.htaccess and wordpress 3.1 and apparently 3.3 just a heads up.

[Slowdive]

Cant vouch for this happening to everyone but seems that in some instances...
The new WordPress configuration crash with the host record of the domain if it sets up using CNAME or Canonical Name.

I discovered this when I decided to change my .htaccess file on an existing installation of WP. Its a pain as I am effectively locked out, luckily in my case I can just reinstall WP as its empty.
You can read more here, as well as find a solution http://budip.com/index.php/wordpress...many-redirect/

The solution of getting the original link from the host seems overly complex. You can simply edit your .htaccess file not to redirect
Removing two lines that look like this should do it...
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !=www.domain.com
RewriteRule .* http://www.domain.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Now more curiously I set-up my redirect, tested it with basic html page and it worked great. However when I installed wp I was back in the loop of redirects.
So why are more people not having this problem or is .htaccess redirect a redundant step with wordpress? Just seems weird more folks are not shouting about this apparent "glitch"

Edit: Apparently new versions of wp handle .htaccess themselves and manage the redirects automatically. However this means that wordpress no longer plays so nicely with say an html or flash landing page?
Now of course you can fix this by moving wordpress into its own directory but thats going to add a new level to navigation.
I am thinking easiest may be just doing manual PHP Single Page Redirect on the html portions?

Amazing how convoluted the information out there about this is.....I'll update when I settle on a fix or discover I am idiot.

[Slowdive]

Just a quick update, my belief is that plugin recommended earlier is broken as release 3.3 do not use it unless your tech savy enough not to need it is my feeling.
I have settled on a manual PHP redirect on for my few html pages, they are not content rich anyway. However it would not be fair to call this a solution without a serious word of warning, Google is picky about redirects so I would not suggest using it shunt a user any place else. Sure page redirects have a purpose and there are so many ways to do it, however anything that sends a user to a different page than the one they requested should be handled server side and with full knowledge of what you are under taking.

Secondly be sure not to typeo an address as really not going to end well XXXX.com is a content page www dot xxxx.com is sending users to a different location.

Just to recap the issue in a more structured way in the hope this may one day help someone.

1. Wordpress 3.3 now automatically handles canonical links you can choose the link structure and weather to retreave pages on www dot wp-site.com or just wp-site.com This is great duplicate content is a problem.
2. The problem comes in when upgrading an existing site to WP, you would not want to tear down all your ranking pages, or redesign an entire CMS system that plugs in to html pages etc etc. As suddenly you cannot have your html pages using htaccess redirect as that breaks wordpress.
3. The logical solution is to install wp to its own directory but thats a catch 22 as you have then effectively added a new navigation level. www dot wp-site.com/wp which according to SEO best practice should be avoided as Google will not delve more than three layers deep.
4. Only solutions are to take the hit to your navigation structure and place wp in its own directory allowing you to control your htaccess for static pages or alternatively to use "manual" redirect on html/php/what have you pages. I see no issue wit this as the redirect is simply pointing to an abbreviated or elongated version of the page. You could to be extra safe assuming you want xxxx.com create a blank www dot xxxx.com and sit the redirect on that as well.
5. installed WP to its own directory take the hit, put a link to your sitemap prominently on the frontpage and first WP page and prove to the SEO gurus they worry to much, this is propably safest in every sense.

I am fluctuating between both solutions for two different sites as I look into other solutions. Which btw I am sure there are better ones out there.
At least it all makes sense now? I hope.