I have just launched version 3 of my Mingle Forum plugin. Yes, forums are a dying breed, and that’s why I switched completely from a classic forum structure to a discussion board structure. I wrote yesterday about my decision and how I came to it. It’s also called Mingle Forums & Discussion Board now.
The plugin has been slashed in half, code-wise, and it’s now lighter, faster and more extensible. I am currently using it as a base for my SEO discussion board. One of my clients is using it as an international community for questions and answers. This is called dogfooding.
In the context of WordPress plugins, “dogfooding” means actively using the plugin on public-facing websites for an extended period, not just during development and testing. This practice helps developers identify and address issues, ensuring the plugin’s quality and performance before wider release.
— Ciprian Popescu
It integrates perfectly with any WordPress theme. Note that the recently released version 3 is still in beta, and some new features are coming soon, either as core features or add-ons:
- Real-time thread search
- Single thread template override
- User cards or user profile pages
- Ranks
On November 27, 2023, Google announced they’re supporting profile pages and discussion forum structured data to use in Google Search. This is another feature that will be integrated natively into the plugin.
These markups will be shown as a Google Search feature to provide a first-person perspective from social media platforms, forums, and other communities. It’s still new, and it’s not yet visible in Google Search Console, but that’s a good reason to start experimenting with it and have it working 100% when it comes out.
