Sneek Peek at ClassiPress 3.0
Yes, the rumors are true. ClassiPress version 3.0 is late, behind, belated, blown, delayed, held up, hung up, in a bind, in the lurch, jammed, lagging, missed the boat, overdue, postponed, put off, slow, tardy, and any other synonym I failed to list. Why do you ask?
Well, as you can read from my forum response, there are several reasons but that won’t stop us from working hard on getting it completed and released as soon as we possibly can.
If you haven’t already purchased ClassiPress and are holding out until 3.0, I recommend you get in now while the prices are still low. They will increase once 3.0 comes out so even if you don’t want to install 2.9.3, you can lock in your price and just wait for the free 3.0 update. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 
In the meantime, I wanted to treat you to a sneek peek at what the new ClassiPress will look like. This is a first hand look of never before seen screen shots. There will be 5 different color variations so don’t be upset if you don’t like this shade of blue.
The inner pages are still being finalized but i will post them as soon as they are finished and approved. When will ClassiPress 3.0 be available? Read the forum post link included above to find out the details. 
Any feedback of this design is of course welcome but it’s already pretty much locked and loaded at this point.
Jan 27, 2010
Although the new design looks nice, I’m with Grant on this re: forcing a classified system into a typical blog type design, especially as this sort of design is starting to look tired already.
I’d like to see a better solution to the categories also. I’ve yet to see anyone come up with such a neat category filter using as WP as this site: http://www.swiss-miss.com <- this site runs off WP.
@Micha: thanks for the heads up on the other classified theme – they also offer customisation services, which is cool.
Jan 27, 2010
Classipress 3.0 is very good.I wait for the update to work with them.
enjoy classipress !!!!
Jan 27, 2010
Update looks good.. and hopefully we get it real soon!
Jan 28, 2010
Here’s a superb example of a classified site specialising in mid-century modern furniture: http://www.lushpad.com/
Apart from the beautiful typography, there’s a few things that should be noted:
- It doesn’t look like a blog
- Nicely structured categories
- Save items to clipboard function (very useful!)
- It doesn’t look like a blog!
- Ability to filter and refine search results when on archive pages, e.g. http://www.lushpad.com/lighting.html (a must have for any classified listing site worth its salt)
- Ability to change geographical location (nice!)
- It doesn’t look like a blog!!
Almost ALL WP theme developers are very lame when it comes to navigation and filtering search/browse results in their themes. If you notice, the top part of the sidebar in most premium themes is dedicated to displaying 125 x 125 banner ads at the expense of navigational and filtering controls.
A classified listing site will fail if it doesn’t have decent category filtering functionality.
Jan 28, 2010
Lushpad is a very nicely designed site indeed. A LOT of the design and functionality could and should be implemented into Clasipress.
Feb 07, 2010
I like Lushpad as well. They don’t have too many categories so putting them in the sidebar or on the homepage works well for them. Trying to come up with a clever solution with the CP categories has been difficult to do. Putting them in the sidebar works but it also takes up a lot of real estate. Having a mega tab works well because it hides the categories until you need to see them. If you have a ton of categories, then you can only show 1-2 levels deep.
A lot of the feedback I got said they wanted a sidebar on the home page. The great thing with WordPress is you can always create your own home page and use that instead. Either create a home.php file (WP looks for that first) or use a page and just assign it as your home page within the WP admin setup.
Jan 28, 2010
i want to know when the 3.0 is ok?
thanks
Jan 28, 2010
@Jess I think the same quality of design as LushPad can easily be achieved with Classipress, but if the theme doesn’t have good categorisation functionality AND the ability to refine/filter results when on any of the archive pages, then it will be pointless.
As I said in my previous comment, the ability for users to filter and refine search results when on archive pages is a ‘must have’ feature for any classified listing site worth its salt.
Jan 30, 2010
I agree Carlos.
Jan 28, 2010
@ Carlos Takemura
“A classified listing site will fail if it doesn’t have decent category filtering functionality.”
You are completely right!
Jan 28, 2010
@ Carlos Takemura and others interested in the filtering functionality.
You can find more info in this thread:
http://wpclassipress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1914
Jan 28, 2010
@chabri – thanks for the forum link.
I notice that WordPress itself has recently implemented a tag filter on its theme page: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/tag-filter/
It’s not bad but nowhere as good as this: http://swiss-miss.com
Jan 28, 2010
@chabri – I just read the thread you started in the forum. Search is one thing; filtering is another.
Filtering is more useful, and valuable experience for the user, because you are drilling down choices based only on structured content published on the site you are browsing.
Just recently I’ve been looking at a real-estate premium theme and whilst the design is dazzling and options page nice and slick, it’s a load of crap because say I choose a country such as Afghanistan from their drop down list, the resulting page then tells me: sorry, we do not have anything in that country!
I kinda guessed that perhaps there wouldn’t be many real-estate listings in Afghanistan, if any right now, but what is the point of showing countries when there’s no actual content on your site?
Totally useless!
Filtering is better, but if WP is very weak on search then what is it like with filtering?
Jan 28, 2010
Also love lushpad’s front page, very sexy way to present classifieds. Also a big fan of directory style layout (an improved craigslist style) and category pivoting – e.g. you’re in Cars for Sale then you click the region Brooklyn and you automatically get Cars for Sale only in Brooklyn.
Jan 29, 2010
I’ve just been doing more digging around and saw a post about the upcoming new features of CP 3.0, and they seem very cool!
I am probably going to use CP for one of our larger sites, but with heavy front end customisation. The ecommerce elements and ability for users to easily post and upload images, and maintain their ads, not to mention the accounting features, are worth the cost alone.
As for my categorisation and filtering concerns we’re just going to see if we can build our own plugins.
However, one question remains: when will version 3.0 be released
Feb 07, 2010
I’m targeting to have a 3.0 beta done by the end of Feb. One new enhancement with 3.0 was to replace the image resizing script with the Tim Thumb script. It’s a much better script and easier to troubleshoot any issues.
But now with WP 2.9, it comes with a built-in thumbnail resizer which means themes don’t need to depend on 3rd party scripts like Tim Thumb. I want CP to be as WP native as possible so going back to learn and implement this without Tim Thumb will take additional work.
Jan 31, 2010
I guess i am having hard time not knowing when is the D day.. oct -nov dec 2009- now we are at jan 31… My 2 cent of advice is if you wanna run your business well, don’t make promises that might be too huge for you to fulfill.
Just say in a simple plain English when is the released day for 3.0..
Jan 31, 2010
Will users be able to post blogs and add listings at the same time on version 3? Will I be able to charge for both blog posts and listings?
Feb 07, 2010
No. Only the site owner will be able to post blog articles unless you of course setup a user with wordpress permissions to submit a blog post.
Feb 04, 2010
i am sorry i let classipress because a have find another theme classifields wordpress.
i can wait more time.
byeee
Feb 05, 2010
Hi,
Can you give us a date when it is coming out?
I may have some potential clients for it, but I can’t promise them anything unless I know if 3.0 will be available at least in the next 60 days???
3.0 is looking Great though.
Thanks!
Feb 07, 2010
I’m hoping to have a 3.0 beta by the end of Feb. Then it will take a few weeks of testing and bug fixing before 3.0 will be slated as a RC (release candidate).
Feb 08, 2010
Just my two pence worth. Look at the size and PROMINENCE of images on the listings pages of Lushpad. Although I like classipress I do feel the images should be given a lot more prominence, rather than almost an afterthought below the description.
After all, people will look at / for the pictures first – a picture speaks a thousand words.
Perhaps this will be addressed in Version3?
Feb 08, 2010
Yes, the ad images section will be much higher up in 3.0.
Feb 08, 2010
Any chance of having Oodle API integration to show syndicated ads within Classipress sites? This would be a great feature to help populate new sites with content.
Feb 08, 2010
Not with the initial 3.0 release but that’s a good idea for a future feature.
Feb 09, 2010
David, how man category and sub-category can be added. Also how can I pay for this?
Feb 10, 2010
You can have as many categories and sub-categories as you like. It’s all part of the WordPress framework. ClassiPress can be purchased either using PayPal funds or a credit card.
Feb 10, 2010
Just a small thing but having the number of ads next to its category is very helpful. Hate to click at categories just to see no ads.
e.g.
Cars (12)
Feb 10, 2010
Yes that option will be included.
Feb 15, 2010
David, I have 2 question. What is the Cost and how many locations / state can you add… Is it possible to see a jpg image.
-Thanks
Feb 18, 2010
CP starts at $59 for the basic version. In 3.0 you will be able to have as many custom fields and values as you want. There are a couple other blog posts that have screen casts of what it will look like.
Feb 17, 2010
David, I see that CP relies on a few plugins by Lester Chan.
According to this post on his blog, as from February 1st 2010 he will no longer be supporting any of his plugins:
http://lesterchan.net/wordpress/2010/01/28/all-good-things-must-come-to-an-end/
Feb 18, 2010
That’s to bad about his plugins but I certainly understand his position. Free plugins don’t pay the bills and he should consider either selling them or work directly with WP and get them integrated with the product. He’s done great work and I’ve used several of his plugins on many sites including CP.
His plugins will continue to be supported with CP until they no longer work with WP. Actually modified versions of his wp-pagenavi and wp-email plugins are built into 3.0 so you won’t need to install them going forward.
Feb 19, 2010
[...] over to http://wpclassipress.com/sneek-peek-at-classipress-3-0/ to see the new [...]
Feb 21, 2010
David:
which is the date for launching the new 3.0? I need it. Thanks
Feb 22, 2010
3.0 will be out in mid-end of March after beta testing and bug fixes are complete.
Feb 22, 2010
Hi David, I have a question with respect to payment processing:
Will v.3.0 have integration with PayPal Payments Pro, or only with PayPal Standard?
Thanks
Feb 22, 2010
3.0 will not support PayPal Payments Pro. The main reasons being is b/c payments pro is very complex for your typical ClassiPress user and a lot of development resources to set it up. It requires a shopping cart integrated on your site, SSL, and the ability to store customer credit card data in a database.
You also need to comply with PayPal’s security requirements for collecting and transmitting payment data.
There will be add-ons available for CP standard edition like Google Checkout and other merchants in the future. I also plan to include PayPal IPN which is a great alternative to Payments Pro. The professional (developers) edition will come standard with them, however.
Feb 23, 2010
Hi David,
I can’t wait to use the 3.0 version! Actually I was on the edge of setting up a classified solution for my community and I was about to buy CP. Then I started reading the documentation and latest news and I learned about the v3.0 .. I am still wondering whether installing the current version now or wait a little more for the new and -I’m sure- fantastic version. What do you reckon ? It’s better to wait a little bit, right ?
Feb 25, 2010
If there’s no rush and you can wait until mid-end of March, then wait and install a clean 3.0 vs having to go through the setup, etc all over again.
Mar 01, 2010
Thanks for your reply. I guess I can actually wait till mid-end of March of course. Till then, I’ll follow your advice and sign-up now for the current version. Hope your testing phase is going on well.
Cecile
Feb 25, 2010
Hi David,
Tell me, If I buy the 2.9.3 and downloaded it, can I take the 3.0 version for free or do I have to pay again?
Tks,
Dan
Feb 25, 2010
All updates are free. The only thing that is going to change is the price so you might want to lock in the lower rate now even if you don’t want to install 2.9.3.
Feb 28, 2010
Hi David,
I won’t ask you when 3.0 will be available and I won’t ask if upgrades are free. They have been asked to the point of this readers exhaustion.
I will ask this. Is there any way to get a full screen look at your “sneak peek” images of 3.0. I have some time this week and I would like to start visually designing in photoshop so that I am off and running when it is available.
Mar 06, 2010
Hi Randy – I will be posting some final screen shots later this week once I get some time.
Mar 06, 2010
Is there any possibilities to get hold of the language files? I want to translate this to Norwegian. I`m buying the developer pack and hoping for an release soon. Even i have time to wait
Mar 06, 2010
I wish I could but creating the translation file is the last step before releasing the theme because the text is not final until the theme is. I will make it available as soon as I can.
Mar 07, 2010
is that possible to install Classipress theme with wordpress mu, where register user can get a blog & access to post classified ads?
Mar 10, 2010
Anticipating its arrival, is subregion pivot on the roadmap? We’re big craigslist users and its quite nice to click Brooklyn for example, and all categories & results are just for Brooklyn. Every major city has subregions/nabes that could be assigned.
Mar 10, 2010
@newyorkherald – I could be wrong but I don’t think that’s how it will work because David is using custom fields to store regional values – not a good idea, as I’ve pointed out several times in various comments here.
You’re probably better off looking at a proper classified directory like Oxy or such like.
Mar 10, 2010
no, you can’t get rid of me that easily! I purchased WPC a while back and I’m excited to see what its become – subregion pivot is just such a great feature of craigslist, and I believe David mentioned it was possible – just further down the road, just wondering if that’s changed or indeed it’s not ever going to happen with this set up.
Mar 10, 2010
@newyorkherald – well I don’t think it should be ‘further down the road’ as a) there’s no reason for it to be as it should be happening now, and b) it’s fundamental to ANY classified listing directory.
I’ve purchased WCP too, but I’m not tying myself to it if it’s not up to the job. The fact the new default design looks like a blog is not instilling me with much confidence.
We’ll see how it pans out.
Mar 10, 2010
yes we’ll see, and I guess if you’re not city-specific in your classifieds business, subregions is less of an issue – if you are however, besides NYC, even a smaller metro area like Minneapolis, has subregion pivots on craigslist. I don’t know enough about databases, hopefully its not too complicated to pull off. Its the only feature I’m really missing, so knowing its doable and down the road is enough to keep me happy.
Mar 10, 2010
From what I’ve read on this blog, it isn’t doable in its current form. It would require a whole rewrite because using custom fields to store geographical values is the WRONG choice because custom fields cannot make a relationship. Ideally, categories should be used for storing geo values.
I know of a private plugin which uses categories to this effect, even as far as being able to automatically plot values on a Google map
Mar 10, 2010
Carlos – you can most definitely filter results based on custom fields and it is much better than using tags, in my opinion. Of course there are always more than one way to skin a cat.
I had craigslist-style pivot tables based on states and regions all built and ready to go in 3.0 until I discovered a bug in WordPress using the query_posts function to filter on meta keys. You could use get_posts instead but then setting up pagination is not straight forward. In the interest of time and getting 3.0 wrapped up, I decided to move on for now.
Once WP has this fixed, it will be added to CP since I totally agree it’s a much needed feature to have. Hopefully 3.1.
Mar 10, 2010
I applaud your patience but I want jam today, not tomorrow. Remember, WCP isn’t free.
Mar 11, 2010
David, I don’t doubt you can filter results according to custom fields, that wasn’t my point though. From what I can see, you cannot build hierarchical relationships between custom fields – categories are the best option for this without any shadow of a doubt.
I agree that using custom fields for certain values is better than using tags. I don’t like tagging much, we’re removing them from all of our websites and replacing them with custom taxonomies.
Custom post types are another ball of wax and we have some clear ideas of how to utilise them on some of our sites.
For CP, using custom post types would give you a lot more flexibility as you could set up specific custom post types to handle categories of listings, i.e. cameras, cars, real estate etc.
It would allow you to create custom write screens for each different category.
Mar 11, 2010
Hope there’s some flexibility on region pivot, instead of state and region, for example, we’d use it for region>neighborhood. Being too global or even national is perhaps counterproductive, as no one wants to start clicking USA > NYC before even seeing their classifieds page. Different cities/metro areas can always set up as subdomains as CL does.
NYC classifieds
brooklyn manhattan
>williamsburg