b2evolution 4.0.3 (stable) has been released.
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Here it is! Finally! The stable version of b2evolution version 4!
This is a recommended upgrade for all users that have issues with spam!
This version has been one year in the making. If you look back at feature lists for the alpha and beta releases, it is pretty impressive how many new features have been added, as well as the polishing of existing features to make the usage of the software more efficient. There also have been quite a few additions to make spam cleaning a breeze with one click javascript (Ajax) actions.
This stable release does not bring any major changes compared to version 4.0.2-beta. It mainly cleans up a few help texts and has an updated POT file for translators to use.
This version also has a new default: users will no longer receive email notifications by default for every spam comment that people attempt to post.
A few more words about comment spam: Comment spam is a global web epidemic. It is not specific to b2evolution, not even to blog engines. Just like email, any site that lets users post content freely is subject to spam these days. At this time, spam is being posted by real people hired at very low wages in India, Pakistan, Philippines, China and other countries offering cheap labor and decent internet connections. Therefore most automated spam fighting techniques based on detecting humans vs. robots no longer work. The best approach at this time seems to make it much faster for you to remove spam than for people to post spam. This is already the case with this version of b2evolution. Upcomming versions will further improve on this path.
In 2011, you can expect version 4.1 & 4.2 with additional features. We are also starting works on version 5 that will focus on community building features. More on this as we enter the new year...
Happy holidays to all of you!