WP 2.7 Blog Party is ON!

So, as many of you already know by my incessant spam for the WordPress 2.7 Blog Release Party, today is the big “party” day… but, it was about a week and some change late.  SAD.  But, whatever.

There’s so much to be excited about for this release and it is, in my humble opinion, the best WP release to date.  You can read about all the updated features and functionalities right here…

Or, you can download it, install it, and see for yourself (which you’ve already done if you’re participating in the party…!)!

Party has begun after the jump…

WP 2.7 Blog Release Party Step 1

So far, I’ve completed the first step of the WP 2.7 Blog Release Party: Installation.  I’ve installed it successfully on 5 of my biggest blogs and backups are on standby just in case (but we won’t need that).

Now, for the 2nd part, I have to “rave” about the sheer awesomeness of the WordPress platform.

WP 2.7 Blog Release Party Step 2

I’ve thought about it and I know that many of you already know where my feelings are.  But let me share one of the biggest reasons why WP gets me jazzed.

It’s simply that WordPress is, in my mind, the ultimate ministry tool.

I’ve seen it do incredible things, some of which I have yet to share with many of you.  Think of any “type” of site, functionally, whether it’s ecommerce, static site, podcasting, forums, blog, aggregator, news board, social network, whatever… WP can do it.  In “complete” fashion too.  Not just cobbled together plugins and themes… but completley re-written from the ground up to do amazing things.

At zero cost.  How is this possible?

It’s because of the amazing nature of Open Source.  It’s also because, intrinsically, Open Source has community built right in to it.  The dev community surrounding WP is unlike anything you’ve ever seen… and it’s a model of the capital-C Church in so many ways (don’t get me started…).

It’s flexible, dynamic, extensible, and can scale like a 7-year old with a blank check  in a candy-shop.

So, yes.  Done and done.  Part 2 of the WP 2.7 Blog Release Party is complete.

Now, for step 3.

WP 2.7 Blog Release Party Step 3

Part 3 of the party is challenging someone you know to change from their old ways and “convert” to WordPress.  I know this can be a very sensitive issue, so some of this in in jest… so tread lightly here, because people are really “emotional” about their blogs.

Yeah.  You know who you are…

So, I’m calling out and challenging Mrs. RagamuffinSoul: Heather Whittaker.

She currently runs a Typepad-powered blog while her hubby, the infamous RagamuffinSoul.com runs WP.  Sounds like a “house divided”… right?

Ok, my party requirements are done… how about you?

BONUS!!!  List of Stuff to Read about WP 2.7

Best list ever of 2.7-related reads… just for fun:

WordPress 2.7 Development News

• Version 2.7 « WordPress Codex
• The Results of Project Icon for WordPress 2.7
• WordPress 2.7: Project Icon
• WordPress.com – If WordPress 2.7 Was A Movie…
• Mark Jaquith – WordPress 2.7 Feature Preview: Publish Module (UPDATED)
• Customizable Post Editing Screen from Mark Jaquith
• Ryan Boren – WordPress 2.7: Getting Ready for Public Beta
• WordPress Usability Testing in New York
• WordPress 2.7 Navigation Survey from Jane Wells
• Shortcuts/Favorites Menu from Jane Wells
• The New 2.7 Dashboard
• The Visual Design of 2.7
• Usability Testing Report: 2.5 and CrazyHorse
• WordPress 2.7 Wireframes
• WordPress 2.7 Development Updates
• WordPress Development Updates from Jane Wells
• WordPress 2.7 and beyond from Matt at WordCamp Utah
• CrazyHorse Presentation at WordCamp SF
• WordCamp NYC: Matt Mullenweg on the State of WordPress presented a walk through of WordPress 2.7 (video)

WordPress 2.7 Features

• WordPress Codex – WordPress 2.7 Feature List
• Jacob Santos – 10 WordPress Features You’ll Never Care About
• Technosailor – Screenshots from WordPress 2.7
• Technosailor – 10 Things You Need to Know About WordPress 2.7
• WordPress Codex – Keyboard Shortcuts
• Taragana – 16 Must-Know Features in WordPress 2.7
• OP111 – Ten New Features in WordPress 2.7
• Ottodestruct – WordPress 2.7 Comments Enhancements

WordPress 2.7 Plugin News

• WordPress 2.7 UI Configurability from Ryan Boren
• Ottodestruct – WordPress 2.7 Comments Enhancements
• planetOzh: WordPress 2.7 Featuring Your Favorite Actions
• Lester Chan (Gamerz) reports canonical redirects makes some of his Plugins not work

WordPress 2.7 Theme News

• ThemeShaper – WordPress Child Themes and functions.php
• Getting Ready for WordPress 2.7: Really Simple Category Styling
• Devlounge – Getting Ready for WordPress 2.7: Sticky Post Styling
• WPHacks – New Page Menu Function and Sticky Posts in WordPress 2.7
• Nathan Rice – Definitive guide to Sticky posts in WordPress 2.7
• Justin Tadlock – Making your theme’s comments compatible with WordPress 2.7 and earlier versions
• Sivel – Separating Pings from Comments in WordPress 2.7
• Weblog Tools Collection – Child Themes in WordPress 2.7 – Part 1 and Part 2
• Nathan Rice – Is My Theme 2.7 Compatible?
• Jacob Santos on the hazards of customizing Themes in WordPress 2.7

List originally from Lorelle… you rock!