and developers alike.
Consistency
The IP.Board framework offers a vast array of features and functionality that can be utilized by applications tied to it, including IP.Content. While IP.Content makes use of many of these features out of the box already, we are going to be expanding the use of existing framework functionality, which will serve many important purposes:
- Consistency helps users better understand how the software works, and learn how to use it quicker
- Better use of framework functionality will improve moderation and administration of the software
- Expanded use of built in functionality of IP.Board will allow you and your users to utilize more features in the software
There are some specific areas we will focus on with this release, and we are sure that you will be pleased with the expanded feature set and improved consistency between IP.Content and the rest of our addon applications.
SEO
Search engine optimization can be a challenging task with software such as IP.Content, primarily because you are in control of the majority of the final output. Nevertheless, some specific areas of focus have been identified and we will be improving some various aspects of the software to help ensure the software itself is not a hindrance in allowing you to target your site as you see fit.
Strengthening Existing Features
We want to take this opportunity to also strengthen some of the existing feature set of IP.Content. Certain features do not always work as some of our customers expect, and we want to ensure your experience with the software is intuitive, and produces the outcome that you expect. We are going to focus on some of the existing features that we have received feedback about to ensure they work as you expect. Before we move on to brand new features in the software that will blow you away (and we have internally identified several we wish to explore further), we want to be certain that the existing features work perfectly for you first.
Stay tuned for future blog entries outlining details of the specific changes to come. We wanted to give you a high-level overview of the direction we are taking IP.Content, and the areas we are focusing on, so that you can know what to expect when we start talking specifics in the coming weeks. We are targeting spring of 2012 for a release, and in the mean time will be working closely with focus groups, alpha testers and developers to ensure the release we deliver is as great as we hope it will be. Please ensure you post feature requests in the IP.Content feedback forum, otherwise we welcome your comments in the area below!