WPMS the product formly known as WPMU

Most are probably aware that WordPress Mu is looking like it’s going to become WPMS (WordPress Multi Site). The news was broken over at WPMU.org. This left me a bit puzzled in my simple designer head though as to the why.

So why the change?

As there is official word yet the assumption has to be due to the merge into the core WordPress site. It’s done (I assume) to avoid confusion with users as a WordPress site can of course have multiple users. However, is this really enough of a reason to cause this confusion and if it is is MS even the right name? Is it going to be really multiple sites (across various domains) or is it just going to stay as many blogs under one domain?

Branding 101

Any designer or infact anyone that has gone through any branding training knows of course that identity and consistency are a key. On the surface if you use the short form only one letter has changed but it is an important change. Basically the entire name is changed from user to site thus renaming the actual product if this does go ahead. What if Google suddenly become Woggle or MicroSoft suddenly became MicroHard?

Why care?

To me the huge draw over the ‘Press Family’ of products is their strong identity despite being an open source project proving that all though many hands can make light work a strong identity can be fostered. I’m often amazed at how many I’d have even assumed wouldn’t have known about it do. WordPress Mu has been a slightly different story more of the cool place those in the know hung out at sometimes (this is in part undermining it’s true reach to illustrate a point). However, it’s been getting known and having a name known is half the battle to getting it to reach critical mass. Sure, having it merged into WordPress core which is what is happening will result in this saturation as it’s now right there but changing the name will negatively impact from other view points.

At this point you may be thinking so what. My point about deluting branding may seem valid, it may seem awkward we’re going through a name change but nothing more. Thing is though this change won’t effect those that at this point even know about it. One of the major ‘points’ for me and in particular the people I’ve encountered outside of the geek bubble that use the ‘Press Family’ products is the ability for you to not have to live in the bubble to know or use them. These are the people who will probably now have a ‘wtf’ moment over the name and even to not dumb them down think it’s an entirely new product. One of the things that really attracts me and others as a designer and as a user is the ease of use and ability to get resources easily to overcome issues. Think about the case of an end user.

David wants to have a set up a multiple user site for his village allowing villagers to get in touch with each other. He finds out he can do it now through WordPress. All is good it works it’s set up but now he wants to after having it up delve a bit more into customisation. He goes to Google enters WordPress Multi-Site and instantly for at least a while the resources he will find will either be less with more referencing WordPress Multi-User and confusing as also he gets entries for WordPress Multi-Site. What is this Multi-User?

Finding information suddenly got harder which is a big bad thing. Think of all the articles out there referencing WordPress Multi-User now either they have to be changed or a certain portion of people will not consider them relevant. One of the great things about the ‘Press Family’ is the ability and encouragement to a certain degree to get your hands a bit dirty no matter what level you are – by making information harder to find this is going to at least for the change over period be a problem.

What’s in a name?

Not only is it going to cause confusion there is the added loss of unique particularly if as with WordPress Multi-User WordPress Multi-Site inevitably shortens down to WordPress MS. MS has 2 connections you can think of straight away: the illness Multiple Sclerosis (as pointed out well in the comments over at WPMU and MicroSoft. Let alone if you reduce that to WPMS being a woman I can’t help thinking it may need chocolate and a wide berth once a month. In one foul swoop this name change if it does happen will remove the actual unique identity of the product – surely that’s not exactly a bright move.

Consistency shouldn’t be a second thought

One of the huge bees in my bonnet with regards to the Press Family has always been consistency. I was glad that this seemed to be at least in naming conventions and identity a winning battle. Occasionally when working on a theme / hook you encounter something that makes you do the quizical face over why that name and not that. On the whole though the consistency is kept and that’s a huge point. If the idea is to make it as big as it can be consistency should be a huge point. By changing the name like this you dilute, you confuse.

Praying for change

My hope is that this won’t happen. It probably will but there we go. If it’s in the code base it’s not set in stone so I can hope for now. It may seem a small point but even if you don’t consider brand consistency ease of information access is a rather significant one. Bottom line anyone with a wpmu domain / working on the range of products will be impacted a lot by the merge into the core – perhaps I was wishing on fairies that the good wasn’t coming with confusion bad. It was always going to be a slightly difficult if exciting birth but this only adds to the complications and problems facing the community at this point. Don’t get me wrong in this article, I’m looking forward to the merge just not sold on the name change.