If you've been building WordPress sites since the early days, you're pretty sure you've used WP Super Cache on at least one project (or hundreds). It is based on a previous plugin called WP Cache 2 that Ó Caoimh forked in 2007 when its author lost interest and was no longer developing it.
Jetpack's performance team manages the Jetpack Boost plugin , used by over 100.000 sites. In today's announcement, Jetpack assured current users that they will still be able to " enjoy its core features without a new plugin or connection to Jetpack ."
“ We're excited to start working on WP Super Cache ,” said Mark George, Jetpack's performance manager. “ Our goal is to create an experience where anyone can make their site blazing fast without being an expert. We want to ensure that WP Super Cache remains a reliable and easy option for this .”
This change of ownership is not an acquisition. Ó Caoimh, who was Automattic's first actual employee, confirmed that the company did not purchase the plugin from him.
“ I've been at Automattic since the company was founded, so they've always supported the plugin's development ,” he said. “ Really, the plugin is moving laterally within the company, from one developer to a team. ”
“ I just don't have the time to work on it properly. I'm working on other projects, mainly Crowdsignal right now, and it's been hard to find the time to work on it. Jetpack will be able to do a lot more with it than I ever could .”
Ó Caoimh said the support load for the plugin is not that severe, despite being active on over two million WordPress sites.
“ The plugin has a 'debug log' that will log (almost) everything it does to a file, making it easier to understand why a problem occurs repeatedly,” said Ó Caoimh. “Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I wasn't even able to give the support forums the time they deserved. Now, a team at Automattic will help answer questions and fix issues. This can only be a good thing for plugin users .”
Ó Caoimh said entrusting the Jetpack team with maintenance and development frees up time for his family and eliminates a source of stress, as he was concerned that WP Super Cache was not getting the attention it needed.
“ I’ve worked late at night in the past, but I have a family and they come first ,” he said.
The Jetpack team already plans to modernize the plug-in and will invest more resources in support and new features.
As we look for new features to help speed up WordPress site caching, we will start updating the WP Super Cache user interface to bring it in line with modern standards, so it's easier to use, ”said Rob Pugh, VP Jetpack Marketing. “In addition, we will be working behind the scenes to make sure it is compatible with our other performance features such as Jetpack Boost.
After 15 years, it's impressive that WP Super Cache has maintained a 4,3 out of 5 star rating on WordPress.org with 1.296 reviews. With the resources of the Jetpack team, forum support is likely to be better, and users can expect to see further improvements as the plugin now has a dedicated team driving it forward.
“I have no regrets for delivering the plug-in to Jetpack,” said Ó Caoimh. “It is one thing to create and maintain a plug-in that could be used by a handful of sites, but this plug-in is used by two million sites. If you had introduced a subtle mistake that impacted people using WordPress in a way they hadn't thought of, it could cause problems for thousands of websites.
