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";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16:"WordPress Planet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"language";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"en";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress Planet - http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"item";a:50:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:125:"Gutenberg Times: Theme.json Horizon, Classic Editor plugin extended, Gallery Block Refactor and more – Weekend Edition #182";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=18792";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/classic-editor-plugin-weekend-edition-182/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12859:"<p>Howdy! </p>



<p>Greetings from Germany, where the weather is moody and federal election campaigns heat up. As the American rule to avoid politics and religion at dinner table discussions doesn&#8217;t apply, we have lots to talk about with family and friends we haven&#8217;t seen for over two years. You can view my photos, mostly landscapes, on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/idx/"> Instagram.</a></p>



<p>As mentioned in the last edition, I have fabulous news. </p>



<p>I am thrilled to announce that on Monday, August 30th, I will start as developer advocate at Automattic. Automattic will also sponsor the Gutenberg Times and the Changelog Podcast.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To be part of the WordPress developer relations team feels to me like coming home, and I am deeply grateful to Automattic for offering me the position. The best is yet to come for Gutenberg and publishing with blocks. I am elated, to be part of an astonishing team to take the world-wide WordPress community on the next journey.</p>



<p>Via previous surveys, you shared a considerable amount of great ideas on how to improve the Gutenberg Times, Live Q &amp; As or  Changelog Podcast. Now I will have the resources (= time) to implement some of them. We can hold more Live Q &amp; As covering the topics suggested in the surveys, or invite guests to the podcast. </p>






<p>Share your ideas or comments via email <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">pauli@gutenbergtimes.com</a> or leave a comment below.  I want to read them all! </p>




<p>Now without further ado: There is  a heap of links to share with you, after I skipped a week. </p>



<p>Yours, ?<br />Birgit </p>



<h2>Classic Editor plugin extended for one Year</h2>



<p>The WordPress core committers <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/an-update-on-the-classic-editor-plugin/"><strong>officially extended the support for the Classic Editor plugin all through 2022.</strong></a> This gives everyone another year to migrate to blocks.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> also wrote: &#8220;Still, if you’ve been putting off using the block editor, this is an excellent time to give it another shot. Since it first appeared in 2018, hundreds of WordPress contributors have made a lot of updates based on user feedback. You will be pleasantly surprised at how far it’s come!”</p>



<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-classic-editor-support-extended-for-at-least-another-year">On the WordPress Tavern</a>, <strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> interviewed, core committer, Jonathan Derosiers and has more details on the core team&#8217;s approach toward maintaining the plugin beyond 2022.</p>




<p><strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2021&#8221;</a>&nbsp;</strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly.  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/"><em>The index 2020 is here</em></a></p>




<h2>Gallery Block Refactor landed and needs testing</h2>



<p>The Gallery block hasn&#8217;t had any significant update since the release in WordPress 5.0. It was clear that a different approach would be needed for the next iteration. <strong>Glen Davies</strong> spearheaded the Refactor of the Gallery block. The main change was to use the <code>InnerBlock</code> feature to create Galleries as collection of single image blocks. </p>





<p>This empowers content creators to assign different styles and links to individual images of the Gallery. Although the refactor progressed well, it didn&#8217;t make it into WordPress 5.8 as backwards compatibility with the earlier version and migration for existing gallery blocks needed more attention. </p>



<p>The code changes made it into the Gutenberg plugin and are available via the Experiments section. You can use the <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Gutenberg Nightly version</a>, or the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v11.4.0-rc.1">11.4 Release Candidate</a>, or wait until Wednesday (Sept 1) for the stable 11.4 release. </p>



<ul><li><strong>Glen Davies</strong> posted the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/20/gallery-block-refactor-dev-note/">Gallery Block Refactor Dev Note</a>. </li><li><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> shares his experience: <a href="https://wptavern.com/gallery-block-refactor-expected-to-land-in-wordpress-5-9">Gallery Block Refactor Expected To Land in WordPress 5.9</a></li></ul>




<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s main (trunk) branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. <br />Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know.</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>




<h2>Gutenberg 11.3 released</h2>



<p><strong>Vicente Canales</strong> from Chile, wrangled the release of Gutenberg 11.3 and you can read <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/18/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-3-18-august/">What’s new in Gutenberg 11.3? (18 August)</a> in his release post. </p>



<p><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> tested the new Gutenberg plugin version and has the details: <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-11-3-introduces-dimensions-panel-adds-button-padding-support-and-speeds-up-the-inserter">Gutenberg 11.3 Introduces Dimensions Panel, Adds Button Padding Support, and Speeds Up the Inserter</a></p>



<p>In the new Episode of the <strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/changelog-50-preliminary-roadmap-to-wordpress-5-9/">Gutenberg Changelog #50</a>, Grzegorz (Greg) Ziolkowski </strong>and I discuss the preliminary roadmap to WordPress 5.9, Gutenberg 11.3 release and Navigation Screen and Block. </p>



<p>As mentioned, <strong>Gutenberg 11.4</strong> is already in the works. For testing purposes, the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v11.4.0-rc.1">release candidate 11.4 RC</a> is available for download. Final release is schedule for Wednesday, September 1st. </p>




<p> <strong>Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/">Gutenberg Changelog</a>&nbsp;podcast </strong><br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/620NwVKQJGdTupy36zYxvg?mc_cid=4b6c9f88fe">Spotify</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ndXRlbmJlcmd0aW1lcy5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0">Google</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gutenberg-changelog/id1469294475">iTunes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://pca.st/podcast/f8445ec0-7508-0137-f267-1d245fc5f9cf">PocketCasts</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/gutenberg-changelog">Stitcher</a>&nbsp;|<br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/chi7j-9904a/Gutenberg-Changelog-Podcast">Pod Bean</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://castbox.fm/channel/Gutenberg-Changelog-id2173375">CastBox</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gutenberg-changelog-878239/">Podchaser</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/podcast">RSS Feed</a>&nbsp;</p>



<img />




<h2>Navigation Blocks and Screen updates</h2>



<p>The Gutenberg developers working on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/25/hallway-hangout-summary-compare-and-contrast-the-navigation-screens/"><strong>Navigation Blocks and Screen met for a Hallway Hangout</strong> </a>to discuss the current issues. (Github Tracking Issue). The  goal of the discussion was to  identify those that need to be resolved to take the block-based Navigation feature out of the experimental state and get it ready for the merge into WordPress Core, possibly for 5.9 in December. <strong>Dave Smith</strong> posted links to the recording and relevant issue on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/25/hallway-hangout-summary-compare-and-contrast-the-navigation-screens/">Make/Core blog.</a> </p>



<h2>Building Blocks</h2>



<p><strong>Rich Tabor</strong> updated his tutorial <strong><a href="https://richtabor.com/block-styles/">How to add and remove Gutenberg block styles with Javascript</a>.</strong> &#8220;And while it is relatively simple to add block styles using PHP, removing them is <strong>not</strong> quite as easy — especially block styles added by WordPress core (or any added client-side). Enter JavaScript… and I promise, it’s not as daunting as you might think.&#8221;</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Ryan Welcher </strong>explains <a href="https://ryanwelcher.com/2021/08/requesting-data-in-gutenberg-with-getentityrecords/"><strong>how to request data with the <code>getEntityRecord</code> selector</strong></a> and expands on some details and use cases. Welcher provides a series of query examples and then walks you through the method on how to create a loading state and update the queries. </p>



<h2>Block Editor for site implementors and content creators</h2>



<p><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> explored the new plugin <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/attributes-for-blocks/">Block Attributes</a>, that empowers users to add attributes to blocks via the advanced section in the sidebar. This is handy when you need to add a click event or aria-labels to blocks. Tadlocks tutorial explain the how:<a href="https://wptavern.com/adding-custom-html-attributes-with-the-block-attributes-plugin"> <strong>Adding Custom HTML Attributes With the Block Attributes Plugin</strong></a></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong> of PootlePress (WooCommerce Blocks) wrote a tutorial on <strong><a href="https://www.pootlepress.com/2021/08/how-to-create-an-industry-news-page-with-the-gutenberg-block-editor/">How to create an Industry News Page with the Gutenberg Block Editor</a>.</strong> Marsland walks you through the usage and display options of the RSS block.  </p>



<h2>Theme development for Gutenberg</h2>



<p><strong>Matias Ventura</strong>, the &#8216;spark of Gutenberg&#8217; gave in his post <a href="https://matiasventura.com/post/the-theme-json-horizon/"><strong>The Theme.json horizon </strong></a>a bird&#8217;s-eye view on the broader impact and opportunities the Theme.json file provides for the WordPress ecosystem. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Tammie Lister</strong> shared her <strong><a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/2021/08/09/fun-with-group-block-borders/">fun with group block borders</a></strong>, with instructions on how to control borders via theme.json. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/fwazeter">Frank Wazeter</a> </strong>explored a <a href="https://medium.com/@wazeter/wordpress-theme-development-how-to-make-5-8-mimic-gutenberg-plugin-block-theme-architecture-f2ad5a454231"><strong>way to use the new theme features of WordPress 5.8 without depending on the Gutenberg plugin</strong></a> to be present. Wazeter wrote: &#8220;This code shows how a WordPress theme can support and mimic Gutenberg Plugin’s templating system for the block editor/template editor, while not having a dependency on the Gutenberg Plugin itself. &#8220;.</p>




<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>



<form class="wp-block-newsletterglue-form ngl-form ngl-portrait" action="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/" method="post"><div class="ngl-form-container"><div class="ngl-form-field"><label class="ngl-form-label" for="ngl_email">Type in your Email address to subscribe.</label><div class="ngl-form-input"><input type="email" class="ngl-form-input-text" name="ngl_email" id="ngl_email" /></div></div><button class="ngl-form-button">Subscribe</button><p class="ngl-form-text">We hate spam, too and won&#8217;t give your email address to anyone except Mailchimp to send out our Weekend Edition</p></div><div class="ngl-message-overlay"><div class="ngl-message-svg-wrap"></div><div class="ngl-message-overlay-text">Thanks for subscribing.</div></div><input type="hidden" name="ngl_list_id" id="ngl_list_id" value="26f81bd8ae" /><input type="hidden" name="ngl_double_optin" id="ngl_double_optin" value="yes" /></form>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 28 Aug 2021 11:59:11 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:1;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"WPTavern: Proposal for Adding Badges and Other ‘Learner Achievements’ to WordPress Profiles";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121902";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:223:"https://wptavern.com/proposal-for-adding-badges-and-other-learner-achievements-to-wordpress-profiles?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=proposal-for-adding-badges-and-other-learner-achievements-to-wordpress-profiles";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5711:"<p class="has-drop-cap">In December 2020, WordPress <a href="https://wptavern.com/learn-wordpress-platform-launches-with-free-courses-workshops-and-lesson-plans">launched its new &ldquo;Learn&rdquo; platform</a> with free courses, workshops, and lesson plans. Since then, the Training Team has continued adding more material. The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2021/08/10/proposal-learner-achievements-on-profiles/">latest proposal </a>is an open discussion for the community on adding participatory badges for completing coursework.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to nail down what kind of thing we would like to see regarding recognising learner achievements on profiles,&rdquo; wrote WordPress community manager Hugh Lashbrooke in the announcement earlier this month.</p>



<p>The proposal, which now has a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/learn/issues/228">GitHub ticket</a>, includes showing the following on a user&rsquo;s WordPress.org profile page:</p>



<ul><li>A course&rsquo;s completion in the activity stream.</li><li>The user&rsquo;s average grade from Learn WordPress.</li><li>A new &ldquo;Learning&rdquo; tab for displaying completed courses with dates and the possibility of individual completed lessons, relevant grades, and other learning data.</li><li>A new &ldquo;Learner&rdquo; badge for anyone who has completed one course.</li></ul>



<p>Currently, there are only two <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/courses/">courses available</a>. &ldquo;That is changing as we develop new content,&rdquo; wrote Lashbrooke in the post. &ldquo;So my hope is that we will have these rewards in place now, and as content is created, the rewards will flow naturally.&rdquo;</p>



<p>One downside to the proposal may be publicly showing a user&rsquo;s grades. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be against showing the learner&rsquo;s average grade publicly because it could lead to anxiety, stress, etc., and maybe even stop some people from participating in the courses,&rdquo; wrote Stephen Cronin in the comments. &ldquo;Eg: &lsquo;What if I only get a C, will anyone take me seriously? Will it harm my chances of getting a job in the WP space?&rsquo; etc. Some people will thrive on that sort of competition, some people &hellip; not so much. And I feel like we should be as inclusive as possible.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Lashbrooke responded that showing grades could be an opt-in feature. However, I would question why it would be necessary to show grades at all. <em>Bragging rights?</em> Maybe. If we could somehow make it shareable via social media, it might be a fun way to get more people to participate.</p>



<p>Several people in the comments were encouraged by the idea of social sharing. Adam Warner even proposed adding the Learn badges to the oEmbed WordPress block, making it easy for users to share their accomplishments on their sites.</p>



<p>However, the first step should be to provide badges for completing a course. It is an easy win and could be automated.</p>



<p>Most user profile badges are for direct contributions to the project, such as writing code or working on a team. However, at least some user-based participatory badges are available already. For example, there is a &ldquo;Test Contributor&rdquo; badge for providing feedback on calls for testing.</p>



<p>One side advantage of a Learn achievement system could be for employers who are looking through an applicant&rsquo;s history. It may help potential employees show off their competency in specific areas of the WordPress platform.</p>



<p>Courtney Engle Robertson, Web Design and Developer Advocate at GoDaddy, questioned Matt Mullenweg during 2020&rsquo;s State of the Word Q&amp;A session on the role of the Learn platform as it pertains to the job market.</p>



<p>Mullenweg said the first step is organizing the platform and making high-quality educational material available. However, he seemed open to the idea of having a self or administered certification down the line. It would allow people to show that they have completed or tested out of a course.</p>



<p>&ldquo;It wouldn&rsquo;t be a perfect system, but it could be a nice way for people to learn more about WordPress,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And, hopefully, as they go through, since WordPress is open-source, improve the materials as we go through it, both from the point of view of making it more intuitive or easier to understand and also translating, as well. Because there is a huge demand for WordPress really all over the world now.&rdquo;</p>



<p>View the clip below from the <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2020/12/17/matt-mullenweg-2020-state-of-the-word-qa/">State of the Word Q&amp;A</a>:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">

</div>



<p>&ldquo;As someone who hires WordPress professionals, I would love to have a request in the job application to link up their WP profile so we can see competency through that learning platform,&rdquo; commented Chris Badgett, the founder and CEO of LifterLMS, on the proposal.</p>



<p>He also agreed with Mullenweg that people should be able to test out of a course. It would not make sense for those who have already acquired specific skills or knowledge to go through the motions of completing coursework they are already proficient in.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Creating quizzes or &lsquo;post tests&rsquo; in the LMS with a standard minimum passing requirement to earn the achievement badge would help fulfill this,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>For now, some simple gamification via profile badges could boost participation and, perhaps, get more people involved in contributing to the Learn platform. This could also be the first step toward a WordPress certification system.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:39:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:2;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"Post Status: Post Status Excerpt (No. 22) — Dealing With Developer Overload: Organization";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=85744";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://poststatus.com/excerpt/22/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3299:"<h2 id="h-we-can-be-organized-in-how-we-multitask">We Can Be Organized In How We Multitask.</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">In this episode, David and Cory have a conversation about another way to prevent Developer Overload: organization. Cory shares how he benefited from a mentor, while David feels that documentation, commenting code, and following some best practices can help reduce anxiety overall — if you can convince yourself to adopt new habits. This show is worth a listen just for Cory's &#8220;going on a hike&#8221; metaphor.</p>



<p><strong>Also covered in this episode: </strong>Cory encourages David to take <a href="https://secure.kolbe.com/k2/show_takeIndex/indexType_A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Kolbe A Index</a> test.</p>







<p class="has-background">Every week Post Status Excerpt will brief you on important WordPress news — in about 15 minutes or less! Learn what's new in WordPress in a flash. ⚡<br /><br /><a href="https://poststatus.com/category/post-status-podcasts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Browse our archives</a>, and don’t forget to subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/post-status-draft-wordpress/id976403008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS8ySkU5c2M4UA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PostStatus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/krogsgard/post-status-draft-wordpress-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stitcher</a>, <a href="https://wordpress-post-status-draft-podcast.simplecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simplecast</a>, or <a href="https://feeds.simplecast.com/2JE9sc8P">RSS</a>. ?</p>



<h3 id="h-mentioned-in-the-show">? Mentioned in the show:</h3>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Bisset (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/corymiller303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cory Miller (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/post_status" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post Status (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="http://kolbe.com"></a><a target="_blank" href="http://kolbe.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">kolbe.com</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://strengthsfinder.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">strengthsfinder.com</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://poststatus.com/get-hired/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get Hired</a></li></ul>



<h3>? Sponsor: <a href="https://poststat.us/sandhills" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">Sandhills Development</a></h3>



<p>No matter what you're working on with your WordPress website, <strong>Sandhills Development</strong> has a tool that can help you. Sell digital products with <strong>Easy Digital Downloads</strong>. Use <strong>AffiliateWP</strong> as your affiliate marketing solution. <strong>Sugar Calendar</strong> is event management made easy. And <strong>WP Simple Pay</strong> is a lightweight Stripe payments plugin. Craft superior experiences with the ingenuity of Sandhills’ plugins.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 27 Aug 2021 22:13:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"David Bisset";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:3;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"WPTavern: ACF 5.10 Introduces Block API v2 Support, Block Preloading, and Security Improvements";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121854";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:231:"https://wptavern.com/acf-5-10-introduces-block-api-v2-support-block-preloading-and-security-improvements?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=acf-5-10-introduces-block-api-v2-support-block-preloading-and-security-improvements";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4176:"<p>Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has released <a href="https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/blog/acf-5-10-release-html-escaping-blocks-api-v2-block-preloading-and-more/">version 5.10</a>, the first major release since the plugin was <a href="https://wptavern.com/delicious-brains-acquires-advanced-custom-fields-plugin">acquired by Delicious Brains</a>. It introduces several new features that were previously experimental, closing out tickets that were started by previous owner Elliot Condon.</p>



<p>The release enables HTML escaping by default, which helps prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. It runs content rendered by ACF through the WordPress&nbsp;<code>wp_kses()</code>&nbsp;function. There was a little confusion about how this works and the release post has been <a href="https://twitter.com/wp_acf/status/1430906074593304589">updated</a> to clarify:</p>



<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to note that this only affects content rendered by ACF in your WordPress dashboard or any front-end forms rendered through&nbsp;<code>acf_form()</code>,&rdquo; Iain Poulson said. &ldquo;This will not affect field values loaded through API functions such as&nbsp;<code>get_field()</code>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<code>the_field()</code>. We don&rsquo;t make any assumptions about where you are using your field values within your theme and do not escape to them as a result.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Version 5.10 also introduces support for the WordPress Blocks API v2 for ACF blocks. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/11/18/block-api-version-2/">WordPress 5.6</a> came with a new Block API that makes it easier for theme and plugin developers to style the block content with more consistent results matching the front end. The ACF team has created a <a href="https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/block-api-v2/">Block API v2 help doc</a> with examples that help developers update their blocks and make use of the new block filters included in the update.</p>



<p>Other features introduced in this release include block preloading turned on by default, a new full-height setting for blocks, opacity support for the color-picker, and many bug fixes. Next up on the roadmap for the plugin is adding WordPress REST API support to ACF field groups.</p>



<p>&ldquo;As API-powered JavaScript front-ends become more and more popular in the WordPress space, it&rsquo;s clear that many of our customers want this functionality included in ACF core,&rdquo; Poulson said.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We also plan to improve the performance of the plugin and work on other quality of life features. Now that our development team has a solid handle on the codebase and the release process, we can start working on these more complicated but long-requested features.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Shortly after the acquisition, Delicious Brains representatives published a pinned <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/free-support-expectations-and-response-times-7/">thread</a> in the forum, clarifying expectations for free support and response times. The official support forum for both free and PRO users can be found at <a href="https://support.advancedcustomfields.com/">support.advancedcustomfields.com</a>, which is more active than the WordPress.org forums. Since the plugin is more developer-focused, the team is taking a looser approach to support by giving the community a place to help each other:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>We rarely provide support in either forum. The exception is after a major release, when we keep an eye on both forums to spot any problems caused by the release.</p><p>The primary purpose of both forums is for people in the WordPress community who are having trouble with Advanced Custom Fields to help each other. Response times can range from a few days to a few weeks and will likely be from a non-developer. We jump in now and then when the description sounds suspiciously like a bug.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>The release of version 5.10 is a good sign that ACF will continue to make progress under its new ownership and a reassuring milestone for the small minority of users who were unsure about the plugin&rsquo;s future. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:54:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"WordPress Foundation: do_action Karnataka 2021: A report";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:41:"https://wordpressfoundation.org/?p=194408";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://wordpressfoundation.org/2021/do_action-karnataka-2021-a-report/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7725:"<p class="has-drop-cap">WordPress Community members in the state of Karnataka, India organized a do_action charity hackathon from 07 to 15 August 2021. The event, which was supported by 12 volunteers, helped create websites for 3 non-profits. do_action Karnataka was held completely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it concluded symbolically on August 15th 2021 — the 75th Independence Day of India. This is the second do_action Hackathon in Karnataka — the first one being <a href="https://doaction.org/event/bengaluru-2019/">do_action Bengaluru</a>, which was held in 2019.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://doaction.org/event/karnataka-2021/">Karnataka 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Efforts behind <a href="https://doaction.org/event/karnataka-2021/">do_action Karnataka</a> kicked off three months prior, in April 2021. <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nsuresha/">N Suresha</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/freewebmentor/">Prem Tiwari</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ucriyaz/?originalSubdomain=in">UC Riyaz</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sagarvora786?lang=en">Sagar Vora</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkatesh-kumar-s-r-945b8821/">SR Venkatesh</a>, and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yoga1103/">Yogesh Londhe</a> (myself) from the WordPress Community of Karnataka, joined hands to support local non-profits by helping them build websites. The following non-profits signed up for our hackathon:&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li><strong>Luv Kush Foster Home:</strong> A foster home that aims to care for animals in need</li><li><strong>Vridhi Foundation:</strong> which aims to support the education of underprivileged children</li><li><strong>Peacespark Foundation:</strong> Welfare of women and children</li></ul>



<p>12 volunteers immediately signed up to build websites for these non-profits. Not everyone could participate due to personal challenges related to COVID-19, but the teams worked hard to complete the work within the stipulated time. As a result of all that hard work, two non-profit sites were launched, and one is in the pipeline!</p>



<p><strong>Peacespark Foundation:</strong> <a href="https://www.peacespark.org/">https://www.peacespark.org/</a></p>



<a href="https://i2.wp.com/wordpressfoundation.org/content/uploads/2021/08/image.png?ssl=1"><img /></a>A screenshot of the Peacespark Foundation website created by the do_action Karnataka 2021 team.



<p>The website of Peacespark Foundation was built by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkatesh-kumar-s-r-945b8821/">SR Venkatesh</a> (project manager) and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/harishanker">Hari Shanker</a> (content writer). Venkatesh collected all the content and the photos from the non-profit, and he was also in constant communication with the team. He also single-handedly designed and developed the website for the team! Since the content manager volunteer could not join on time, Hari stepped in to prepare the content for the site. As a result, the site was ready well within the deadline, and the non-profit was happy and grateful!</p>



<p><strong>Vridhi Foundation: </strong><a href="https://vridhifoundation.org/">https://vridhifoundation.org/</a>:&nbsp;</p>



<a href="https://i0.wp.com/wordpressfoundation.org/content/uploads/2021/08/image-1.png?ssl=1"><img /></a>A screenshot of the Vridhi Foundation website created by the do_action Karnataka 2021 team.



<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nsuresha/">N Suresha</a> (project manager), along with Hussna Hussain (content writer) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ucriyaz/?originalSubdomain=in">UC Riyaz</a> (designer) built the website for Vridhi Foundation. <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mkrndmane/">Makarand Mane</a> helped with the multilingual translation plugin, the theme, and the required templates. <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/freewebmentor/">Prem Tiwari</a> set up the site and provided technical support during the development, as well. Together, the team worked in synergy to burn the midnight oil and deliver the site for the non-profit, which formally launched the same in a function at their premises, on August 15th!&nbsp;</p>



<a href="https://i1.wp.com/wordpressfoundation.org/content/uploads/2021/08/image.jpeg?ssl=1"><img /></a>Representatives of the Vridhi Foundation at their website launch event on August 15, 2021



<p>Since representatives of Luv Kush foster home were out of the country during the hackathon,&nbsp; they couldn’t collaborate to give the content and the photos for the website. Most of the technical groundwork for their website is done, and it will formally be launched once the non-profit provides content for the teams.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The hackathon would not be possible without the support of our kind sponsors who provided hosting, domain names, WordPress plugins/themes, and post hackathon support guarantees for all the non-profits. A big thanks to all of them! Our sponsors include:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://givewp.com/">Give WP</a> &#8211; Who kindly sponsored a premium license for their flagship donation plugin</li><li><a href="https://yoast.com/">Yoast</a> &#8211; Who kindly sponsored a premium license for their SEO plugin</li><li><a href="https://themeisle.com/">Themeisle</a> &#8211; Who provided premium licenses for their theme</li><li><a href="https://wpjobopenings.com/">WP Job Openings</a> &#8211; Who provided a license for their job board plugin</li><li><a href="https://wpgenius.in/">WPGenius</a> &#8211; Who provided a translation plugin, templates, and themes</li><li><a href="https://www.premtiwari.in/">Prem Tiwari</a> &#8211; Who has offered post-hackathon tech support for non-profits</li><li><a href="https://bluehost.in/">Bluehost India</a> &#8211; Who provided hosting and domain names for all three non-profits</li></ul>



<p>In addition to our sponsors, I wish to thank all stakeholders who helped make our event a grand success — especially our team of passionate volunteers and organizers who battled several personal challenges and a global pandemic to build an ever-lasting online presence for non-profits. Special thanks to the WordPress Foundation for supporting these do_action charity hackathons which empower non-profits across the globe, especially in these tough times.</p>



<p>As we were wrapping up the event on the final day of the hackathon, I asked our team of organizers and volunteers one question: “Despite all the challenges, would you do this again?” They all answered in one resounding voice: “YES!” <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" />&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>On behalf of the do_action Karnataka 2021 Organizing team,<br /><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yoga1103">Yogesh Londhe</a></em></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Feeling inspired, already? You can use WordPress for social good, by organing a <a href="https://doaction.org/">do_action charity hackathon</a> in your own city! Check out <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/event-formats/do_action-charity-hackathon/">our handbook</a> for more information. It just takes five minutes to <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/event-formats/do_action-charity-hackathon/do_action-event-application/">fill out the application form</a>. So why wait? <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/event-formats/do_action-charity-hackathon/do_action-event-application/">Apply now</a>!</p></blockquote>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:45:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Yogesh Londhe";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"WPTavern: Adding Custom HTML Attributes With the Block Attributes Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121857";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:189:"https://wptavern.com/adding-custom-html-attributes-with-the-block-attributes-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=adding-custom-html-attributes-with-the-block-attributes-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3791:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Earlier this week, websevendev released its fourth WordPress plugin to the official directory named <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/attributes-for-blocks/">Block Attributes</a>. The extension allows end-users to add any HTML attribute to nearly any block.</p>



<p>One of the problems with the WordPress editor is that it can be a bit fussy about customizing HTML. Blocks are built on a set of standards, and the markup is supposed to meet those expectations. If something does not fit, users see an invalid markup warning.</p>



<p>However, there are times when users need to drop in a custom HTML attribute for various reasons. For example, I sometimes need to add a custom <code>data-</code> attribute for working with a bit of JavaScript. Since I know my way around code well enough, I typically write out the HTML in those situations via the Custom HTML block. But, that does not make sense when minor attribute additions are called for.</p>



<p>WordPress currently allows users to add classes and IDs (called an &ldquo;HTML anchor&rdquo; in the admin) to almost every block. It does not allow for direct input of the dozens of other possible attributes that HTML supports. The use cases for the average user are few and far between.</p>



<p>For those scenarios where some users could use the extra feature, the Block Attributes plugin is handy.</p>



<p>The plugin is straightforward to use. It adds a new field named &ldquo;Additional attributes&rdquo; under the Advanced tab of every block. Users can add the attribute name and click the &ldquo;Add&rdquo; button. From there, it creates a new field for adding the attribute value.</p>



<img />Adding an <code>onclick</code> attribute to a Button block.



<p>The plugin also supports multiple attributes. Once you add one, you simply use the same input field to create more.</p>



<p>For my first test drive, I added a simple <code>onclick</code> attribute with a value of <code>myFunction()</code>. Then, I hopped over to my theme and created that function via JavaScript to output a simple message in the console. Everything looked good under the hood, and it worked.</p>



<ul><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li></ul>HTML view and console with custom JS for a Button block.



<p>Most of the use cases I have in mind are for integrating with JavaScript, and this was a simple example of what is possible. There are far more complex things a developer could do with such a feature. That is reason enough to keep this plugin in the toolbox &mdash; sometimes you need a wrench instead of a hammer.</p>



<p>I could also see Block Attributes being used for adding ARIA attributes in other situations where it might aid accessibility.</p>



<p>Users could add custom styles to a specific block via a <code>style</code> attribute with the plugin. However, unless this is a simple one-off, I would recommend against it. For more advanced use cases, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/blocks-css/">Blocks CSS</a> is a far more suitable plugin. It has a built-in syntax highlighter. Plus, a textarea is friendlier than a one-line text input box.</p>



<p>The only downside to Block Attributes I have seen is upon deactivation. You will see the dreaded &ldquo;this block contains unexpected or invalid content&rdquo; message in the editor if you have added any custom attributes. The editor has managed to resolve any issues I have run into with the core blocks.</p>



<img />Resolving block warning after deactivating plugin.



<p>Deactivating the plugin should not affect the front-end output. Because the custom attributes are a part of the HTML markup, they will still be there. The error message should only show in the editor.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 26 Aug 2021 23:27:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:6;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: WordPress Classic Editor Support Extended for at Least Another Year";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121553";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:199:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-classic-editor-support-extended-for-at-least-another-year?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-classic-editor-support-extended-for-at-least-another-year";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7276:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Last week, I reached out to several members of the core WordPress committers to see if we could get an official word on whether <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/classic-editor/">Classic Editor</a> support would continue beyond the mere months it seemingly had left to live. I received a semi-official answer but was asked to hold off on publishing for a more detailed and nuanced response.</p>



<p>Earlier today, WordPress executive director Josepha Haden Chomposy <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/an-update-on-the-classic-editor-plugin/">announced the official decision</a>. It was just as expected. The WordPress project would continue supporting the Classic Editor plugin for a while longer.</p>



<p>&ldquo;At the time, we promised to support the plugin through 2021 and adjust if needed as the deadline got closer,&rdquo; she wrote. &ldquo;After discussing this with Matt [Mullenweg], it&rsquo;s clear that continuing to support the plugin through 2022 is the right call for the project as well as the community.&rdquo;</p>



<p>As of now, classic users have a one-year extension.</p>



<p>However, the plugin will not suddenly stop working on December 31, 2022. That is merely the current deadline for the &ldquo;full support&rdquo; phase. It should continue working well beyond whatever date is set for that support window to close.</p>



<p>Designer Mark Root-Wiley reached out to WP Tavern <a href="https://twitter.com/MRWweb/status/1427422379047743495">via Twitter</a> last week, but others had been asking the same question for a while. For some, they needed to know if they could continue supporting specific client needs. For others, it was a bludgeon to use in conversations for all editor-related things. Whatever the reason, before today, the last word had been from a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/11/07/classic-editor-plugin-support-window/">Make Core post in November 2018</a>.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The Classic Editor plugin will be officially supported until December 31, 2021,&rdquo; wrote core contributor Gary Pendergast in that three-year-old announcement. It was a shock for many at the time, uncertain whether the new block system would meet their needs.</p>



<p>While three years may have seemed like plenty of time to ditch the classic in favor of the modern WordPress editor, the current stats show that the project still has a few miles yet to go.</p>



<p>Currently, there are over 5 million active installations of the Classic Editor plugin. I am still waiting for a more specific tally, but no one has provided an answer yet. At best, we think the counter turns over at 10+ million, so we can speculate on the floor and ceiling for possible usage.</p>



<p>Active installs are not the entire picture either. For example, we have the plugin installed here at the Tavern for legacy reasons but do not use it in our day-to-day work. We can likely disable it altogether. <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-telemetry-proposal-addresses-long-standing-privacy-concerns-as-gdpr-compliance-deadline-looms">WordPress has no telemetry system</a> for tracking the usage of such features. While the install total will not always make the picture clear, the current number supports the push for continued maintenance.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s important to note that the plugin is not going anywhere,&rdquo; said core committer Jonathan Desrosiers. &ldquo;It will continue to be listed on the .ORG repository for the foreseeable future.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He pointed out that understanding the next phase of the Classic Editor plugin meant looking into the level of effort required to support it since 2018. The overwhelming majority of the changes in that nearly three-year timeframe have come down to keeping up with:</p>



<ul><li>Text changes.</li><li>Adjustments to prevent warnings/errors and promote consistency across supported PHP versions.</li><li>Changes to deprecated action/filter hook calls.</li></ul>



<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been almost three whole years, and the plugin has largely required very little maintenance to continue functioning, and the bulk of maintenance has been to limit warnings and notices in debug logs,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>The goal of the Classic Editor plugin was to help ease the transition to the block editor. Thus far, there have been eight major WordPress releases since the switch in version 5.0.</p>



<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a theory called the diffusion of innovations that looks to explain how, why, and at what rate new technology spreads,&rdquo; said Desrosiers. &ldquo;It separates adopters into several groups based on when they are willing to take the jump: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. I truly think that we have seen a good portion of the late majority beginning to move towards using the block editor. This can also be confirmed by the plugin&rsquo;s install growth, which has been slowing and plateauing this year.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He had expected the previous deadline to mark the next stage of the Classic Editor plugin, called the &ldquo;sunset&rdquo; phase. It would be a time when the WordPress project moved from full support to encouraging late adopters to transition to the current editor to get the plugin&rsquo;s numbers down.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The context I gave previously shows that, until now, that the level of effort needed to keep the plugin working on newer versions of WP has been pretty minimal,&rdquo; said Desrosiers of the potential sunset phase. &ldquo;I expect that pattern to continue thanks to backward compatibility. If any security issues or major problems are encountered, they&rsquo;ll, of course, be fixed. Any incompatibilities with the plugin and newer versions of WP will be considered on a case by case basis, but little to no time will be put towards bug fixes.&rdquo;</p>



<p>However, this sunset phase will have to wait. We will not see it until at least the current support window closes on December 31, 2022. WordPress project leaders will need to reevaluate the plugin&rsquo;s lifespan at that point.</p>



<p>The other looming question would be whether core WordPress would move specific pieces of its system to the Classic Editor plugin, such as allowing custom post types to support the old editor or the meta box API.</p>



<p>&ldquo;There are no plans at this time to move any of the underlying &lsquo;classic&rsquo; parts from core to the plugin,&rdquo; said Desrosiers. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure that removing these parts will be evaluated at some point in the future, but when that will be is not clear.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Even when official Classic Editor support reaches a hard deadline, it does not mean such a traditional editing experience will cease to exist. Plugins like <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/disable-gutenberg/">Disable Gutenberg</a> have promised longer lifespans than the initial support window, and other editor projects will undoubtedly arise if there is wide enough demand.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The block editor has come a long way, and I encourage everyone that has not yet given it a second chance (late adopters) to do so,&rdquo; said Desrosiers. &ldquo;You may be pleasantly surprised.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 25 Aug 2021 19:56:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"WordPress.org blog: An Update on the Classic Editor Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=11149";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/an-update-on-the-classic-editor-plugin/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1569:"<p>Before the release of WordPress 5.0 in 2018, the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/classic-editor/">Classic Editor plugin</a> was published to help ease the transition to the new block editor. At the time, we promised to support the plugin through 2021 and adjust if needed as the deadline got closer. After discussing this with Matt, it&#8217;s clear that continuing to support the plugin through 2022 is the right call for the project as well as the community.</p>



<p>Still, if you’ve been putting off using the block editor, this is an excellent time to give it another shot. Since it first appeared in 2018, hundreds of WordPress contributors have made a lot of updates based on user feedback. You will be pleasantly surprised at how far it’s come!</p>



<p>Big thanks to everyone who has been working on WordPress, Gutenberg, and the Classic Editor plugin. And thank you to every WordPress user and tester who has provided the feedback we need to make the software even better.</p>



<p>~ Josepha</p>



<p><em>Returning to the block editor for the first time in a long time? You can give feedback early in the process by <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/handbook/full-site-editing-outreach-experiment/">joining the outreach program</a>! Looking at it for the first time ever? <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshops/?series=24&topic=&language=&captions=">Get your bearings with some workshops</a> or <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-editor/#how-does-the-block-editor-work">check out this demo</a>!</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:51:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"Josepha";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"HeroPress: Never give up on your dreams – Moet nooit jou drome laat vaar nie";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=4049";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:130:"https://heropress.com/essays/never-give-up-on-your-dreams/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=never-give-up-on-your-dreams";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6608:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/082421-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: You are never too old to make your dreams come true." /><p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#afrikaans"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Die opstel is ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans.</span></a></p>
<p>For years and years, I always wanted to do websites. I dabbled in coding with HTML and CSS had one website go live within 3 months, but everybody who has done coding, also know, that it is very time consuming, something as a mom, I don’t have much of. I made the decision to not pursue my dream of website designing. But I never gave up on that dream.</p>
<p>Right now, I am a 41 mom of two teenagers, ages 17 and 12, I was pretty set in my ways in terms of my career for a very long time. But when getting closer to my 40’s, I knew I wanted more. I knew I had the capabilities for WordPress, but never had to opportunity or given the chance to dabble in it.</p>
<h3>How It All Began</h3>
<p>My journey in Graphic Design started way back in 2003 with Photoshop Version 6 and Coreldraw X3. I loved it right from the start, but knew there was more to graphic design, then just that. Websites was a pretty new thing to me, but always felt intrigued by it.</p>
<p>Fast-forward to the beginning of 2020, 17 years later with loads of experience in Graphic Design, it was time for a change. There was always this gap, that just couldn’t get filled in terms of my career. Yet, I still remembered my dream. On 3 February 2020, I started a new job, but still in graphics and just before Covid hit our shores. Needless to say, that job turned into a freelance work from home job.</p>
<blockquote><p>It was a really rocky period financially, as in freelancing, you get paid for what you do, and it just wasn’t happening.</p></blockquote>
<p>In August of the same year, I received a text from someone, wanting to know if I am still available for work, knowing that I don’t know anything about Website/WordPress design. I had a background in HTML and CSS, but not enough. I still got the job, it’s not a high paying salary, but I get to work from home.</p>
<h3>Everything After</h3>
<p>WordPress changed my life in a big way, I don’t know other WordPress designers as I am self-taught. Fortunately, with Google and Youtube, as well as some connections made with the new job, my journey in WordPress started.</p>
<p>I have designed 4 websites that I maintain, with another one that is under construction as well as one or two more in the pipeline.</p>
<blockquote><p>I asked a lot of questions when all this happened, like why did this happen?</p></blockquote>
<p>Why did it have to be me? A year later, I know the answer. I had to go through some struggles to really learn the value of what we have, it’s not how much you have, but what you have. At the moment, I work from home and absolutely love what I do.</p>
<p>If there is one lesson to be learnt from my story, don’t give up on your dreams, you are never too old to achieve that dream and be really good at it.</p>
<h1 id="afrikaans">Moet nooit jou drome laat vaar nie</h1>
<p>Vir jare en jare wou ek altyd webwerwe doen. Ek het begin om met HTML en CSS te kodeer, het een webwerf binne 3 maande gehad, maar almal wat kodering doen weet dat dit baie tydrowend is, iets wat ek as &#8216;n ma, nie veel van het nie. Ek het die besluit geneem om nie my droom van webwerf-ontwerp na te streef nie. Maar ek het nooit die droom opgegee nie.</p>
<p>Huidiglik, is ek is &#8216;n 41 jarige ma van twee tieners, hulle is 17 en 12 jaar oud. Ek was baie lank gevestig in my loopbaan. Maar hoe nader ek aan my veertigerjare gekom het, het ek geweet, ek wou ek meer hê. Ek het geweet dat ek die vermoëns vir WordPress gehad het, maar ek het nooit die geleentheid gehad of was nooit geoffer om dit te gebruik nie.</p>
<h3><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Hoe dit alles begin het</span></h3>
<p>My reis in grafiese ontwerp het al in 2003 begin met Photoshop weergawe 6 en Coreldraw X3. Ek was van die begin af mal daaroor, maar ek het geweet dat daar meer aan grafiese ontwerp was, dan net dit. Webwerwe was vir my &#8216;n redelike nuwe ding, maar ek was altyd daarin gefassineer.</p>
<p>Spoed vorentoe na die begin van 2020, 17 jaar later en met baie ervaring in grafiese ontwerp, dit tyd vir &#8216;n verandering. Daar was altyd hierdie leemte wat in my loopbaan net nie gevul kon word nie. Tog onthou ek nog my droom. Op 3 Februarie 2020 het ek &#8216;n nuwe werk begin, maar nog steeds in grafies en net voor covid ons oewers getref het. Nodeloos om te sê, die werk het verander na &#8216;n vryskutwerk wat van die huis af gedoen was.</p>
<blockquote><p>Dit was finansieel &#8216;n baie rotsagtige periode, met vryskut werk, word jy betaal vir wat jy doen, ek het gesien, dit gaan nie werk nie.</p></blockquote>
<p>In Augustus van dieselfde jaar het ek &#8216;n whatsapp van iemand ontvang wat wil weet of ek nog beskikbaar is vir werk. In die wete dat ek niks weet van webwerf of WordPress &#8211; ontwerp nie. Ek het &#8216;n agtergrond in html en css gehad, maar dit was nie genoeg nie. Ek het nog steeds die pos gekry, dit is nie &#8216;n hoë salaris nie, maar ek werk van die huis af.</p>
<h3><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Alles Daarna</span></h3>
<p>WordPress het my lewe grootliks verander, ek ken nie ander WordPress ontwerpers nie, aangesien ek myself geleer het. Gelukkig, met Google en Youtube, asook &#8216;n paar verbintenisse met die nuwe werk, het my reis in WordPress begin.</p>
<p>Ek het vier webwerwe ontwerp wat ek onderhou, met nog een wat gebou word, asook nog een of twee wat in die pyplyn is.</p>
<blockquote><p>Ek het baie vrae gevra toe dit alles gebeur het, soos hoekom het dit gebeur?</p></blockquote>
<p>Waarom moes dit ek wees? &#8216;n Jaar later weet ek die antwoord. Ek moes bietjie sukkel om werklik die waarde van wat ons het te leer, dit is nie hoeveel jy het nie, maar wat jy het. Op die oomblik werk ek tuis en hou absoluut van wat ek doen.</p>
<p>As daar een les uit my verhaal is om te leer is, moenie moed opgee om jou drome te volg nie; jy is nooit te oud om die droom te verwesenlik nie.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/never-give-up-on-your-dreams/">Never give up on your dreams &#8211; Moet nooit jou drome laat vaar nie</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 25 Aug 2021 06:01:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"Pam Woest";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:9;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"WPTavern: Google Search Completes Rollout of Link Spam Update";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121791";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:167:"https://wptavern.com/google-search-completes-rollout-of-link-spam-update?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-search-completes-rollout-of-link-spam-update";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3293:"<p>Google announced today that it has completed its rollout of the link spam update, which was started a month ago. In an effort to combat sites using spammy links to manipulate rankings, the search engine has developed more effective ways to identify and nullify link spam across multiple languages. The update took a couple weeks longer than anticipated but the algorithmic changes that re-assess the ranking of improperly qualified links has now been fully rolled out.</p>



<p>Commercial linking can be differentiated from link spam by <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/qualify-outbound-links">specifying the appropriate <code>rel</code>&nbsp;attribute</a>. For example, affiliate links must be identified to the search engine by <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/qualify-outbound-links">&nbsp;rel=&rdquo;sponsored&rdquo;</a> in order to not trigger any negative effects from the most recent update. Website owners and content creators should be aware of the search engine&rsquo;s requirements when publishing affiliate links or sponsored/guest posts. While it is appropriate and ethical to disclose commercial links in the content of the post, this is no longer sufficient for Google.</p>



<p>A <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2021/07/link-tagging-and-link-spam-update">post</a> on the Google Search Central blog warns that this update carries a more strict response for sites that do not properly qualify commercial links:  </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>When we detect sites engaging in either publishing or acquiring links with excessive sponsored and guest posting without proper link tags, algorithmic and manual actions may be applied, similar to affiliate links.</p></blockquote>



<p>WordPress users who rely on plugins to manage sponsored and affiliate links will want to check to ensure they support the proper tagging for commercial links. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/pretty-link/">Pretty Links</a>, a link management and tracking plugin used by more than 300,000 WordPress sites, added support for the sponsored rel tag in <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/pretty-link/#developers">version 3.1.0</a>, along with sponsored toggle support in the block and TinyMCE editors. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/thirstyaffiliates/">ThirstyAffiliates</a>, another popular plugin active on more than 40,00 installs, has a <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/requirement-to-use-sponsored-tag-for-affiliate-links/">global setting for adding rel attribute tags</a> to links, which can also be adjusted on a per-link basis.</p>



<p>The are many other affiliate link management, tracking, and cloaking plugins out there that may not have been updated with settings for easily designating <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/qualify-outbound-links"><code>rel</code></a>attributes in links. Those who do not want to have negative effects from the link spam update may need the ability to bulk update their links to comply. If you rely on a link management plugin, it&rsquo;s a good idea to check the plugin&rsquo;s settings, and alternatively the plugin&rsquo;s changelog, to see what features are supported. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 25 Aug 2021 04:00:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:44:"WPTavern: Why Did You Start Using WordPress?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121794";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:131:"https://wptavern.com/why-did-you-start-using-wordpress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-did-you-start-using-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5067:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">If there was a question that ever made me start feeling old, it might be this one. Last week, Marcel Bootsman <a href="https://twitter.com/mbootsman/status/1428407620273049605">asked via Twitter</a>, &ldquo;Why did you start to use WordPress?&rdquo;</p>



<p>WordPress community members chimed in with all sorts of reasons for hopping aboard, and Jeff Chandler of WP Mainline <a href="https://wpmainline.com/2021/08/19/the-one-feature-that-got-me-to-start-using-wordpress/">shared his journey</a> on his site. These are the sort of discussions of nostalgia that I live for. What follows is my story.</p>



<p>I began blogging in 2003. A friend had introduced me to a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/2pwkgu/does_anyone_remember_expagecom/">now-defunct service called Expage</a>. We mostly used it similarly to the early Myspace craze, adding things such as shout-outs to friends, random GIFs, scrolling marquee text, and midi files that blared as soon as a visitor landed on the page. But, I soon began learning how to link together multiple &ldquo;Expages&rdquo; (you only got one page), eventually building something of a journal.</p>



<p>After realizing the limitations of creating multiple accounts and passwords for different pages, I found Yahoo! GeoCities. After a short-lived stint with the service and being stifled by its roadblocks, I soon upgraded to a web hosting plan offered by Yahoo! with full PHP support. That meant I could do dynamic things like having multiple text files to store my blog post entries.</p>



<p>Thus, began my journey into building my own blogging system. Over the next couple of years, I kept my online journal open to the world with what felt like duct tape and old-fashioned grit. I tried WordPress at some point along the way and took a dive into PHP-Nuke and a couple of others. I then jumped back to my own system. I knew just enough PHP to be a flashing beacon for hacker-bots to push those little blue pills if they had ever bothered looking in my direction. Of course, my blog was so obscure that its glaring security holes did not register on any radar.</p>



<p>It was a week after I turned 21. On May 8, 2005, I had decided to get serious &mdash; yet again &mdash; about fixing my digital playground of a website. I would ditch any efforts of moving everything over to WordPress or another CMS. I was a lone wolf and was going to trek into the world <em>wild</em> web with nothing but my existing knowledge and instincts.</p>



<p>It was a fun era on the web for me. I was also a college student with an ever-changing list of interests, often varying by the day. Building a custom blogging system has never been an easy feat, and managing it all through plain text files had become a burden.</p>



<p>A mere five days later, I caved on my dream of managing a custom platform, but I needed to do so for my own sanity.</p>



<p>I simply began using WordPress because it made it easy to manage blog posts.</p>



<p>There were no special features like the editor, custom post types, or anything else that has brought so many others to the project. It was simply having a nicely organized posts management screen and the output of those posts on the front end. Relative to other systems at the time, it was also easy to install.</p>



<p>At the time, I probably did not think much of it. It was just another project in a line of others that I had tested, but I am happy I took the leap. WordPress has given me a career and, often, a purpose in life. It allowed me to grow as a developer, designer, and writer.</p>



<p>It may be blasphemy to say such things in WordPress circles, but my personal blog no longer runs on our beloved platform. After all these years, I have come full circle. My original goal was to build a flat-file blogging system, even though I did not know there was a name for such a thing back in the early-to-mid 2000s. I also did not have the requisite knowledge to build it at the time. However, in 2018, I coded my own system from scratch, and I loved every minute of that initial build. In part, I had a new project to tinker with, but it also carried a bit of the nostalgic factor of re-pioneering my early foray into the web.</p>



<p>While a custom blogging platform works for my own purposes, it makes me appreciate WordPress even more. It is hard to understand how much work goes into something as seemingly simple as the front-end architecture until you build it from the ground up. And, let us just skip over any talk of creating a secure and accessible admin interface that is user-friendly.</p>



<p>For any serious endeavor, WordPress is still my go-to solution &mdash; <em>my personal site is a playground where I can afford to break things, after all</em>. After our 16-year relationship, I do not see that changing at any point soon. As always, something exciting is around the corner. The platform keeps me on my toes, and I cannot imagine a world without it.</p>



<p>How or why did you begin using WordPress?</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 24 Aug 2021 23:40:01 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66:"WPTavern: Gallery Block Refactor Expected To Land in WordPress 5.9";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121711";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:177:"https://wptavern.com/gallery-block-refactor-expected-to-land-in-wordpress-5-9?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gallery-block-refactor-expected-to-land-in-wordpress-5-9";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4838:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Last week, a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/25940">GitHub pull request</a> I had been watching since October 2020 on the Gutenberg repository was finally merged into the codebase. It changes the structure of the WordPress Gallery block to be a container for nested Image blocks. The new format is expected to land in WordPress 5.9.</p>



<p>For those who want to begin testing it early, it should ship with Gutenberg 11.4 next week. However, you can <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/#nightly">grab the nightly test version</a> from Gutenberg Times to see it in action now. To use the new Gallery format, you must enable it from the Gutenberg &gt; Experiments admin screen.</p>



<p>&ldquo;If you have ever added a custom link to an image block and then tried to do the same on a Gallery image, you will understand the frustration and confusion of not having consistency between different types of image blocks,&rdquo; wrote Glenn Davies in the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/20/gallery-block-refactor-dev-note/">refactor announcement post</a>. &ldquo;This inconsistency is because the core Gallery block stores the details of the included images as nested <code>&lt;img&gt;</code> elements within the block content. Therefore, the images within a gallery look and behave different from images within an individual image block.&rdquo;</p>



<p>At the surface level, the Gallery block refactor does not change much for many users. They will still add images to galleries as they have for years. However, for more advanced usage, it opens a world of possibilities.</p>



<p>One oft-requested feature is the ability to add links to individual images in galleries. In the past, users could only link to attachment pages or the media file itself. Both options applied to all images. With the most recent change, users can modify each Image block, including customizing its link.</p>



<img />Adding a link to an Image block within a Gallery.



<p>While this allows for handling something as simple as links, there is so much more that users could do.</p>



<p>In a theme that I have been building, I have a custom Gallery block style that allows users to create a group of images with a Polaroid-style frame around them. It is something fun for folks who do not want the all-business-all-the-time look. Sometimes, I like to throw in a bit of whimsy.</p>



<img />Polaroid-style frame for galleries.



<p>The problem with that block style is that it does not go far enough. For example, I also have Tilted Right and Tilted Left styles for individual Image blocks. However, users are unable to apply those within a Gallery. It would be easy to make those available to the entire set or randomize different &ldquo;tilt&rdquo; styles. However, the ideal method would be to control the design at the Image level.</p>



<p>The same is true for other options. Users could do something fun like add block styles and mix in custom colors, borders, and more.</p>



<img />Colored Polaroid-style frames with different &ldquo;tilts.&rdquo;



<p>There are other fun things users might be able to do, such as alternating square and rounded styles:</p>



<img />Alternating square and circle images.



<p>The new structure may not be without some issues early on. WordPress will likely continue supporting the old format for a while for backward compatibility. All new Gallery blocks will be in the new. However, core should eventually automatically transform the old markup over.</p>



<p>Theme authors who have added custom CSS will be those with the most potential work ahead. Attempting to support both the new and old markup could be an exercise in frustration. The new Gallery block has broken output with my custom theme &mdash; margins and widths are off.</p>



<p>All styles for the new format begin with, at least, <code>.wp-block-gallery.blocks-gallery-grid.has-nested-images</code>. This will likely overrule custom theme styles. I have yet to figure out the obsession with chaining selectors in the core code. It creates a ton of code bloat and forces theme authors into a specificity battle. I am hoping this gets dialed back a bit. Either way, theme authors have plenty of time to test and implement any fixes if needed.</p>



<p>In the long term, I am excited about the potential of breaking away from the idea of <em>just</em> adding images to galleries. For example, I would love to see a grid option for something like the following:</p>



<img />Gallery with quote.



<p>Nesting a quote in the middle of my image gallery could be a fun block pattern idea that does not rely on a mishmash of stacked Column blocks.  We will see what the future holds.</p>



<p>For now, turning Gallery blocks into containers is a welcome step.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:37:21 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 15: A Very WordPress Blooper";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"https://wordpress.org/news/?post_type=podcast&p=11146";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/episode-15-a-very-wordpress-blooper/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8883:"<p>Ever wonder what it&#8217;s like behind the scenes of WP Briefing? Listen in on this episode for a little levity and Josepha&#8217;s bloopers.</p>



<p><em><strong>Have a question you’d like answered? You can submit them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org">wpbriefing@wordpress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>



<h2>Credits</h2>



<ul><li>Editor:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/">Dustin Hartzler</a></li><li>Logo:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/beafialho/">Beatriz Fialho</a></li><li>Production:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/">Chloé Bringmann</a></li><li>Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod</li></ul>



<h2>Transcript</h2>



<span id="more-11146"></span>



<p>[contemporary intro music]</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>00:10</p>



<p>Hello, everyone, and welcome to a bonus briefing. Normally I talk to you about WordPress and stuff, but I figured that we all need a little levity in our lives right now. So today&#8217;s episode is actually just a series of bloopers and mistakes that I&#8217;ve made while recording. When I was preparing for this podcast, no one mentioned the deep weirdness of standing alone in your closet talking to yourself, nor did they realize just how lost I can get in the surpassingly, lovely lyricism of a lilting line, and then just have no idea what I&#8217;m supposed to be reading in the script that I wrote for myself. So, my dear friends, I hope these bring you a little laugh. And if we&#8217;ve got any luck at all, you may also hear me singing to myself, my computer, or about how terrible my talking just was. Here we go!</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>01:12</p>



<p>Hello, everyone, and welcome to a bonus briefing. I know I wasn&#8217;t going to sit boop, boop.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>01:21</p>



<p>I messed up the thing where I&#8217;m talking about how I mess up, of course. I&#8217;m going to do it one more time, and you can choose whatever is a reasonable thing there.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>01:33</p>



<p>Because we had such a lengthy WP Briefing, WordPress, I’m going to just start that over again. Sorry, everyone.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>01:42</p>



<p>My friends. Oh, no. I don&#8217;t know how I end my own show. How do I end my own show? There we go. Sorry.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>01:52</p>



<p>That was a weird way to say that. I&#8217;m going to start over again from the transition. And then we&#8217;re just going to go straight through to the end. Maybe.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:03</p>



<p>The names that&#8230; I sound weird. I sound like I don&#8217;t know what my words are. And I said I wrote the words. I said I was all going to go in one go, and I&#8217;m a liar today. Okay, here we go. For realsies!</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:16</p>



<p>Final first last take. Here we go. Sorry, I made myself laugh.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:22</p>



<p>Matt Mullenweg. And, and I, I&#8217;m also in that group. I don&#8217;t know why I said that like it was a surprise. I have me too. I&#8217;m also in there.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:33</p>



<p>Ugh, I ran out of air. For reasons, it was a short sentence. I don&#8217;t know why I ran out of air.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:43</p>



<p>Coming out on April 14. That&#8217;s not true. It&#8217;s April 13. Right?</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:50</p>



<p>On the form below to share the. Pfft &#8211; what are the things!&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>02:58</p>



<p>This is WP Briefing episode seven, no title because I don&#8217;t know what to call it because I gave it a title already. I gave it two titles, and then couldn&#8217;t remember why I gave it those titles. So I&#8217;ll come up with a title before we publish it. But I also have no idea what it is. I&#8217;m going to ask for help. </p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>03:17</p>



<p>Testing project since I have too many commas, and I really believed in my comma when I said it. </p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>03:24</p>



<p>Prior to Gutenberg&#8230; pfft. Open source software like WordPress. I was going to smash that sentence into half a sentence. I was going to say when you know what you&#8217;re workussing on you have a solution which is not my friends of thing. So, I am just going to say the sentence again. </p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>03:47</p>



<p>I was sitting over here wringing my hands for some reason during that entire list. And so if you can hear me wringing my hands, which would be a whole new height of anxiety for anyone, you let me know, and I will rerecord that also.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>04:00</p>



<p>Get a concept of. Nope, this is a lie. Get a concept of where to get your tickets is the silliest thing. I&#8217;m starting over from the small list of big things. Also, because I got too excited about how big my list is. I am going to get that excited again. But I will try not to shout about it.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>04:17</p>



<p>&#8220;Humming intro song&#8221; Dun dun dun dun dun.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>04:23</p>



<p>Sorry, I had to scroll up, and I try not to scroll up when I&#8217;m talking in case maybe my whole computer turns into a microphone. Sorry, I&#8217;m just going to keep going because this has been a fine take so far.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>04:34</p>



<p>Mercy! I have words that I can say with my mouth. They aren&#8217;t these words today. It seems.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>04:45</p>



<p>Build up to&#8230; Oh my goodness. My stomach grumbled, and this microphone, I know,&nbsp; picked it up. And so I&#8217;m going to redo bullet two so that we don&#8217;t just have a small monster under the bed in the middle of the podcast.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>05:03</p>



<p>Also, like DEI, I feel s—Eh &#8211; maybe I should say, DEI, somewhere in there, so it&#8217;s clear for people cause I&#8217;m talking to people and not actually a screen. </p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>05:17</p>



<p>Before I joined the WordPress project, the majority of my work with accessibility was in the context of the digital divide. Now, when talking about the digital divide, there are three concepts around quote-unquote, getting things to people. And those concepts are&#8230; I guess I could say the thing, hold on one second, I can do it. I feel like I&#8217;m chopping up my words like I&#8217;m not really breathing very well. So I apologize. But here we go again.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>05:58</p>



<p>Don&#8217;t include that one. Sorry, I&#8217;m so nervous about this episode that, like, my mouth is getting dry, and I worry that you can hear it, and it drives me nuts every time I hear podcasters with a dry mouth, and you can just like hear it clicking and always stresses me out. I&#8217;m like, someone should give that poor thing a drink of water. And I just know I&#8217;m going to feel that way about myself later. And so I&#8217;m trying to stay hydrated, but it also means that I have to stop every two paragraphs and take a drink of water. I apologize for that interlude. I am about to start again, at my next section, which is like, halfway through.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>06:39</p>



<p>Also, I learned that you can hear me swallowing my water with this microphone because it is a spectacular microphone. And so, I apologize for that as well. All right. Here I go. I&#8217;m going to do it all in one take. Watch me.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>06:56</p>



<p>But I also have questions, especially about how to move everything forward. Mm-hmm. Whoops. I put especially in the wrong spot. But I also thought&#8230;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>07:10</p>



<p> Ta da, we did it. Gosh, that&#8217;s a short one. </p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>07:16</p>



<p>I did it. Where&#8217;s my where&#8217;s my turning offing button.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy&nbsp; </strong>07:22</p>



<p>Tada! And scene and done.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 23 Aug 2021 22:14:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Chloe Bringmann";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"Akismet: Version 4.1.11 of the Akismet WordPress Plugin is Now Available";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"http://blog.akismet.com/?p=2120";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:100:"https://blog.akismet.com/2021/08/23/version-4-1-11-of-the-akismet-wordpress-plugin-is-now-available/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:653:"<p>Version 4.1.11 of <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the Akismet plugin for WordPress</a> is now available. It contains the following changes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Added support for Akismet API usage notifications on Akismet settings and edit-comments admin pages.</li>
<li>Added support for the deleted_comment action when bulk-deleting comments from Spam.</li>
</ul>
<p>To upgrade, visit the Updates page of your WordPress dashboard and follow the instructions. If you need to download the plugin zip file directly, links to all versions are available in <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the WordPress plugins directory</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 23 Aug 2021 18:05:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Josh Smith";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:14;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"WPTavern: WordPress Contributors Actually Do Listen to Feedback and Engage With the Community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121727";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:231:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-contributors-actually-do-listen-to-feedback-and-engage-with-the-community?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-contributors-actually-do-listen-to-feedback-and-engage-with-the-community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5622:"<p class="has-drop-cap">I am a writer. That gives me a license &mdash; not to be overused &mdash; to steer into hyperbole once in a while. I get to be critical, sometimes overly, because I can come back the next day and shower the WordPress project with praise. Perhaps, at times, I forget to be as fair or kind as I should be. Maybe I miss the mark when pointing out faults once in a while. I am sometimes simply wrong (as one reader <a href="https://wptavern.com/is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today#comment-390345">recently pointed out</a>, that was the case with 90% of what I wrote). And, for those times that I do step out of bounds, I am sorry.</p>



<p>However, it always comes from a genuine love of our community and loyalty to the WordPress mission.</p>



<p>I had planned on writing about an upcoming feature change for WordPress today, but something more pressing came up. As I was working through that article, a new comment landed in my inbox for approval. It was on the borderline, that gray area where I had to determine whether it added enough value to the discussion. I felt like it needed a thoughtful reply and not the knee-jerk reaction I had initially written. It was gnawing at me because I knew few things could be further from the truth:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>When Matias and Justin respond to comments and ask the commenters to supply more details about the problems they mentioned, I doubt many will do that, since many of us already know that the WordPress developers don&rsquo;t listen to us. They maybe pretend to listen, but the evidence shows that they do not. As one other commenter mentioned, we are suffering the tyranny of the minority.</p><cite><a href="https://wptavern.com/a-discussion-with-gutenberg-project-lead-matias-ventura-on-the-barrier-to-entry#comment-391573">Christian Nelson</a></cite></blockquote>



<p>It is disheartening when I see comments that state that the core contributors do not listen to users. However, I do understand where some of that sentiment may come from. There have been many pet features I have been passionate about that have never gotten the green light. Tickets that seemingly die out from lack of interest. Unresolved disagreements. It can become easy to think that you are shouting into the void.</p>



<p>However, it is not because developers are not listening. That is not a fair statement to make.</p>



<p>In my line of work, I follow nearly every aspect of the WordPress project. From Trac tickets to GitHub pull requests, from business acquisitions to theme development, I tend to dabble in a bit of it all.</p>



<p>More often than not, I see others who care as deeply about the project as I do. I watch the core/inner developers &mdash; the folks who do the bulk of the work &mdash; gather and act upon as much feedback as possible. I see the same from people who are less in the public spotlight but just as vital to the community. Everything I see stands as overwhelming evidence that they listen. There is so much engagement on GitHub, Slack, and the Make blogs that I cannot keep up with it all.</p>



<p>Mat&iacute;as Ventura, the Gutenberg project lead, has always been approachable and seems to care deeply about the project&rsquo;s success. I cannot recall ever reaching out to anyone working on WordPress who did not respond, even when I approached them outside of my role as a writer for WP Tavern.</p>



<p>I am amazed at how much time and energy Anne McCarthy puts into the FSE Outreach Program. Mostly, it is because I do not think I could do that job. For every complaint, criticism, or issue I have mentioned, she has dug up an existing ticket or filed a new one. She routinely does this for everyone who provides feedback on FSE.</p>



<p>I could list name after name after name of others who do the same, going above and beyond their typical roles.</p>



<p>Today, I was reminded that we all &mdash; including myself &mdash; sometimes need to step back and evaluate how we view this project and the people who are working on it.</p>



<p>Thousands of people contribute code, documentation, design mockups, translations, and much more. There are plugin authors who see a problem they want to solve. Developers who figure out how to do something and write a tutorial. This, still, is barely scratching the surface.</p>



<p>Contributing directly to the core project or being involved with the Make WordPress teams is often a thankless job. But, I am happy that so many are willing to bear the brunt of the criticism and continue working.</p>



<p>Not everything we want will be implemented how or when we want it. Developers must balance each new feature or change against different, often conflicting, feedback. They do not always make the &ldquo;right&rdquo; call, but the best thing about software is that you can iterate upon it, bettering the platform from feedback on the earlier implementation.</p>



<p>Sometimes, WordPress simply needs more folks contributing to create a new feature or implement a change. Developers are only human.</p>



<p>We are all riding this ship together. We should strive to be kind and fair, avoiding blanket statements of the people who pour their hearts and souls into the project.</p>



<p>If nothing else, let&rsquo;s take folks at their word when they ask for more details about a problem.  That could very well be the first step in actually finding a solution.</p>



<p>Before stepping off my soapbox, I want to simply say one thing to those who contribute in any capacity to the WordPress project: thank you.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:51:01 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"WPTavern: Get Your Free Tickets to WordCamp US Online 2021";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121549";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:161:"https://wptavern.com/get-your-free-tickets-to-wordcamp-us-online-2021?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-your-free-tickets-to-wordcamp-us-online-2021";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3259:"<p>WordCamp US 2021 will be held online this year on October 1.  The free, one-day event will be packed with speaker sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities for attendees.</p>



<p>Organizers <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2021/call-for-speaker-nominations/">opened the call for speaker nominees</a> earlier this month to speak on topics within the scope identified for this year: Connection, Contribution, and Inspiration:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>We want to hear about unsung heroes doing great things with the latest WordPress releases, about successful businesses that could only have happened with WordPress, educators who are using WordPress with their students, and inspirational stories of community and connection. We also want to hear about innovative technology implementations and cutting edge design methods that can inspire site owners to do even more with WordPress.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>The themes seem to be centered around the kinds of the stories one might hear at an in-person WordCamp around a meal, all of the organic connection that WordPress enthusiasts around the world have craved for the past 18 months. It&rsquo;s impossible to recreate online but the event&rsquo;s organizers are committed to spotlighting stories that will &ldquo;help WordPress users find success with WordPress no matter how they use it.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The deadline to nominate speakers has passed, but those who were nominated can find a list of recommended topics on the <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2021/submit-your-talk/">talk submission page</a>. Recommendations include block development, making and using block patterns, FSE (full site editing), why companies should prioritize open source contribution, inspiring WordPress stories, entrepreneurship, marketing, e-commerce, SEO, and more.</p>



<p>Organizers seem set on bolstering the community during this difficult year of mostly online-only events. The talk submission page encourages speakers to find topics that will help users be successful on their journeys with WordPress:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>As our goals with programming this year aim towards creating content that will help WordPress users become more successful with the platform, your first submission could ideally be focused on teaching users something they didn&rsquo;t know when they signed on for WordCamp US 2021. We want to ensure that the content covered at this year&rsquo;s WCUS is memorable and shared, ensuring that, no matter if online, in-person or hybrid, all future WCUS events are seen as those not to be missed.</p></blockquote>



<p>The deadline to submit talk ideas is August 22 and prospective speakers are limited to three ideas. Organizers receive hundreds of submissions every year (more than 500 in both 2018 and 2019) and speakers are encouraged to send only their best ideas. Selected speakers will be contacted by August 27 and announced August 31. All sessions will be recorded prior to the event and  recorded talks are due September 23. </p>



<p>Tickets for WordCamp US went on sale this week. They are free but you must <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2021/tickets/">sign up on the registration page</a> for your entrance pass.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 21 Aug 2021 00:49:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:125:"WPTavern: Jeremy Keith Resigns from AMP Advisory Committee: “It Has Become Clear to Me that AMP Remains a Google Product”";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121664";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:281:"https://wptavern.com/jeremy-keith-resigns-from-amp-advisory-committee-it-has-become-clear-to-me-that-amp-remains-a-google-product?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jeremy-keith-resigns-from-amp-advisory-committee-it-has-become-clear-to-me-that-amp-remains-a-google-product";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7667:"<p><a href="https://adactio.com/">Jeremy Keith</a>, a web developer and contributor to the web standards movement, has <a href="https://adactio.com/journal/18350">resigned from the AMP Advisory Committee</a>. Keith was selected for the committee last year, despite his well-documented criticisms of the AMP project. In his resignation email, he cites Google&rsquo;s control of the project and its small percentage of open source parts as reasons for his growing resentment:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I can&rsquo;t in good faith continue to advise on the AMP project for the OpenJS Foundation when it has become clear to me that AMP remains a Google product, with only a subset of pieces that could even be considered open source.</p><p>If I were to remain on the advisory committee, my feelings of resentment about this situation would inevitably affect my behaviour. So it&rsquo;s best for everyone if I step away now instead of descending into outright sabotage. It&rsquo;s not you, it&rsquo;s me.</p></blockquote>



<p>During his time with the committee, Keith worked on defining what AMP is and pushing for clarification on whether the project encompasses more than just a collection of web components. The Google-controlled AMP cache and validation aspects of the project were the most concerning in evaluating his continued participation. Although the <a href="https://blog.amp.dev/2020/12/14/releasing-a-new-c-amp-validator/">AMP Validator is open source</a>, the rules for validation are controlled by Google:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I was hoping it was a marketing problem. We spent a lot of time on the advisory committee trying to figure out ways of making it clearer what AMP actually is. But it was a losing battle. The phrase &ldquo;the AMP project&rdquo; is used to cover up the deeply interwingled nature of its constituent parts. Bits of it are open source, but most of it is proprietary. The&nbsp;<a href="https://openjsf.org/">OpenJS Foundation</a>&nbsp;doesn&rsquo;t seem like a good home for a mostly-proprietary project.</p></blockquote>



<p>When <a href="https://wptavern.com/amp-project-joins-openjs-foundation">AMP joined the OpenJS Foundation</a> in 2019, skeptics hailed the transfer as &ldquo;mostly meaningless window-dressing.&rdquo; What Keith witnessed during his time with the advisory committee lends credit to these early doubts about AMP being able to gain independence from Google:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Whenever a representative from Google showed up at an advisory committee meeting, it was clear that they viewed AMP as a Google product. I never got the impression that they planned to hand over control of the project to the OpenJS Foundation. Instead, they wanted to hear what people thought of&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;project. I&rsquo;m not comfortable doing that kind of unpaid labour for a large profitable organisation.</p><p>Even worse, Google representatives reminded us that AMP was being used as a foundational technology for other Google products:&nbsp;<a href="https://amp.dev/about/stories/">stories</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://amp.dev/about/email/">email</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://amp.dev/about/ads/">ads</a>, and even some weird payment thing in native Android apps. That&rsquo;s extremely worrying.</p></blockquote>



<p>Keith&rsquo;s experience echoes some of the claims in the ongoing <a href="https://wptavern.com/amp-under-fire-in-new-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google">antitrust lawsuit against Google</a>, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other state attorneys general. The complaint states that the transfer of the AMP project to the OpenJS Foundation was superficial:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Although Google claims that AMP was developed as an open-source collaboration, AMP is actually a Google-controlled initiative. Google originally registered and still owns AMP&rsquo;s domain, ampproject.org. In addition, until the end of 2018, Google controlled all AMP decisionmaking. AMP relied on a governance model called &ldquo;Benevolent Dictator For Life&rdquo; that vested ultimate decision-making authority in a single Google engineer. Since then, Google has transferred control of AMP to a foundation, but the transfer was superficial. Google controls the foundation&rsquo;s board and debates internally [REDACTED].</p></blockquote>



<p>Keith was originally inspired by fellow dissenter Terence Eden to join the committee in hopes of making a difference. Eden eventually <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2020/12/i-have-resigned-from-the-google-amp-advisory-committee/">resigned from the committee in December 2020</a>, after concluding that Google has limited interest in making AMP a better web citizen:</p>



<p>&ldquo;I do not think AMP, in its current implementation, helps make the web better,&rdquo; Eden said. &ldquo;I remain convinced that AMP is poorly implemented, hostile to the interests of both users and publishers, and a proprietary and unnecessary incursion into the open web.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Three days after Keith&rsquo;s resignation, the foundation published a post titled, &ldquo;<a href="https://blog.amp.dev/2021/08/16/an-update-on-how-amp-is-served-at-the-openjs-foundation/">An update on how AMP is served at the OpenJS Foundation</a>.&rdquo; The post seems to address Keith&rsquo;s impression that Google does not intend to hand over control of the project.</p>



<p>&ldquo;When the AMP project&nbsp;moved&nbsp;to the OpenJS Foundation in 2019, our technical governance leaders shared a plan to separate the AMP runtime from the Google AMP Cache, and host the AMP runtime infrastructure at the vendor-neutral OpenJS Foundation,&rdquo; OpenJS Foundation Executive Director Robin Ginn said. &ldquo;OpenJS is happy to report that this complex task of re-architecting the AMP infrastructure is making tremendous progress thanks to input and guidance from the&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/ampproject/meta-tsc">AMP Technical Steering Committee</a>&nbsp;(TSC) and&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/ampproject/meta-ac">AMP Advisory Committee</a>, as well as thanks to the AMP Project and OpenJS teams for coming together despite the work and life challenges that were sometimes faced during the pandemic.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The statement reiterated AMP&rsquo;s status as an open source project multiple times. Ginn did not elaborate on the &ldquo;tremendous progress&rdquo; but did announce a new development &ndash; the decision to be more hands-on in hosting AMP infrastructure. </p>



<p>&ldquo;What&rsquo;s new is that after disentangling the AMP runtime from the Google AMP Cache, the OpenJS Foundation will manage the servers that deliver the AMP runtime files (the download server and the CDN),&rdquo; Ginn said. &ldquo;As planned, the OpenJS Foundation has been involved in the implementation of hosting the CDN and has been spending additional time to fully understand the technical requirements.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The OpenJS blog had not communicated any updates on the AMP project for nearly a year. While this post seems like a reaction to the news of Keith&rsquo;s resignation, it publicly confirms that the teams are still working on the infrastructure transfer. In the end, this may not be enough to convince critics that AMP is not simply a Google product with a fancy affiliation designed to make it more appealing to detractors. So far, the project&rsquo;s new home at the OpenJS Foundation has done little to bolster public opinion in the face of allegations that identify AMP as having an important role in Google&rsquo;s anti-competitive practices.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 20 Aug 2021 17:07:52 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"WPTavern: Second Annual WPMRR Virtual Summit To Kick Off September 21";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=119705";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:183:"https://wptavern.com/second-annual-wpmrr-virtual-summit-to-kick-off-september-21?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=second-annual-wpmrr-virtual-summit-to-kick-off-september-21";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6885:"<p class="has-drop-cap">WPMRR is gearing up for its second annual <a href="https://wpmrr.com/">WPMRR Virtual Summit</a> after the success of last year&rsquo;s event. This year&rsquo;s online-only conference will run from September 21 &ndash; 23. WPMRR and WP Buffs founder Joe Howard is hosting the event alongside guest host Brian Richards, the organizer behind WordSesh and WooSesh.</p>



<p>The event is <a href="https://community.wpmrr.com/c/wpmrr-virtual-summit">free to attend</a> for everyone. Even for those unable to make it, each session&rsquo;s recording will be available via the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VCdggAmKs85oGLDAwgZ8w">WP Buff&rsquo;s YouTube channel</a> at no cost.</p>



<p>WPMRR and WP Buffs will be donating $1 per registrant and $1 per comment posted during all three summit days to <a href="https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/">Lawyers for Good Government</a>, a non-profit organization of lawyers with a mission to fight for equal rights, opportunities, and justice.</p>



<p>A formal announcement of the speaker lineup and schedule is expected next week. As of now, all speakers are confirmed.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The WPMRR Virtual Summit is a three-day online conference that helps us fulfill our mission: to actively help as many people as possible responsibly achieve their MRR goals,&rdquo; said Howard.</p>



<p>He also said the <a href="https://wpmrr.com/podcast/">WPMRR Podcast</a> carries this mission forward by telling unfiltered stories of successful entrepreneurs. On the <a href="https://community.wpmrr.com/">WPMRR Community</a> side, the goal is for members to grow their MRR together. The summit provides an onramp for newcomers into the community.</p>



<p>Like 2020, the event&rsquo;s talks and roundtables will be held over Vimeo Live. However, this year, they will be streamed directly into the <a href="https://community.wpmrr.com/c/wpmrr-virtual-summit">WPMRR Virtual Community space</a>. The goal is to make it easier to transition attendees into becoming full-fledged community members, continuing their education and experience beyond a once-per-year event.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The virtual summit will be a fantastic event, but often it&rsquo;s difficult for conferences to provide ongoing support, advice, and community to make sure what was learned at the event is actually implemented, tested, and integrated into attendees&rsquo; businesses,&rdquo; said Howard. &ldquo;This will make it far simpler to give direct access to our community to those who want to responsibly build their MRR alongside others all year round, not just for three days.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The three-day event will be broken down as follows:</p>



<ul><li>September 21: Sales &amp; Marketing</li><li>September 22: Operations &amp; Systems</li><li>September 23: Website Management</li></ul>



<p>The summit will use <a href="https://circle.so/">Circle</a> to handle discussions via its commenting system. This should allow communication to happen at everyone&rsquo;s preferred pace.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Our plans are to do a Q&amp;A, manage the &lsquo;Hallway,&rsquo; and provide a space for attendees, speakers and sponsors to all interact via asynchronous communication via the WPMRR Community,&rdquo; said Howard.</p>



<h2>All About MRR</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">MRR is an acronym for Monthly Recurring Revenue. It is about generating repeated income every month instead of getting paid once for a product or service &mdash; a subscription-based model.</p>



<p>I asked Howard to break down why this concept is crucial for new or potential business owners in the WordPress space. He responded with several reasons for going this route over a one-time revenue model.</p>



<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re selling a product for $100 and want to make $100K in a year, you need to find 1,000 new customers to sign up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re selling something for $100/mo instead, you need far less because customers are paying you every month instead of just once. In most situations (especially because lead generation is a pain point for most businesses), delivering ongoing value to ~100 customers is far less work than finding 1,000 new customers!&rdquo;</p>



<p>This leads to having multiple avenues to growing your business. With recurring revenue, entrepreneurs can continue attracting new customers and selling new features to existing ones.</p>



<p>Howard also pointed out that subscriptions representing a chunk of total revenue creates a more predictable financial situation. This can lead to making easier budgeting decisions. Focusing on recurring revenue means constantly delivering value to customers instead of always chasing new sales.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Running a subscription business is way less stressful because the business model is simply more resilient,&rdquo; said Howard. &ldquo;If you rely on SEO to drive new leads to your business and Google penalizes you, your business will literally stop generating any revenue whatsoever if you only serve one-time customers. But if you have subscription revenue and this happens, you still have a collection of customers who pay you every month, giving you far more runway to figure out next steps before the business fails.&rdquo;</p>



<p>I also asked Howard about the different levels of MRR and how the game changes as revenue increases.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Often, what gets you to $10K MRR evolves significantly if/when you&rsquo;re on your way to $83K MRR ($1M/year),&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is what makes the WPMRR Community so valuable, as we have different spaces folks can join based on what their MRR goals are.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He also pointed out the crossover between those starting out and those running larger businesses, saying that it was important for both audiences to learn from the other.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We can listen to advice and best practices all day, but we don&rsquo;t know when inspiration will hit us,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why I think it&rsquo;s important for those starting out to tune into some more advanced talks <em>and</em> for those running larger businesses to listen to beginners as well.</p>



<p>&ldquo;All our speakers will be instructed by Brian Richards (our day-of technical director and speaker preparer) to be really explicit about the context around any advice they&rsquo;re giving and how it could apply to businesses of different sizes and scales. That way, we can help people at whatever stage they&rsquo;re at!&rdquo;</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />



<p>The <a href="https://community.wpmrr.com/c/wpmrr-virtual-summit/behind-the-scenes">entire written interview</a> with Howard is available via the WPMRR Community site. It is worth reading for those who want to learn more about the event and MRR from his experience or an unfiltered version of this story.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:21:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:18;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"Post Status: Post Status Excerpt (No. 21) — Dealing With Developer Overload: Focus";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=85220";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://poststatus.com/excerpt/21/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2911:"<h2 id="h-avoiding-ego-reinventing-the-wheel-and-shiny-objects">Avoiding ego, reinventing the wheel, and shiny objects.</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">In this episode, David and Cory discuss <strong>Developer Overload</strong>, which David defines as what happens when &#8220;when you receive too much information and are unable to process it, resulting in negative responses and unhealthy effects.&#8221; David shares tips on how developers can focus on what to pay serious attention to, how to avoid creating more work for themselves, how to increase focus, and what project managers can do to help.</p>



<p><strong>Also covered in this episode: </strong>&#8220;As developers, we often bite off more than we can chew&#8230; we also tend to take that bite from the wrong side of the sandwich.&#8221;</p>







<p class="has-background">Every week Post Status Excerpt will brief you on important WordPress news — in about 15 minutes or less! Learn what's new in WordPress in a flash. ⚡<br /><br /><a href="https://poststatus.com/category/post-status-podcasts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Browse our archives</a>, and don’t forget to subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/post-status-draft-wordpress/id976403008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS8ySkU5c2M4UA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PostStatus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/krogsgard/post-status-draft-wordpress-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stitcher</a>, <a href="https://wordpress-post-status-draft-podcast.simplecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simplecast</a>, or <a href="https://feeds.simplecast.com/2JE9sc8P">RSS</a>. ?</p>



<h3 id="h-mentioned-in-the-show">? Mentioned in the show:</h3>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Bisset (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/corymiller303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cory Miller (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/post_status" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post Status (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://mxb.dev/blog/on-simplicity/">Max Böck on Simplicity</a></li></ul>



<h3>? Sponsor: <a href="https://poststat.us/yoast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">Yoast</a></h3>



<p><strong>Yoast</strong> is SEO for everyone. <strong>Yoast SEO Premium</strong> gives you 24/7 support and extra features like internal linking, social previews, a redirect manager, tutorial videos, and integration with Google Webmaster Tools. Get on board today with the premiere SEO plugin for WordPress — <strong>Yoast</strong>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 19 Aug 2021 18:42:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"David Bisset";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:19;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:109:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 11.3 Introduces Dimensions Panel, Adds Button Padding Support, and Speeds Up the Inserter";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121646";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:259:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-11-3-introduces-dimensions-panel-adds-button-padding-support-and-speeds-up-the-inserter?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gutenberg-11-3-introduces-dimensions-panel-adds-button-padding-support-and-speeds-up-the-inserter";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8241:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Earlier today, Gutenberg 11.3 landed in the WordPress plugin directory. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/18/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-3-18-august/">The latest update</a> introduces a new dimensions panel for toggling spacing-related block options. The Button block now supports the padding control, and the Post Featured Image block has new width and height settings.</p>



<p>One of the release&rsquo;s highlights was a speed improvement for both opening and searching within the inserter. The opening time dropped over 200 ms, from 370.35 ms to 137.28 ms. Search speed went from 190.37 ms to 67.24 ms.</p>



<p>The latest release includes a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/33714">simplified color picker</a> library. Rich previews for links, a feature introduced in <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-10-9-renames-the-query-block-adds-collapsible-list-view-items-and-rolls-out-rich-url-previews">Gutenberg 10.9</a> for external URLs, now <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/33086">works with internal site links</a>.</p>



<p>Theme authors should enjoy the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/32659">reduced specificity</a> of the reset and classic editor stylesheets. Such changes always make it a little easier for theme authors to match editor and front-end styling.</p>



<h2>Dimension Panel for Spacing Controls</h2>



<img />Toggling the padding and margin controls for the Site Tagline block.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Gutenberg 11.3 introduces a new <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/32392">Dimensions panel</a> for blocks that support either margin or padding controls. The feature adds an ellipsis (<code>...</code>) button in place of the typical open/close tab arrow. Users can select which controls they want to use.</p>



<p>The long-term goal is to clean up the interface, only exposing controls that a user actually needs. Because such needs are subjective, allowing users to toggle them on/off is an ideal route to take.</p>



<p>The current downsides are twofold. Once choosing to display margin or padding controls, the panel itself cannot be collapsed. This exacerbates the very problem that the new feature attempts to solve &mdash; decluttering the sidebar interface. For me, at least, I always want quick access to spacing controls. However, I do not always need them shown.</p>



<p>The second issue is that the user choice of what to display does not seem to be stored. Each time you work with a block, you must select which controls should appear.</p>



<p>The new Dimensions panel is only <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/28356">one part of the process</a> of wrangling sizing (width and height), spacing (padding and margin), and related controls for blocks. Work toward a more well-rounded solution is still underway. Presumably, the development team will address these issues and others in future releases. However, those who run the Gutenberg plugin in production should expect oddities with usage.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://wptavern.com/from-ecommerce-integration-to-location-based-controls-block-visibility-pro-expands-upon-its-free-version">Block Visibility plugin</a> has the most user-friendly version of such a toggle control right now. It is not yet a perfect solution, but it works a little better than what is currently in Gutenberg.</p>



<h2>Button Block Padding</h2>



<img />Testing the new Button block padding option with TT1 Blocks.



<p class="has-drop-cap">It is no secret that I dislike the default padding of the Button block when using the TT1 Blocks theme (block-based version of Twenty Twenty-One). I have made it one of my missions to routinely point it out, even going so far as refusing to use the block in the <a href="https://wptavern.com/fse-outreach-round-9-building-a-higher-ed-header">last call for testing</a> as part of the FSE Outreach Program.</p>



<p>An oversized button is not always the wrong stylistic choice on a webpage. Context matters and I somehow continue to run into scenarios where I need something a bit more scaled back. Control over the Button block&rsquo;s padding has been on my wish list for months, and the Gutenberg development team delivered.</p>



<p>As of 11.3, users can control the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/31774">padding of individual Button</a> blocks. It will now appear as an option within the new Dimensions panel mentioned earlier.</p>



<p><em>Prayer answered.</em> Now, let us move toward adding padding controls to all the blocks.</p>



<p>The one potential issue some users might run into is maintaining consistent spacing when using multiple Button blocks together. The easiest way to do this is to add and style the first, then duplicate it to create others with the same spacing. This is not a new issue; it applies to all Button options where users want consistency within a group.</p>



<h2>Featured Image Dimension Controls</h2>



<img />Adjusting a Post Featured Image block&rsquo;s dimensions.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The Post Featured Image block has finally received a small but handy upgrade. In the past, users and theme authors only had a single option of deciding whether to link it to the post. Now, they can <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27620">control the width and height</a> of the image.</p>



<p>If a user sets a height for the image, the editor will reveal a separate &ldquo;Scale&rdquo; option with the following choices:</p>



<ul><li>Cover (default)</li><li>Contain</li><li>Stretch</li></ul>



<p><em>What do these options actually do?</em> That would be a good question. Even as someone in the web design and development loop for close to two decades, I sometimes forget and must look them up. They are values for the <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/object-fit"><code>object-fit</code> CSS property</a> and are likely to confuse users in many instances.</p>



<p>Cover and contain allow the image to fit within the containing element&rsquo;s box while maintaining its aspect ratio (no stretching the image). The difference is that the cover value will be clipped if it does not fit and the contain value may be letterboxed. A stretch value will fill its container regardless of the aspect ratio.</p>



<p>Depending on the image&rsquo;s aspect ratio on its container, each of the values could essentially display the same thing on the screen. Or, they could provide wildly different results. Coupling these dimensions controls with wide and full alignments (also width-related options) could make for some unpredictable experiments too.</p>



<p>The theme designer in me wants to disable the UI for this altogether and present something slightly more controlled: an image size selector.</p>



<p>Such a selector should not be confused with width and height controls. WordPress theme authors have been registering custom image sizes for years. The primary use case for this was featured images. Users can use these sizes with the current Image and Latest Posts blocks. However, they do not yet have this option with Post Featured Image.</p>



<p>I am in the camp that believes image size controls should have been the first addition to the block. It is such an integral part of WordPress theme design that it cannot be left out, and I have <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27620#issuecomment-851016057">been fighting</a> &mdash; <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27620#issuecomment-890265808">or at least nagging</a> &mdash; to make sure that theme authors can control featured images via custom sizes.</p>



<p>Fortunately, there is an open ticket for <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33789">custom image size support</a>. Among other still-missing features, it is a blocker for many theme authors looking to take the leap toward block themes.</p>



<p>There are plenty of use cases for the new options, such as automatically cropping a post grid&rsquo;s featured images to a square. I am just <em>impatiently</em> awaiting a more robust set of tools for the Post Featured Image block.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 19 Aug 2021 01:16:05 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:20;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:132:"WPTavern: WordPress.org Experiments with Rejecting Plugin Submissions with the “WP” Prefix to Mitigate Potential Trademark Abuse";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121547";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:297:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-org-experiments-with-rejecting-plugin-submissions-with-the-wp-prefix-to-mitigate-potential-trademark-abuse?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-org-experiments-with-rejecting-plugin-submissions-with-the-wp-prefix-to-mitigate-potential-trademark-abuse";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6911:"<p>Many in the WordPress developer community were surprised to learn that WordPress.org is rejecting plugins with the &ldquo;WP&rdquo; prefix in the name after Joe Youngblood tweeted the rejection note he received. Although that restriction was put into place approximately <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/10633">seven months ago</a>, there was no official communication on the change.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://twitter.com/YoungbloodJoe/status/1426319260796833792
</div>



<p>As the result of the controversy gaining attention on social media and other channels, WordPress Plugin Team member Mika Epstein <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5591#comment:3">posted</a> an explanation on the original meta trac ticket, the reasoning for how and why &ldquo;wp&rdquo; is being blocked:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Using wp- at the beginning of plugin permalinks, yes. Due to how we built this out, the display name is what gets checked and flagged. You can use WPPluginName (no space) and Plugin Name for WP.</p><p>This stems from part of a longer conversation going on with the Foundation, regarding handling the actual misuse of &lsquo;WordPress&rsquo; in plugin names (which, as we all know, is actually trademarked and as such should not be used in your plugin name at all).</p><p>Because using WP Blah Blah as a name tends to lead to people changing it after approval to &ldquo;WordPress Blah Blah&rdquo; we put a pause on it to try and get a handle on how bad is this, what&rsquo;s the depth of the problem (vs the actual headache of WC -&gt; WooCommerce in names) and so on.</p><p>There is also the reality that using &lsquo;WP&rsquo; or &lsquo;Plugin&rsquo; in a plugin permalink is unnecessary and can be harmful to SEO due to repetitive words.</p><p>No one is claiming WP is trademarked, we&rsquo;re just trying to minimize confusion and prevent people from accidentally violating trademarks in the future because they change WP to WordPress later on.</p></blockquote>



<p>Whether or not &ldquo;wp&rdquo; was trademarked became a particular point of confusion because the <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/10633">commit message</a> on the change said: &ldquo;Adding in some more things to block based on use and trademarks.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The conversation with the <a href="https://wordpressfoundation.org/">WordPress Foundation</a> that Epstein was referencing was a private discussion about how the team can mitigate trademark abuse. </p>



<p>&ldquo;This came up in the midst of an ad hoc brainstorm about the ways that the loophole could be more effectively managed, and so there wasn&rsquo;t a lengthy public discussion on it,&rdquo; WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy said. </p>



<p>&ldquo;It was part of an experiment for handling that loophole more effectively and wasn&rsquo;t meant to be permanent. The great thing about experiments in WordPress is that when we see that we&rsquo;re throwing out the good along with the bad, we can make&nbsp;the necessary changes to do it better.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Haden Chomphosy said that although the original discussion was private, the team plans to make it public via the <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5868">new meta ticket</a> that was opened yesterday for improving the checks on plugin submissions.</p>



<p>&ldquo;All future discussions will be on the ticket, so as people work on it, then the conversations will be available there,&rdquo; she said when asked how the trademark abuse mitigation experiment will be evaluated. </p>



<p>The WordPress Foundation does not have any employees, but Haden Chomphosy said the representatives who can help with the grey areas of trademark guidelines include herself, Andrea Middleton, and Cami Kaos.&nbsp;She also confirmed that &ldquo;WP&rdquo; is not a WordPress trademark and the Foundation is not pursuing trademarking the term.</p>



<p>Although each of these individuals referenced have a long track record of protective care for the WordPress community and have demonstrated a sincere desire to see the project grow, they are all employed by Automattic. The Foundation could use some outside representation if those running it are engaging in private decision making and giving directives to the WordPress.org Plugin Team that have significant ramifications for the ecosystem as a whole. </p>



<p>For years, the WordPress community has been encouraged to use WP instead of WordPress in plugin names, so the decision to reject plugins with WP in the name is a major, controversial change. </p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The problem for me is 1. you are penalizing everyone for something a few people do. 2. it doesn't actually fix the problem because I could change any of my plugin names to WordPress after the fact and 3. There's NO official announcement explaining this.</p>&mdash; Brad Williams (@williamsba) <a href="https://twitter.com/williamsba/status/1427726874835365893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Those who oppose the current experiment have pointed out that it unfairly penalizes everyone for the few who change their plugin names after approval. It polices potential misuse instead of providing a solution that can flag actual trademark abuse. </p>



<p>Some plugin developers have noted that having WP in the plugin name is necessary to differentiate it from extensions for other platforms, since WordPress.org is not the only place where their products are distributed. Many successful businesses have been created on top of plugins with WP as a prefix in the name, such as WP Mail SMTP, WP Fastest Cache, WP Migrate DB, to name just a few. </p>



<p>Whether it is beneficial or detrimental to use WP in a brand&rsquo;s name is immaterial to the discussion at hand. With the current trademark abuse mitigation experiment in place, all new plugin developers hoping to use the WP prefix will have their plugins rejected.  Fortunately it isn&rsquo;t retroactive, but if the team decides the experiment of banning WP in plugin names is a success, it may be up for discussion.</p>



<p>Springing experiments on the community without publicly communicating the intent is a misstep for the Foundation. If allowing WP in the name creates wrong expectations for plugin developers regarding their ability to change the name to use WordPress, then the problem needs to be fixed at the root. WordPress.org needs to find a better way to inform developers about which terms are actually trademarked and develop a technical solution to flag name changes that do not comply. This may be a difficult technical problem to solve regarding plugin submission and updates, but it&rsquo;s worth investing in it to respect plugin authors&rsquo; freedoms.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 18 Aug 2021 17:32:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:21;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 9.1.1 Security and Maintenance Release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=320593";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"https://buddypress.org/2021/08/buddypress-9-1-1-security-and-maintenance-release/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3466:"<p>BuddyPress 9.1.1 is now available. This is a security and maintenance release. <strong>All BuddyPress installations are strongly encouraged to upgrade as soon as possible</strong>.</p>



<p>The 9.1.1 release addresses three security issues:</p>



<ul><li>The activation key was included into the responses of the <code>create_item</code> method of BP REST API Signup controller. Discovered by&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sbrajesh/">Brajesh Singh</a>.</li><li>An SQL Injection vulnerability was fixed in <code>BP_Notifications_Notification::get_order_by_sql()</code>. Discovered by&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dcavins/">David Cavins</a>.</li><li>An SQL Injection vulnerability was fixed in <code>BP_Invitation::get_order_by_sql()</code>. Discovered by&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dcavins/">David Cavins</a>.</li></ul>



<p>These vulnerabilities were reported privately to the BuddyPress team, in accordance with&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-security-vulnerabilities/">WordPress’s security policies</a>. Our thanks to the reporters for practicing coordinated disclosure.</p>



<p>BuddyPress 9.1.1 also fixes 3 bugs. For complete details, visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-9-1-1/">9.1.1 changelog</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center">
<div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background no-border-radius" href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.9.1.1.zip">Get BuddyPress 9.1.1</a></div>
</div>



<p>You can get it clicking on the above button, downloading it from the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">WordPress.org plugin directory</a>&nbsp;or checking it out from our&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/branches/9.0">Subversion repository.</a></p>



<p>If for a specific reason you can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, we also included the security fixes to our branches from 2.9 to 8.0. Here&#8217;s the list of the available downloads for the corresponding tags, you can also find on our <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/advanced/">WordPress.org Directory Advanced page:</a></p>



<ul><li>If you are using BP 2.9.4 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.2.9.5.1.zip">2.9.5.1</a></li><li>If you are using BP 3.2.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.3.2.1.zip">3.2.1</a></li><li>If you are using BP 4.4.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.4.4.1.zip">4.4.1</a></li><li>If you are using BP 5.2.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.5.2.1.zip">5.2.1</a></li><li>If you are using BP 6.4.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.4.2.zip">6.4.2</a></li><li>If you are using BP 7.3.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.7.3.2.zip">7.3.2</a></li><li>If you are using BP 8.0.0 and can&#8217;t upgrade to 9.1.1, please upgrade to <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.8.0.2.zip">8.0.2</a></li></ul>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:49:17 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:22;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"WPTavern: A Discussion With Gutenberg Project Lead Matías Ventura on the Barrier to Entry";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121587";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:223:"https://wptavern.com/a-discussion-with-gutenberg-project-lead-matias-ventura-on-the-barrier-to-entry?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-discussion-with-gutenberg-project-lead-matias-ventura-on-the-barrier-to-entry";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9541:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Last week, I <a href="https://wptavern.com/is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today">published an opinion piece</a> on the barrier to entry in the modern WordPress era. The article followed a <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisWiegman/status/1420068080944885767">tweet</a> and <a href="https://chriswiegman.com/2021/08/the-changing-wordpress-ecosystem/">post</a> by Chris Wiegman that stated the current learning curve was extremely high, regardless of past experience. Members of the community responded with a flurry of articles, podcasts, and videos.</p>



<p>Because modern WordPress is primarily centered on Gutenberg, I reached out to the project&rsquo;s lead, Mat&iacute;as Ventura. The goal was to bring some balance to the discussion. Unfortunately, he could not get back to me until a few days after the story was published. However, given his unique insight and perspective on the project, his views should be shared.</p>



<p>In our discussion, we covered the topic of the barrier to entry from multiple viewpoints. Depending on where a specific developer, designer, or user steps onto the ramp, each will have a different experience.</p>



<h2>Why Are We Having the Same Discussions?</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The block editor shipped with WordPress 5.0 in December 2018. We are closing in on three years, but it often feels like we are having the same discussions. One has to wonder why we have not yet moved beyond that point.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think this is a case of the size of the WordPress community, its diversity of perspectives, and the fact that we do still have a lot of work to do to continue to make things accessible,&rdquo; said Ventura. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen people that start with no prior WP knowledge get flying super quickly.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He recounted one story of a popular block library that launched last year. The creators were designers but did not recognize themselves as developers. However, the APIs allowed them to build an entire plugin that would not have been possible with their previous skillset.</p>



<p>&ldquo;To me, this was a triumph of the block APIs that are available for builders,&rdquo; said Ventura. &ldquo;But this is just one person&rsquo;s perspective. It doesn&rsquo;t invalidate PHP developers expressing frustration at the complexities of modern front-end tools.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>Theme Creation and New Onramps</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">On the theme creation front, we were in agreement. There are new ways (and more on the way) for non-developers to ease into visually building various parts of a website without needing the entire weight of theme development knowledge.</p>



<p>Ventura began his WordPress journey with theme development after first being exposed to Flash in the early 2000s. He recalled downloading a bunch of PHP files and thought he could execute by opening them. It is safe to say that he has learned a lot since then.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Being able to edit pieces of a theme is a crucial aspect of democratizing access to code,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think we are going to be seeing a lot of people get started by diving into how templates work. Or by playing with the Query block, which used to be a hidden piece unless you knew a bit of PHP already.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He mentioned that, in some ways, this aspect of the block editor allowed solo creators or small teams to build unique projects, pointing to <a href="https://wptavern.com/a-second-look-at-elmastudios-aino-theme-and-companion-block-plugin">Aino</a> as an example.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m seeing a ton of designers for whom contributing to WordPress was difficult or a gated experience,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of developer entitlement when we say things used to be easy. They were not easy for a large chunk of the population that might have been excellent contributors if there were more avenues to contribute.&rdquo;</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/patterns/">Patterns</a> may be the first official stepping stone, one avenue among many that WordPress could facilitate in the future. Ventura envisions a possible .ORG-hosted visual theme builder that would allow users to create and publish without ever touching code. We are likely years from seeing such a project come to fruition, but lofty goals can lead to innovative ideas that we have yet to think of.</p>



<h2>Building Block Plugins</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Block plugins are a different beast than themes. The barrier is undoubtedly higher, but how big is this hurdle for traditional WordPress developers?</p>



<p>&ldquo;Going from contributing a pattern to building a block is a big leap right now,&rdquo; said Ventura. &ldquo;While there are folks that can learn it quickly, it&rsquo;s still a big barrier for people. I think there are several layers to this: documentation could be an order of magnitude better in both organization and presentation. I hope we can do a lot more there.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He is also curious about tools for building blocks, such as a blend of <a href="https://youknowriad.github.io/blockbook/">BlockBook</a> and <a href="https://codepen.io/">CodePen</a>. He mulled over the possibility of blocks used for creating other blocks, a scenario in which developers might only need to write HTML with the tool interpreting features like Rich Text fields. At the very least, he believes we are barely scratching the surface of what the block-building experience could be.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The biggest challenge is that there&rsquo;s a tendency in PHP trained folks to neglect a bit the implications on the UX if it means the developer experience is simpler,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think this is most visible in the shortcode/forms approach to UX as opposed to direct manipulation, which is hard to codify from a PHP set of APIs.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>WordPress/Gutenberg Contribution and the Bus Factor</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Outside of building themes or plugins, the third and arguably the highest level of participating in the WordPress development ecosystem is direct contributions to the block system. Is contributing to core harder today than it was just a few years ago?</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think this is a good point, but I think it partially misses that contributing to WP internals like <code>WP_Query</code> was also very difficult,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We just got used to it. We have received more contributions to Gutenberg from people than what I have seen in Trac in my years there.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Ventura did admit that GitHub could be a factor in the amount of contribution, which many developers tend to favor over Trac.</p>



<p>While building an editor is a difficult task and requires certain levels of expertise, other parts of the system, such as the component library or smaller packages, might offer alternative paths for some people to get involved.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Apart from this, I do agree that there&rsquo;s also a higher level of expectations for what software should be capable of doing these days that make contributing meaningfully a harder task than before,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>Historically, other parts of WordPress that relied on the JavaScript model, such as the media library, have not had high levels of contribution.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think this is a topic we&rsquo;ll exhaust any time soon, and it&rsquo;s important to not become complacent and just say &lsquo;oh things are just hard&rsquo; because an important part of the WP project being open source is that users can modify said software, and for that, they need to understand it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think we can introduce a new generation of people to coding if we do things right and work together more.</p>



<p>The secondary aspect of this is whether there is a bus factor for WordPress. If so, what is the number? This is a common question around the most technically challenging pieces of software. If X number of contributors with the requisite knowledge of the most complex pieces of a project were hit by a bus (sorry for the grim imagery), would the development grind to a halt?</p>



<p>It is not something often discussed in WordPress circles because it has never seemed to be an issue. However, if contributing to core carries too high of a barrier to entry, is there a number where the project cannot continue?</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think, in some ways, it&rsquo;s more sustainable now,&rdquo; said Ventura. &ldquo;We have been a lot more open with contribution permissions on the Gutenberg repo, and it has resulted in a larger amount of folks contributing. I think we might see a split between contributors that are comfortable with the back-end side of WP and those that are more comfortable with the interactive pieces.&rdquo;</p>



<p>One thing the team did not entirely anticipate was Gutenberg&rsquo;s use in projects outside of WordPress. This can add to its sustainability factor. He pointed to the WordPress mobile app being an example where others can meaningfully contribute. And other mobile apps are wanting to use it for their tools. At Automattic, where Ventura is employed, they are also working on adopting editor technologies for Tumblr.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think a broader topic of discussion, in general, is that contributing meaningfully to WP has become the privilege of those sponsored to work on it full time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s in some ways natural but also a bit of a tragedy.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 17 Aug 2021 23:20:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:23;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"WPTavern: New Boilerplate Speeds Up Building “Nearly Headless” WordPress Themes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121528";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:199:"https://wptavern.com/new-boilerplate-speeds-up-building-nearly-headless-wordpress-themes?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-boilerplate-speeds-up-building-nearly-headless-wordpress-themes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7178:"<p>Alex Standiford, a WordPress developer at AffiliateWP, has released a boilerplate for what he is calling a <a href="https://github.com/nicholas-wordpress/nearly-headless-theme">&ldquo;nearly headless&rdquo; WordPress theme</a>. It uses&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/alexstandiford/underpin">Underpin</a>&nbsp;,<a href="https://github.com/nicholas-wordpress">Nicholas</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/alpinejs/alpine/">AlpineJS</a> to provide an app-like experience for a website while providing the flexibility for rendering specific pages using PHP instead of Javascript.</p>



<p>In a post titled &ldquo;<a href="https://www.wpdev.academy/concepts/headless-wordpress-is-overrated-a-case-for-the-nearly-headless-web-app/">Headless WordPress is Overrated: A Case for The Nearly-Headless Web App</a>,&rdquo; Standiford describes a few of the drawbacks of going fully headless.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>One problem with fully-headless WordPress is routing. Behind the scenes, WordPress has a lot of logic built-in to handle routing, and with a headless approach you have to build something to handle that on the front end. Ultimately, you&rsquo;re re-inventing the wheel, and it takes a lot of extra time to build.</p><p>Another problem with headless WordPress quickly becomes apparent the moment you try to use most WordPress plugins. The ugly truth is that you usually have to re-invent a lot of things just to get the plugin working properly.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>Standiford&rsquo;s nearly headless system is a product of his rethinking headless WordPress. He wanted to preserve the app-like feel as well as all of WordPress&rsquo; built in capabilities and those available through the plugin system. </p>



<p>The Nearly Headless WordPress theme uses AlpineJS for rendering, which Standiford says is light, easy-to-understand, and &ldquo;<span>plays exceptionally nice with PHP server-side rendering</span>.&rdquo; It is loaded around HTML template tags that source post content using WordPress&rsquo; REST API. The system uses session storage to keep things speedy and minimize the number of REST API calls.</p>



<p>Standiford&rsquo;s <a href="http://wpdev.academy">WP Dev Academy</a> learning site and his agency, <a href="https://designframesolutions.com/">DesignFrame Solutions</a>, are both using beta versions of the nearly headless system. Since the time those sites were developed, Standiford has completely rewritten the system and made significant improvements based on what from what he learned from earlier versions. He has a live demo of the current version available at <a href="https://nearly-headless.dev/">nearly-headless.dev</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DFS_Web?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DFS_Web</a>&rsquo;s website redesign will make it possible to visit any page without an internet connection shortly after the first page is loaded. This makes this site FAST even if your internet connection is slow. <a href="https://t.co/keOxyMU8cq">pic.twitter.com/keOxyMU8cq</a></p>&mdash; Alex Standiford (@AlexStandiford) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexStandiford/status/1336468966160683017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>The nearly headless approach is comparable to a traditional headless approach in terms of performance, thanks to Standiford&rsquo;s <a href="https://github.com/nicholas-wordpress/app">Nicholas library</a>, which includes client-side caching and a routing layer as the application support for the theme.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Nicholas will load content via REST, much like how a headless site does,&rdquo; Standiford said. &ldquo;In these cases, the load times are very similar to what you&rsquo;d see on a headless site. In fact, they behave, and fundamentally work in the same manner. The key is Nicholas also stores the data in session storage after the page is visited, and any time that page is loaded thereafter, it is loaded instantly.&rdquo;</p>



<p>How far can the boilerplate take you? Developers who use it should be ready to extend or replace the basic templates it includes to load WordPress. It doesn&rsquo;t enqueue any CSS. Key functionality is broken into separate dependencies so users can stay up to date as the project evolves.</p>



<p>&ldquo;For all intents and purposes, the boilerplate is a blank slate,&rdquo; Standiford said. &ldquo;You can think of the boilerplate as _s for the nearly headless approach. All of the dependencies, scripts, and items needed to run the engine are included in the boilerplate. All of the dependencies are packaged up in Composer or Node, so your theme can be updated as the system improves without re-writing your entire theme.&rdquo; </p>



<p>Standiford has some major improvements planned for the future of the boilerplate. It is currently compatible with the block editor and many plugins but requires a compatibility mode.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The big up-front improvement is going to be removing the need for compatibility mode on as many pages as possible,&rdquo; Standiford said. &ldquo;Many block libraries, forms plugins, and other things have specific scripts that they expect are loaded on the page that the app has no way to know about, and because of this, some plugins won&rsquo;t work without turning on compatibility mode. It <em>is</em> possible to make these work, but I would benefit from help from plugin developers to help me understand what styles/scripts need to be included when the app runs.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Standiford said he sees an opportunity to create npm packages that integrate other plugins, and ensure they work as expected. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Yoast and other SEO plugins for example set the SEO information in the head of each page, and right now that doesn&rsquo;t happen without writing another piece of middleware,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not too difficult to add it, but it&rsquo;s one of those things that could be packaged up and included instead of manually being written for every theme that uses this approach.&rdquo; </p>



<p>Another item on the Nearly Headless WordPress theme boilerplate roadmap is improvements to how dependencies are compiled to better avoid plugin and theme conflicts. Standiford thinks this would make it easier to distribute themes built using this method on the WordPress.org directory, or even to sell them commercially. He has also been experimenting with automatically caching all the content on a page when it loads, without bogging down the browser or overloading the server with requests. The result would be instantaneous page loads with reduced server loads.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://github.com/nicholas-wordpress/nearly-headless-theme">Boilerplate for Nearly Headless WordPress Themes</a> is available on GitHub and Standiford is also <a href="https://www.wpdev.academy/concepts/headless-wordpress-is-overrated-a-case-for-the-nearly-headless-web-app/">creating a course</a> that will help developers build sites using this nearly headless paradigm. He anticipates it will be released in November 2021.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 17 Aug 2021 22:00:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"WPTavern: A Second Look at ElmaStudio’s Aino Theme and Companion Block Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121513";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:197:"https://wptavern.com/a-second-look-at-elmastudios-aino-theme-and-companion-block-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-second-look-at-elmastudios-aino-theme-and-companion-block-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6980:"<p class="has-drop-cap">I am about a month away from my second anniversary writing for WP Tavern. There has been one project that I have followed since the beginning of this journey. In some ways, we are learning the ropes and growing in this block-based WordPress era together.</p>



<p>In 2019, just before taking on this role, one of the first story notes I jotted down was some thoughts on ElmaStudio&rsquo;s <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/aino-blocks/">Aino Blocks plugin</a>. However, it was not until nearly a year later when the team took the project out of beta testing, and I <a href="https://wptavern.com/one-year-after-beta-elmastudios-aino-blocks-plugin-lands-in-the-plugin-directory">followed up with a review</a> of the flagship <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/aino/">Aino theme</a> and plugin.</p>



<p>Perhaps it is fortuitous that the team recently <a href="https://wpaino.com/blog/aino-2-0-theme-update-guide/">released version 2.0</a> of its theme at just about the same time I started taking stock of my time at the Tavern. Maybe this is fate&rsquo;s way of telling me that we should always have a yearly update on Aino &mdash; <em>sound like a good idea?</em></p>



<p>It also did not hurt that Mat&iacute;as Ventura, the Gutenberg project lead, name-dropped their work in a conversation we had last week. &ldquo;It fills me with joy when I see initiatives like [Aino] built by just a couple folks,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Apart from the user aspects of our work, it&rsquo;s what makes it all worth it.&rdquo;</p>



<p>This was part of a more in-depth discussion related to the <a href="https://wptavern.com/is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today">barriers to entry in the modern WordPress era</a>. We agreed that one of the easier onramps was theme creation and site design, a focus area for Aino.</p>



<p>It was time to dive back into the project. I had not looked into it deeply enough since my last review a year ago.</p>



<p>Admittedly, at the time, I had mixed feelings about it. I initially thought the plugin launched too late. It seemed to be <em>yet another block library</em> after larger companies beat them to the punch.</p>



<p>Ellen Bauer, who co-owns the company alongside Manuel Esposito, encouraged me to check back in as they continued building. They were merely setting the stage for their vision.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We wanted to release the Aino blocks and theme on WordPress.org since they are stable to use right now,&rdquo; she <a href="https://wptavern.com/one-year-after-beta-elmastudios-aino-blocks-plugin-lands-in-the-plugin-directory#comment-340431">wrote in the comments</a>. &ldquo;But the actual work is just starting for us, since we are now creating block patterns for our system, and I think it is only then that users will see why we built the theme and blocks in a certain way.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>A Year Later</h2>



<img />One of multiple feature patterns from the Aino theme.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The ElmaStudio team is taking that leap that most theme companies will inevitably need to take. They announced that Aino 2.0 ditched its classic garb and moved to 100% blocks earlier this month.</p>



<p>For this particular theme, the move was not as monumental as it would be for others with more intricate layouts. Aino itself was always a minimal design, more of an open canvas for blocks than anything. It is the sort of theme meant to get out of the way and allow the user to create individual pages from the ground up.</p>



<p>That may have been its downside a year ago. The team had built a plugin for easing users into the page-building process, but its single block pattern did not provide much of a starting point. Its Grid block is a powerful tool but also feels like it is catered more toward designers/developers. Its options may be too advanced to some end-users depending on their familiarity with CSS terminology.</p>



<p>Today, this looks much different. The Aino theme comes with &mdash; <em>count &rsquo;em</em> &mdash; 42 <a href="https://wpaino.com/patterns/">block patterns</a>. It is also where this project shines. I <em>may</em> have mentioned something about this being the route to go last year:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>The company&rsquo;s best bet is to focus on building patterns. Its first pattern shows some promise. I am holding out hope for more interesting work to come.</p></blockquote>



<p>The team took that dev-friendly base of the Grid block and built a system of easy-to-use layouts on top of it. Users merely need to click to insert and customize.</p>



<img />Aino&rsquo;s Grid block used in a portfolio pattern.



<p>Because Aino&rsquo;s patterns are built upon this grid foundation, the design studio&rsquo;s layouts are fine-tuned for each screen size.</p>



<p>Unless other theme authors build on top of the same plugin or a similar grid-based block, they are left with stock WordPress/Gutenberg. This provides limited options for responsively designing more complex layouts. This should be a <a href="https://wptavern.com/early-wordpress-5-9-look-the-road-toward-deeper-responsive-block-design">focal point of the WordPress 5.9 release cycle</a>, but it could be a while before we have something as powerful as the various grid blocks available via plugins.</p>



<p>ElmaStudio&rsquo;s groundwork in the previous two years is bearing fruit, at least in terms of what the team can create. With the foundational elements in place, nothing should stop them from building the next 42 patterns and more.</p>



<img />A team pattern from the Aino theme (also built on the Grid block).



<p>I am still lukewarm about most of the blocks in the plugin, think the Hero and Testimonial blocks should just be patterns, and the [Aino] Buttons block should be an options extension for the one in core. The Grid layout is the feature that all the best things about the Aino project hinge on.</p>



<p>The Aino theme itself seems unimpressive on its own, at least at first glance. However, the project is not whole until it is coupled with the Aino Blocks plugin.</p>



<p>The theme needs some design work on its default spacing. For example, paragraphs that follow a wide or full-aligned block have no gap above them. Blockquote text butts against the side of the left border. Trivial bugs like these are easy fixes. Sometimes, it is not evident that there is an issue until a Gutenberg plugin update, which often leaves theme authors chasing changes. Such is the life of a designer living on the bleeding edge, supporting the latest features via a block theme.</p>



<p>I am happy I once again had the opportunity to dive back into the Aino project. A year makes a difference, and the duo behind the theme and plugin has made use of the time. Right now, they have a solid project for users who want to build out their pages with blocks. There are enough patterns for just about any website owner.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:09:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:25;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"Matt: Funding, Buyback, and Hiring";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"https://ma.tt/?p=54656";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"https://ma.tt/2021/08/funding-buyback-hiring/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4763:"<p>In February of this year, <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> closed a new primary funding round of $288M, bringing in some great new partners including BlackRock, Wellington, Schonfeld, and Alta Park. Existing investors ICONIQ and Aglaé (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Arnault">Bernard Arnault</a>) also participated. This round was common stock, and like all funding since 2011, included a proxy assigning me the right to vote the shares.</p>



<p>Automattic was very busy during this time frame, as we were working on what would become the <a href="https://ma.tt/2021/02/parse-ly-automattic/">Parse.ly</a>, <a href="https://ma.tt/2021/06/day-one-at-automattic/">Day One</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2021/07/16/popular-podcast-app-pocket-casts-joins-automattic/">Pocket Casts</a> acquisitions, our investments <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/27/element-a-messaging-app-built-on-the-decentralized-matrix-protocol-raises-30m/">in Element</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-03/automattic-values-business-email-startup-titan-at-300-million?sref=tT7Af65V">Titan</a>, plus more acquisitions and partnerships we haven&#8217;t announced yet, so we haven’t mentioned the February funding round until now. And while we are a bit surprised the fundraise did not leak to the press, it&#8217;s now been an awkwardly long time since February and I&#8217;m pleased to formally announce it now.</p>



<p>And since then, Automattic has continued to grow at a rapid pace and we recently took the opportunity to do a $250M share buyback at a $7.5B valuation that just closed last week. The buyback was primarily targeted at current and former employees.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We’ve grown and increased our valuation at a rate higher than most other alternate investments available to investors. However, some of Automattic’s employees and former employee shareholders have been part of our journey for a very long time. Selling a bit of their equity holdings could have a significant impact on their lives.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Automattic was founded 16 years ago and is still private, so it&#8217;s important for us to try to provide liquidity to any shareholder who wants it. We do the same with our internal A12 stock plan where we let our employees buy our shares and also offer an opportunity for all holders to sell them back to Automattic, every quarter.&nbsp;(I need to do a longer post on that.)</p>



<p>One interesting thing we&#8217;ve been doing in these buybacks is holding the shares as treasury stock within the company instead of canceling the shares at purchase. This allows us to buy shares that come onto the market, and then when an investor comes and wants to put a larger quantum of capital into the company, we can re-sell the treasury shares that the company bought earlier. In effect, we are providing both a sell-side and buy-side for Automattic stock, serving previous and new investors and making money on these trades since we bought and took the risk earlier. We’ve established a logical valuation methodology, which is based on a simple multiple of the last twelve month&#8217;s revenue, so shareholders can track and anticipate performance.</p>



<p>All of this has been a lot of fun and we’ve seen a great amount of success, but it&#8217;s not all smooth sailing; we still have our share of challenges, probably the biggest being hiring. We have significantly scaled up our ability to find and hire great folks, with 371 accepted offers already in 2021 and it&#8217;s only August. However, with the growth of <a href="https://woocommerce.com/">WooCommerce</a> (hiring a <a href="https://automattic.com/work-with-us/general-manager-payments-woocommerce/">Head of Payments</a>) and our enterprise business, <a href="https://wpvip.com/">WPVIP</a>, in particular, we need to move faster to keep up with the opportunity. For me and many other of the most-tenured Automatticians within the company hiring is the top priority. To that end, I&#8217;m also looking for someone to partner with me and our top executive group (which we call <em>Bridge</em>) in <a href="https://automattic.com/work-with-us/job/head-of-creative-talent-development/">Creative Talent Development</a>, an executive recruiter to help craft the highest performing teams of executives for each of our businesses.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We have a multi-decade opportunity ahead of us to create the best solutions for the open web platform of <a href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress</a>, and <a href="https://woocommerce.com/">WooCommerce</a> is doing the same thing for commerce; growing together over the long-term with people passionate about the same mission is my favorite part of my job.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:22:40 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:"Matt";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:26;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:57:"Gutenberg Times: Roadmap for 5.9 – Weekend Edition #181";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=18751";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/roadmap-for-5-9-weekend-edition-181/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12229:"<p>Howdy! </p>



<p>It&#8217;s summer, and I am almost on vacation! Finally. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSjkej7oYtQ/">This is the view from the hotel room </a>where I write today&#8217;s newsletter.  As always, you don&#8217;t have to consume today&#8217;s edition all at once, you can always come back to it. The next newsletter will arrive in your inbox on August 28th, 2021. The next Gutenberg Changelog episode will be recorded on August 20th, 2021. So, you won&#8217;t be entirely deprived of Gutenberg updates. Just make sure you to subscribe to the podcast, if you haven&#8217;t already. </p>



<p>Furthermore, the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/">Keeping up with Gutenberg Index</a> can serve as a fall backspace to get your Gutenberg fix. </p>



<p>Let&#8217;s keep this short. The lake is waiting ⛱️. No Red Tide insight. </p>



<p>Be well, stay safe! </p>



<p>Yours, ?<br />Birgit</p>






<p class="has-large-font-size">? <strong>New <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/changelog-49-drag-and-drop-flex-layout/">Episode #49 is now available</a>! </strong>?️ (with transcript!)<br />Birgit Pauli-Haack and Grzegorz Ziolkowski discuss Gutenberg plugin release 11.2, drag and drop, flex layout, core data shortcuts and modern WordPress development.</p>



<p> <strong>Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/">Gutenberg Changelog</a>&nbsp;podcast </strong><br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/620NwVKQJGdTupy36zYxvg?mc_cid=4b6c9f88fe">Spotify</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ndXRlbmJlcmd0aW1lcy5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0">Google</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gutenberg-changelog/id1469294475">iTunes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://pca.st/podcast/f8445ec0-7508-0137-f267-1d245fc5f9cf">PocketCasts</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/gutenberg-changelog">Stitcher</a>&nbsp;|<br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/chi7j-9904a/Gutenberg-Changelog-Podcast">Pod Bean</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://castbox.fm/channel/Gutenberg-Changelog-id2173375">CastBox</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gutenberg-changelog-878239/">Podchaser</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/podcast">RSS Feed</a>&nbsp;</p>



<img />




<h2>‘Roadmap’ for Gutenberg (preliminary) </h2>



<p>In his latest post, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/13/preliminary-road-to-5-9/"><strong>Preliminary Road to 5.9</strong></a> <strong>Matias Ventura</strong> lists and describes the work before the Gutenberg contributors regarding Block Patterns, Global Styles, Navigation Block and overall Site Editor interface for theme.json configuration and settings. Ventura also identified a few shortcomings of first iterations, especially regarding responsiveness of blocks, block patterns used in different contexts. </p>



<p><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong>&#8216;s article <a href="https://wptavern.com/early-wordpress-5-9-look-the-road-toward-deeper-responsive-block-design"><strong>Early WordPress 5.9 Look: The Road Toward Deeper Responsive Block Design</strong></a> goes into a lot more details. WordPress 5.9 is scheduled for December 2021 and Feature freeze will be about two months prior. </p>



<p>There are a few overview GitHub issues, you can follow along and add your opinion and ideas for some features mentioned: </p>



<ul><li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33094">Updated scope for site editing projects&nbsp;</a>(#33094)</li><li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/pattern-directory/issues">Open issues WordPress Pattern-Directory</a></li><li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27593">Navigation Block Tracking Issue</a> (#27593)</li><li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33447">Global Styles: Design Tools Overview</a> (#33447)</li></ul>



<p>This might not be all important overview issues. Please notify me if you are missing one!</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p>In his post, <strong>Matt Chowing</strong> writes on what it takes to <a href="https://mobile.blog/2021/08/11/building-an-editor-by-sharing-code-between-android-ios-and-web-with-react-native">build an Editor by sharing code Between Android, iOS, and web with React&nbsp;Native</a>. For all of us emerged in web development it is an interesting read, about the difference between ideas, hopes, and the reality of programming for the mobile devices. </p>




<p><strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2021&#8221;</a>&nbsp;</strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly.  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/"><em>The index 2020 is here</em></a></p>




<h2>Full Site Editing &amp; Theme development</h2>



<p>After a break, <strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> published  is a new FSE Call for testing (#9) for the FSE outreach program<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2021/08/11/fse-program-testing-call-9-handling-highered-headers/">: Handling HigherEd Headers.</a> This test takes you along a deep dive into Navigation block and screens, and its goal is to expose the experimental features to a larger community and figure out what it takes to promote it out of the experimental state. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/the-state-of-child-themes/">Status of Child Themes for FSE</a> </strong>an update by <strong>Carolina Nymark</strong> for Theme developers.  </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p>In <a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/2021/08/10/keeping-up-with-block-supports/"><strong>Keeping up with block supports</strong></a>, Lister share her approach to discovery and maintaining block via block.json files of core blocks and came up with a <a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/block-supports/">spreadsheet</a> on which core block supports which features. It is quite a helpful resource, that could be integrated into the Block editor handbook  </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/mikachan_"><strong>Sarah Norris</strong></a> provided this week&#8217;s (number 60) round-up post from the Themes team around Gutenberg &amp; Themes. Check it out to learn about the discussion FSE, Themes, and Global Styles. Norris also share a few tracking issues to keep you updates. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p>The team of Metabox published <strong><a href="https://metabox.io/full-site-editing-fse-p1-overview/">&#8220;Full Site Editing (FSE) &#8211; All You Need To Know&#8221;</a> </strong>for WordPressers, who need to catch up around the FSE discussion. </p>



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<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/darioohead">Dario Jazbec Hrvatin</a></strong> of Toolset team posted <strong><a href="https://toolset.com/2021/08/full-site-editing-future-of-wordpress-and-what-it-means-for-you/">Full Site Editing Future Of WordPress And What It Means For You. </a></strong> He shared what he learned talking to authors behind Astra, Page Builder Framework, and Sydney Pro themes!</p>




<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s main (trunk) branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. <br />Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know.</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>




<h2>WordPress Development is hard (Part 2)</h2>



<p>Last week, I also missed listing the Mainline podcast episode <strong>&#8220;<a href="https://wpmainline.com/podcast/wp-mainline-episode-5-contributing-and-developing-for-wordpress-is-not-as-easy-as-it-used-to-be/">Contributing and Developing for WordPress Is Not as Easy as It Used to Be</a>&#8220;</strong> with Jeff Chandler, John James Jacobi and Chris Wiegman. </p>



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<p>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJAje6JveCw">&#8220;Is Gutenberg Killing WordPress Themes? Challenges for a Theme Developer in a Gutenberg World.&#8221;</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/MapSteps"><strong>David Vongries</strong></a>, who shares the hard time a theme developer can have when keeping pace with Gutenberg development. </p>



<p>My advice for people depending on themes for their revenue and who don’t have an army of developers keeping up with the new thing:  Keep doing what you are doing until things settle with the next two or three releases.  </p>



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<p><a href="https://dbushell.com/2021/08/03/wordpress-has-a-gutenberg-problem/"><strong>Does WordPress Have a Gutenberg Problem?</strong></a> Asked <strong>David Bushell </strong>listing a few problems building blocks cause in creating sites for customers. It&#8217;s comes across like the other rant of a developer who is fighting change. However, Bushell touches on recurring themes we hear before and outlines the hurdles for WordPress developer when starting to switch to Gutenberg for their development: </p>



<p><em>Opinionated styling of core blocks</em> is another pain point for WordPress developers. The mechanism to control this via theme.json has now arrived but of course its not yet completely develop.</p>



<p><strong>Deprecation of static blocks: </strong>How can post that have earlier version of particular blocks stored be updated to a new rendering. There isn&#8217;t a good answer yet, and many developers mostly develop dynamic blocks, rendered in PHP consistently no matter when the block was added to a post. If a new version is available, it&#8217;ll get the new design/styling. Or skip native block development altogether and rely on Blocks created via Advanced Custom Fields Pro.</p>



<p>A dynamic block was my first block, too, and I haven&#8217;t had the time to experiment with JavaScript blocks and the versioning for static blocks. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today"><strong>Is WordPress Development Really All That Hard To Get Into Today?</strong></a> Asked <strong>Justin Tadlock </strong>in his opinion post on the WordPress Tavern, that collected over 40 comments from the site&#8217;s Community, many share great resources to get over initial hurdles, too. </p>




<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>



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<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:25:22 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:27;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: Early WordPress 5.9 Look: The Road Toward Deeper Responsive Block Design";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121486";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:207:"https://wptavern.com/early-wordpress-5-9-look-the-road-toward-deeper-responsive-block-design?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=early-wordpress-5-9-look-the-road-toward-deeper-responsive-block-design";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6231:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Gutenberg project lead Mat&iacute;as Ventura announced the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/13/preliminary-road-to-5-9/">Preliminary Road to 5.9</a> on the Make Core blog earlier today. He covered several <em>big picture</em> items, including several sub-points for each. He also linked to a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33094">GitHub issue </a>with specific tasks and tickets that need work.</p>



<p>The post covers notes on block patterns, navigation menus, the <code>theme.json</code> interface (global styles), design tools, and editing flows for block themes. There is a lot of information to take in and enough areas to cover various interests.</p>



<p>The most exciting focus of 5.9 might just be going deeper into responsive design at the block level, whether this is under-the-hood code or block options available via the UI.</p>



<p>&ldquo;One of the biggest points of friction for pattern and theme builders are the lack of responsive tools available at a block level,&rdquo; wrote Ventura. &ldquo;This needs to be solved in a way that doesn&rsquo;t disproportionally increase interface complexity.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>Intrinsic Web Design With Blocks</h2>



<img />Mobile design patterns shared by Ventura.



<p class="has-drop-cap">It is easy to become disgruntled at the slow progress toward responsive block options over the last few years. I am not entirely unhappy with it because I want the team to be methodical and approach this in a future-proof way, at least to the extent that it can.</p>



<p>Far too often, what we have seen with requests and even third-party plugins is the use of viewport-based media queries for controlling how blocks respond to different devices (e.g., desktop, tablet, and mobile). While such controls can sometimes be the right tool for the job, they are not always the correct path for component-based design.</p>



<p>Media queries tend to favor holistic design methodologies. However, component-based design is the modern face of the web. Blocks are just another component, and because developers or even users can place them anywhere in the overall design, we must approach how they respond to their surroundings more so than the browser viewport.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The block model is a good case to apply some intrinsic design principles, since a block can occupy a place in many different layouts and containers, for which prescriptive media queries that don&rsquo;t take context into account are inflexible,&rdquo; wrote Ventura.</p>



<p>A simple example to look at is the core WordPress Columns block. We could easily add media query options for when each inner Column block breaks. <em>However, how should the typography respond for three columns vs. four and at different widths?</em> That is a function of the container&rsquo;s size rather than the viewport.</p>



<p><em>And, how do such media queries work when Columns are nested within another Column?</em> This becomes a more complex problem to solve if you are putting layout controls into the hands of users. Pushing the fast-forward button on responsive block options might feel good at the moment, but it could also create legacy baggage that will be hard to drop when a better solution rolls around.</p>



<p>Even something as seemingly simple as a basic website header can become complex when designing for user input. For theme designers, there is no way to know how many characters are in the site title, for example, or how many items are in the nav menu. The block system can complicate that further by allowing end-users to drop in other unknowns.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Each block area should be intrinsically responsive allowing blocks to compose together, wrap, stack, and organize themselves to fit the different spaces and screens,&rdquo; wrote Ventura. &ldquo;For this to work well, container blocks need to absorb more layout controls.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He also mentioned <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Container_Queries">container queries</a> as a possible expansion point when they are fully supported by browsers in the future. Chrome Canary currently has a support flag to enable the feature.</p>



<p>Container queries are a bit of a Holy Grail for designers. As web designer Ethan Marcotte <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/on-container-queries/">wrote four years ago:</a></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Maybe I&rsquo;ll start here: in the last few years, my design work has focused much more on patterns, and less on &ldquo;pages.&rdquo; Instead of treating a responsive design as a holistic, unified thing, where every part of the layout changes and adapts at the same rate, it&rsquo;s more helpful to break a responsive layout down into smaller, reusable bits of design, including things like &ldquo;masthead,&rdquo; &ldquo;footer,&rdquo; &ldquo;image caption,&rdquo; and so on.</p><p>In other words, my design process involves looking at a responsive design as a network of small layout systems. Each of those components are basically little responsive designs themselves, with their own sets of breakpoints.</p></blockquote>



<p><em>Sound familiar?</em> Yes, the WordPress block system is built on that same foundation of small layout components.</p>



<p>Anything that WordPress does today at the UI level needs to account for the container queries of the future. Or, at least make use of existing tools that could replicate the feature in some ways, such as the <code>min()</code>, <code>max()</code>, and <code>clamp()</code> CSS functions.</p>



<p>The trouble is figuring out which features should be exposed as block options vs. being handled under the hood. The development team must strike a balance between the user experience and flexibility for designers. Some things should &ldquo;just work&rdquo; out of the box, and others should be configurable on a case-by-case basis.</p>



<p>This should be one of the more interesting, complex, frustrating, and rewarding problems to solve in the WordPress 5.9 cycle. For those looking for a challenge, it might be the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33447">perfect entry point</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 14 Aug 2021 00:31:24 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:28;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"WPTavern: Wordfence and WPScan Publish Mid-Year WordPress Security Report";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121383";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:191:"https://wptavern.com/wordfence-and-wpscan-publish-mid-year-wordpress-security-report?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordfence-and-wpscan-publish-mid-year-wordpress-security-report";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5532:"<p>WPScan is on track to post a record-breaking year for WordPress plugin vulnerabilities submitted to its database, according to <a href="https://wpscan.com/2021-Mid-Year-WordPress-Security-Report.pdf">a collaborative mid-year security report</a> the company published with Wordfence. In the first half of 2021, WPScan has recorded 602 new vulnerabilities, quickly surpassing the 514 reported during all of 2020.</p>



<p>The report is based on attack data from Wordfence&rsquo;s platform and data from WPScan&rsquo;s vulnerability database, providing a more comprehensive picture of the current state of WordPress security than either company could present alone.</p>



<p>One of the trends highlighted in the report is the increase in password attacks. Wordfence blocked more than 86 billion password attack attempts in the first half of 2021. Attackers use a variety of methods to gain access to WordPress sites, including testing sites against lists of compromised passwords, dictionary attacks, and more resource intensive brute force attacks. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img />Source: <a href="https://wpscan.com/2021-Mid-Year-WordPress-Security-Report.pdf">2021 Mid-Year WordPress Security Report</a></div>



<p>Wordfence found the standard login to be the primary password attack target for 40.4% of attempts, followed by XML-RPC (37.7%). Since these attacks seem to be increasing, the report recommends that site owners use 2-factor authentication on all available accounts, use strong secure passwords unique to each account, disable XML-RPC when not in use, and put brute force protection in place.</p>



<p>Data from Wordfence&rsquo;s Web Application Firewall shows more than 4 billion blocked requests due to vulnerability exploits and blocked IP addresses. The report includes a breakdown of the percentage of requests blocked by firewall per firewall rule. Directory Traversal accounts for 27.1% of requests. This is when an attacker attempts to access files without being authorized and perform an action such as reading or deleting a site&rsquo;s /wp-config.php file, for example. This breakdown also highlights the fact that certain older vulnerabilities are still frequently targeted by attackers.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img />Source: <a href="https://wpscan.com/2021-Mid-Year-WordPress-Security-Report.pdf">2021 Mid-Year WordPress Security Report</a></div>



<p>The vast majority of the vulnerabilities you hear about in the WordPress ecosystem come from plugins, with themes making up a much smaller portion. The report notes that only three of the 602 vulnerabilities catalogued by WPScan in the first half of this year were found within WordPress core. </p>



<p>In analyzing vulnerabilities by type, WPScan found that Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities accounted for more than half of all them (52%), followed by Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) at 16%, SQL Injection (13%), Access Control issues (12%), and File Upload issues (7%). Using scores from the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), WPScan found that 17% of reported vulnerabilities were critical, 31% high, and 50% medium in severity.</p>



<p>Both Wordfence and WPScan claim that the greater number of vulnerabilities reported this year is indicative of the growth of the WordPress ecosystem and a maturing, healthy interest in security. Themes and plugins aren&rsquo;t getting more insecure over time but rather there are more people interested in discovering and reporting vulnerabilities.</p>



<p>&ldquo;First and foremost, we aren&rsquo;t seeing a lot of newly introduced vulnerabilities in plugins and themes but rather we are seeing a lot of older vulnerabilities in older plugins and themes being reported/fixed that just weren&rsquo;t detected until now,&rdquo; Wordfence Threat Analyst Chloe Chamberland said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&ldquo;Vulnerabilities aren&rsquo;t being introduced as frequently and more vulnerabilities are being detected simply due to the higher activity of researchers which is in turn positively impacting the security of the WordPress ecosystem. Considering it isn&rsquo;t newly introduced vulnerabilities that are being frequently discovered, I feel confident in saying that the increase in discoveries doesn&rsquo;t indicate that the ecosystem is getting less secure at all but rather getting more secure.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Chamberland also said she believes there is a domino effect when vulnerabilities are disclosed to vendors and they learn from their accidents, causing them to develop more secure products in the future. &nbsp;</p>



<p>&ldquo;Speaking from experience as I spend a lot of my time looking for vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins, things have definitely been getting more secure from my perspective,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Today, I frequently find capability checks and nonce checks in all the right places along with proper file upload validation measures in place, and all the good stuff. It&rsquo;s become harder to find easily exploitable vulnerabilities in plugins and themes that are being actively maintained which is a great thing!&rdquo;</p>



<p>The mid-year report is available as a PDF to <a href="https://wpscan.com/2021-Mid-Year-WordPress-Security-Report.pdf">download</a> for free from the WPScan website. WPScan founder and CEO Ryan Dewhurst said he expects there will be an end of the year report for 2021. He has not yet discussed it with Wordfence but the companies are brainstorming about other ways they can collaborate.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:14:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:29;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"Post Status: Post Status Excerpt (No. 20) — Yoast Acquired, Businesses Need To Allow More Play";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=85143";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://poststatus.com/excerpt/20/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3984:"<h2 id="h-allowing-time-to-goof-off-or-pursuing-a-passion-improves-team-connections">Allowing time to goof off or pursuing a passion improves team connections.</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap"><a href="http://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/people/jane-dutton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Jane Dutton</a> from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business suggests &#8220;four ways to build high-quality workplace connections&#8221; — respectful engagement, support, trust — and <em>play</em>. Play is what Cory and David focus on in this episode — why should companies set aside time for time to explore, goof off, or entertain each other with no particular outcome in mind?</p>



<p><strong>Also covered in this episode: </strong>Only an hour before recording this, <strong>Yoast</strong> <a href="https://yoast.com/exciting-news-yoast-joins-newfold-digital/">announced</a> it is being acquired by <strong>Newfold Digital</strong> — formerly known at least in part as <a href="https://robertjacobi.com/goodbye-endurance-hello-newfold-digital.html">Endurance International Group</a> (EIG). David and Cory share their initial thoughts with more analysis still to come.</p>







<p class="has-background">Every week Post Status Excerpt will brief you on important WordPress news — in about 15 minutes or less! Learn what's new in WordPress in a flash. ⚡<br /><br /><a href="https://poststatus.com/category/post-status-podcasts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Browse our archives</a>, and don’t forget to subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/post-status-draft-wordpress/id976403008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS8ySkU5c2M4UA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PostStatus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/krogsgard/post-status-draft-wordpress-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stitcher</a>, <a href="https://wordpress-post-status-draft-podcast.simplecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simplecast</a>, or <a href="https://feeds.simplecast.com/2JE9sc8P">RSS</a>. ?</p>



<h3 id="h-mentioned-in-the-show">? Mentioned in the show:</h3>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Bisset (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/corymiller303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cory Miller (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/post_status" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post Status (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://poststatus.slack.com/archives/CHNM7Q7T8/p1628787774152400">Joost's Announcement In Post Status Slack</a></li><li><a href="https://yoast.com/exciting-news-yoast-joins-newfold-digital/">Exciting news: Yoast joins Newfold Digital</a></li><li><a href="https://joost.blog/yoast-joins-newfold/">Joost's Personal Blog Post On Acquistion</a></li><li><a href="https://newfold.com/newsroom/clearlake-and-siris-backed-newfold-digital-acquires-yoast">Clearlake and Siris-Backed Newfold Digital Acquires Yoast to Help Customers Get Found Online</a></li><li><a href="https://poststatus.com/acquisitions/">WordPress Acquisitions and Investments</a></li><li><a href="https://leadpositively.com/4-ways-to-build-high-quality-workplace-connections/">4 Ways to Build High-Quality Workplace Connections</a></li></ul>



<h3>? Sponsor: <a href="https://poststat.us/pagely" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">Pagely</a></h3>



<p>You need durable Managed WordPress Hosting for all your mission-critical sites. <strong>Pagely</strong> offers managed DevOps and a flexible stack with the same enterprise-level support to all its customers. Peace of mind starts with <strong>Pagely</strong>. Try it today!</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 12 Aug 2021 23:55:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"David Bisset";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"WPTavern: Yoast Joins Newfold Digital, Team To Stay in Place";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121446";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:163:"https://wptavern.com/yoast-joins-newfold-digital-team-to-stay-in-place?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yoast-joins-newfold-digital-team-to-stay-in-place";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4181:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Earlier today, Yoast CEO Marieke van de Rakt announced the company had been <a href="https://yoast.com/exciting-news-yoast-joins-newfold-digital/">acquired by NewFold Digital</a>. Yoast and its SEO-related business are expected to continue operating as usual with its current team and maintaining its product line.</p>



<p>Newfold Digital is a global web solutions provider that serves small-to-medium businesses. The <a href="https://newfold.com/brands">company has many brands</a> under its umbrella, such as Network Solutions, Bluehost, and more.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Yoast never had any funding before, it grew organically into a company with 140 employees maintaining a plugin with over 12 million active installs,&rdquo; wrote van de Rakt in the announcement. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to stop there! We&rsquo;re planning to grow and improve even further! Joining Newfold Digital provides us with the freedom to build and iterate on ideas to further our mission.&rdquo;</p>



<p>There are no plans to change the team or the culture around Yoast. One of the goals during the acquisition was to keep everyone in place, continuing work on their product line.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Of course, some things change,&rdquo; said Yoast founder and CPO Joost de Valk. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll integrate into their systems (HR and finance). We&rsquo;ll work on special offers for customers from Newfold. Our company changed so much over the five years, so it will change no matter what. I do feel that this opens up more security for growth and for developing new ideas.&rdquo;</p>



<p>While Yoast does not plan to change its 140-person team, it is still bringing in fresh talent. The company has been hiring a lot lately and expects that trend to continue with <a href="https://yoast.com/jobs/">19 current job openings</a>.</p>



<p>As host Nathan Wrigley and guest Cory Miller discussed on the <a href="https://wptavern.com/podcast/6-cory-miller-on-the-wordpress-mergers-and-acquisitions-landscape">latest episode of the Jukebox</a>, acquisitions can be a welcome change for all parties. It can provide more financial stability and backing for the acquired company. It may allow the team to explore new features or new products that were not possible before. This can also work in the user&rsquo;s favor in the long term.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Marieke and I felt ever since this Covid pandemic hit that we needed a partner or some more financial backing,&rdquo; said Joost de Valk. &ldquo;Being totally bootstrapped was getting to us. We worried about the exchange rate of the dollar, for instance. We got risk-averse, and all around us other companies got financial injections.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The husband-and-wife duo thought about selling part of their stock for additional funding but was worried about potential consequences. One such downside may have been the need to grow fast to keep investors happy.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We wanted to find a place to keep Yoast SEO growing and to keep working on WordPress,&rdquo; said de Valk. &ldquo;We had help from RBC, a company that helps with these types of acquisitions. They introduced us to Newfold, and we had a really good connection right from the start.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He remained tight-lipped about any new products or features in the pipeline, only saying that a lot is coming and things will speed up.</p>



<p>Newfold is the owner of several high-profile hosting brands, including Bluehost and HostGator &mdash; both offer a managed WordPress service. It would not be unheard of to see a company mix and match its various products to draw in more customers. Nor would it be surprising to eventually see Yoast SEO or even some of the commercial Yoast offerings as part of packaged hosting deals. WP Engine fully integrates StudioPress products, for example, into its packages. However, de Valk said they have yet to discuss anything on that front.</p>



<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re absolutely right that the things you&rsquo;re proposing here make perfect sense,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So, I think we&rsquo;ll work on those deals and, at the same time, team Yoast will work independently on their products.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 12 Aug 2021 20:25:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:31;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"WPTavern: FSE Outreach Round #9: Building a Higher Ed Header";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121395";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:161:"https://wptavern.com/fse-outreach-round-9-building-a-higher-ed-header?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fse-outreach-round-9-building-a-higher-ed-header";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6238:"<p class="has-drop-cap">It feels like it has been ages since the WordPress community has had a call for testing Full Site Editing (FSE) features. The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/handbook/full-site-editing-outreach-experiment/">FSE Outreach Program</a> was on a small hiatus. However, the WordPress 5.8 launch was also underway last month.</p>



<p>The program is an open call for testing various components of FSE. Thus far, volunteers have successfully provided feedback on features that have already landed in core WordPress, such as block-based widgets and template editing. Testers have delved into others that have yet to be released. Each testing round is open to anyone who can spare a little of their free time and share their findings. The goal is to break things and point out problematic areas of the user experience.</p>



<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2021/08/11/fse-program-testing-call-9-handling-highered-headers/">FSE Outreach #9</a> is a community-driven suggestion that calls for building a Higher Ed site&rsquo;s header. Volunteers are asked to follow a 26-step process using the site editor beta feature in the latest version of the Gutenberg plugin and the TT1 Blocks theme.</p>



<p>I am a fan of this take on testing, and program lead Anne McCarthy seems to favor doing more of it in the future. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;d like to suggest an idea for a call for testing, know it&rsquo;s very welcomed and all ideas will be weighed against current project priorities to figure out what makes the most sense to pursue,&rdquo; she wrote in the announcement.</p>



<p>Since the project was all about Higher Ed, I decided to pay homage to my alma mater and use the colors that I wore proudly around campus for five years &mdash; and still do to this day. The following screenshot is the end result:</p>



<img />



<p>Before going forward, I must admit that I cheated to get that final look. The call for testing asked that we build from the TT1 Blocks theme. I was able to get <em>close</em> to that result, but I had to switch to a custom theme I have been working on to get past a few hurdles.</p>



<p>I went through each stage of testing with TT1 Blocks and will cover the issues I encountered.</p>



<h2>Building a Higher Ed Header</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Just getting off the ground, I ran into my first issue, which turned out to be a non-issue. The internet gods decided to play a trick on me, disallowing me from editing both the Site Title and Site Description blocks. I <em>really</em> wanted my fictional university to be &ldquo;Gutenberg University,&rdquo; but I could not do so without saving my progress and refreshing the browser tab. I was unable to replicate the issue, so I am hoping it was simply a fluke.</p>



<p>Using the Navigation block still seems the most troublesome area of site editing. I know how much work the development team has put behind the user experience for this feature but cannot help but wonder if there is a point where users can opt into managing its content (the links) via the traditional Nav Menus screen in WordPress. The site editor works fine for the design aspect, but I have yet to feel comfortable using it to manage links.</p>



<p>This stage of testing calls for adding multiple page links as both top-level and sub-menu items. When clicking the <code>+</code> button to add a link, my first instinct is to search for the page itself. However, the available field is a block search rather than a page search.</p>



<img />Accidentally searching for link in block search field.



<p>To add an actual link, users must first add the Page Link block. Then, they can search for a specific page. This two-step process gets me every time.</p>



<p>I ran into the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/33021">issue for nav menus</a> mentioned in the call for testing where there is no space between items when used inside a Columns block. It pains the purist in me to admit it, but I had to use the Spacer block between each item to fix this. I did not need to do this with my custom theme because, I am guessing, I addressed this somewhere along the way.</p>



<p>The &ldquo;space between items&rdquo; option also failed to work with the Navigation block, ruining one of the early design ideas I had. I decided to go in a different direction.</p>



<p>Using right-alignment with the Search block did not work. Therefore, I used the 100% width option to align it with my right-aligned nav menu.</p>



<p>Time and time again, I needed to rely on the Spacer block to make adjustments. Part of this was because default margins and paddings are inconsistent among different blocks. The still-missing margin controls on nearly every block also played a hand in this. This is not particularly noteworthy. The development team is aware of and working on extending spacing controls &mdash; they just can&rsquo;t get here fast enough for some of us.</p>



<p>A spacing issue is what led me to ditch TT1 Blocks and switch to a custom theme. The following screenshot is my final work with the former. You may notice the gaping green background between the nav menu group and the header image below it.</p>



<img />TT1 Blocks theme version with gap in header.



<p>No amount of tricks or rearrangement of blocks seemed to remove that space, and I simply could not live with that. I had already solved about 90% of Gutenberg&rsquo;s spacing issues with my own theme and did not feel like writing any new CSS to address this. Making the switch also meant that I could get rid of several Spacer blocks I had in place.</p>



<p>Aside from dropping in a header image, one other modification I made was skipping the addition of a Button block for the latest &ldquo;Covid update.&rdquo; I could not bear looking at TT1 Blocks&rsquo; overuse of padding. Instead, I nested a paragraph with a link within a column alongside a Navigation block.</p>



<p>As always, I enjoyed the process. This post is meant to be critical of specific areas in the hopes that it helps build a better WordPress. For all its faults, many other parts offer a solid user experience. Overall, the Gutenberg development team continues to impress.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 12 Aug 2021 03:38:38 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:32;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"WPTavern: Google Site Kit Plugin Ships Hot Fix for Critical Error That Caused Broken Websites";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121388";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:231:"https://wptavern.com/google-site-kit-plugin-ships-hot-fix-for-critical-error-that-caused-broken-websites?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-site-kit-plugin-ships-hot-fix-for-critical-error-that-caused-broken-websites";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2688:"<p>Google published an update to its <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-site-kit/">Site Kit plugin for WordPress</a> this afternoon with a hot fix for a critical issue affecting an unknown number of users. Reports of broken websites were popping up <a href="https://twitter.com/thebclang/status/1425450256905510914">on Twitter</a> and in the plugin&rsquo;s <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-there-has-been-a-critical-error-on-this-website-3/">support forum</a> on WordPress.org. Users affected by the issue reported having a critical error on all sites using Site Kit, which forced deactivation of the plugin in recovery mode. In some cases it prevented them from accessing their dashboards.</p>



<p>&ldquo;On Wednesday, August 11, we identified a fatal error in the Site Kit plugin that could be triggered by other plugins or themes using an unprefixed version of Composer,&rdquo; Google Site Kit Support Lead Bethany Chobanian Lang said in a pinned <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/critical-error-issue-update-to-v1-38-1/">post</a> on the support forum.</p>



<p>Version 1.38.1 contains a hot fix for this issue, since it was critical enough to take down users&rsquo; websites. The plugin&rsquo;s maintainers began <a href="https://github.com/google/site-kit-wp/issues/3830">investigating the issue</a> less than 24 hours ago but are still not sure which plugins&nbsp;trigger the error due to their usage of Composer. </p>



<p>&ldquo;The reports do not include which specific plugins or themes were causing this, but the error message clearly highlighted the code in Site Kit that was the problem,&rdquo; Google Developer Relations Engineer Felix Arntz said. &ldquo;Technically, that problematic code had been in Site Kit since several versions ago (months back), so maybe another plugin/theme recently got updated with new code that exposed the problem.&rdquo;</p>



<p>After looking at popular plugins, Arntz said he hasn&rsquo;t been able to find one so far that would have triggered the problem. Given Site Kit&rsquo;s broad usage, other affected sites are bound to turn up once users realize there is a problem. Google launched the plugin in 2019 and has since amassed more than a million active installations. The majority of the plugin&rsquo;s user base is running older versions, which may or may not be affected by the current issue. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img /></div>



<p>WordPress.org shows 35.6% of the plugin&rsquo;s users are on version 1.38.x. The hot fix is not backported for older releases, but users running Site Kit version 1.38 with background updates enabled should automatically receive the fix. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 12 Aug 2021 02:34:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:80:"WPTavern: #6 – Cory Miller on the WordPress Mergers and Acquisitions Landscape";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=120673";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:203:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/6-cory-miller-on-the-wordpress-mergers-and-acquisitions-landscape?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-cory-miller-on-the-wordpress-mergers-and-acquisitions-landscape";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:65517:"<h2>About this episode.</h2>



<p>So on the podcast today we have Cory Miller.</p>



<p>Cory is likely well known to many of you, he&rsquo;s been a big part of the WordPress community for many years. He founded, grew and sold <a href="https://ithemes.com/">iThemes</a> and is now the owner of <a href="https://poststatus.com/">Post Status</a>, which is a community dedicated to informing WordPress professionals and enthusiasts about the industry.</p>



<p>So the topic of the podcast today is the WordPress Mergers and Acquisitions Landscape, and it&rsquo;s the perfect subject for Cory. He&rsquo;s been on both sides of the equation having sold iThemes to Liquid Web in 2018 and then buying Post Status earlier in 2021.</p>



<p>When we talk about Mergers and Acquisitions in WordPress, it really seems to polarise opinions. Companies are being bought and sold on an almost weekly basis at present.</p>



<p>There are those who worry that we&rsquo;re at a point where larger companies have bought, and continue to buy up, smaller businesses. They see this as a cause for concern; a concern that we&rsquo;re in danger of straying into a future where a few big brands own &lsquo;all-the-things&rsquo;.</p>



<p>On the other hand there are people who see this as a sign of the maturation of the WordPress ecosystem. It&rsquo;s a consequence of the success of the WordPress economy that smaller teams have a pathway to profitability, one in which the possibility of being acquired is an attractive option.</p>



<p>There&rsquo;s a great deal to discuss here, some of it unexpected, and I&rsquo;m sure that you&rsquo;ll have your own opinions.</p>



<p>We try to tackle the subject by going through a list of the &lsquo;good&rsquo; and the &lsquo;bad&rsquo; of WordPress Mergers and Acquisitions. We don&rsquo;t attempt to cover every single angle, but we do try to look at it from both sides.</p>



<p>It&rsquo;s great to get Cory&rsquo;s take on the topic.</p>


Transcript<br /><div><div class="chat-transcript"><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:00:00]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Welcome to the sixth edition of the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley. Jukebox is a podcast all about WordPress and the community surrounding it. Every month, we&rsquo;re bringing you someone from that community to discuss a topic of current importance, and this month is no different. If you like the podcast, I&rsquo;d suggest that you ought to subscribe, and you can do that by going to WP Tavern dot com forward slash feed forward slash podcast. Use your favorite podcast player and click the subscribe or follow button. If you have any thoughts about the podcast, perhaps a suggestion of a guest or an interesting subject, then head over to WP Tavern dot com forward slash contact forward slash jukebox, and use the contact form there because we&rsquo;d certainly welcome your input.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay, so on the podcast today, we have Cory Miller. Cory is likely well-known to many of you. He&rsquo;s been a big part of the WordPress community for many years. He founded, grew and sold iThemes and is now the owner of Post Status, which is a community dedicated to informing WordPress professionals and enthusiasts about the industry.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>So the topic of the podcast today is the WordPress mergers and acquisitions landscape, and it&rsquo;s the perfect subject for Cory. You see, he&rsquo;s been on both sides of the equation, having sold iThemes to Liquid Web in 2018 and then buying Post Status earlier this year.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>When we talk about mergers and acquisitions in WordPress, it really seems to polarize opinions. Companies are being bought and sold on an almost weekly basis at present. There are those who worry that we&rsquo;re at a point where larger companies have bought and continue to buy up smaller businesses. They see this as a cause for concern, a concern that we&rsquo;re in danger of straying into a future where a few big brands own &lsquo;all the things&rsquo;.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>On the other hand, there are people who see this as a sign of the maturation of the WordPress ecosystem. It&rsquo;s a consequence of the success of the WordPress economy, that smaller teams have a pathway to profitability. One in which the possibility of being acquired is an attractive option.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>There&rsquo;s a great deal to discuss here, some of it unexpected, and I&rsquo;m sure that you&rsquo;ll have your own opinions. We try to tackle the subject by going through a list of the good and the bad of WordPress mergers and acquisitions. We don&rsquo;t attempt to cover every single angle, but we do try to look at it from both sides. It&rsquo;s great to get Cory&rsquo;s take on this subject.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>If any of the points raised in this podcast, resonate with you, be sure to head over and find the post at wptavern dot com forward slash podcast, and why not leave us a comment there?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>And so without further delay, I bring you Cory Miller.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>I am here with Cory Miller. Hello Cory.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:03:45]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Hey, Nathan. Good to see your face. And I know this is a podcast, but also hear your voice again.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:03:51]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>I don&rsquo;t think Cory that we need to introduce you in all honesty, I think you are one of those people that goes with no introduction, but nevertheless, just in case there is a handful of people out there who&rsquo;ve not heard of you before or come across you. Would you just take a moment to explain a little bit about your journey with WordPress and how come we&rsquo;re chatting to you on a WordPress podcast?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:04:11]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah. So my original start with WordPress started in 2006 as a blogger. In 2008, I started a company called iThemes. Ran that for 10 plus years, we did backups security and maintenance for WordPress websites, in addition to in the early days themes, thus the name iThemes. And then in 2018, we were acquired by Liquid Web. 2019 I started on my next chapter in my journey. Currently, I am the&hellip; I don&rsquo;t know what my title is, but Post Status dot com is now I&rsquo;m full owner of it. Brian Krogsgard, the founder, and I partnered up and then he is onto awesome stuff in the crypto software space. And I&rsquo;m now the community lead, I guess, for Post Status, a awesome community of WordPress entrepreneurs and professionals.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:04:59]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>There&rsquo;s an awful lot to unpack there, but regrettably, we don&rsquo;t have time to go through the history too much. But what was highlighted there is that you have been through the very thing that we&rsquo;re going to be talking about because we&rsquo;ve got Cory on the call today to talk about mergers and acquisitions and whether this is potentially for the good or for the bad, whether there&rsquo;s upsides or downsides. And let&rsquo;s go back to your journey. I&rsquo;m sure that things are different now, that is to say, I think things have hotted up since you sold iThemes, probably there&rsquo;s a lot more paperwork going involved and a lot more scrutiny on how things are transferred and so on. But just wondering if you could tell us, what was your journey like, how did you come to sell iThemes? What were the reasons behind it? And what were the options available to you at the time that you sold iThemes? Were there people clamoring at that time, or was it very much we don&rsquo;t know, people don&rsquo;t sell things in the WordPress space. How did it all work out?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:05:47]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>There had been a couple of acquisitions in the WordPress space, for sure, and I shouldn&rsquo;t say a couple, numerous acquisitions in the space, but it wasn&rsquo;t like the last year. Last year, the space has been on a tear with mergers and acquisitions, but there had been acquisitions before, in fact, at Post Status, we&rsquo;re working on a page to document all that, the acquisitions that happened in WordPress.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>So in 2016 or so I started to think, what does the future look like? It feels like one day somebody at all the hosting companies goes, I wonder how much this thing called WordPress, what kind of footprint is it in our customer base, in our stack and somebody came back and probably said 40%, 50% or something like that, I&rsquo;m sure way back in the day. And it seemingly overnight a bunch of money and attention from particularly the hosting space turned to WordPress and rightfully so, I mean WordPress is a huge CMS and its footprint on the web is enormous. So around that time, I&rsquo;m seeing all these players kind of come in and, big money, start to come in, and we&rsquo;re talking about billion dollar companies or billion dollar valuation companies or companies with private equity in the billions coming into the space and really turning their attention, and I thought, my job as the leader is to fast forward the movie and see where we&rsquo;re going and make sure, you mentioned in our pre-talk about Monopoly, the game Monopoly, and I thought, wow, we are definitely the David versus Goliath now. We&rsquo;ve been bootstrapped from the beginning from 2008 on, and what does the future look like, and our toolset, the software we&rsquo;re offering at the time, it was very utility, backup security, and maintenance. GoDaddy had bought Sucuri, ManageWP. Automattic was already kind of our competition from the beginning anyway, with Jetpack and at one point their backup service VaultPress. And so Jetpack is another behemoth out there. And, I just go, I think it&rsquo;s time for us to figure this out, what&rsquo;s the next step in a big way, and really that ultimately came down to being acquired. We had a partner in Liquid Web. So they were obviously the first people that had been partnered with him for like a year and really appreciated their leadership team. Eventually my friend, Chris Lema joined them and then my friend AJ Morris was the one that put us on the map for Liquid Web. And they were doing some, wanting to really do some big things and WordPress and long story short that just all worked out. But for us, it was like, at what point do you just need to pull up your stakes and tents and move on and see what you can get? And two reasons, one is financial, of course, but the other is my team. You know, we had about 25 people at that time and I want to make sure our team has a place to land and a great career, and that up until that point, it was either Matt Danner and I, and we had to leave for anybody to have upward mobility really well. When we joined a Liquid Web, at the time, they were like 600 people. So there was a lot of opportunity, career opportunity to move within the company. And they were also doing some great stuff. Now, maybe early in my worries, you know, Mark from Wordfence a great founder, co-founder over there told me, he said, great book called only the paranoid survive. I spent about 10 years in paranoia, like insecurity. But it was time it&rsquo;s turned out to be everything Joe Oesterling and the C Suites team over at Liquid Web, everything they said to me, they have been to the letter of their word. I have really great respect for them. And so iThemes is under the leadership now of Matt Danner is killing it. There have been on the acquisition tear in the last year.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:09:16]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>It is amazing because I think there&rsquo;s two sides to look at it. And we&rsquo;ll explore that as the podcast goes on. There are the good sides and there&rsquo;s possibly some downsides to this whole thing. And certainly from your perspective, it sounds like you had a really positive experience. You managed to hook up with a company who delivered on everything that you hoped that they would. So that&rsquo;s great. But then of course, I suppose there&rsquo;s the other side. The customer side, where there may be more concerns about, well, what does this mean for the product going forward? How is this going to affect the thing that I&rsquo;ve deployed on all my websites? Will it still be maintained? Are these people good custodians and so on? So just to unpack this a little bit. Over the last, like you said, maybe a year or something, we seem to have a real landslide of things happening. There&rsquo;s lots and lots of things, to the point where really a week doesn&rsquo;t go by where there is some merger and acquisition news.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:10:07]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Truly.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:10:07]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah. You follow this probably more closely than I do, but it&rsquo;s happening every single week. And some of them are big names, some of them are much smaller names, but there&rsquo;s a story there every week if you choose to go and find it. I&rsquo;m just wondering if you think this is inevitable. And what I mean by that is, was this always going to be the case? A rising tide carries all boats. If WordPress is getting bigger, it&rsquo;s inevitable, all the things which are supporting WordPress and are built on top of it are going to get bigger as well. Did you see this happening all over the place five, ten years ago? Or did you feel yourself to be a slight exception all those years ago?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:10:45]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>No, no, no, no, no. 10 years ago I was just living my dream as an entrepreneur growing a business. Most of the time, just holding on to the runaway stagecoach and was just loving every day and every week and every month and every year of our journey. I had a five-year commitment when I started the business, because I knew I&rsquo;ve been a career hopper since I was 16. I&rsquo;ve had a job on average about every two years. Until I started iThemes. I knew when I started iThemes, I had to have a five-year commitment minimum just to get the bird off the ground? So when five years came up, I was like, well, do I want to renew and this is about that time that I&rsquo;m talking about. And I was like, heck yeah, I want to re renew. I want to keep renewing these things. I worked with the most amazing people on earth. That were my friends and my coworkers who held my babies when they&rsquo;re born, who&rsquo;ve been in my house for dinners and fun times, and I got to meet their children, because we had a hybrid remote team. And so I just wanted to keep pushing renew, renew, renew, renew. And it was just at the point where I was like, I don&rsquo;t know what the renew button looks like now. I probably got in a little bit of a dark space in my fast forward in the movie to the end, but no 10 years ago, didn&rsquo;t understand the world of all of this M&amp;A stuff.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>But as I&rsquo;ve come to learn, this is a by-product to WordPress&rsquo; success. That&rsquo;s it. First and foremost, it&rsquo;s a by-product that people would go there&rsquo;s money here, there&rsquo;s value to capture all that kind of stuff. And this is what&rsquo;s called we&rsquo;re kind of seeing it, it&rsquo;s call it a roll-up that they say in that kind of a industry, the M&amp;A kind of field. You&rsquo;re just seeing right now, a big roll-up going on. Small players been scooped up adding features or customers or revenue and all that, but I just wanted to keep renewing until I thought, I don&rsquo;t think my chances are very strong to be able to renew, was concern for all parties involved.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:12:31]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>The thing that I find curious is that I was in a forum the other day, and we were talking through this exact topic. It was a real split. Essentially the conversation was fairly polarized. It was, is this a good thing that we&rsquo;ve got all of these acquisitions? Is it a bad thing, you didn&rsquo;t really get to sit on the fence? You were either going to be one or the other and the people on the, this is a good thing side really were talking about the fact that this is what happens. This is a maturing thing. When an ecosystem, an area of business matures, this is what goes on. There is a coagulation that the people who&rsquo;ve been successful, the people that have got the money to buy things, they go out and they shore up the offering that they&rsquo;ve got. So that was the one side. This is just maturation of an industry. And then on the other side, there were the people who didn&rsquo;t see it that way. And they saw it more as it&rsquo;s just the big guys getting bigger, and there&rsquo;s concerns there because that&rsquo;s going to stifle all of the competition and we&rsquo;re terribly concerned about whether or not things that we&rsquo;ve been built with dedication and heart and by an individual are going to be consumed and they&rsquo;re going to lose their focus and they&rsquo;re going to lose their way. So it really split either way. And because of that, because it was so split, I decided that we&rsquo;d take the podcast in that direction and we&rsquo;d talk about the good bits and the bad bits. So let&rsquo;s go with the good, let&rsquo;s start with all the good things. And I actually think the good list, I was able to come up with more good things than bad things, not many more, but more, some of them really unexpected to me.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>So first of all, If you want to espouse all of the things that you think are good, and then I can do my list or I can do my list, and then you can tell me whether or not you agree with it. It&rsquo;s entirely up to you.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:14:15]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Before we dive into that, I wanted to say, if you pushed me to say yes or no on it, I&rsquo;m very conflicted. Given a broad statement, I&rsquo;m very conflicted. And I started to parse out, is it good for the platform, WordPress? Is it good for the entrepreneurs in the space? Is it good for the people doing the acquisitions? That&rsquo;s a firm yes. The firm yes is for the people acquiring. This is a great thing for the people acquiring. Because of WordPress&rsquo; success the entrepreneurs that have built and help build WordPress to what it is today. I&rsquo;m talking specifically the service agencies, the freelancers, the users, the people that built products like me and my team and others out there that have really contributed to the success of 40% or whatever the footprint is to WordPress today.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>That&rsquo;s been a significant contribution by the commercial community, the Post Status type tech community, the people of WordPress. So I wanted to say that first cause I was like, oh, that&rsquo;s interesting, if you forced me to pick, I&rsquo;m really conflicted. But if I parse out some of those, I&rsquo;m like, okay, maybe I can share. It&rsquo;s still a yes here and a no there, yes here, on each audience. So all that to say, you go with your list and we can talk to you that for sure.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:15:25]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay. So this list in part came out of conversations that I was having with people who had been in the middle recently of acquisitions, and some of them were unexpected to me. I couldn&rsquo;t have worked them out myself. So imagine you&rsquo;re working in a company, a small company, much like you had at iThemes, 25 employees. Curious thing, better working conditions came out. So that is to say that the people working at the small company are now working at a big company and they were able to make use of all sorts of things that weren&rsquo;t available to them. So that might be heathcare.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:15:59]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah, I would reframe the phrase, working conditions to benefits and the worker benefits, absolutely, at least in my case. Way better PTO policies, way better health insurance. I&rsquo;m still on Liquid Web, we went on what&rsquo;s called Cobra because my wife worked there before we were acquired, by the way she&rsquo;d worked there three or four years or so. And then when she left last year to start Content Journey for her business, we continued on with Cobra. I&rsquo;ve been on Liquid Web health, probably five years, I think, five years now, I want to say. And so absolutely. And most of the other ones, yeah, they can do it at scale. So, yes.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:16:35]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah, you&rsquo;re right. I don&rsquo;t know why the word conditions came into my list of there, but yeah. So job security. Better healthcare and&hellip; the UK, we have a different healthcare system and it doesn&rsquo;t require quite so much money up front if you know what I mean? So those kinds of things don&rsquo;t matter.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:16:50]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Ah, so jealous.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:16:52]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Well, yeah, health insurance and so on. But then, more of the nuts and the bolts. There&rsquo;s obviously more resources to throw the development of the project, because it may be the developer of a particular project. Maybe they were a solo person, or maybe they were working with a small team and they&rsquo;d reached the end game of what it was that they felt that they could achieve. That really, they were running out of runway. They&rsquo;d run out of inspiration, perhaps they were fed up with it and it gave them an opportunity to hand it on. Maybe they&rsquo;re going to carry on the journey. Maybe they&rsquo;ve been acquired as a part of the deal, but it gives them more people to talk to more ideas and more resources to update their plugin, theme or whatever it might be.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:17:32]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>I would say yes, with this caveat, is the direction is no longer in the hands of the original founder, entrepreneurial team, always, there&rsquo;s new owners, they get to decide what the direction is. That&rsquo;s why you got to be really careful what you carve out in your agreements. But, it&rsquo;s a new owners. Yes, I would think for sure, like us going to Liquid Web, we had the resources of a hosting company who owned their own data centers. I want to say that again, hosting company actually owned their own data centers, which I had set foot in and go, wow, this is kind of rare in today&rsquo;s age. So that was exciting for us because we&rsquo;re like, what would happen if we could control the server hosting environment. Wow. Okay. That&rsquo;s awesome. So, yes, I think in theory and most what I&rsquo;ve seen in practice, absolutely more resources in terms of team products, money, even to fund.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:18:26]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah, I guess everything that we raise on one side probably has a flip side, but in this case, I think we can easily understand and pass the good side of that. The other thing of course is that if you bring along your product or service, just to keep it simple, let&rsquo;s say that you are a plugin developer and you brought along a plugin, then you are rolling into a bigger ecosystem of plugins. And so it becomes a more desirable thing. So from the end user&rsquo;s point of view, my point of view, if I can subscribe to one subscription service and get four or five different plugins all rolled into one. That&rsquo;s a real benefit for me. I&rsquo;m getting them from one vendor. I&rsquo;ve got one support channel, one price to pay. And I don&rsquo;t have to worry now about those three or four different plugins, which I&rsquo;m hoping will cobble together and make my website work perfectly. They&rsquo;re now being managed by the one team. And so there&rsquo;s something to be said about the fact that it&rsquo;s all getting rolled in and you might have just one subscription. I mean, obviously you tried to do that and succeeded with that at iThemes, you had a whole bunch of stuff going on, loads of different things and having them all under one subscription was a great offering. And the bigger that subscription gets in the more things that you can feed into it, the better it is.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:19:38]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah. I think the team that probably does this the best that I&rsquo;ve seen is Syed and his team over at Awesome Motive, which has brands of Optin Monster, WP Forms, Monster Analytics, all that. I don&rsquo;t know if I see a lot of cross selling going on, but I see them being able to take products and promote to an ecosystem to expand that. You&rsquo;re right, at iThemes we call it the Toolkit and it was like the treasure chest. I don&rsquo;t know if you ever get to a dentist&rsquo;s office, and there&rsquo;s this big treasure chest, like a pirate treasure chest. And after you get your teeth cleaned or whatever you did, you can go and dig through that. And that&rsquo;s the way I thought about our toolkit. If I fast forward the tape, I want to see a company within the space actually do that.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>I don&rsquo;t know if I see that right now, one subscription to rule them all kind of thing. I get hosting. I get my plugins, maybe themes in there too, but really, hosting and plugins. I want to see a company doing that. Maybe if we get close to that is maybe Jetpack, where they bundled security and backups and maintenance. And now they&rsquo;ve got these, in their whole ecosystem. Jetpack just rolled out their own mobile app. That&rsquo;s really interesting to me where it&rsquo;s like one price, because here&rsquo;s the problem. Nathan, you&rsquo;ve seen this, you know this. Wix, Weebly and Squarespace, when I first started back in 2006 with WordPress and in 2008 with iThemes, we could gobble up all this, what I probably think of as the lowest end of the market, the ones that I just want to buy hosting for five bucks a month, they want to get a domain name and cobble their site together and do it for under a hundred bucks a year or something like that. Wix Weebly Squarespace came on the scene. I can&rsquo;t remember what it was. I want to say 2013, 14, 15, somewhere around that maybe, and started eating at that bottom level. And now as WordPress has gotten more complex and maybe the dashboard hasn&rsquo;t been updated as much as it should have been, Wix, Weebly and Squarespace come in and just provided this complete ecosystem for one price.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>They don&rsquo;t have to go over here and buy a theme or plug in and pull it in, separate recurring fees and all that stuff. I don&rsquo;t have to worry about updates because it&rsquo;s SaaS and they started eating at the bottom of that. Now that affected our theme business in a big way. And that&rsquo;s a dynamic I&rsquo;d love to see like awesome motive can pull it off. GoDaddy can, they&rsquo;ve made some huge strides with their onboarding. It is pretty dang incredible. I think WP Engine has with their Studiopress acquisition is starting to do some of this, pull it in, into their ecosystem. Liquid Web for sure. Now they&rsquo;ve rolled out Stellar WP, which is basically their brain for all their WordPress products, but I want to see it. I want to see it. I don&rsquo;t have to have 15 subscriptions, I can have one. Now somebody smarter than me, with financial engineering is going to have to do all the math and see if that plays out. But I want to see it as a user.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:22:24]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>I feel that that&rsquo;s the inevitable direction of travel and we&rsquo;ll come back to that because I think possibly that has negatives as well as positives, but yeah, good point. Although the promise of one subscription is a nice one. We don&rsquo;t appear to have that.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:22:38]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>You mentioned, here&rsquo;s a subset of this whole conversation is WooCommerce itself. WooCommerce is a platform in itself, even though it&rsquo;s technically a WordPress plugin and all that. But its footprint is enormous. It&rsquo;s the default defacto software e-commerce software on the planet and it&rsquo;s going to be for the foreseeable future. But if you have five ad-ons, you could probably go through the store to do that. Again, somebody had done initially when they rolled everything together, it&rsquo;s like how much you would spend on a WooCommerce store. I have any commerce operation I&rsquo;m partnered in called the vidibars dot com [?] And it&rsquo;s my first physical product and stunt months it&rsquo;s Anna&rsquo;s who runs it, CEO, but we are not going to go with WooCommerce, we&rsquo;re going to go Shopify. We were started on Big Commerce. Because I didn&rsquo;t want to handle the tech stack. I&rsquo;m not a developer. I might seem sometimes like one second at a, you know, a whole interview that I know what I&rsquo;m talking about, technically, but I wanted to relay all that over there. I didn&rsquo;t want to have to worry about separate plugins and updates and potential car crashes. I wanted SaaS for that. So we went Big Commerce, now we&rsquo;re going to move over to Shopify soon, and it&rsquo;s probably going to be cheaper than tagging those together. I think WooCommerce is fantastic, but that&rsquo;s this result of now one company can controls the ecosystem too, which it has all along, but, you start add up these separate things and it&rsquo;s quite a bit of money.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:23:58]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah. So a good example of that would be Stellar, who just recently acquired Iconic. So they&rsquo;ve obviously got the hosting side taken care of, and now they&rsquo;ve got Iconic WP, which is a suite of WordPress plugins specifically for WooCommerce. You feel that that could become an interesting rival for something like shopify in the e-commerce space because you know that those plugins are going to work. Hopefully they&rsquo;ll maintain them. They&rsquo;re going to sell it as a part of a package. Presumably the support will go with it as well. Just feels like that could become a one subscription rival. And then of course you&rsquo;ve got companies which are still independent, people like Yith and so on, who knows maybe by the time this goes out that have been bought. But for now, it remains by itself.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay. That&rsquo;s intriguing. The other thing which occurred to me is still on the good, is innovation. The ability to innovate, and grow things. Obviously, if you are a solo developer, you are probably hands down, writing code most of the time, your ability to market is going to be constrained. And I actually see this quite a lot in other things that I do. I get quite a lot of email from people who have been building their own plugin. They&rsquo;re simply asking for a bit of advice and a bit of help. And can you assist me in marketing this and you feel that the quickest way to do that would be if it was sold and then the company who have all the chops, they have a marketing department, they could do that on your behalf. So I saw that as another possible area, the ability to grow it, market it, and just push it out in front of more.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:25:29]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yes. If the leverage all, when you pull in, let&rsquo;s say in your latest example, Iconic. Pull their customer base and then be able to share that with the Liquid Web, Nexcess customer base. That&rsquo;s awesome. Fantastic. Yes, absolutely. From an innovation standpoint, I will say my commentary on it and you probably have bad where I can say good or whatever, but my thoughts are, you and I root for the little guy, the David or the Sally or whatever, we root for the entrepreneur. I think today, capitalism or entrepreneurship, the ability to go out there, make money by innovating and serving people and their problems. Now I subscribe to the mantra of purpose plus profit is awesome entrepreneurship. It&rsquo;s not just profit. Profit shows, we&rsquo;ve seen so many weak, terrible examples of people bulldozing other people to just make a buck. I don&rsquo;t believe in that kind of entrepreneurship, but the real awesome entrepreneurship when you want to innovate to serve someone&rsquo;s need better, make their life better, that kind, I bet on all day, every day, because that&rsquo;s where I think innovation comes. Not to say that innovation can&rsquo;t come from any of these companies. It can and does, and will like, for instance, in 2015, 16, maybe, people they&rsquo;d ask me, do you think someone can start a theme business in 2016, 15, 16. And I was like, no, I don&rsquo;t think so. I think the likelihood is very small that would be successful. And then you had companies like, even though they&rsquo;re, I guess technically a plugin, Beaver Builder. You had Elementor, even though those we could nuance that and say their plugins and all that stuff, they innovated in the theme space. And I was like, nope, it&rsquo;s done. But see there again, entrepreneurs will prove you wrong. They&rsquo;ll show, I&rsquo;ve got an idea, I&rsquo;ll execute on the idea and innovate for my customers. And I did look at those two companies, Elementor is gigantic. They are a platform in itself just like WooCommerce is a platform within a platform, but they&rsquo;re a platform. So I think innovation happens in the spark from entrepreneurship, but that&rsquo;s my comment there. It will happen at the bigger companies for sure.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:27:42]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Maybe it starts with the smaller companies, that seems to be my experience, certainly over the last 10 years, is that the real fascinating innovation is happening on the solopreneur side or the small team side. And then I wonder maybe it gets stifled a bit, but certainly from a marketing point, you&rsquo;ve got the opportunity to spread your message wider. That&rsquo;s interesting.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:28:03]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>This comes back to our discussion. Overall, our theme is M&amp;A, and let&rsquo;s take a company like Apple. Huge. I mean, insanely profitable on that. The one I think about a lot is Shazam. It started out as an app on the platform where you could hear something, push the button and like me, this is how I learned, finding music is like, I would Shazam it and it would tell me what the song was and then I&rsquo;d go buy it from iTunes.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Well, Apple at some point goes. Wow, this app is big, they have technology we want. I don&rsquo;t know if Apple actually acquired them or how. I think they eventually did. And I don&rsquo;t know what the details were, but think about that big company like Apple known for innovation takes a smaller startup, pulls it up into their platform. That&rsquo;s a great example of how M&amp;A can work, where the smaller people, the innovation labs known as entrepreneurs in my mind get snapped up by the bigger one, that&rsquo;s harder sometimes to innovate on a large scale like that and pulled in and done that. parts of iThemes we&rsquo;re a strategic acquisition for Liquid Web in that we had iThemes Sync, which does software updates, theme plugins for wordPress websites from one dashboard. They wanted to do that in their product. Cool. Now they got to do that with that product. So connecting that back, you see how there&rsquo;s an natural progression of flow, where an industry like a WordPress starts, at least entrepreneurs innovating, putting products out, making money, and then big money comes in and goes or big companies, whatever, and I was like, wow, let&rsquo;s see what we can do. And they start to pull these pieces in. Like Iconic WP. That is a great product set. I know James, he&rsquo;s a member of Post Status, talk to James. I love his products. That&rsquo;ll be a great add on to whatever WooCommerce hosting that Nexcess &ndash; Liquid Web has, you know, to accelerate, I guess, is the word, accelerate their technology.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:29:50]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>The big companies, which as you say are often hosting companies, they get to fill in the gaps as well with their offering. You just described Shazam, it&rsquo;s a perfect way of Apple making more money because you discover it and you go and buy something off iTunes. Nearly said iThemes then. And so it just fills in the gaps. You can acquire things where you feel that you want to be going in this direction as a bigger company, but you don&rsquo;t have that technology, build it yourself, or just buy it out from somebody who&rsquo;s already built and on 90% of the hard work that you need.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>The other option of course, is just from the point of view of the developer, they might want to just move away. They may just wish to have a slightly different life. They want to stop what it is that they&rsquo;re doing and having a bulk injection of cash very quickly and suddenly being able to take a breather and reevaluate what it is that they want to do with their lives. I know that&rsquo;s a bit of a peculiar one, but I&rsquo;m sure, maybe there was a bit of that with what you were doing at iThemes.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:30:40]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>You mentioned that in our pre-talk with Elliot Condon, from Advanced Custom Fields, that&rsquo;s the stories. I don&rsquo;t know him personally, but everything I&rsquo;ve heard and saw written about it was he wanted his startup baby to go to a good company. And it did with Delicious Brains, and Brad Touesnard over there is fantastic, and this whole team. But Elliot was ready for a next chapter and whatever that is, he was ready for the next chapter. When I was going through mine, I will not say Nathan, consciously, it was like, I&rsquo;m ready for my next chapter. I was really in, oh, wow, we got to figure this out. I got to transition our team, make sure they&rsquo;re taken care of. I want to pull value out of the business, that&rsquo;s my 401k. That&rsquo;s my nest egg, was the business. And so all those things needed to happen, but I&rsquo;ll tell you now what, three years after it, I needed a kick in the butt for my next chapter, I would have kept pressing renew and what had happened to me and here&rsquo;s the downside for entrepreneurs is I put, at some point you experienced some success and you&rsquo;re like, oh gosh, this was tough. Maybe I just want to sit back and enjoy the ride for a little bit. But what happened was I put my career, my skills on autopilot and didn&rsquo;t really grow some key skills, cause I didn&rsquo;t have to. What the acquisition did, and when I left was actually put me in the box of like no other torch, you got to. I didn&rsquo;t get live on a beach forever money. And I didn&rsquo;t, I don&rsquo;t want to live on a beach forever. I want to work. I want to do things that makes people&rsquo;s lives better. And in this thing we call video game, we call it entrepreneurship, but I&rsquo;ll tell you, in retrospect, looking back, I needed that, even though I hated, I still miss my team, I still miss my friends. I still get to talk to some of them, but I&rsquo;m like, I miss those people. They were incredible people. They still are. That was the biggest pain of that. The other probably secondary was identity, and, what am I going to do next? I didn&rsquo;t have a plan B. I put all my eggs in one basket.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:32:38]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>It&rsquo;s just a great option though, isn&rsquo;t it? You mentioned Elliot in that particular case, if those were the thoughts going through his head, he could either just walk away from it, and let the product stagnate, or he can move it along to somebody that he, in his case, like you said, Delicious Brains, trust them feels that that&rsquo;s a perfect place for it to go. He&rsquo;s happy. It&rsquo;s going to have a good future. Millions of people are using it and they continue to be happy, but also he gets to do what he wants, which is to take a bit of time out and have a bit of a change of lifestyle, which is really nice.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay. That&rsquo;s my list of goods. I don&rsquo;t know if you&rsquo;ve got any that you feel we missed, but we&rsquo;ll move on to the bads if you don&rsquo;t.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:33:16]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>No, let&rsquo;s go.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:33:17]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay. Let&rsquo;s do the bads. One of the things which I fear in all of this is the stifling of competition from it. So you get to the point where a particular product has so much reach. It&rsquo;s got so much marketing clout, they&rsquo;ve got all the money to spend on the advertising of it, and it just becomes&hellip; there is no competition. The other thing which I&rsquo;ve seen happen, I won&rsquo;t mention any names, but people who have the money simply buying out the competition and then just letting it go to waste. They literally take out the competition with money so that their own product is the last man standing for want of a better word. So I don&rsquo;t know if you have any thoughts on that, but that was one negative.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:33:58]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Your competition is a very valid point because what happens when there&rsquo;s only four players, right? Which, it may be like four players in a couple of years, four or five, maybe, I don&rsquo;t know. And that&rsquo;s a very fair point that you see these entrepreneurial companies like us. We&rsquo;re scrappy. Every day, we felt like we had to wake up and earn our right to continue to serve our customers because we&rsquo;re not hugely funded and got all the steam in the world to own it. We were ultimately building on another platform and actually two platforms, WordPress and hosting. Whatever the hosting company they were with.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>So I think that&rsquo;s a very fair point, like competition, where you kind of seen that within the managed WordPress hosting industry, look at all the different players. And I won&rsquo;t say about names cause you know them all, but go and just research and look at the prices and the feature sets. They&rsquo;re pretty similar. I know because about six months, eight months ago, I was looking for managed WordPress hosting. I was dismayed. So you see that where I&rsquo;m not saying there&rsquo;s collusion or anything, but you go, well, there&rsquo;s just this many competitors. They&rsquo;re going to all look at each other and see how they can co-exist and outmaneuver each other.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>But I fundamentally believe even though I hated us as an entrepreneur, Nathan, I&rsquo;m never going to tell you otherwise I hate competition as entrepreneur, but it is absolutely essential, for entrepreneurs for our customers because without competition, you&rsquo;re absolutely right. So they&rsquo;re going to be in a monopoly and then you can force any changes out that you want.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>A great example of this is Google. They are dominant. And from the beginning I&rsquo;ve been saying like a broken record, their thing was don&rsquo;t be evil. Well, I want to have a sign up that says Google&hellip; remember&hellip; don&rsquo;t be evil. Remember this are you straying against this, but that&rsquo;s the pressure we put within the environment because all those publicly held companies have stockholders to satisfy that stock price, they manage religiously because it&rsquo;s part of their job security. And unfortunately, this is a system we&rsquo;ve created is that they&rsquo;ll keep pushing down and ultimately become about money. It&rsquo;s a big cycle that I&rsquo;ve seen that I just baffle at. Down here at the bottom, you got people that have 401ks., Like I had at Liquid Web and my team had it and iThemes and all that. Right. And that gets invested into the stock market and you want it to grow. You expect it and demand it to grow. Well, on the other side of this equation are the people that are at these big companies that you&rsquo;ve invested your nest egg into you. And what&rsquo;s the message out? Go increase value, make sure it&rsquo;s whatever percentage, year over year, quarter over quarter, all that stuff.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>And it&rsquo;s a vicious cycle where then they push it back down to the same people contributing to the 401k to say more money, more money. We got to have this money. It&rsquo;s a crappy viscious cycle. Back to your competition thing. That&rsquo;s part of it. I think competition is good for the space and ultimately for the user, particularly the WordPress user, you got my diatribe here.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:37:10]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>No, no, that&rsquo;s good. It&rsquo;s a pleasure to hear it. I guess the flip side of that might be the country argument may be that in a vacuum where the competition has been basically bought up, possibly stifled. The vacuum creates the opportunity for the next round of people who suddenly want to fill up that vacuum with their own plugin, keep saying plugin, it could be anything, but we&rsquo;ll go with plugin.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>So, okay. All of the decent things, decent plugins in the WordPress space have been acquired by these large companies. Now there&rsquo;s space, now I can come in and pivot and of course the question is, whether you&rsquo;ve got the nouse to compete against the giant marketing budgets, but yeah, Google was a great example. It became something gigantic. It became the incumbent. And at some point there&rsquo;s no choice left. If you want to have a decent search, they seem to be the way to go.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Okay. What about this one? The fear that licensing or terms and conditions that you signed up to, maybe changed. So a plugin is acquired by another company. You&rsquo;ve got it as a WordPress website builder or developer, you&rsquo;ve got it on 50 sites spread around the internet and it works, and you read through the terms and conditions. You know what you&rsquo;re expecting, you know, what your license fee is, you know, the tier that you&rsquo;re on that fear that whoa, hang on. This is all going to change. I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s going to happen now. All of my websites are in jeopardy. That&rsquo;s a thing.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:38:32]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>I&rsquo;ve seen it happen. You&rsquo;ve seen it happen, Nathan. And I&rsquo;ll tell you. My values are and do right. Do good. And then you do well. If you do right and good in the world, right? And well in the world, or good in the world, you should do well. If you serve people and help them make their lives better, you should do well.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>You should be handsomely rewarded for that. But sadly, I&rsquo;ve seen companies that kind of went back on their word or whatever had been initially agreed. And I would challenge my colleagues and my friends in the space not to do that. Do right. Do good by people, which means honoring your word. And if you did a lifetime deal or you did something like that, you got to honor that because I&rsquo;ll tell you, I think in the future, Nathan, there&rsquo;s going to be a swell of, in the United States back in the early part of 20th century we had unions. They came about because they were needed because workplace conditions were terrible, particularly in manufacturing and these unions sprung up. Now, today, we see some of those professional unions going down, but I think in the future, there&rsquo;s going to be consumer unions. And you talk about one that&rsquo;s like right, for a consumer union, it&rsquo;s called WordPress, the WordPress community, because all the people around there can band together and say, we won&rsquo;t accept what you&rsquo;ve done.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>I think that&rsquo;s going to have to be the way, we the people are going to have to band together and say, no, that&rsquo;s not right, Google, don&rsquo;t be evil. Facebook, don&rsquo;t be evil. We&rsquo;re going to have to band together and put our force. And that&rsquo;s the only way. And the way you do it, as you hit their hot pocket book, we felt like every customer came in with a dollar voted for our business. And if they stop paying, they voted our business out, out of office or whatever you want to call it. And we can do that, Sally is going to have to happen in the future is because there&rsquo;s going to control so much of the space. So much of the key parts of the board that consumers are going to have to band together and say, no entrepreneurs are going to have to rise upand say, here&rsquo;s my innovative solution. Thankfully, we have a little bit of the GPL to cover us maybe downstream. That is one. I&rsquo;ll give it to Matt Mullenweg, he&rsquo;s been the champion of the GPL from the beginning. Keeping products that aren&rsquo;t SaaS, particularly in the WordPress repo, GPL. And I applaud him for that. I haven&rsquo;t always agreed with him, but I&rsquo;ve respected them. And that&rsquo;s one that I think will help ultimately the WordPress user in the future.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:40:54]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Good point. That&rsquo;s one of the things I&rsquo;ve got down, neither in the good, nor the bad side, is that depending on how it goes, somebody with the right skills can just fork, whatever it is that they feel aggrieved about. But it does concern me that the terms and conditions change, we had a really good example of that not so long ago where there was confusion, it would appear. I think it was a tweet or an email or something led people to believe that the licensing terms were going to be changed. And then the social media storm happened. That seems to be the way at the moment to get everybody&rsquo;s voices out and say, we don&rsquo;t want this to happen, please honor what was the case, and in this particular case, you&rsquo;ll probably know what I&rsquo;m talking about. The company said, oh, okay, that&rsquo;s what you want, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ll give you. And it all resolved itself very quickly, but concern that those kinds of things in the future will happen. Especially if you&rsquo;ve got a plugin, which is used on millions of sites and literally as the underpinnings of your website business, that would be terribly, terribly worrying.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>The other&hellip; an another concern that I&rsquo;ve got is the simple acquisition of the audience. You are buying the plugin. You have no intention to maintain it at all. You are just buying, dare I say it, you&rsquo;re buying the opportunity to put a little advert in people&rsquo;s WordPress admin area, or you are buying an email list or what have you, and I&rsquo;ve seen that happen as well. So that&rsquo;s a point of concern, not often, but I have seen it happen.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Yeah. It&rsquo;s an effect, potentially effect of all this, but that&rsquo;s back to let your voice be known. WordPress is so strong because, it&rsquo;s eclectic, it&rsquo;s so diverse in a good way, but democratize publishing is the WordPress mission. And so like that means have your voice, say your voice, share your voice. Even if I don&rsquo;t like it, I still promote it. WordPress users are going to have to wake up. And I&rsquo;m going to say it again. WordPress users have to wake up. They have to let their voice be known. They have to find the place to let their voice be known and congregate and share and rally.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Now it doesn&rsquo;t mean like a coup all the time. It means, let your voice of displeasure be known. Mostly, I love how WordPress has been built. Obviously I&rsquo;m so thankful for the thousands of contributors that have made WordPress, what it is today, selflessly over the years to build it to what it is today.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>I&rsquo;m so thankful for that legacy and their work, but it&rsquo;s also a meritocracy where when you contribute and we listen to people. By and large, we, the community listen and let the minority voice be heard. And it&rsquo;s one of the great things about our community is you can have a voice in the community if you choose so. WordPress users have to start choosing to do so.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>That is basically my list. There&rsquo;s a few others, but that was my good / bad list. I have a question for you to round us out and it&rsquo;s a peculiar question and it&rsquo;s yes, no, you got a binary choice or I suppose you could try and sit on the fence on this one.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Given the exact same plugin from a big company or a, let&rsquo;s say solo preneur or a small company. So literally if they were the same Who would you buy from?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:44:04]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Solopreneur every single day.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:44:05]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Really. That&rsquo;s interesting. And is there a reason behind that? So obviously we&rsquo;ve had this discussion, we&rsquo;ve decided there are these merits and there are these drawbacks to both sides of the argument. Why that way?</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:44:15]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>If there&rsquo;s feature parity, both are doing what you need, and you can rely on support and updates and all that, solopreneur every single day. Because I go back to man, I root for the entrepreneur. I am an entrepreneur. I root for the entrepreneur. So I would for sure lend my support to the entrepreneur over the big company every single day.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Like I&rsquo;m going to go for the David over the Goliath. Every single day I&rsquo;m going to root for the underdog. That&rsquo;s what I take a lot of calls I don&rsquo;t get paid for from Post Status members and others asking, hey, how did this acquisition? Can you give us any tech ways? I&rsquo;m always eager to have those calls because I&rsquo;m trying to walk the talk</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>I root for, I believe in the entrepreneurs. I think entrepreneurship as a career vocation in the world is a sacred one. It&rsquo;s a noble one. If done right. If we do the kind of equation. Do good, do right in the world, and you should do well in the world. What happens when it gets poisonous and terrible and all that is when the script gets flipped and people just say, oh no, no, the equation just profit, profit, profit.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Well, I&rsquo;m sorry if you&rsquo;re just in the profit, profit, profit, and you bulldoze people, I hope you fail. You&rsquo;re not in the entrepreneur category, you&rsquo;re a mercenary. Only about profit. So that&rsquo;s why he said, this is binary and I gave you all this commentary, but I root for the entrepreneur and the one that&rsquo;s doing it right, and doing good for people and serving people and taking care of their people, customers and their team. I&rsquo;ll put my money there every single time.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:45:46]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Really interesting. I wonder what the take-up would be from the audience listening to this, which way they would flip on that one. I had a comment, I said earlier that I was, and I&rsquo;ll round it out here. I was in a forum and we were talking about this exact same thing. Somebody in that forum, I won&rsquo;t mention the name in case they didn&rsquo;t want it to be mentioned, but they compared the current marketplace for WordPress to a game of Monopoly. And in that game of Monopoly, we&rsquo;re at the stage where the houses are being slowly replaced with hotels.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"> <div class="chat-text"><p>And what was once a fun game starts to get really serious. And big money starts to move around the board and things blip out of existence with one roll of a dice. It&rsquo;s just struck me as a perfect moment. We are putting hotels on the board, the WordPress board. Fascinating.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"><div class="chat-author chat-author-corymiller vcard"><cite class="fn">Cory Miller</cite> [00:46:32]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>That&rsquo;s a very good example or analogy or metaphor, whichever one it is.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>Hey, here&rsquo;s another question. I&rsquo;ll answer. I&rsquo;m going to give you a question and I&rsquo;m going to answer it. If I have a chance between a non WordPress company and a WordPress company, who am I going to buy from? And that includes Automattic. I&rsquo;m going to say WordPress every single time. I&rsquo;m going to go with a WordPress company for sure. I am a customer of all the companies we&rsquo;ve talked about. Including Automattic. I give my money to those. So WordPress company over non-WordPress company, I&rsquo;m sorry. I&rsquo;m biased. I&rsquo;m going to pick WordPress. Just why I live in Oklahoma. I root for every Oklahoma sports team, because this is my home.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-2"> <div class="chat-text"><p>WordPress is my home entrepreneurs are my people, which is why I love what I do at Post Status. Cause it&rsquo;s the club. It&rsquo;s the tribe. It&rsquo;s the community of WordPress professionals. So Viva WordPress and viva the entrepreneur.</p>
</div></div><div class="chat-stanza chat-row chat-speaker-1"><div class="chat-author chat-author-nathanwrigley vcard"><cite class="fn">Nathan Wrigley</cite> [00:47:23]</div> <div class="chat-text"><p>Cory Miller. Thanks for joining me on the podcast today.</p>
</div></div></div></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"WPTavern: Elastic Hits Back at OpenSearch, Making Client Libraries Incompatible with Amazon-led Open Source Fork";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121321";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:267:"https://wptavern.com/elastic-hits-back-at-opensearch-making-client-libraries-incompatible-with-amazon-led-open-source-fork?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=elastic-hits-back-at-opensearch-making-client-libraries-incompatible-with-amazon-led-open-source-fork";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7215:"<p>After Elastic, makers of the search and analytic engine&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.elastic.co/what-is/elasticsearch" target="_blank">Elasticsearch</a>, re-licensed its core product so that it was <a href="https://wptavern.com/elasticpress-io-service-considers-next-move-after-elasticsearch-abandons-open-source-licensing">no longer open source</a>, Amazon led a community effort to fork it. In July 2021, contributors to the project <a href="https://opensearch.org/blog/updates/2021/07/opensearch-general-availability-announcement/">announced the first general availability (GA) release of OpenSearch 1.0,</a> an Apache 2.0-licensed fork of Elasticsearch 7.10.2 and Kibana 7.10.2.</p>



<p>In what appears to be a slap back at the open source fork, Elastic has begun making its client libraries incompatible with OpenSearch. The Python client was updated to perform an API request that will <a href="https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-py/pull/1623">verify connection to Elasticsearch</a> and raise an error if it doesn&rsquo;t receive the proper response. The PR received 40 &ldquo;thumbs-down&rdquo; reactions from the community and a brief round of criticism before the discussion was shut down.</p>



<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s disappointing to see this,&rdquo; Invenio product manager Lars Holm Nielsen said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re forcing us as bystanders in a battle to choose sides. We develop an Open Source product that could likely easily work with both Elasticsearch or OpenSearch and then the users can choose for themselves if they want Elasticsearch or OpenSearch. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Now, instead, we likely have to make choice for all our users if we want OpenSearch or Elasticsearch. This and other behaviors from Elastic really does not give me any confidence in Elastic and what you might do in the future. And don&rsquo;t blame it all on Amazon &ndash; you&rsquo;ve already changed the server license, you didn&rsquo;t have to make this move.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Elastic Senior Engineering Manager Philip Krauss responded before turning off comments on the discussion.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Amazon OpenSearch is a different product,&rdquo; Krauss said. &ldquo;And while there is some shared history, there are already many differences that cause real confusion and issues.&rdquo;</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kudos to <a href="https://twitter.com/elastic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elastic</a> for making us all collateral damage in its war with <a href="https://twitter.com/awscloud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@awscloud</a>. It's my bad for pinning dependencies as &gt;=7.0.0,&lt;8.0.0 and getting this update automatically on a deploy. But still, pretty crappy to break the ES python package for anyone using AWS. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elasticsearch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elasticsearch</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vb5VatOXdl">pic.twitter.com/Vb5VatOXdl</a></p>&mdash; Brad Root (@amiantos) <a href="https://twitter.com/amiantos/status/1423063593541541890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Elastic has also modified its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-net/pull/5728">.NET Connector</a>&nbsp;for Elasticsearch to include &ldquo;<a href="https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-net/pull/5728">a pre-flight check on first use</a>,&rdquo; which users do not consider to be an enhancement. </p>



<p>Elastic Senior Engineer Steve Gordon said the change is not breaking in supported configurations and that the intent was &ldquo;to make this incompatibility explicit by failing fast to avoid consumers incorrectly assuming they are running in a supported configuration which is not tested and may not function as expected.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Last week, OpenSearch <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/opensource/keeping-clients-of-opensearch-and-elasticsearch-compatible-with-open-source/">responded</a> to Elastic&rsquo;s recent changes that render many clients incompatible, by committing to create a set of new client libraries that make it easy to connect applications to any OpenSearch or Elasticsearch cluster:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Many developers who use Elasticsearch and OpenSearch in their applications also make use of the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/index.html" target="_blank">open source client libraries maintained by Elastic</a>, which provide convenient high-level interfaces for several popular programming languages. Over the past few weeks, Elastic added&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch-py/pull/1623" target="_blank">new logic</a>&nbsp;to several of these clients that rejects connections to OpenSearch clusters or to clusters running open source distributions of Elasticsearch 7, even those provided by Elastic themselves. While the client libraries remain open source, they now only let applications connect to Elastic&rsquo;s commercial offerings.</p></blockquote>



<p>OpenSearch published a list of a dozen clients for which contributors plan to create forks that will maintain compatibility with all Elasticsearch distributions, even those produced by Elastic.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We do not recommend updating to the latest version of any Elastic-maintained clients, as this may cause applications to break,&rdquo; OpenSearch maintainers urged users in the latest project update.</p>



<p>Elastic&rsquo;s decision to prevent official clients from working with open source forks has further undermined any remaining goodwill the company had after re-licensing Elasticsearch.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Looks like Elastic has sucked all the benefit they could from open source and is now spitting out the bones,&rdquo; OSI Director of Standards and Policy Simon Phipps <a href="https://twitter.com/webmink/status/1424842761887440905">said</a>.</p>



<p>10up, makers of the ElasticPress.io service, one of the most prominent Elasticsearch-powered products in the WordPress ecosystem, is still considering its next move after Elasticsearch abandoned its open source licensing. The company is not in any hurry to choose sides. Vasken Hauri, 10up&rsquo;s VP of Platforms and Systems, said the dispute &ldquo;isn&rsquo;t something that we&rsquo;re concerned about in the near term (the next 2-3 years).&rdquo;</p>



<p>Upgrading past Elasticsearch 7.11+ would require making a choice between continuing on with Elastic&rsquo;s proprietary offering or switching to the open source fork. Hauri said that the company is &ldquo;barely taking advantage of most of the features Elasticsearch offers now&rdquo; and projects that the current roadmap &ldquo;could probably run another couple of years without any need to get new features from Elasticsearch.&rdquo; For the time being, the 6,000+ users of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/elasticpress/">ElasticPress WordPress plugin</a> and customers of the <a href="https://ElasticPress.io">ElasticPress.io</a> service have nothing to worry about as a result of Elastic&rsquo;s renewed war with Amazon.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 11 Aug 2021 05:46:54 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: Emoji Toolbar Plugin Brings an Emoji Picker Back to the WordPress Editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121332";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:209:"https://wptavern.com/emoji-toolbar-plugin-brings-an-emoji-picker-back-to-the-wordpress-editor?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=emoji-toolbar-plugin-brings-an-emoji-picker-back-to-the-wordpress-editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3419:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Earlier today, theme.es released its <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/emoji-toolbar/">Emoji Toolbar</a> project to the plugin directory. It is a simple picker that integrates with the WordPress Rich Text toolbar, allowing users to insert emoji directly from the editor interface.</p>



<p>After Nick Hamze pulled his <a href="https://wptavern.com/emoji-conbini-and-the-case-for-a-block-enhancements-directory">Emoji Conbini</a> plugin from WordPress.org last year, there has been an emoji-sized hole in my editor toolbox. The plugin was the perfect implementation for quickly plopping a quick smiley face or any of the other thousands of characters available. Unfortunately, his departure from the WordPress space meant losing one of my favorite block-related plugins &mdash; and several others that I enjoyed.</p>



<p>It was also on par with 10up&rsquo;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/inserting-special-characters-into-the-block-editor">Insert Special Characters</a> plugin, a solution for users missing a similar picker from the classic editor era.</p>



<p>Emoji Toolbar is filling that void and is a solid alternative for those who need a solution. The difference between the two implementations is the location. Emoji Conbini added the picker button directly to the toolbar, and Emoji Toolbar adds it to the &ldquo;more&rdquo; dropdown.</p>



<img />Clicking the Emoji button in the Rich Text toolbar.



<p>Placing the picker button inside of the dropdown makes it a little harder to find. It also requires an additional mouse click to insert emoji. What matters is that the implementation works, but I would love to see it as a top-level toolbar item.</p>



<p>Using the plugin is a simple matter. When in a Rich Text field, which includes blocks like Paragraph, Heading, List, and more, the Emoji Toolbar appears in the block toolbar. After clicking it, the plugin creates a popup of the emoji picker.</p>



<img />Emoji Toolbar popup picker.



<p>From that point, users merely need to click the emoji they want to insert into the post.</p>



<p>The plugin bundles the <a href="https://github.com/missive/emoji-mart">Emoji Mart</a> library, which has quickly become almost a standard for emoji pickers. The component is a Slack-like box that categorizes each of the characters, and it provides a field for searching for that perfect emoji.</p>



<p>There is still at least one emoji inserter alternative. Instead of adding a picker to the block toolbar, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/emoji-autocomplete-gutenberg/">Emoji Autocomplete Gutenberg</a> allows users to type <code>:</code> and use keywords for inserting characters. For those who prefer to work from the keyboard, it is a quicker method.</p>



<p>Emoji Toolbar shines over Emoji Autocomplete Gutenberg and the now-retired Emoji Conbini based on how it formats its output. It inserts the actual characters into the content, but the other plugins insert an <code>&lt;img&gt;</code> tag instead. That method results in output that is not forward-compatible with any changes in the future or alternative libraries. Users who also prefer to disable image output on the front end cannot do so. This is a non-issue with Emoji Toolbar &mdash; it plays well with other solutions.</p>



<p>On the whole, the plugin is solid. It has well-written code and provides an easy-to-use picker for inserting emoji.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 10 Aug 2021 21:10:04 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"WPTavern: Automattic Invests $30M in Titan, a Business Email Startup";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121219";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:177:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-invests-30m-in-titan-a-business-email-startup?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=automattic-invests-30m-in-titan-a-business-email-startup";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4291:"<img />source: <a href="https://titan.email/">Titan.email</a>



<p>Automattic has <a href="https://titan.email/titan-funding-announcement/">invested $30 million in Titan</a>, a professional email suite aimed at businesses and companies offering white-labeled email solutions for customers. At <a href="https://wptavern.com/video-matt-mullenweg-and-josepha-haden-chomphosy-join-wordcamp-india-for-fireside-chat">WordCamp India 2021</a>, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg said that the company had just made &ldquo;a pretty large investment&rdquo; in the India-based startup and stated that it &ldquo;will be a big part of how WordPress.com offers email going forward.&rdquo; The Series A investment in Titan is Automattic&rsquo;s largest to date and values the company at $300 million.</p>



<p>Although Automattic has gained notoriety for its &ldquo;<a href="https://www.inc.com/glenn-leibowitz/meet-the-ceo-running-a-billion-dollar-company-with-no-offices-or-email.html">no offices or email</a>&rdquo; approach to business, most of the working world has not yet transitioned away from relying heavily on email.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think email is definitely on its way out, between things like P2 and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="http://slack.com/">Slack</a>, which is a work place chat tool,&rdquo; Mullenweg said on Glenn Leibowitz&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.inc.com/glenn-leibowitz/meet-the-ceo-running-a-billion-dollar-company-with-no-offices-or-email.html">podcast</a> in 2015. &ldquo;Email just has so many things wrong with it. I&rsquo;ve never heard anyone who&rsquo;ve said they love email, they want more of it&ndash;have you?&rdquo; </p>



<p>Six years later, email is still a reliable source of misery for most working people, but Titan aims to transform it into a more meaningful communication channel for businesses with help of Automattic&rsquo;s investment. It includes <a href="https://titan.email/features/">features</a> like scheduled send, follow-up reminders, smart filters and custom folders, email templates, and white labeling with deep integration for various platforms.</p>



<p>WordPress.com&rsquo;s marketing has increasingly been aimed at small businesses over the past few years with a strong push for users to make money by selling things through their websites. It&rsquo;s easy to see how Titan makes sense as a supporting product that legitimizes any business with a <a href="https://wordpress.com/support/add-email/adding-professional-email-to-your-site/">custom branded email address</a>. Customers who have registered, transferred, or mapped a custom domain through WordPress.com are offered a three-month free trial of Titan-powered email services.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img /></div>



<p>Setting up custom branded email addresses separately would be a much more inconvenient process and most customers with custom domains are likely better off rolling email services into their existing WordPress.com setup. This strategically enables WordPress.com to be more of a one-stop shop for business needs. People are often reluctant to change their email providers so Titan has the effect of making WordPress.com&rsquo;s products a more sticky subscription that would require some effort to reproduce elsewhere.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We need an alternative to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/GOOGL:US">Google</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/MSFT:US">Microsoft</a>, which have started to monopolize email,&rdquo; Mullenweg told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-03/automattic-values-business-email-startup-titan-at-300-million?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business">Bloomberg</a>. &ldquo;Of about 6 billion email accounts in the world, only a fraction are small business email accounts and they need a product that&rsquo;s focused on their needs,&rdquo; he said. </p>



<p>After just two years, Titan has more than 100,000 small business customers. In addition to its relationships with WordPress.com, HostGator, NameSilo, and other web providers, Titan aims to grow its customer base by partnering with popular hosting companies, domain registrars, and site builders.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 10 Aug 2021 04:52:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: Is WordPress Development Really All That Hard To Get Into Today?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121083";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:191:"https://wptavern.com/is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-wordpress-development-really-all-that-hard-to-get-into-today";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9941:"<p>Oh, how easily we forget the WordPress of 10, 15 years ago.</p>



<p>We are spoiled. We are spoiled by the gluttony of documentation and tutorials, a wealth of knowledge created over more than a decade. We are spoiled by our own expertise, built-in our more vigorous youth, now sitting on our haunches as we have aged along with our beloved platform.</p>



<p>We have grown to become the proverbial grumpy old men. &ldquo;Back in my day, we didn&rsquo;t need all these fancy tools to help us write code. We pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and built everything from scratch.&rdquo;</p>



<p>I kid. Sort of. I count myself among the old-school developers who helped build the WordPress that so many are still nostalgic about &mdash; <em>I think I have earned the right to joke about myself</em>. They were &ldquo;simpler&rdquo; times but not really.</p>



<p>Having been in the community as long as I have, I can remember the backlash each time a new feature landed. I recall the days when there really was non-existent documentation for pretty much everything.</p>



<p>Lately, there has been a growing conversation around the difficulty of overcoming WordPress&rsquo;s current barrier to entry for developers. This has been an ongoing discussion for a few years now, but the latest flare-up comes on the heels of a <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisWiegman/status/1420068080944885767">tweet by Chris Wiegman</a>:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>The deeper I get with modern WP dev the more I understand why newer devs don&rsquo;t like to work on it. This is not the same project as it was in the past. The learning curve is now extremely high regardless of past experience.</p></blockquote>



<p>I <a href="https://wptavern.com/taking-the-leap-building-my-first-wordpress-block-plugin">built my first block plugin</a> in a few hours about a month ago. When writing on the experience, I said the barrier to entry was much higher than when I had built my first plugin in 2007. Having had the time to sit back and think about that, I am not sure it was a fair statement. We tend to view the past through rose-colored glasses while forgetting the real struggle.</p>



<p>What I had wanted was to build the plugin in 30 minutes. Had everything been in PHP, that would have been an easy feat for me. Objectively, I am an expert (or close enough) in the language. However, my JavaScript knowledge is 10 years behind.</p>



<p>It had been a while since I had been challenged in that way. That was a distressing experience for someone who had become comfortable in his own skills.</p>



<p>I griped about the docs. But, let&rsquo;s be honest. WordPress has never had the sort of deep documentation that could teach a budding developer everything. I know this because I have written at least a couple hundred tutorials in my career. Nearly every time, I dug into the project&rsquo;s source code to make sense of it, which allowed me to teach other developers how to work with various features. And many other developers in the space did the same.</p>



<p>In time, WordPress.org added more robust developer documentation, but this was not built overnight. It is a constantly evolving project.</p>



<p>I also built my first block type with vanilla JavaScript. No build tools. No React docs open. Just plain ol&rsquo; JS code in my editor. I needed to crawl before I could walk, and getting that first iteration of the code into a workable state was necessary before I jumped into anything more complex.</p>



<p>In the days after, I re-coded it all to use more modern JavaScript and compiled it with webpack. A week after that, I built a second block plugin with more advanced features.</p>



<p><em>Was it hard?</em> Definitely. <em>Was the barrier to entry higher than when I first developed plugins?</em> Probably. Truthfully, I did not struggle as much, but I am also at a different point in my life. At 37, I no longer have quite as much drive and likely less capacity for picking up new skills as quickly as in my late teens and early 20s. However, I have a strong foundation and enough experience to overcome some of the hurdles I encountered.</p>



<p><em>Would a 20-year-old me struggle with this JavaScript landscape more than a strictly PHP-based WordPress?</em> I doubt it. Both had huge learning curves for someone new.</p>



<p>Someone&rsquo;s first introduction to Subversion or Composer can be just as scary as their initial dive into webpack and npm. For a fresh mind, an open canvas that has yet to be painted with over a decade of doing things the &ldquo;WordPress way,&rdquo; I am unsure if the barrier to entry is so much higher.</p>



<p>For us old-schoolers, our world has been flipped upside down. There is no denying that. The Gutenberg project, which is at the core of nearly every new WordPress feature, moves so fast that it is next to impossible to keep up with while also upping your skills. It is easy to get overwhelmed. When this happens to me, I usually take a step back and return when I have had a chance to rest my mind.</p>



<p>Contributing to the WordPress ecosystem has always had one barrier or another. Whether it be the privilege of time, knowledge of PHP, or some other skill, the project has left some people out. That is changing in some ways. Some parts are now available to users that were never accessible before. This is easiest to see from the theming side of things.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I wish people would see that theme development is heading the opposite way,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/carolinapoena/status/1420220865405497350">tweeted Carolina Nymark</a>. &ldquo;The entry barrier for designers and new developers will be lower. When people get stuck saying, &lsquo;But I can&rsquo;t use my hooks in a block theme,&rsquo; it is because they are looking at what exists today, not ahead.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Having spent more time on the theming side of the block editor than plugin development, I agree wholeheartedly. Theme authors have been given a clean slate, or at least by the time block-based themes are supported in core WordPress, this will be true.</p>



<p>While I could write <em>ad nauseum</em> on the details of how theme development itself is leaps and bounds better, the revolutionary part is how the system welcomes those who had no entryway in the past.</p>



<p>Alongside version 5.8, WordPress.org <a href="https://wptavern.com/the-wordpress-org-block-pattern-directory-now-live">opened the first iteration</a> of its <a href="https://wordpress.org/patterns/">pattern directory</a>. Soon, any user will be able to contribute custom block patterns without writing a single line of code. They can simply create layouts from the editor, copy them, and share them with others.</p>



<p>When the site editor lands, it will once again change the game. Non-coders will have the power to essentially create entire front-end designs without any preexisting programming knowledge.</p>



<p>If WordPress must become more complex for developers to provide end-users this much power, I can live with that.</p>



<p>The highest barrier to entry &mdash; as it has always been &mdash; is contributing directly to WordPress. Or at least contributing to the block side of things via Gutenberg.</p>



<p><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/contributors/code/getting-started-with-code-contribution/">The Getting Started With Code Contribution</a> section of the Block Editor Handbook is a dizzying list of installation notes and procedures that can be off-putting to even the most seasoned developer. Because just about everything is a third-party tool, any trouble you run into just setting up your system is likely to land you in support forums or chatrooms outside of WordPress. Even moving past setup, contributing code to Gutenberg is unlike the days of yore.</p>



<p>What is lacking is the history. We had a decade and a half to perfect our systems for classic WordPress. It was often ugly and brutal building the platform and the ecosystem around it to a point where it was a comfortable space for developers. We have had only three years for modern WordPress to feel as natural as in years past.</p>



<p>I am ever the optimist, hoping that in another 15 years&rsquo; time, we are having these same discussions about the new technology stack that WordPress 10.0 has introduced. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing our documentation evolve, our developer community expanding its skillset, and new WordPressers coming along for the journey.</p>



<h2>Continued Reading</h2>



<p>In this discussion, there are no right or wrong answers. The conversation matters because it enriches our knowledge and informs how we build the next version of WordPress and the web.</p>



<p>The following are links related to this topic that helped inform my thoughts. Each is worth a read, listen, or viewing. If I missed any that others have published, feel free to link them in the comments.</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://chriswiegman.com/2021/08/the-changing-wordpress-ecosystem/">The Changing WordPress Ecosystem</a></li><li><a href="https://mkaz.blog/wordpress/modern-wordpress-development/">Modern WordPress Development</a></li><li><a href="https://courtneyengle.com/2021/08/02/wordpress-learning-curve/">WordPress Learning Curve</a></li><li><a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/2021/07/28/theme-creation-is-now-easier/">Theme creation is now easier</a></li><li><a href="https://wpmainline.com/podcast/wp-mainline-episode-5-contributing-and-developing-for-wordpress-is-not-as-easy-as-it-used-to-be/">WP Mainline Episode 5 &ndash; Contributing and Developing for WordPress Is Not as Easy as It Used to Be</a> (podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJAje6JveCw&ab_channel=DavidVongries">Is Gutenberg Killing WordPress Themes? Challenges for a Theme Developer in a Gutenberg World.</a> (video)</li></ul>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 09 Aug 2021 22:38:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"WordPress.org blog: Widgets in WordPress 5.8 and Beyond";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=11115";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/widgets-in-wordpress-5-8-and-beyond/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4900:"<p><strong><em>Copy and Design by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/critterverse/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>critterverse</a> </em></strong></p>



<p>WordPress 5.8 brings the power of Gutenberg blocks to widget areas — which means the highly customizable layout and styling options bring you closer to a&nbsp;WYSIWYG editing experience. I made a test site based on the oldie-but-goodie <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentysixteen/">Twenty Sixteen theme</a>, with three separate widget areas. In this post, I’ll highlight a few cool things that are now possible to do with your widgets and where things may be heading next.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/site-long-1x.png?ssl=1"><img width="632" height="1130" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/site-long-1x.png?resize=632%2C1130&ssl=1" alt="A zoomed-out view of a single post with one sidebar widget area and two footer widget areas. The site content is about Marine Park Salt Marsh. A List View of blocks floating next to each widget area shows how the design is constructed." class="wp-image-11116" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>



<h2>Create Interesting Visual Effects With Overlapping Layouts and Duotone Images</h2>



<p>Appearance-wise, users have a lot more control over widget areas than ever before — especially through the use of blocks with customization options like the Cover and Image block. Here’s what I can create in the classic widgets editor (above) versus what I can create in the new block-based widget editor (below).</p>











<h2>Intersperse Widgets and Custom Code Throughout Your Visual Designs</h2>



<p>Container blocks like Cover and Columns make it easy to weave dynamic or interactive elements into your designs. While this is a given for many widgets, the block versions of widgets can be easily wrapped and layered within container blocks to integrate them into your layout more fully.</p>



<p>In the example below, I tried placing a Search block in front of a Cover block, which creates a nice layered effect. I also inserted Custom HTML blocks within a Columns block to display different messaging depending on the time of day. (<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31242051/show-content-based-on-time-of-day-timing-changes-on-different-days-of-the-week">jQuery script</a>)</p>







<h2>Use Traditional Widget Layouts (Or Not) With Lots of Flexibility Over Title and Structure</h2>



<p>Classic widgets have always had a lockup that includes a widget title. One cool thing about having blocks in widget areas is that you have complete flexibility over how titles appear. For example, you might choose to have a title over every widget, you might only want one title at the top of each widget area, or your design might not need titles at all.</p>



<p>Note: Some themes, like <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyone/">Twenty Twenty-One</a>, are designed to flow content horizontally within widget areas. If you’re having trouble with a theme splitting your layout into columns, you could try keeping the lockup together by containing it within a Group block.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/grouped.jpg?ssl=1"><img width="632" height="381" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/grouped.jpg?resize=632%2C381&ssl=1" alt="Side-by-side comparison of List View of a Sidebar widget area with and without grouped/nested lockups." class="wp-image-11122" /></a></div>



<h2>Copy &amp; Paste Existing Layouts From the WordPress Pattern Directory</h2>



<p>While patterns haven’t been fully integrated into the widget editors yet, one thing you <em>can</em> do is copy and paste patterns from the game-changing new <a href="https://wordpress.org/patterns/">WordPress Pattern Directory</a> into your site’s widget areas. I used this <a href="https://wordpress.org/patterns/pattern/horizontal-call-to-action/">horizontal call to action</a> pattern from the directory almost exactly as is, with minor color and copy adjustments:</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/footer.jpg?ssl=1"><img width="632" height="389" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2021/08/footer.jpg?resize=632%2C389&ssl=1" alt="Footer widget area with a black box that reads, “Become a monthly patron” with paragraph text and a “Join now” button in a separate column. A painted image of waves hitting rocks is directly below with no space between them.
" class="wp-image-11123" /></a><br /></div>



<p>FYI: Patterns have not been curated for or integrated into widget areas yet, so you may run into some unexpected behavior — consider this feature to be a preview of what’s coming next for widget editing!</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 09 Aug 2021 12:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Chloe Bringmann";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:100:"Gutenberg Times: Modern WordPress Development is hard, Theme Building and more -Weekend Edition #180";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=18698";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/modern-wordpress-development-is-hard-theme-building-and-more-weekend-edition-180/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16178:"<p>Howdy, my friend! </p>



<p>Greeting from Germany, where we follow a mask mandate again for buildings, shops, and restaurants. The weather is switching rapidly between cold and rain to clear sky&#8217;s and heat within hours. We learned quite a bit <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/everything-you-need-to-know-about-powerline-networking/">about power line networking</a> while setting up our home office for two at my parent&#8217;s home. </p>



<p>After the break last week, we have plenty of information, discussions, and creative updates for you. Due to vacation time, we didn&#8217;t see a big changelog, though. It&#8217;s all good.  We all can use a breather and catch up on the finer points of Gutenberg development. </p>



<p>Let&#8217;s dive in, <br />Yours, ?<br />Birgit</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<h2>Gutenberg 11.2 </h2>



<p><strong><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gutenberg/">Gutenberg 11.2 was released.</a></strong> You can read up about it <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/05/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-2-0-4-august/">on the release post</a>, as mentioned above, there were many small but powerful changes to blocks, site editor.  <strong>Sarah Gooding </strong><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-11-2-expands-color-support-for-search-and-pullquote-blocks-introduces-experimental-flex-layout-for-group-block">has the skinny for you</a> on the WordPress Tavern. </p>



<p><strong>Grzegorz Ziolkowski </strong>and I recorded the Gutenberg changelog episode #49 yesterday.</p>




<p class="has-large-font-size">? <strong>New <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/changelog-49-drag-and-drop-flex-layout/">Episode #49 is now available</a>! </strong>?️<br />Birgit Pauli-Haack and Grzegorz Ziolkowski discuss Gutenberg plugin release 11.2, drag and drop, flex layout, core data shortcuts and modern WordPress development.</p>



<p> <strong>Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/">Gutenberg Changelog</a>&nbsp;podcast </strong><br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/620NwVKQJGdTupy36zYxvg?mc_cid=4b6c9f88fe">Spotify</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ndXRlbmJlcmd0aW1lcy5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0">Google</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gutenberg-changelog/id1469294475">iTunes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://pca.st/podcast/f8445ec0-7508-0137-f267-1d245fc5f9cf">PocketCasts</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/gutenberg-changelog">Stitcher</a>&nbsp;|<br />?️&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/chi7j-9904a/Gutenberg-Changelog-Podcast">Pod Bean</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://castbox.fm/channel/Gutenberg-Changelog-id2173375">CastBox</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gutenberg-changelog-878239/">Podchaser</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/podcast">RSS Feed</a>&nbsp;</p>



<img />




<h2>Modern WordPress Development is Hard!</h2>



<p>My friend, <strong>Chris Wiegman</strong>, started an interesting, multi-faceted discussion on a <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisWiegman/status/1420068080944885767">changing WordPress ecosystem for developers on Twitter.</a> Others chimed in, like Matias Ventura, Alain Schlesser, Victor Ramirez, Rich Tabor, Mark Wilkinson, Jessica Lyschik and many more. </p>



<ul><li><strong>Chris Wiegman</strong> followed up with a blog post: <strong><a href="https://chriswiegman.com/2021/08/the-changing-wordpress-ecosystem/">The Changing WordPress Ecosystem</a>.</strong> </li><li><strong>Marcus Kazmierczak</strong> wrote <strong><a href="https://mkaz.blog/wordpress/modern-wordpress-development/">Modern WordPress Development</a> </strong>in addition to Chris&#8217; post.</li><li><strong>Courtney Robinson</strong> chimed in from the training aspect, describing the <strong><a href="https://courtneyengle.com/2021/08/02/wordpress-learning-curve/">WordPress Learning Curve</a> </strong>and the need for ongoing learning.  </li></ul>



<p>Since the tweet and the blog post, <strong>Chris Wiegman</strong> wrote another blog post <strong><a href="https://chriswiegman.com/2021/08/learning-react-fast/">“Learn React Fast”</a>,</strong> raving about the <a href="https://ReactForBeginners.com/friend/PAULISYSTEMS">ReactJS for Beginners Course by Wes Bos.</a></p>



<p><strong><a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021">Stack Overflow</a></strong> published their annual survey results. Here are some numbers. </p>



<ul><li>This year, React.js (40.1%) surpassed jQuery (34.4%) as the most commonly used web framework.</li><li>JavaScript completes its ninth year in a row as the most commonly used programming language.</li><li>Technology: 22.54% of Professional Developers work in PHP, 68.62% work in JavaScript. </li></ul>



<p>It&#8217;s quite reassuring that WordPress is not stuck where it was 10 years ago (<a href="https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-3-2/">v 3.2</a> &#8211; <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management/all/y">w3tech 13.1%</a>). The web has evolved exponentially since then, and so has WordPress and the surrounding community. </p>



<p>I am eagerly awaiting to read through all the various branches of the twitter thread where more developers shared their experiences and their lessons learned.  The discussion is, of course, ongoing. It seems to be coming in waves.</p>




<p><strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2021&#8221;</a>&nbsp;</strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly.  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/"><em>The index 2020 is here</em></a></p>




<h2>Content Creation and #nocode WordPress</h2>



<p>Gutenberg has opened the eco-system to many possibilities that haven&#8217;t been there before, at least not without in-depth knowledge in software programming</p>



<p>Preparing for a talk at a non-WordPress conference, <strong>Chris Lema</strong> published parts of his slidedeck in <a href="https://chrislema.com/using-wordpress-without-writing-any-code/"><strong>Using WordPress Without Writing Any Code</strong></a>. Lema also inspired me to look at <a href="https://automatorplugin.com/">Uncanny&#8217;s Automator for WordPress plugin</a>. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Tammy Lister</strong> wrote a tutorial on <a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/2021/07/31/creating-a-page-to-display-content-from-across-multiple-sites/"><strong>Creating a page to display content from across multiple sites</strong></a>. She gives you a tour of the RSS Block, how to add it and combine it with other blocks.  Lister also shows you how to style it via theme.json and how to build  a page template in the new site editor. In conclusion, she wrote: <em>&#8220;Creating a collection of content on a page previously took a lot more to do. You would either have had to know development or used a plugin. Now, you can use a block that core provides, and it has styling out of the box ready to go.&nbsp;&#8220;</em></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>B.J. Keeton </strong>of Elegant Themes wrote a tutorial on<strong> <a href="https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/how-to-use-the-wordpress-event-block-by-automattic">How to Use the WordPress Event Block by Automattic</a></strong>. There are plenty of occasions, when you don&#8217;t need a big event&#8217;s management plugin to announce and market your events on your website. More often than none, event registration and attendee management is better handled by other SaaS products. With the event block, you can highlight your event and guide the future audience to the right place for more information, registration, and payment. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc_S2lYF9sY">In his latest video</a>, <strong>Nick Diego</strong>, walks us through how to manage the visibility of block content using the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-visibility/">Block Visibility WordPress plugin</a>, while making live edits to  the plugin&#8217;s website. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Chris Wiegman</strong> wrote a comparison theme review: <strong><a href="https://chriswiegman.com/2021/07/blocksy-vs-generatepress/">Blocksy vs GeneratePress</a>.</strong> The article is helpful not only because of those two themes. It&#8217;s a good blueprint, on a  decision-making process for selecting a theme for your site. Wiegman describes clearly the problem to be solved and why he took the approach he took. </p>



<h2>Block-based Theme Development </h2>



<p><strong>Jeff Ong</strong> posted <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/07/configuring-theme-design-with-theme-json/"><strong>Configuring Theme Design with theme.json</strong></a> on WordPress.org News section. A deep dive into the new method to configure themes and support features of the block editor. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p>The state of <strong>Full-Site Editing</strong> was the topic of last month&#8217;s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2021/07/30/hallway-hangout-discussion-on-full-site-editing-issues-prs-designs-30-july/"><strong>Hallway Hangout with Anne McCarthy and theme developers around the globe</strong></a>. McCarthy provides a summary of the topic and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-BsJoeT8Qk">recording is available on YouTube</a></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Brian Gardner</strong>, former StudioPress, now building block-based themes at <a href="https://frostwp.com/">Frost.</a> Take a look at the just released <a href="https://frostwp.com/starter-sites/"><strong>Starter Sites.</strong></a> </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/critterverse">Channing Ritter</a></strong> of the design team published additional details on block-based <strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2021/07/27/widgets-in-wordpress-5-8-and-beyond/">Widgets in WordPress 5.8 and Beyond</a>.</strong> In this post, Ritter highlighted a few cool things that are now possible with widgets, and she took a look at where things may be heading next.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://ephemeralthemes.com/2021/07/28/theme-creation-is-now-easier/">Theme creation is now easier</a>,</strong> found <strong>Tammie Lister</strong> in her post, while <strong>Justin Tadlock </strong>points out the obvious in<strong> </strong>his article: (&#8230;) <a href="https://wptavern.com/theme-creation-will-be-easier-but-we-are-not-there-yet"><strong>we are not there yet</strong></a>. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jcasabona">Joe Casabona</a> </strong>has joined <em><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/courses/">Carolina Nymark</a></em> and <em><a href="https://wpdevelopment.courses/courses/">Fränk Klein</a></em> in offering an online course on Full-Site Editing: <a href="https://masterfse.com/"><strong>Master Full-Site Editing</strong></a>. Casabona offers a 50% discount for now.  </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/karks88">Eric Karkovack</a></strong> asked, <strong>&#8220;<a href="https://speckyboy.com/full-site-editing-help-wordpress-themes-potential/">Will Full Site Editing Help WordPress Themes Finally Reach Their Potential?”</a></strong>. He wrote: &#8220;<em>Instead of offering completely rendered designs, a theme might include an array of options for the header, footer, navigation, and content area. From there, a website owner can choose the options that best fit their needs and fill in the blanks with content.</em>&#8220;</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Carolina Nymark</strong> updated her <a href="https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=CarolinaNymark.wordpress-block-markup"><strong>Block Markup VSCode extension</strong></a>. It includes autocomplete snippets that helps you add blocks to your templates faster. For the latest update, Nymark included the change from Query Loop to Post template and added the Search Block and Query Pagination. </p>




<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s main (trunk) branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. <br />Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know.</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>




<h2>Building Blocks for Gutenberg</h2>



<p><strong>Alex Standiford </strong>chimes in with <a href="https://www.wpdev.academy/concepts/blocks-have-changed-how-we-approach-building-themes-heres-how/"><strong>&#8220;Blocks Have Changed How We Approach Building Themes – Here’s How.</strong></a> </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Rich Tabor</strong> helps you <a href="https://richtabor.com/todo-list-block/"><strong>Manage WordPress publishing tasks with the Todo List Block</strong></a>. After creating the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/markdown-comment-block/">Markdown Comment plugin</a>, he also created a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/todo-list-block/">To-Do list block for content creators</a>.  </p>



<p>I list it under the Block Building headline because Tabor has been an early adopter of Gutenberg with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/coblocks/">CoBlocks</a> which GoDaddy bought even before the Block Editor was merged into WordPress Core in 2018. Studying his code and approach will make you a better block builder. </p>



<p>Tabor has been busy writing tutorials for building and extending blocks on his blog</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://richtabor.com/block-styles/">How to add and remove Gutenberg block styles with JavaScript</a></li><li><a href="https://richtabor.com/gutenberg-block-templates/">The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Block Templates in Gutenberg</a></li><li><a href="https://richtabor.com/build-publish-gutenberg-block-plugins/">How to Build &amp; Publish Gutenberg Block Plugins to the Block Directory</a></li><li><a href="https://richtabor.com/gutenberg-block-plugins/">A Primer on Gutenberg Block Plugins for the WordPress Block Directory</a></li></ul>




<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>



<form class="wp-block-newsletterglue-form ngl-form ngl-portrait" action="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/" method="post"><div class="ngl-form-container"><div class="ngl-form-field"><label class="ngl-form-label" for="ngl_email">Type in your Email address to subscribe.</label><div class="ngl-form-input"><input type="email" class="ngl-form-input-text" name="ngl_email" id="ngl_email" /></div></div><button class="ngl-form-button">Subscribe</button><p class="ngl-form-text">We hate spam, too and won&#8217;t give your email address to anyone except Mailchimp to send out our Weekend Edition</p></div><div class="ngl-message-overlay"><div class="ngl-message-svg-wrap"></div><div class="ngl-message-overlay-text">Thanks for subscribing.</div></div><input type="hidden" name="ngl_list_id" id="ngl_list_id" value="26f81bd8ae" /><input type="hidden" name="ngl_double_optin" id="ngl_double_optin" value="yes" /></form>



<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 07 Aug 2021 22:18:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"WPTavern: Automattic Releases Quadrat, a Block-Based Podcasting WordPress Theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121215";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:201:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-releases-quadrat-a-block-based-podcasting-wordpress-theme?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=automattic-releases-quadrat-a-block-based-podcasting-wordpress-theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4914:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">A few weeks ago, Automattic released <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/quadrat/">Quadrat</a> on the WordPress.org theme directory. It is now the company&rsquo;s fourth block theme. Like its predecessors, it is a child of <a href="https://wptavern.com/the-automattic-theme-team-announces-blockbase-its-new-block-parent-theme">Blockbase</a>, a project that serves as a foundation for the work of Automattic&rsquo;s Theme Team.</p>



<p>After spending a couple of months diving deep into the world of block themes, I was beginning to feel a little burned out. When I wasn&rsquo;t sleeping, eating, or doing yard work in my off-duty time, I was building or exploring one project or another. Soon, it all had become a blur. I knew I needed to take a small break, and I have not touched themes for a couple of weeks since, at least not outside of work.</p>



<p>However, Quadrat appealed to the theme developer within me. I am not sure if it was the soothing color scheme or just seeing the work the professional designers had put into it, but it offered a pathway for easing myself back into the block theme world.</p>



<p>Outside of the work by Anariel Design with <a href="https://wptavern.com/anariel-design-launches-naledi-a-block-based-wordpress-theme">Naledi</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/clove-a-showcase-of-block-patterns-by-anariel-design">Clove</a>, most block themes have felt more like proof of concepts or starting points. Quadrat can now be added to the list of those with some personality.</p>



<p>It does not push any particular boundaries, but it is a well-designed blogging and podcasting theme. Mostly, I am just a fan of the color scheme &mdash; sometimes you just need something other than black, white, and gray to get yourself out of a funk.</p>



<p>One of the other reasons I have been following the work of the Quadrat theme was because it was the first showcase of header patterns I had seen. <a href="https://themeshaper.com/2021/06/25/theme-patterns-for-the-site-editor/">Kjell Reigstad shared</a> what this system would look like in June.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">

</div>



<p>The goal is to include the patterns shown in the video in core WordPress, so they are not currently included in the theme. However, there is still an open <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/themes/pull/4104">ticket for header patterns</a> in Quadrat.</p>



<p>The only real trouble I ran into with the theme is with fully aligned blocks in the content. There is an overflow issue in version 1.1.1 that creates a horizontal scrollbar.</p>



<img />Horizontal scrollbar appears with full-width Cover block.



<p>Quadrat includes nine custom patterns. The focus for most is on podcasting, but some are general-purpose enough for other use cases, such as &ldquo;Media and text with button&rdquo;:</p>



<img />Media and text with button pattern.



<p>The development team missed a prime opportunity with its podcast-related patterns. Instead of integrating with a podcasting solution, they are simple, static blocks from core WordPress.</p>



<p>For example, the Latest Episodes pattern is a two-column layout that features Image, Heading, and Paragraph blocks. That is acceptable as a base pattern for users without a podcasting plugin. However, it may be practically useless for those with one enabled. Or, it creates unnecessary work because users must manually update their page content anytime they publish a new episode.</p>



<img />Latest Episodes block pattern



<p>Given Automattic&rsquo;s recent bet on Castos as part of a <a href="https://wptavern.com/castos-picks-up-756k-in-funding-from-automattic-and-joost-de-valk-to-expand-services-in-the-private-podcasting-market">$756K pre-seed fundraising round</a>, it would make sense to integrate with the podcasting company&rsquo;s plugin, Seriously Simple Podcasting (SSP).</p>



<p>If the development team wanted to take the Latest Episodes pattern to the next level, they would create it with the Query Loop block and display the latest podcast episodes from the plugin.  For users without SSP installed, simply fall back to the current pattern. Or, offer both. Right now, it is little more than eye candy and not nearly as useful as it could be for real-world use cases.</p>



<p>I often talk about the need for theme authors to <a href="https://wptavern.com/it-is-time-for-wordpress-theme-authors-to-step-up-their-block-pattern-game">elevate their game</a>. Not only would such integration be beneficial to podcasters, but it would also showcase the power and flexibility of the block system.</p>



<p>All of this is to say: If you are going to build a podcasting theme, <em>build a podcasting theme</em>. Quadrat appears to be one. However, when you peek behind the curtain, it is just a well-designed blogging theme. It has the potential to be so much more.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 07 Aug 2021 03:20:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"Post Status: Post Status Excerpt (No. 19) — How Can New Developers Get Started In WordPress?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=85055";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://poststatus.com/excerpt/19/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3131:"<h2 id="h-the-first-step-to-getting-started-might-not-be-technical">The first step to getting started might not be technical.</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">As new people come into Post Status looking for some guidance, there is a tendency among old hands to say things used to be much easier. Although it was a simpler time ten years ago, getting started in WordPress development presented challenges to new developers much as web development generally does today for seasoned developers. With a mature WordPress ecosystem now, new and experienced developers should set their expectations about business success carefully.</p>



<p><strong>Also covered in this episode:</strong> David remembers that a decade ago, even though the web and WordPress were less complex, development in many ways wasn't any less challenging. Remember WordPress MU (Multisite)?</p>







<p class="has-background">Every week Post Status Excerpt will brief you on important WordPress news — in about 15 minutes or less! Learn what's new in WordPress in a flash. ⚡<br /><br /><a href="https://poststatus.com/category/post-status-podcasts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Browse our archives</a>, and don’t forget to subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/post-status-draft-wordpress/id976403008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS8ySkU5c2M4UA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/PostStatus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/krogsgard/post-status-draft-wordpress-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stitcher</a>, <a href="https://wordpress-post-status-draft-podcast.simplecast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simplecast</a>, or <a href="https://feeds.simplecast.com/2JE9sc8P">RSS</a>. ?</p>



<h3 id="h-mentioned-in-the-show">? Mentioned in the show:</h3>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Bisset (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/corymiller303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cory Miller (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/post_status" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Post Status (Twitter)</a></li><li><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2012/01/26/ron-andrea-rennick-wordpress-multisite/">Ron & Andrea Rennick: WordPress Multisite (WordPress.tv from 2011)</a></li></ul>



<h3>? Sponsor: <a href="https://poststat.us/ithemes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">Wordfence</a></h3>



<p>Who can afford downtime, a black mark on their brand’s reputation, or the SEO impact of getting hacked? That’s why so many WordPress sites rely on the real-time protection provided by Wordfence Premium. Now, <strong>Wordfence</strong> Central offers Premium subscribers a powerful and efficient dashboard to manage security for all their sites from one central location. Try <strong>Wordfence</strong> today!</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 06 Aug 2021 11:40:33 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"David Bisset";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:131:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 11.2 Expands Color Support for Search and Pullquote Blocks, Introduces Experimental Flex Layout for Group Block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121142";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:305:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-11-2-expands-color-support-for-search-and-pullquote-blocks-introduces-experimental-flex-layout-for-group-block?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gutenberg-11-2-expands-color-support-for-search-and-pullquote-blocks-introduces-experimental-flex-layout-for-group-block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4610:"<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/08/05/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-2-0-4-august/">Gutenberg 11.2.0</a> was released today with expanded color support for the Search and Pullquote blocks. Historically, customizing these elements has been out of reach for most users if their themes didn&rsquo;t include them as options. This release introduces <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/32416">color support</a> and <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/31783">border color support</a> for the search button.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img /></div>



<p>Pullquotes are getting a similar treatment with <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/30951">border and color support</a>, enabling some creative design options for those who enjoy taking the reins on customization.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img /></div>



<p>It&rsquo;s these kinds of minute style changes that web developers would have been paid to perform back in the earlier days of theme customization gigs. Now the block editor enables anyone to jump in and do it themselves.</p>



<p>These color support additions are part of a larger effort to improve the editor&rsquo;s design tools to provide consistent application across blocks.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Another important goal of design tools is ensuring a wide range of exquisitely crafted patterns are possible; that best practices are not only possible but encouraged; and that customizing blocks is a consistent and natural experience,&rdquo; Gutenberg Lead Architect Matias Ventura said in the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33447">ticket tracking design tool tasks</a>.</p>



<p>Gutenberg 11.2 also introduces support for a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/33359">new experimental flex layout</a>. The need for additional layouts was described by Rick Banister in a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/24473">ticket</a> submitted a year ago, requesting a &ldquo;display horizontal&rdquo; option for the Group block:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>When building patterns or trying to achieve a layout with multiple elements arranged horizontally it would help to have a parent block that would automatically arrange its children on a single line. Columns can be used to arrange things side-by-side, but they add quite a lot of extra nesting if you only need to arrange one set of blocks.</p><p>We could leverage the Group block and add a &lsquo;display horizontally&rsquo; or &lsquo;act as a row&rsquo; option to it. It would wrap its children and act as a &lsquo;flex container&rsquo; (<code>display:flex; flex-direction:row;</code>). Further&nbsp;<code>flex</code>&nbsp;parameters could be optional to align and distribute objects.</p></blockquote>



<p>A flex layout option has the potential to remove some of the complexity in nesting blocks. This early prototype shows a rough, unfinished UI for a layout switcher. It shows the difference between a flex layout and the default &ldquo;flow&rdquo; layout, which displays children one after the other vertically without any specific styles. The PR included in Gutenberg 11.2 makes it possible for <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/33359">blocks to support multiple layouts</a>. Gutenberg engineer Riad Benguella said the plan is to introduce more layouts, such as &ldquo;grid&rdquo; and &ldquo;absolute positioning container.&rdquo;</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img /></div>



<p>Adding &ldquo;flex&rdquo; layout support for the group block is the first step towards proving how multi-layout options can work in the block editor. </p>



<p>&ldquo;In the previous WordPress release, we introduced the&nbsp;<code>layout</code>&nbsp;config and the&nbsp;<code>__experimentalLayout</code>&nbsp;prop for inner blocks,&rdquo; Benguella said. &ldquo;The initial reason for these was to make alignments and content widths more declarative for themes. While this was an ambitious goal on its own and a hard one to achieve for the default layout, the goal has always been to absorb and support more kinds of layouts in the editor than the regular vertical list of blocks.&rdquo;</p>



<p>This experimental flex layout support can be useful for theme developers and makes sense in certain use cases with the Cover block, headers, social icons, columns, and other applications. The layout switcher UI is hidden in this release while the Gutenberg team <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33687">works on a better design</a> and wording for the feature.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 06 Aug 2021 03:59:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:75:"WPTavern: First Commercial Content Pack for Launch With Words Now Available";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121149";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"https://wptavern.com/first-commercial-content-pack-for-launch-with-words-now-available?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=first-commercial-content-pack-for-launch-with-words-now-available";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4571:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Marketing consultant Bridget Willard announced the first commercial content pack for her <a href="https://bridgetwillard.com/launch-with-words/">Launch With Words</a> project. Last week, she released a set of 12 blog <a href="https://bridgetwillard.com/downloads/launch-with-words-roofing-content-pack/">posts for roofing contractors</a>, but there are more on the way for industry-specific content.</p>



<p>In January, alongside Ronald Huereca of MediaRon, Willard <a href="https://wptavern.com/jump-start-a-years-worth-of-content-via-the-launch-with-words-plugin"><em>launched</em> the Launch With Words plugin</a>. The initial project supported a single &ldquo;starter pack&rdquo; of draft blog posts to prompt website owners to publish something new each month to build their brand. The plugin itself is primarily an importer.</p>



<p>For the developer crowd, Huereca has a post that <a href="https://mediaron.com/developer-diaries-launch-with-words/">covers the technical details</a> of the project. It is well worth a read to see how he approached building the plugin.</p>



<p>The idea was unique. Willard had written starter content for both the default Twenty Nineteen and Twenty Twenty WordPress themes. She then asked why no one was doing the same for post content. Thus, a new product was born.</p>



<p>The roofing content pack carries a price tag of $497. Companies can publish the posts directly on their sites or customize the content for their locale.</p>



<p>The imported content is a set of 12 blog posts specific to the roofing industry, each set as a draft that users can publish on their own schedule. Each is around 500+ words and includes headings, links, and quotes.</p>



<img />Preview of a daft post.



<p>&ldquo;So many roofing contractors don&rsquo;t address the frequently asked questions from property owners,&rdquo; said Willard. &ldquo;These blog posts address 12. Having content that is turnkey ready allows them to have more content to share on social media as well as helping their SEO efforts.&rdquo;</p>



<p>She has been writing about the construction industry for over 20 years, so this was an easy jumping-in point. The challenge was creating this first pack while also publishing two new books and wrangling client work. With things settling down a bit, she thinks monthly pack releases are a more realistic target.</p>



<h2>Future Content and Starter Packs</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Willard is already working on a new content pack that focuses on general contractors, which she may split into two products between residential and commercial. She plans to have at least one ready by the end of the month.</p>



<p>The long-term goal is to hire other writers to cover industries where she has less knowledge. First, she needs a few more sales to bring others on board.</p>



<p>She may also create some industry-specific blogging prompts similar to the starter pack that is available for free. These would also come at a lower price point of around $97.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The starter pack (blog prompts) aren&rsquo;t mutually exclusive with the premium packs,&rdquo; said Willard. &ldquo;They can be used together. Ideally, they should be used together. Because the content packs are JSON files, and the posts are imported as drafts, they can be written (prompts) or localized (premium) and scheduled. It&rsquo;s the best of both worlds.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>Writing, Writing, and More Writing</h2>



<p>&ldquo;Writing is the way I can teach and solidify my legacy,&rdquo; said Willard. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s super important for me to create a life worth living. Sadly, I found this out after a mental health emergency in February of 2020.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Her most recent book is <em>The Only Online Marketing Book You Need for Your Nonprofit</em>, co-authored by Warren Laine-Naida. Adrian Tobey, the founder of Groundhogg.io, also contributed an extra chapter.</p>



<p>&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t create unless you consume,&rdquo; said Willard when asked how she kept up her pace and the creative juices flowing. &ldquo;I prioritize reading fiction and nonfiction, watching documentaries, taking walks in my neighborhood, going to a museum or a park alone to think and reflect and spend time with my friends laughing and playing card games.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The best thing for a writer to do is to write. Don&rsquo;t worry about whether other people already talked about your subject. Don&rsquo;t worry about what people will say. This is why we love WordPress. Start publishing.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 06 Aug 2021 01:09:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:115:"WPTavern: From eCommerce Integration to Location-Based Controls, Block Visibility Pro Expands Upon Its Free Version";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121122";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:273:"https://wptavern.com/from-ecommerce-integration-to-location-based-controls-block-visibility-pro-expands-upon-its-free-version?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-ecommerce-integration-to-location-based-controls-block-visibility-pro-expands-upon-its-free-version";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5198:"<p class="has-drop-cap">It has been several months <a href="https://wptavern.com/show-and-hide-content-via-the-block-visibility-wordpress-plugin">since I last dived</a> into Nick Diego&rsquo;s <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-visibility/">Block Visibility</a> plugin, and it is now one year since the initial release. Recently moved on from his past job into the WordPress product space, he has been building one of the best context-based plugins for showing or hiding content.</p>



<p>In January, Diego touted some of the ideas he had for a yet-to-be-released <a href="https://www.blockvisibilitywp.com/pro/">Block Visibility Pro</a>. He was already fulfilling user needs, but there was so much left to be explored.</p>



<p>&ldquo;As Block Visibility grows, there will be advanced and/or niche functionality that will be useful for certain users,&rdquo; he said at the time. &ldquo;Think integrations with other third-party plugins. There will always be a free version of the plugin but some of these additional features will ultimately be provided by a premium (paid) add-on called Block Visibility Pro.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Diego quietly released the pro add-on in June, which does not take away from the free version. Everything in it is a pure value-add and helps specific sets of users.</p>



<p>Last week, he released Block Visibility Pro 1.1.0, and I managed to get a test copy to play around with. In short, I am more impressed than I was when I first covered the free version in January.</p>



<h2>Pro Additions</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Early versions of the free plugin had visibility controls for all visitors, user roles, and start-and-stop dates. Since then, Diego has beefed up the options to include screen size, logged-in status, and user accounts. It also integrates with Advanced Custom Fields and WP Fusion. That is more than many other content-visibility solutions will offer before needing to upgrade to a commercial or pro version.</p>



<p>The current pro version includes conditional controls for the following:</p>



<ul><li>Location (Query and Post)</li><li>Time-based and day of week</li><li>WooCommerce</li><li>Easy Digital Downloads</li><li>Browser and Device</li><li>URL Path</li><li>Referral Source</li></ul>



<p>The Location controls are what I have found myself tinkering with the most. They are handy at the moment but will offer more power when used in conjunction with WordPress&rsquo;s upcoming site editor.</p>



<img />Location, query-based visibility controls.



<p>The Location controls are essentially query-based visibility options. Users can choose to show or hide blocks based on post type, taxonomy, and more. Everything from individual post attributes to the archive type is available. Users can also create multiple rule sets, combining various location-based options.</p>



<p>For shop owners, the WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads integrations are extensive. Users can display blocks based on shopping cart content, customer metrics, and product metrics. This could come in handy for promotions, coupons, and similar features.</p>



<p>One of my favorite features, which is also included in the free version, is a popup option for selecting which visibility settings should appear in the sidebar.</p>



<img />Toggling visibility controls in the Visibility tab.



<p>This feature reduces the footprint of the plugin&rsquo;s Visibility tab in the block sidebar panel while giving users control over which options they would like to use.</p>



<p>It looks <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27331">similar to a current proposal</a> for the Gutenberg plugin that would allow users to toggle specific controls:</p>



<img />Proposal for toggling block typography controls.



<p>The differences between the two are in the location of the &ldquo;ellipsis&rdquo; button to open the popup. The Gutenberg proposal has it at the top of the tab. Block Visibility adds it as a control within its Visibility tab. However, the concept is the same, and the plugin provides a real-world test of how the feature could work. Thus far, I am happy with the result. It allows me to hide options that I would rarely use. I am eager for something similar to eventually work its way into core WordPress.</p>



<h2>From Developer to Developer</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">If I am being honest, I am a bit envious of the work Diego has done. Many do not know this, but I also built a similar solution to Block Visibility in 2019. It was before I joined the staff here at WP Tavern. Before seeing that project mature, I handed it over as part of a larger IP sale.</p>



<p>I point this out because I understand the complexities of building a solution that works from a technical standpoint while also being user-friendly. It is not easy, but Block Visibility seems to hit the right balance.</p>



<p>And I do not say this often, but Diego&rsquo;s work far exceeds anything I had built or even had in the pipeline. It is on another level, so a part of me is glad that he and I are not competing in this space. At the same time, I wish I could go back and implement some of these ideas on my former project.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 05 Aug 2021 02:15:57 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"HeroPress: My Life Before &amp; After WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=4001";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:134:"https://heropress.com/essays/my-life-before-after-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-life-before-after-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7202:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/080321-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: The WordPress community has made me a firm believer in the power of open-source software." /><h3>Early Days</h3>
<p>I have always had a knack for technology. I still remember the summer of 2006 when I bought a PC for the first time. I would try to install Windows XP many times so to make Windows work smoothly but without any luck. It was those stubborn viruses, which would only be removed by running a virus scan, not a fresh Windows install, something I figured out later.</p>
<p>Although, it took me another decade – right after my MBA in 2015 – to turn my curiosity for technology into a passion after I stumbled upon web technologies from the development perspective. It is when I started learning WordPress while still working in an administrative and support capacity at an organization in my hometown.</p>
<h3>Daydreaming</h3>
<p>Being an introvert in nature, the thought of working remotely providing value using technology with the freedom to choose my own work hours has always fascinated me. While becoming a digital nomad exploring nature felt like touching the sky. I knew it was quite possible after finding real stories online but I had no path to follow to turn my dream into a reality.</p>
<h3>The Challenge</h3>
<p>After spending tons of time online, figuring out the way was the easy step. Now that I look back during my initial days when I was getting started, the biggest challenge I have come to realize was to stay motivated as being all alone with the Imposter Syndrome – which I am sure every developer has faced during their careers – did take a toll on me.</p>
<p>I think it is not easy to stay motivated when there aren’t immediate rewards for the hard work we do. Sometimes, weeks would go by for me to not do anything but try to stay motivated and don’t just give up.</p>
<h3>Humble Beginnings</h3>
<p>I could easily recall the evening of my last MBA exam day when I started exploring web technologies. Even just before that, I spent a good 2-3 months learning and then finding projects for web design on <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/ihtishamzahoor/about">99Designs</a> until I realized that I am not very passionate about becoming a designer.</p>
<p>I started learning HTML, CSS, basic JavaScript with jQuery but learning these technologies alone could only go so far without a clear path. I was looking for a tool that could help me build a website from scratch and for that, I explored many tools and technologies along the way including WordPress.</p>
<p>While celebrating the 68th independence day of Pakistan online I came across <a href="https://ahmadawais.com/what-every-beginner-is-doing-wrong-as-a-web-developer/">this amazing article</a> by Ahmad Awais (big props) which really helped me to make a definite decision to choose WordPress over other online publishing tools.</p>
<p>After basic learning, I started right away working as a WordPress Power User, mostly delivering theme customizing projects for the clients in the local market while still working a day job.</p>
<h3>All the Way WordPress</h3>
<p>It took me another two years to finally choose WordPress as my full-time career. I moved to the capital and after many failed attempts at getting hired and desperate moments followed afterward, I finally received an offer letter from a digital agency, <a href="https://centangle.com/">Centangle Interactive</a>, where I joined as a Web Developer focused on the WordPress platform.</p>
<p>I consider joining Centangle as one of the best decisions of my life as it helped me with my professional growth by becoming familiar with the whole WordPress ecosystem in a supportive environment. I was being valued for my opinions in the web projects I was involved with. I was also appreciated and encouraged for the open-source work I did for the company.</p>
<p>During the pandemic last year, I joined a startup viz. <a href="https://uptek.com/">UPTEK</a>. The company provides web development services to its international clientele. I have been trusted with the opportunity to work on some of the premium freelancing platforms on behalf of the company.</p>
<p>While apart from the developer role at the company, I am also involved in client communication and project management which has been an exciting journey for me so far with lots of learning almost every day.</p>
<h3>WordPress Community</h3>
<p>WordPress introduced me to the world of open-source software and the WordPress community itself. WordPress community connects WordPress enthusiasts via monthly Meetups, annual WordCamps, virtual collaborations like contributions to the WordPress project, and a whole lot more.</p>
<p>The WordPress community made me a firm believer in the power of open-source software and an enthusiast who enjoys a great deal to contribute back to the WordPress community via <a href="https://codexspot.com/">writing</a>, speaking, and helping organize meetups.</p>
<p>Over the years, I have had the opportunity to write open-source software for the WordPress platform and feel humbled to contribute to the WordPress core. I have also had the privilege to <a href="https://islamabad.wordcamp.org/2018/speaker/ihtisham-zahoor/">speak</a> as well as help organize the monthly WordPress Meetups and the annual <a href="https://islamabad.wordcamp.org/2019/organizers/">WordCamp(s)</a> for the Islamabad/Rawalpindi WordPress community.</p>
<p>I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help start the<a href="https://www.meetup.com/Elementor-Islamabad/"> Elementor Community Islamabad Chapter</a> – which organizes monthly Elementor Meetups. Yet that is not it, I have met some really humble people over the years, whom I proudly call my besties. I met these fine folks on a train on my way to WordCamp Karachi 2018 which was the very first WordCamp in Pakistan. It is all made possible by WordPress and its community and for that, I am forever grateful.</p>
<p>Now fast forward to the present, I have been traveling and exploring every corner of the country almost every other month with my train buddies by fulfilling my dream of traveling.</p>
<h3>Takeaway</h3>
<p>If anything, one of the main takeaways, why I shared my story, is to stay persistent. I know it is hard to stay motivated and break into this industry. But if you are determined, then WordPress will surely reward you as It can’t be said in any better words than by the words of the very Chris Lema himself:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;WordPress will change your life if you let it&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>So, if you are starting out then get yourself a clear <a href="https://ihtishamzahoor.com/a-learning-path-for-newbies-in-wordpress-development/">path</a> and just dive in doing WordPress as things will get better for you over time as they were for me, I promise. Good Luck!</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/my-life-before-after-wordpress/">My Life Before &#038; After WordPress</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 04 Aug 2021 03:00:18 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Ihtisham Zahoor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"WPTavern: Full Page Patterns Are Still the Missing Piece of Block WordPress Theme Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=120067";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:231:"https://wptavern.com/full-page-patterns-are-still-the-missing-piece-of-block-wordpress-theme-development?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=full-page-patterns-are-still-the-missing-piece-of-block-wordpress-theme-development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6251:"<p class="has-drop-cap">It was the early days of the Gutenberg project. Many on the Theme Review Team and those in design circles were trying to wrap their heads around this new concept called blocks. In particular, we wanted to know how it could be applied to theme development. There were many discussions on the pros and cons of the early editor. Overall, there was a bit of cautious excitement in the air, our optimism tempered by a buggy version of alpha-level software.</p>



<p>The block system could potentially solve one of the biggest hurdles of theme development: inserting default/demo content for a full page into the editor.</p>



<p>I cannot remember who initially explained the idea, but it was a lightbulb moment for many at the time. The general concept was pre-building a custom homepage or any page design that users could choose visually. It would all be done through a standardized block system, and we would no longer need to rely on piecemeal theme options, third-party plugins, or attempt to work around the review team&rsquo;s &ldquo;do not create content&rdquo; guideline.</p>



<p>No one really knew how this would work in practice, but we understood the theory of how it would make the life of a theme developer much simpler.</p>



<p>In October 2019, Automattic developer Jorge Bernal opened a ticket titled <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/18055">Starter Page Templates</a>. His team was working on a template selector for mobile apps, and the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/full-site-editing/">WordPress.com Editing Toolkit</a> already had the feature. The goal was to bring it to the core platform, allowing third-party theme designs to build on top of it.</p>



<img />Starter page templates idea initially shared in the ticket.



<p>Because the term &ldquo;template&rdquo; is overused in the WordPress space, I will refer to these as &ldquo;page patterns.&rdquo; This naming <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/18055#issuecomment-659791288">convention was coined by Noah Allen</a>, a software engineer for Automattic, in the ticket. It makes sense because we are actually talking about a page&rsquo;s content rather than the wrapping template.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/genesis-blocks/">Genesis Blocks</a> plugin is one of the best ways to understand the page pattern concept. It has a Layouts button at the top of the editor that, when clicked, creates an overlay of designs to choose from.</p>



<img />Selecting a full-page layout from Genesis Blocks.



<p>These designs are split between sections and layouts. Sections are the same thing as patterns in core WordPress: small, reusable pieces of starter content. Layouts are full-page starting points for users to create various types of pages.</p>



<p>The StudioPress/Genesis team was not the first to market this concept. However, they have created a well-rounded user experience on top of the WordPress editor.</p>



<p>You will find similar experiences via <a href="https://wptavern.com/inside-look-at-godaddys-onboarding-process-for-managed-wordpress-hosting">GoDaddy&rsquo;s onboarding process</a> for its managed hosting service. The <a href="https://wptavern.com/redux-framework-relaunches-focuses-efforts-on-gutenberg-templates">Redux Framework</a> allows much the same, and <a href="https://wptavern.com/extendify-acquires-editor-plus-introduces-commercial-templates-in-its-plan-to-improve-block-editing">Editor Plus</a> offers templates and patterns from the Extendify library.</p>



<p>That initial excitement has waned a bit. It felt like that early promise was a dream that would never be a reality.</p>



<p>Theme authors, especially in the commercial space, have long offered home-brewed solutions for the one-click insertion of full-page content. Whether via a ThemeForest project or a popular theme on WordPress.org, there are endless examples of everyone solving the same problem. One might even argue that these custom inserters are so ingrained into theme agency systems that anything WordPress offers at this point will not appeal to those who have already brought their solutions to market. Where the core platform has failed to meet user demands, our development community has stepped up.</p>



<p>Some of you may be thinking that the current block patterns system works for this. Yes, and no. Theme authors could shoehorn full-page designs into it, but the user experience is lacking compared to third-party solutions. Patterns today are one of the best theming tools available, but they fall short of what is needed to see this thing through.</p>



<p>The foundation of this feature exists via the <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/reference-guides/block-api/block-patterns/">Patterns API</a>. From the theme author&rsquo;s perspective, they merely need a method for flagging a pattern as a full-page layout, separate from the others. However, the UI and UX flow need an overhaul. The flyout panel for the current inserter does not cut it, especially on large screens. A fullscreen overlay has become the <em>de facto</em> standard among other systems.</p>



<p>Users should also have another option between selecting from an existing page pattern or starting empty upon creation.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I think this would be so useful to have in the core,&rdquo; wrote Ana Segota of Anariel Design in a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/18055#issuecomment-880530295">recent comment on the ticket</a>. &ldquo;I created 2 FSE themes so far and also our latest premium theme is made with block patterns and this is exactly what I thought and talked with few people about. It would be great when a user opens a new page, to chose design/page patterns however we called it and it starts editing it right away. Most of the users just want to add a page, choose a layout and start adding their content.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Of course, this is not a revelation to the average theme author who works with end-users daily. Inserting or importing entire page designs into WordPress is one of the most common requests. WordPress is almost there with its current patterns system. We just need to take it to the next level.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 03 Aug 2021 22:49:30 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress: July 2021";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=11107";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/the-month-in-wordpress-july-2021/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15193:"<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>WordPress is global in reach and open source in nature. And you would assume that what allows the software to be used by anyone would also enable it to be built by anyone. After all, your location doesn’t matter, and who employs you also doesn’t matter. And your relative social standing certainly shouldn’t matter. As long as you can communicate with the others contributing to the project, there should be no obstacle to your participation.</p></blockquote>



<p class="has-drop-cap">That was <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden</a> on the “<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/07/episode-13-cherishing-wordpress-diversity/">Cherishing WordPress Diversity</a>” episode of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/podcast/">WP Briefing Podcast</a>, speaking about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the fabric of the WordPress project. Her statement captures the spirit of the WordPress open source project, and we hope it resonates with you. Now, let&#8217;s dive in!</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />



<h2>Say hello to WordPress 5.8</h2>



<p>WordPress <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/">version 5.8</a>, “Tatum,” came out on July 20. Version 5.8 is a major release that offers features like block-based widgets, a host of new blocks and patterns, a template editor, a duotone feature to stylize images, theme.json, and support for webP images, to name a few. Read more in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/07/tatum/">release post</a>, the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/03/wordpress-5-8-field-guide/">field guide</a>, and the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2021/06/18/meetup-group-resources-talking-points-for-wordpress-5-8/">talking points post for meetup groups</a>. </p>



<p>Want to contribute to WordPress core?&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li>Join the&nbsp; <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW">#core</a> channel, follow the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Core Team blog</a>, and check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/">team handbook</a>. Don’t miss the Core Team chats on Wednesdays at <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=5&min=00&sec=0">5 AM</a> and <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=20&min=00&sec=0">8 PM</a> UTC.</li><li><a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/">Translate WordPress</a> to your local language &#8211; here’s the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2021/07/09/wordpress-5-8-translation-status-july-9-2020/">latest translation status</a>.</li><li>Contact the Marketing Team in the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C0GKJ7TFA">#marketing</a> slack channel, if you wish to support <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2021/07/21/social-media-pack-for-5-8-ongoing-collaborations/">social media engagement around WordPress 5.8</a>.</li></ul>



<h2>Gutenberg Version 11.0 is released</h2>



<p>Contributor teams released the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-0-0-9-july/">11th version</a> of Gutenberg on July 9. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-0-0-9-july/">Version 11.0</a>, which focuses heavily on backports and bug fixes, showcases some cool features such as an editing overlay for template parts and reusable blocks, and support for CSS shorthand properties in theme.json and block attributes. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/21/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-1-0-21-july/">Version 11.1</a> was also shipped this month, on July 21. The release adds custom block borders as block supports and adds “drag and drop” to the list view.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to get involved in building Gutenberg? Follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">the Core Team blog</a>, contribute to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/">Gutenberg on GitHub</a>, and join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB2JS7">#core-editor</a> channel in the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">Make WordPress Slack</a>. The “<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/21/whats-next-in-gutenberg-site-editing-status-check-late-july-august-2021/">What’s next in Gutenberg</a>” post offers more details on the latest updates.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Returning to in-person WordPress events</h2>



<p>The Community Team kicked off work to bring back in-person WordPress events. The team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2021/07/01/in-person-meetup-events-for-vaccinated-community-members/#comment-29654">recently announced</a> that in-person WordPress meetups can be organized in a region if the local public health authority allows in-person events and if the region passes the in-person<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/2021-returning-to-in-person-meetups/in-person-meetup-decision-checklist/"> safety checklist</a>. If the region does not meet guidelines on page one of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/2021-returning-to-in-person-meetups/in-person-meetup-decision-checklist/">safety checklist</a>, organizers can plan events for fully vaccinated, recently tested (negative), or recently recovered community members. Subsequently, the team also <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2021/07/27/proposal-how-to-return-to-safe-in-person-wordcamps/">shared a proposal for the return to in-person WordCamps</a> in places that meet the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/2021-returning-to-in-person-meetups/in-person-meetup-decision-checklist/">safety guidelines and the vaccination/testing requirements</a>. Please share your feedback on the post if you have any thoughts. For more context, check out the “<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/07/episode-12-wordpress-in-person/">In Person!</a>” episode of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/podcast/">WP Briefing Podcast</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to contribute to the Community Team? Follow the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/">Community Team</a> blog, or join them in the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C037W5S7X">#community</a> channel in the Make WordPress Slack.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>BuddyPress 9.0 is out</h2>



<p>The BuddyPress team is busy! Within barely a month of their last major release (<a href="https://buddypress.org/2021/06/buddypress-8-0-0-alfano/">version 8.0)</a>, the team shipped <a href="https://buddypress.org/2021/07/buddypress-9-0-0-mico/">version 9.0</a> on July 19. Key features of the release include widget blocks and updates to the BP REST API.&nbsp; Download it from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">WordPress.org plugin directory</a> or check it out from its <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/branches/9.0">subversion repository.</a> Want to help build BuddyPress? Follow their <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/">developer relations blog</a>, check out their <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/participate-and-contribute/contribute-with-code/">handbook page</a>, or join them in the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBYUG">#buddypress</a> channel in the Make WordPress Slack.</p>



<h2>WordPress Event updates</h2>



<ul><li>WordCamp US is coming back on October 1, 2021, <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2021/wordcamp-us-is-back/">as a daylong online event</a>!</li><li>Free tickets for <a href="https://floripa.wordcamp.org/2021/inscricoes/">WordCamp Florianopolis</a> (August 11-12) are now available.</li><li>The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/tag/wpdiversity/">Diverse Speaker Training group</a> of the Community Team announced <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2021/07/26/announcement-and-call-for-volunteers-expanding-wpdiversity-to-three-programs/">three new programs</a> for Meetup and WordCamp organizers. Sign up for the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2021/07/30/workshop-august-19-2021-allyship-for-wordpress-event-organizers-amer-emea/">inaugural allyship program for event organizers</a> on August 19, 2021, at <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210819T1700">5:00</a> &#8211; <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20210819T1900">7:00 pm</a> UTC!</li><li>The Polyglots Team is planning a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/tag/wptranslationday/">month-long translation day celebration in September 2021</a>, with two weeks of “core events” from September 17 to 30. The team will announce more details on the event shortly, and you <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/tag/wptranslationday/">can follow all the latest updates on their P2</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Stay updated on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/events/online/">online WordPress meetups</a> around the world by following the Marketing Team’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-wordpress-marketing-team/">WordPress Meetup roundup</a> every Monday.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://santaclarita.wordcamp.org/2021/">WordCamp Santa Clarita 2021</a> was held online on July 17-18, 2021. The highlight of the event, which had 41 speakers, 19 sponsors, and 672 attendees, was a <a href="https://santaclarita.wordcamp.org/2021/schedule/">dedicated track for WordPress accessibility</a>. Videos of the event will soon be posted on WordPress.tv.</li><li>The Hosting Team organized <a href="https://www.meetup.com/wphosting/events/278295555">their first meetup</a> in June. Check out the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4UCc1Bze5E&t=702s">event recording</a>.</li></ul>



<h2>Feedback requests from WordPress contributor teams</h2>



<p>Please help these WordPress contributor teams by answering their research requests:</p>



<ul><li>The Core Team has published a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/28/wordpress-5-8-tatum-retrospective/">WordPress 5.8 release retrospective</a>. Share your release feedback as <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/28/wordpress-5-8-tatum-retrospective/#respond">comments on the post</a> or by <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSei8fSLjV0um4hk_1JKwgu-8E6mpNwwxF3j43mInW7lnVOTDw/viewform?usp=sf_link">filling out this form</a> before August 15. The team is also <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/07/21/request-for-feedback-updater-proof-of-concept/">requesting feedback</a> on a “proof of concept” for the new WordPress updater.&nbsp;</li><li>The Training Team wishes to <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2021/07/30/learn-wordpress-user-survey-focus-groups/">find what learners and potential learners would like to see</a> in the <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org">learn.wordpress.org</a> platform. To contribute, please <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LearnWordPress">fill out an anonymous survey</a> (by August 13) OR <a href="https://forms.gle/jdk2qkkvGyszx1SG6">join a short video call</a> to share feedback (on the week of August 2-6).</li><li>The Polyglots Team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2021/07/19/polyglots-training-ready-for-testing/">announced</a> that “Polyglots Training” (a course to help WordPress translators and communities) is now available for testing. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2021/07/19/polyglots-training-ready-for-testing/">Sign up now</a>!</li><li>The Test Team wants to<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2021/07/30/help-shape-the-future-of-theme-design/"> hear from theme authors</a> on how they use theme.json in order to shape its future. Help them by <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/block-theme-author-feedback">filling out this survey</a> on or before August 13.</li><li>The Marketing Team is doing research on building engagement around WordPress releases. Please help the team by filling out <a href="https://forms.gle/4QFhX8fcNxKAfK8y5">this quick, two-question survey</a> on how you search for release information. If you have any favorite features from the latest release (WordPress 5.8) let the team know by completing this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_2llymf79-h5sgTiprz7Kw4Gr4cbDHh-AAdAQfiArXlHksg/viewform">short form</a>.</li></ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />



<h2>Further reading</h2>



<ul><li>The Meta Team launched the new <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2021/07/20/the-wordpress-pattern-directory-is-live/">WordPress Pattern Directory</a> alongside the 5.8 release. The Design Team also contributed to this project, working with contributors on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2021/07/29/initial-patterns-for-the-patterns-directory-launched/">launching around 85 block patterns in the directory</a>.</li><li>Check out the following blog posts from the Design Team: <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2021/07/13/a-walk-around-the-search-block/">A Walk Around: The Search Block</a> and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2021/07/27/widgets-in-wordpress-5-8-and-beyond/">Widgets on 5.8 and beyond</a>. Join their <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/?s=show+and+tell">Show and Tell meetings</a> on the last Wednesday of each month to learn about updates on their latest projects and new ideas.</li><li>Check out <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2021/07/configuring-theme-design-with-theme-json/">this blog post</a> to learn how to configure theme design with theme.json.&nbsp;</li><li>The Test Team has put out a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2021/07/20/test-team-reps-call-for-nominations/">call for team-rep nominations</a>.</li><li>The Themes Team is in the process of discussing <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2021/07/20/discussion-request-for-feedback-on-requirement-changes/">updated theme directory guidelines</a>.</li><li>Version 17.9 of WordPress for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2021/07/27/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-android-17-9/">Android</a> and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2021/07/28/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-ios-17-9/">iOS</a> are now available for testing.</li></ul>



<p><em>Have a story that we should include in the next “Month in WordPress” post? Please </em><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/"><em>submit it using this form</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>The following folks contributed to July’s Month in WordPress:  <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>webcommsat</a> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chaion07/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>chaion07</a> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jillbinder/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>jillbinder</a> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lmurillom/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>lmurillom</a> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>meher</a></em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:53:13 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Hari Shanker R";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"WPTavern: Termly Acquires GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner, Turns Free Plugin Into a Commercial SaaS Product";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=121058";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:257:"https://wptavern.com/termly-acquires-gdpr-ccpa-cookie-consent-banner-turns-free-plugin-into-a-commercial-saas-product?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=termly-acquires-gdpr-ccpa-cookie-consent-banner-turns-free-plugin-into-a-commercial-saas-product";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5330:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Company A sells its plugin. Company B picks it up and moves forward with an overhauled version that looks and feels much different than the original. Users are outraged by the changes. It seems to be a repeating theme in 2021, almost as a rule rather than an exception.</p>



<p>Last month, Termly <a href="https://termly.io/wordpress-plugin/">announced its acquisition</a> of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/uk-cookie-consent/">GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner</a> plugin. The plugin was a simple tool for adding and styling a consent banner for the front end. It is now a SaaS (Software as a Service) product that requires a Termly account to operate.</p>



<p>According to the team&rsquo;s blog post, such changes were necessary. &ldquo;Termly&rsquo;s products, including the cookie consent management platform, are designed to cover the EU GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, UK GDPR, and the CCPA. These laws require more than just a cookie consent banner to be compliant. Termly can help you build a privacy policy, create a Data Subject Access Request form, and comply with other privacy law requirements.&rdquo;</p>



<p>In the past couple of weeks, users have taken to the WordPress.org review system, <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/uk-cookie-consent/reviews/?filter=1">handing out 21 </a>of the plugin&rsquo;s 29 total one-star ratings. The project has over 200,000 users, so more should be expected if the general consensus is that this was a poor move by the company.</p>



<p>One of the complaints from users is the commercialization of the plugin. In the past, it was completely free to use. While there is still a free tier, users are limited to a mere 100 monthly unique visitors on a single domain. After hitting that limit, the banner will stop collecting consent records. The next level up costs <a href="https://app.termly.io/user/products">$15 per month</a> if paid annually.</p>



<img />New pricing options for the Termly service.



<p>As Pattaya Web Services <a href="https://twitter.com/Pattaya_Web/status/1419258930941685761">pointed out via Twitter</a>, &ldquo;GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner for #Wordpress has been purchased by #Termly and will now cost most website owners $180 per year.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Termly must get a return on its investment. The company has developers to pay, and they have families to feed. But, I suspect the average user will not warm up to the so-limiting-that-it-is-free-in-name-only introduction level. Having to pay for features that have been free for years will not sit well with many.</p>



<p>Of course, there is always the option of using the old version, but Termly has no plans of maintaining it or ensuring that it meets compliance. The only alternative for small site owners who cannot afford to pay is to opt for another solution.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I guess GDPR Cookie Consent banner, now operated by @Termly_io didn&rsquo;t learn anything from [the] fiasco with WP User Avatar plugin reported by @wptavern earlier this year,&rdquo; wrote user Gennady Kurushin <a href="https://twitter.com/gkurushin/status/1421789652411879425">on Twitter</a>.</p>



<p>I believe they did. There are differences, and Termly&rsquo;s handling of this showed a willingness to be transparent.</p>



<p>And, I cannot stress this enough: the new plugin is not an entirely different one unrelated to its core purpose. It was overhauled and turned into a SaaS product. At the end of the day, it is still a cookie consent management plugin &mdash; just different and costs a lot more for most users.</p>



<p>Unlike <a href="https://wptavern.com/dark-mode-plugin-repurposed-and-renamed-to-wp-markdown-editor-change-leaves-users-confused">Dark Mode</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/profilepress-rebrands-and-repurposes-wp-user-avatar-now-a-membership-plugin-users-revolt-via-the-wordpress-review-system">ProfilePress</a>, Termly did not make the changes in the dead of night. At least the company was upfront about everything. The team included an announcement in a point release two weeks before sending out the overhauled version. It disabled automatic updates so that users would not accidentally upgrade without being aware of what was coming. It even published a public blog post detailing what was happening.</p>



<img />Prior notice of upcoming changes in 3.0 and disabled auto-updates.



<p>If anything, Termly took just about all the necessary steps it could have taken to prepare its user base. If a &ldquo;right&rdquo; way existed for a complete and utter makeover of a plugin, the company did as much.</p>



<p>That level of honesty is a bit more than we have seen in the past. The changes may still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many users, but Termly should at least get a few points for making them in the light of day.</p>



<p>The result may be the same: fundamental changes in how the plugin operates, but users had a chance to ditch it or continue using the old version before anything went into effect. For some users, it may not be much, but that&rsquo;s worth something.</p>



<p>I won&rsquo;t be breaking out my pitchfork today, but I do not use the plugin. As more and more users upgrade to 3.0+ and realize they are essentially on the line for $180 per year, the reviews could get ugly.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 02 Aug 2021 22:04:23 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 14: The Art and Science of Accessibility";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"https://wordpress.org/news/?post_type=podcast&p=11096";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/08/episode-14-the-art-and-science-of-accessibility/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9391:"<p>In this episode, Josepha Haden Chomphosy discusses the nuances of building accessible software, the differences between access, usability, and accessibility, and how this all applies to the WordPress project.</p>



<p><em><strong>Have a question you’d like answered? You can submit them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org">wpbriefing@wordpress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>



<h2>Credits</h2>



<ul><li>Editor:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/">Dustin Hartzler</a></li><li>Logo:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/beafialho/">Beatriz Fialho</a></li><li>Production:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/">Chloé Bringmann</a></li><li>Transcription: <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eidolonnight/">Nicholas Garofalo</a></li><li>Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod</li></ul>



<h2>References</h2>



<ul><li><a href="https://wordpress.org/about/accessibility/">About WordPress Accessibility</a></li><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/">Make WordPress Accessibility Team</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/wpaccessibility">WordPress Accessibility Team Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/handbook/best-practices/">WordPress Accessibility Handbook</a></li><li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/wordpress-coding-standards/accessibility/">Accessibility Coding Standards</a></li><li><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.a11yproject.com/checklist/">A11y Checklist</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide">The Digital Divide</a></li></ul>



<h2>Transcript</h2>



<span id="more-11096"></span>



<p>[contemporary intro music]</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 0:10</p>



<p>Hello, everyone, and welcome to the WordPress Briefing, the podcast where you can catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project, some insight into the community that supports it, and get a small list of big things coming up in the next two weeks. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>



<p>[musical interlude]</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 0:28</p>



<p>This is the second of my big scary topics for this month. I&#8217;ll be talking about accessibility, which much like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI in the last episode, is one of those areas where the work is never finished. Also, like DEI in last episode, I feel strongly about accessibility and the need for accessible experiences in the world, but I&#8217;m aware that this is an area where I&#8217;m still learning.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 1:04</p>



<p>WordPress has both an accessibility statement and team, which makes a lot of sense given that the software supports so many different people, and industries, and cultures. But if you&#8217;re not quite bought into the idea that software should be accessible, or that accessible software can&#8217;t also be usable, then this is the episode for you.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 1:25</p>



<p>Before I joined the WordPress project, the majority of my work with accessibility was in the context of the digital divide. Now, when talking about the digital divide, there are three concepts around quote-unquote, &#8220;getting things to people,&#8221; and those are access, usability, and accessibility. Sometimes these words seem interchangeable, but ultimately they have nuanced differences that address different problems. And I like to think of them this way.</p>



<p>Access is making sure that someone can obtain something.</p>



<p>Usability is making sure that the user experience is understandable or coherent.</p>



<p>And accessibility is making sure that it&#8217;s usable by the largest number of people.</p>



<p>I have always considered each as a subset of the one that came before it. So having something everyone can access is good, but easy to access and easy to use is better. Easy to use is good, but easy to use and easily accessible is better.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 2:27</p>



<p>After joining WordPress, I discovered that accessibility in the context of software building is well, substantially more complicated. There&#8217;s no such thing as perfect accessibility, or a site that is 100% accessible, and many aspects are pretty open to interpretation. It turns out that accessibility, like so many things in WordPress, is a complicated intersection of art and science.</p>



<p>As an example, there&#8217;s a rule that says, &#8220;Ensure that links are recognizable as links.&#8221; A fast shorthand to accomplish that, that we see all over the internet, is to underline all links or put that icon next to it that says, &#8220;This opens in a new tab.&#8221; You know that icon that&#8217;s a box with an arrow? That definitely has a name, that I definitely don&#8217;t know? That icon. [laughing] But those solutions don&#8217;t necessarily fit every context that you&#8217;ll find a link in, and that&#8217;s where we see that intersection between the art of communication and the science of necessity.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 3:32</p>



<p>If you came with me earlier on the idea that accessibility is a subset of usability, and it&#8217;s not a far leap to say that the choices around accessibility implementations should always include design and the overall user experience.</p>



<p>I know that some of you are thinking, &#8220;But we have guidelines! Like, that&#8217;s why we have the guidelines, so that not everything has to be a gray area.&#8221; And on the one hand, yeah, that&#8217;s true. There are a lot of guidelines. There are guidelines for the code, and what the code produces, and the design elements. But I worry that when a solution is driven solely by rules, rather than reasons, we run the risk of throwing out the good along with the bad.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 4:15</p>



<p>Accessibility has been a consistent topic of debate in the project for as long as I can remember, and based on all of this, it&#8217;s really clear why. There are a few big picture questions that still deserve some sort of canonical answer for WordPress, and where possible I dig in and research the positions that everyone has taken in the past. But I also have questions about how to move everything forward, especially as the editing experience gets more and more standardized across the software, which reduces cognitive load, shortens the learning curve, etc.</p>



<p>What is the future possibility for having a series of more niche admin interface options?</p>



<p>What would it be like to be able to account for functional limitations in a way that lets site builders select what is needed for their clients or organization, or just individual situations they know their sites would be maintained under?</p>



<p>What more could we do if part of the setup flow of WordPress was to select some bundle of potential add ons for neuro diversity, or colorblindness, or dyslexia, and more?</p>



<p>It&#8217;s a really big question I have.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 5:26</p>



<p>And I have to be really transparent here and share that my foundational understanding of accessibility and usability is 10 plus years old, and I learned it in the context of people in education, not software. So a lot of my questions about the future of accessibility and WordPress is the result of old knowledge exploring new spaces, which means they are a little untested. And I&#8217;m so grateful for the contributors who point out what the current research and thinking is, in this incredibly complex field.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 6:00</p>



<p>I normally like to wrap up the briefing with a tidy takeaway, but this particular topic doesn&#8217;t really lend itself to that. So I&#8217;ll leave you with this. I really believe in WordPress&#8217; mission to democratize publishing. And I, for one, will never stop learning about what gives people more access to the software, and what makes the software more usable, and especially how we can combine usability with accessibility in a way that puts form and function on a level playing field.</p>



<p>[musical interlude]</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 6:40</p>



<p>And now, that brings us to our small list of big things.</p>



<p>Thing one, it&#8217;s that time of year where many of our community members take a short break to relax and refresh. I&#8217;ll be taking a bit of a break during the month of August, and so the WP Briefing will return again starting in September.</p>



<p>And thing two, huge thanks to the production crew that helps me make this podcast every couple of weeks, but a special shout out to our editor Dustin Hartzler, who makes quick work of all of my rambling thoughts.</p>



<p><strong>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</strong> 7:09</p>



<p>And that is your small list of big things. Thank you for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I&#8217;ll see you again in September.</p>



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