[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #55443: Create WebP sub-sizes and use for output

[WordPress Trac]

#55443: Create WebP sub-sizes and use for output
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  adamsilverstein                      |       Owner:
                                                 |  adamsilverstein
     Type:  enhancement                          |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  6.1
Component:  Media                                |     Version:  6.0
 Severity:  normal                               |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-unit-tests needs-dev-note        |     Focuses:
  needs-docs needs-user-docs has-patch           |  performance
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------

Comment (by CyberCr33p):

 Replying to [comment:137 eatingrules]:
 > Replying to [comment:135 spacedmonkey]:
 > > Just a thought. How about this.
 > >
 > > Allow users to upload jpgs are normal. Add a warning / check in the
 editor. Something like.
 > >
 > > “It appears you are using images that are not optimised, would you
 like to optimise them?”
 > >
 > > Then when you click okay, covert images to webp and remove jpeg
 version.
 > >
 > > Then add a check setting to “optimise all images by default”.
 >
 > Interesting idea. Maybe a bit clunky, but at least this way it's not
 just creating extra images in the background with a site owner oblivious
 to what's going on, and instead gives them control and can help them make
 an informed decision.
 >
 > It seems to me that all the concerns people have raised that haven't
 been addressed yet could be solved in one of two ways:
 >
 > 1. Overhaul how WordPress deals with thumbnails, generating as-needed on
 first use. (A huge undertaking, but would be an awesome outcome!). This
 would provide plenty of headroom for ''both'' JPG and WebP files to be
 saved to disk as-needed.
 >
 > 2. Add an option in the Media Settings, **disabled by default**, that
 can enable WebP generation... it could explain both the pros and cons so
 people can decide what's best for them.  There could even be a dashboard
 notification suggesting people turn it on.

 As a webhost hosting many thousand of wordpress websites I agree 100% with
 everything you said.

 I would like only to add these:

 1. Servers will use more CPU to create the extra images. More CPU usage =
 more energy cost

 2. More servers will needed for webhosting / keeping backups. More servers
 = more energy cost

 3. Webhosting customers in many cases will have to pay more to host their
 websites.

 4. Developers will spend a lot of time to remove the webp images and
 disable this "feature".

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/55443#comment:198>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform