WordPress 2.2 has been released to much fanfare etc. Unfortunately, this release does not include tags as had been planned, but apparently the new version deals with 240 bugs, and has some other features including Widgets support, a new Blogger importer, and protecting your blog from breaking when activating a plugin or editing a file.

All the WordPress gurus will tell you to quickly update. Not that I’m a guru, but I suggest that you wait. This is because it is inevitable that this new version will contain new bugs that will need to be fixed. Why not let others discover them, and when the really stable version is released, you can install it with little fear. Also, many themes and plugins will probably not work with this new version. If you wait, the list of compatible and incompatible plugins and themes will be more complete, and you will have a better chance of a successful upgrade.

If you are going to upgrade, I suggest you read the following articles:

  • WordPress 2.2 upgrade caveats – this guy’s upgrade didn’t go over so smoothly, and he had to spend several hours fixing things up. This post has a good list of things you should make sure to do before upgrading, including “having a backup theme or two hip-pocketed.”
  • Compare your current theme and plugins with the list of compatible plugins and themes. These lists will become more complete as time goes on.

In the meantime, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, or you may find yourself fixing a lot more than you had planned!