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WP News! WordPress 2022 annual survey results & more!

Thu, 11 May 2023 11:44:51 +0000

For the show notes & links: https://thewpminute.com/wordpress-2022-annual-survey-results-more/

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WordPress news! .org tags, 2022 wrap-ups, and AI coding battles!

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

During the 2022 State of the Word event, Matt Mullenweg announced that the WordPress.org theme and plugin repositories would allow authors to categorize their entries as “Commercial” or “Community” products. Not long after, the feature became active.

As Sarah Gooding reports for WP Tavern, authors are starting to opt-in. Examples include Automattic’s Akismet and Jetpack plugins, which are designated as “Commercial”. Meanwhile, default themes such as Twenty Twenty-Three are designated as “Community”.

WordPress developer Ronald Huereca has written a summary of the feature, including the differences between the available categories. Also included is a guide for developers who’d like to opt-in.

Next up (listen to the podcast for more): Title goes here!

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

As one of the oldest WordPress form plugins, Contact Form 7 boasts over 5 million active installs. But it has tended to lag behind competitors when it comes to user interface. Developer Munir Kamal recently announced a third-party extension, CF7 Blocks, that adds block-based functionality. Longtime users will finally have an easy way to integrate their forms into the Block Editor.

StellarWP’s Matt Cromwell has developed a Zapier automation that will provide the daily number of downloads for a plugin residing in the WordPress.org repository. The stats are compiled in a Google Sheet document. Cromwell also breaks down the value of this data in a separate blog post.

2022 was a busy year for WordPress core. Core team representative Jb Audras shared a plethora of relevant data on Twitter to prove the point. For example, there were 2,597 commits made by a total of 988 contributors during the year. The thread features several charts that demonstrate how much work goes into building and maintaining the project. The complete review is available over on make.wordpress.org.

That’s not the only year-in-review worth mentioning. Several other WordPress community members have shared their own wrap-ups, including:

Syed Balkhi (Founder and CEO of Awesome Motive)
Carrie Dils (WordPress developer and LinkedIn Learning instructor)
Katie Keith (Barn2 Plugins)
Alex Standiford & Family (WordPress developer)
Wombat Plugins
Classifieds listings buy yours

See your ad in this space!
From the Grab Bag

Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.

Which AI platform is better at writing a WordPress plugin? Keanan Koppenhaver pitted GitHub CoPilot and ChatGPT against each other to find out.
Justin Ferriman looks at why blocks may play a key role in the next WordPress gold rush.
With many WordPress community members moving to Mastodon, Antonio Cambronero has written a guide for integrating with the decentralized social platform.
Over at The Verge, Monique Judge asks for a return to the days of personal blogging.
WordCamp US will take place from August 24-26, 2023 in National Harbor, MD. The event has recently posted an open call for organizers.

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WordPress news! Blaze, performance, Duplicator acquisition

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

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Thanks for being here

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

Thanks for being here

WordPress news! New Jetpack app, Mailchimp breach, and AI lawsuits

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

The lines between the open-source WordPress.org and its commercial counterpart WordPress.com (owned by Automattic) have long been blurred and confusing. So much that commercial offerings from Automattic’s suite of tools were integrated into the official WordPress mobile app.

https://thewpminute.com/?p=9598

That’s about to change. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, features that rely on Automattic products are moving to the latest version of the free Jetpack app.

This means that users will need the Jetpack app to access site statistics, comment notifications, and the Reader content discovery feature.

In a blog post announcing the change, WordPress.com says that site data can be automatically migrated from the WordPress app to Jetpack, provided you have the latest version of both installed on your device. Meanwhile, the WordPress app will become more focused on the core functionality of the content management system.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

Mailchimp have disclosed a recent security breach - and an account belonging to Automattic appears to have been affected. WooCommerce has sent an email informing users of the situation, but says that “No payment data, passwords, or other sensitive security information is part of this breach.”

The WordPress Theme Directory is in the early stages of a refresh. A post on the Make WordPress blog shared mockup images, with the design looking similar to the recently upgraded News and Showcase sections. Stated goals include improved usability, along with implementing the recently-introduced theme taxonomies.

If you’ve ever wanted to contribute to WordPress core, here’s your chance. WordPress 6.2 is tentatively scheduled to become available on March 28, 2023. The project is currently looking for volunteers to lead various aspects of the release and become a part of the “squad”.

Artwork generated via artificial intelligence is generating lots of buzz - and a high-profile lawsuit. Getty Images is suing Stability AI, maker of the Stability Diffusion artwork generator, for copyright infringement. The outcome could alter the way these tools scrape content, not to mention a user’s ability to safely publish AI images.
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New jetpack app and more!!

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

New jetpack app and more!!

Is Transistor podcast hosting right for you?

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:31 +0000

If you're starting a new podcast in 2023, you might be reviewing Transistor podcast hosting. In today's video, I'll explore the pros and cons of Transistor including things like price, usability, monetization, free podcast websites, and more!

Start your podcast at Transistor: https://thewpminute.com/go/transistor

== Timestamps ==
00:00 Pros/Cons of Transistor.fm
00:34 Transistor.fm Pricing
02:34 Transistor.fm is easy
05:10 Transistor.fm analytics
06:16 Integrations for your podcast
06:55 Free podcast websites at Transistor.fm
08:03 Needs more monetization options
09:05 More Podcasting 2.0 & V4V support
09:55 Needs better WordPress support

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WordPress news! New WordPress phases, Awesome Motive buys Thrive Themes, and more!

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

What’s on tap for WordPress core in 2023? Project executive director Josepha Haden Chomphosy recently outlined some big picture goals. By design, the post is light on detail. Haden Chomphosy says the list represents a view from “10,000 feet”.

Perhaps the biggest item mentioned is the completion Phase 2 of the Gutenberg project, which focuses on the customization of the Block and Site editors. From there, the project will begin exploring Phase 3, where collaborative functionality will be on the table.

Other areas of interest include improvements to media management, adding Openverse search in WordPress core, and the return of the WordPress Community Summit.

The goals are ambitious and there is a lot of work to be done. With that, Haden Chomphosy also put out a call for volunteers.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

For WordPress product makers, identifying a target audience can be challenging. There is often difficulty in balancing new features, support, and marketing. After a few years of catering to publishers of all sizes, Newsletter Glue’s Lesley Sim has decided to train her product’s focus on newsrooms and media companies. In a blog post, Sim explained the reasons behind the shift and what it means for current customers.

The folks at Awesome Motive have made their second major acquisition this month. This time around, they’ve purchased Thrive Themes. Known for the Thrive Architect and Thrive Theme Builder products, the company also touches on the LMS, automation, and marketing niches.

Wordfence has released their annual State of WordPress Security report. Takeaways include a higher number of reported vulnerabilities, while fewer of them were categorized as “critical unauthenticated”. One constant is the need to keep your WordPress installation up-to-date. Neglect is still a huge factor when it comes to security.

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WP News! Matrix over Slack, WP Minute Plus, & more Gutenberg goals

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

Should WordPress move away from Slack and towards the fediverse for project communication? Automattic-sponsored Meta team contributor Alex Kirk thinks so. Kirk has proposed a project to explore switching to the free Matrix open-source federated chat system.

The potential benefits are compelling. For one, there’s something to be said for open-source projects supporting each other. Beyond that, easier onboarding and a variety of available chat clients were also touted.

Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern demonstrated some of these advantages in a recent article. And Kirk’s team has also created a Gutenberg block, Chatrix, that embeds a Matrix chat client directly into any WordPress website.

Slack, meanwhile, has long been the chosen platform for project communication. A move to Matrix will certainly face both technical and philosophical hurdles. We’ll keep you updated as the discussion progresses.

Introducing The WP Minute +

The WP Minute’s goal is to bring you the latest WordPress news in just 5 minutes a week. But we also see the value in going in-depth with newsmakers and discussing important issues.

With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to The WP Minute +. It’s our new podcast dedicated to longform content. You’ll find exclusive interviews and conversations, bringing you even closer to what’s going on with WordPress.

To kick things off, we spoke with Awesome Motive’s Syed Balkhi regarding the recent acquisition of Thrive Themes.

Be sure to add The WP Minute+ to your podcast apps to get 3 additional episodes featuring Miriam Schwab, Chris Badgett, and Chris Lubkert.

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New changes in WordPress 6.2 Beta!

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

Today we're looking at the upcoming features in WordPress 6.1 through the first beta they released today. Full site editing is getting _better_, but the verdict is still out on it's day to day use. Let me know what you think about the changes in comments!

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WP News! WP 6.2 is coming, FSE is ready for primetime?

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

WordPress 6.2 is scheduled for release on March 28, 2023. But it’s never too early to start preparations. Therefore, you may want to check out the first beta release, which is now available for testing.
The first major release of 2023 brings a plethora of enhancements to the Site and Block Editors. Some features, such as color coded template parts within the Site Editor, focus on improved usability. But there are a few big picture changes as well.
For one, the ability to search and download Openverse images will be included in the Block Editor. This allows anyone to grab Creative Commons licensed media from within their website. Also included are a revamped Navigation block, a Style Book feature for creating custom styles, and sticky blocks.
To see what else is new, GoDaddy Pro's Courtney Robertson has published a detailed guide on WordPress 6.2.
Links You Shouldn’t Miss
When it comes to WordPress core, newer doesn’t always mean faster. Core committer Adam Silverstein has submitted a proposal to change that. According to a report from WP Tavern, Silverstein’s proposal calls for automated performance monitoring. The goal is to catch potential problems before they reach the average user.
Last December, we reported on the WP Community Collective (WPCC). The not-for-profit organization aims to financially support contributions to the WordPress project. This week it was announced that Alex Stine has been selected as the first WPCC Fellow. Stine is currently a member of the WordPress Accessibility team and will continue in that role. The WPCC is still looking for donations in order to fully fund Stine’s fellowship.
Twitter recently announced that free access to its API will no longer be available as of February 9, 2023. That’s likely to impact both WordPress plugin developers and end users. Core contributor Mika Epstein posted a notice about the change and asked developers to investigate what this new policy means for their products.
From the Grab Bag
Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.
The “freemium” product model is a popular one within the WordPress ecosystem. MasterWP’s Nyasha Green and Rob Howard discussed their experiences with building freemium products on a recent episode of the Press the Issue podcast.
Applications to attend the 2023 WordPress Community Summit are now being accepted. The invitation-only event for project contributors will take place from August 22-23 in National Harbor, MD, prior to WordCamp US.
Is there anything ChatGPT can’t do? ZDNet’s David Gewirtz recently wrote about his successful attempt at using the AI tool to build a WordPress plugin.
Speaking of AI, Microsoft has announced that its Bing search engine and Edge browser will be enhanced by OpenAI technology. A limited preview is underway for Bing, with an expansion due in the coming weeks.
The WordPress Training team is looking for feedback regarding user learning preferences. Fill out their individual learner survey to let the team know your thoughts.
Video of the week
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The WP Minute takes a closer look at

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New AI Image & Text Generation blocks at WordPress.com | Powered by Jetpack?

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

WordPress.com is playing with some experimental AI blocks to help users generate images and text content for their websites. I looked at these two blocks today to show off what they can. I'm curious if these will hit Jetpack for .org users in the future.

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WP News! AI Blocks, WCASIA, GoDaddy cuts

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

It’s no secret that tools boasting Artificial Intelligence are popping up all over the place. That most certainly includes WordPress. And now Auttomattic’s WordPress.com is running an experiment to see how the technology might benefit users.
As reported by blogger JenT at WPcomMaven, the managed hosting service quietly added two AI-powered blocks to the Block Editor. The AI Image and AI Paragraph blocks are aimed at helping content creators.
As the name suggests, the AI Image block allows users to generate an image that can be inserted into a post. And the AI Paragraph block will “read” your post’s content and generate follow up text.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg confirmed the new features on Twitter, but made no promises regarding how long they’ll stick around.
Meanwhile, Automattic engineer Artur Piszek published a brief post introducing the blocks and answering questions in the WordPress.com support forums. Based on the conversation, it looks as though this could be a commercial add-on in the future.
The technology is being branded as “Jetpack AI”, and was built in conjunction with OpenAI.

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InstaWP install & host WordPress websites in seconds!

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

InstaWP allows you to host temporary WordPress websites to help you develop, demo, or learn to use our favorite CMS! You can try instaWP for free using my link below! Using the link helps earn us a digital coffee to keep us going :)

Try InstaWP https://swiy.co/instawp

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WP News! More WordCamps planned, Jetpack app updates & more

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:30 +0000

It’s the WP Minute!
Support independent WordPress news like this, join the Slack membership, or purchase a classified listing in the weekly newsletter at thewpminute.com/support

You know how it goes, everything I mention here will be linked up in the newsletter and the blog post. Check out thewpminute.com for the links.
Most Impactful
The first-ever WordCamp Asia wrapped up on February 19. The event took place in Bangkok, Thailand and brought together attendees from all over the globe, along with a live streaming audience.
Global Lead Naoko Takano posted a thank you to attendees and volunteers. And there’s also an attendee survey available to help organizers gain feedback.
Among the highlighted events was a Q&A with WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg. If you missed the session, the video is available on YouTube. You can also check out a recap of the session written by David Bisset.
Next year’s event is already being planned. It’s scheduled to be held in Taipei, Taiwan in March 2024.
Links You Shouldn’t Miss
The glut of layoffs in the tech industry has started to impact WordPress professionals. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, the trend has hit companies of varying sizes. Large companies like GoDaddy and DigitalOcean have made cuts, as have smaller firms like Human Made and XWP.
Back in November 2022, the WordPress community raised concerns about meeting platform Meetup.com’s use of an accessibility overlay. The company pledged to work with advocates to improve their user experience. They recently released an assessment that lists 700+ improvements to be made and shared a plan for action. The WordPress Accessibility Team posted more details on the process, while WP Tavern provides more background regarding the issue.
Should Gutenberg-related features be treated differently when it comes to how they’re merged into beta versions of WordPress? Project Lead Developer Andrew Ozz has proposed a method to make it easier to merge these changes after a WordPress beta 1 version “feature freeze”. The idea has generated a robust debate in the proposal’s comment section.
From the Grab Bag
Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is now available for your WordPress.org account. Access can be verified via a third-party app on a mobile device, such as Authy or Google Authenticator.
Developers Olivia and David Bisset have launched wpfront.page, a curated collection of WordPress news, opinions, and social media posts.
The team behind WordCamp London have announced that the event is in the early planning stages and will take place in September 2023. They’ve also posted a survey to collect attendee input.
As WordPress becomes more focused on JavaScript development, some developers are feeling left out. Jamie Reevior wrote a short essay on why he’s feeling “betrayed” by the project.
The WordPress mobile app is changing, and some features are being moved over to Jetpack’s new app. WordPress.com has published a guide to help users understand the differences.
Hey.com CEO and Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson says his company will save money by exiting the cloud and building their own data centers.
If you’re a content creator interested in how a “headless” WordPress configuration might benefit you, WP Engine is hosting a webinar on February 23.
New Members This Week
Remkus de Vries, follow @remkusdevries
If you’re not a member yet, go to thewpminute.com/support/ to join.
Video of the week
Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@wpminute
This week, The WP Minute takes InstaWP for a spin. This service allows you to create a new WordPress install with just a few clicks.
https://youtu.be/oNVHjYJwf3M
Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today:
Jeff Chandler
Sam Munoz
Courtney Robertson
Daniel Schutzsmith
Abha Thakor
Outro
Thanks to you, dear listener, for tuning in to your favorite 5-minutes of WordPress news every Wednesday.
You can support independent content like this by purchasing us a digital coffee at thewpminute.com/support
Or join the #linksquad membership for $79/year to support the show and become a producer of the WP Minute at thewpminute.com/support
That’s it for today’s episode, if you enjoyed it, please share it wherever you do social media and jump on the mailing list at thewpminute.com.

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WP News! Openverse concerns and more Awesome Motive acquisitions

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:29 +0000

WordPress 6.2 is slated for release on March 28. Among its most impactful new features will be the integration of the Openverse media search. This will allow users to add images, audio, and video that are available via a Creative Commons license.

While Openverse integration adds a layer of convenience, there was some debate about how the feature initially worked. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, the first iteration (released in version 15.1 of the Gutenberg plugin) simply hotlinked to images, rather than uploading files to the user’s website by default.

Users had the option to upload the image via the WordPress Media Library. However, the default hotlinking behavior meant that some users would inevitably leave things as they are. This could run afoul of privacy regulations like GDPR in the European Union.

Meanwhile, WordPress core contributor Jeremy Herve created a ticket that called attention to the potential issue. Others have since raised questions regarding usage rights - including the right to crop or otherwise modify media.

The debate has led to a change in plans. WordPress contributors reacted swiftly and now the feature will upload Openverse images by default. A fallback has also been implemented that warns users when an image couldn’t be uploaded. Check out WP Tavern’s follow up for more details on how things evolved.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

There are more acquisitions to report in the WordPress space. First, Caseproof, makers of the MemberPress plugin, have acquired rival MemberMouse. In the announcement, MemberPress Creator and CEO Blair Williams says both products have different audiences and thus will remain separate offerings.

Next up, Syed Balkhi announced that tutorial service WP101 has been acquired by Awesome Motive. Balkhi notes that the acquisition furthers his goal of creating the “best class-room style WordPress training videos to help WordPress grow in enterprise, government agencies, as well as at the school and collegiate level.”

The democratization of publishing is a stated goal of WordPress. To see proof of it in action, look no further than the Prison Journalism Project. Sarah Gooding profiled the organization and its use of WordPress to help incarcerated writers to connect with the outside world.

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WP News! How much are WordPress agencies earning?

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:29 +0000

If you’re a WordPress professional, it can be hard to know where you fit into the bigger picture. Online community The Admin Bar aims to provide a glimpse into the market with its annual WordPress Professional Survey. Web designer Kyle Van Deusen interviewed 667 professionals and reported on a range of topics.

Among the highlights:

77% of respondents consider themselves to be full-time;

Over half of respondents have been in business for 10 years or less, while the majority have started up within the past 5;

Solo freelancing is still popular, as 59% of respondents work alone;

WordPress professionals are generally optimistic about the future of the software and agencies;

The average hourly rate charged by respondents is $96.00;

That’s just a small sampling of what’s included. There’s plenty more to explore and the full data set is also available for download.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

OpenAI has announced that APIs for their Chat GPT and Whisper products are now available. This step will allow developers to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their own products. Expect the WordPress community to take advantage.

Development agency ThemeKraft have published an open letter describing their concerns with the WordPress plugin review team. The letter details their experience when collaborating to fix a security issue with one of their products. With that being said, it’s also worth mentioning that the plugin review team consists of volunteers and has noted a backlog of work. This letter details one developer’s view and we’re sharing it as such.

With the upcoming release of WordPress 6.2, project core contributor Anne McCarthy has published an extensive guide to what’s new. If you’re looking for all the details regarding new features and important changes, this is a one-stop resource.

To get a first-hand look at WordPress 6.2, you’ll also want to check out the live demo hosted by McCarthy, Rich Tabor, and Nathan Wrigely. The video highlights new features and includes a Q&A session.

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WP News! More AI coming to WordPress

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:29 +0000

Blocks are now a key part of the WordPress experience. But what if they were platform-agnostic? That’s the idea behind the Block Protocol. Founded in 2022, the organization recently released a WordPress plugin.

In its initial release, the Block Protocol plugin adds over a dozen new blocks to WordPress. Included in the package you’ll find blocks to display common items such as addresses, how-to lists, and countdown timers. There are also AI-powered blocks for generating images and text.

The blocks work on any platform that supports the Block Protocol. And additional blocks are in the works.

To learn more, The WP Minute’s Eric Karkovack sat down with HASH CEO David Wilkinson to discuss the project, along with its potential to enhance WordPress and other platforms.

Next up (listen to the podcast for more): Amber Hinds of Equalize Digital discusses the pre-seed investment her company received from Emilia Capital and what it means for their Accessibility Checker plugin.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

Artificial Intelligence is increasing its presence within WordPress. Last week, we reported that OpenAI has made its API available to developers wanting to integrate ChatGPT into their applications. It didn’t take long for the WordPress community to dive in. One example: the recent launch of DocsBot AI. The product allows you to create a custom chatbot based on your website’s content and documentation. It’s free to try, with paid plans also available.

Meanwhile, an open-source alternative called OpenChatKit has also been announced.

Speaking of ChatGPT, The WP Minute’s Eric Karkovack recently used the AI tool to build a simple WordPress plugin. He wrote about the experience and the unexpected lesson he learned.

WordPress security is getting better. According to Patchstack’s State of WordPress Security In 2022 report, 328% more security bugs were reported year over year. The firm opines that, because more vulnerabilities are being reported and patched, the ecosystem is becoming more secure. They also note that 93% of security flaws originate from plugins. Thus, keeping your installs up to date is as important as ever.

Automattic is increasing its presence in the Fediverse. The company has purchased the ActivityPub plugin, which allows WordPress websites to integrate with Mastodon and other decentralized platforms. Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports that plugin author Matthias Pfefferle will join Automattic and continue to develop the software.
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Cloudfest WordPress hackathon, changes at Yoast, and thanks to the plugin team

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:29 +0000

well-represented. Over at WP Tavern, Sarah Gooding reports that a Hackathon event has led to some innovative WordPress projects.

For instance, there’s an in-browser development environment that uses the VS Code editor and allows developers to see changes in real-time. Meanwhile, the Wapuugotchi project uses the familiar Wapuu character to display notifications and unlock features. On the more serious side, Eco-mode for WordPress aims to reduce outgoing server traffic, thus saving energy.

But that’s not all. March 20 saw the first-ever WordPress Day event. Several presentations were given on topics ranging from security and performance, to “The Automattic advantage”.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

Organizational changes are underway at SEO development firm Yoast. CEO Thijs de Valk announced that he has stepped down from the role, effective March 16. de Valk has been with the company since 2012 and is leaving to pursue “other dreams”. The search for the next CEO has begun.

A few weeks ago, we reported on ThemeKraft's open letter critiquing the WordPress plugin review process. This time around, WordPress developer Alan Fuller has posted a letter thanking plugin reviewers for their “hard work and dedication in reviewing new plugins and ensuring the security of WordPress websites”. Fuller also points out steps that plugin developers can take to ensure a smoother process, while acknowledging the challenges reviewers face.

Mika Epstein of the WordPress Plugins team posted a reminder regarding the use of AI-generated code. Any code hosted on the official plugin repository, regardless of how it was written, still needs to be GPL compatible. As more developers are using tools like ChatGPT to generate plugins, this is becoming a relevant issue. Epstein noted that AI tools may simply be copying code from an existing plugin without crediting the original author.

From the Grab Bag

Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.

The final countdown to WordPress 6.2 is underway. The last scheduled Release Candidate (#3) is now available for testing.

Congratulations to WordPress community member Michelle Frechette on being named as a finalist for the RochesterFirst.com Remarkable Women awards. Frechette holds many roles, including the Director of Community Engagement at StellarWP, along with co-founder of Underrepresented in Tech.

As part of WordPress’ 20th anniversary celebration, volunteers have been busy triaging old Trac tickets. You’re invited to take part in the next session, happening on Thursday, March 23.

The WordPress Documentation team needs your help writing docs for WordPress 6.2. A call for volunteers has been published that details how to get involved.

Talent recruitment website The Org recently published its list of the 50 Most Transparent Companies. WordPress.com owner Automattic was included at #27.

Developer Nico Mercado wrote an opinion piece on the complex relationship between WordPress and PHP. Mercado opines that WordPress is a driver of PHP’s market share, but may not be providing the best developer experience.

How hard should it be to cancel a WordPress plugin subscription? WebDevStudios CEO Brad Williams tweeted a product flowchart that might just blow your mind.

Is WordPress giving too much layout control to end-users? There’s a lively debate on Reddit worth checking out.

Building a successful WordPress product team is challenging. TeamWP’s James Giroux joined the Do the Woo podcast to discuss the subject.

ChatGPT's new GPT-4 model can pass standardized tests. But does that make it any closer to replacing human professionals? Not so fast, says one essay.

The WP Minute+ Interview: Zack Katz

Subscribe at https://thewpminute.com/plus

Zack Katz of GravityKit & TrustedLogin joins the show to talk about running multiple products in the WordPress space. The conversation explores the ups-and-downs of doing a product rebrand, plus, what it's like to build a business in the Gravity Forms (and WordPress!) ecosystem.

Listen at:
https://wpminuteplus.transistor.fm/episodes/gravitykit-rebranding-a-wordpress-product
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WP News! Beta label removed, Assistant Pro, more acquisitions

Thu, 04 May 2023 15:51:29 +0000

After a time formatting bug caused a 24-hour delay, WordPress 6.2, code-named “Dolphy”, was released on March 29th. According to core contributor Jean-Baptiste Audras, 607 people from at least 50 countries were part of the release squad.

Perhaps the biggest development in 6.2 is that the “beta” label has been removed from the Site Editor. The feature was first added in WordPress 5.9 and has undergone steady improvements. A new interface has been implemented this time around.

Other enhancements include a revamped UI for both the Block Inserter and individual block controls. Direct access to Openverse media has also been added, allowing users to search, download, and insert openly-licensed content into their sites.

For a rundown of key features, check out a handy guide from GoDaddy’s Courtney Robertson.

Next up (listen to the podcast for more): StellarWP’s Matt Cromwell takes a look at marketing tactics in the WordPress ecosystem.

Matt Cromwell WordPress Marketing segment
And now, it’s the Community Minute with Raquel Landefeld.

Raquel Landefeld talks about the return of WordCamp Phoenix
Links You Shouldn’t Miss

WordPress.com alerted users that its access to the Twitter API was suspended on April 4. No specific reason was provided by Twitter. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, the API powers Jetpack’s Social Sharing feature. The situation was in limbo for a few hours, but service was eventually restored. During the outage, users couldn’t automatically tweet out new content from their websites. Ironically (or not), Twitter recently announced a “new era of transparency” at the company.

WordPress core contributor Mario Santos recently posted a proposal outlining the Interactivity API. This would enable developers to build blocks that are interactive on the front end. Santos notes examples including the ability to “heart” a post and performing an instant search. The project is currently experimental. A plugin is available for testing.

The makers of Beaver Builder have announced the launch of Assistant Pro. It’s a cloud storage and community template platform. Free page builder templates available for download. In addition, a marketplace allows users to both buy and sell. Templates can also be stored in the cloud and shared with team members.

A couple of popular commercial plugins have released critical security fixes. Elementor Pro patched a vulnerability that impacted sites running the page builder in conjunction with WooCommerce. Meanwhile, Advanced Custom Fields PRO patched a PHP object injection vulnerability. If you use either plugin, be sure to update to the latest version.

The name iThemes has long been recognizable in the WordPress ecosystem. The maker of popular plugins like BackupBuddy and iThemes Security Pro has undergone a name change. In order to better reflect their products, the company has announced a rebrand to SolidWP. iThemes customers shouldn’t notice any pricing changes or support disruption during the transition.

From the Grab Bag

Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.

Over on the members-only Post Status Slack server, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg encouraged the community to “spend as much time leveraging AI as possible”. WPFront.page has more details.
WordPress LMS provider LearnDash announced that it has acquired developer Real Big Plugins. This brings several third-party add-ons in house.
The WordPress Training Team has released an Introduction to WordPress Development syllabus. The aim is to create a logical path for learning how to build for the CMS.
Justin Tadlock has published a proposal to overhaul the WordPress Theme Handbook.
Joshua Strebel, co-founder of Pagely managed hosting, tweeted that he’s retiring from the company. Pagely was founded in 2009 and acquired by GoDaddy in 2021.
WooCommerce will hold a 24-hour virtual contributor day on April 19. Both the core plugin and WooCommerce Blocks will be the focus of the event.
Can you build an educational WordPress website in 15 minutes? CodeInWP is sponsoring a contest and is giving away $1,000 to the winner.
Awesome Motive CEO Syed Balkhi tweeted that the company’s software can be found on over 25 million websites. A celebratory graphic was displayed outside the Nasdaq headquarters in New York City.
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