Help Test Akismet 3.0, Win Exclusive Akismet Swag

Akismet 3.0 is currently in development and the official release will likely coincide with WordPress 3.9 on April 16th. The upcoming 3.0 release represents a major rewrite of the plugin and the Akismet team is inviting everyone to help test the release candidate. This version will introduce a few new features and will remove much of the legacy code that was included for backwards compatibility with older versions of WordPress.

Akismet 3.0 has a more straightforward configuration page that funnels users to the correct action:

One critical item that seems to be missing here is direction on where to find your API key if you already have one. Though it may be obvious to some that you need to log into Akismet, go to Account Overview, and click “reveal key,” this process is not as intuitive as it might seem. Hopefully something can be added to help make this clear. The team has confirmed that this is on their list.

Akismet 3.0 inclues a new feature that allows you to define how strict it is in discarding spam. It also adds the ability to easily disconnect your account.

The service has zapped more than 130 billion spam comments and track backs to date. Millions of WordPress users depend on Akismet every day to help keep their blogs clear of spam. If you can spare a few minutes to help test the 3.0 release candidate, the Akismet team promises some exclusive swag for those who submit the most helpful bug reports and feedback. Even better than that is the opportunity to help improve Akismet for WordPress users across the globe. Check out the announcement post for more details and the latest download link.