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A: Block-First Approach at Pew Research Center</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A </h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A: January 11th at 5 pm ET / 22:00 UTC Layout, Layout, Layout.</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/layout-layout-layout/\">Isabel Brison’s talk at WordCamp Asia</a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2>WordPress and Gutenberg Releases</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/27/wordpress-6-2-planning-schedule-proposal/\">WordPress 6.2 Planning Schedule Proposal</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">What’s new in Gutenberg 14.8? (21 December)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-8-overhauls-site-editor-interface-adds-style-book\">Gutenberg 14.8 Overhauls Site Editor Interface, Adds Style Book</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/\">What’s new in Gutenberg 14.9? (4 January)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-9s-new-magic-push-block-changes-to-global-styles\">Gutenberg 14.9’s New Magic: Push Block Changes to Global Styles</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Stay in Touch</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul>\n<li>Did you like this episode? <a href=\"https://lovethepodcast.com/gutenbergchangelog\"><strong>Please write us a review </strong></a></li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ping us on Twitter or send DMs with questions. <a href=\"https://twitter.com/gutenbergtimes\">@gutenbergtimes </a>and <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bph\">@bph</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>If you have questions or suggestions, or news you want us to include, send them to <a href=\"mailto:changelog@gutenbergtimes.com\">changelog@gutenbergtimes.com</a>. </em></li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Please write us a review on iTunes! <a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/itunes/\">(Click here to learn how)</a></em></li>\n</ul>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\" id=\"transcript\"><strong>Transcript</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The transcript is in the works. </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 Jan 2023 19:14:10 +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:19:\"Gutenberg Changelog\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:121:\"Gutenberg Times: 209 Block Themes, Query Block Variations, Forms with Blocks, Block Art and more – Weekend Edition #240\";s: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=23042\";s: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:124:\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/209-block-themes-query-block-variations-forms-with-blocks-block-art-and-more-weekend-edition-240/\";s: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:27724:\"<p>Howdy, </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomorrow is the 5-anniversay of Gutenberg Times. It feels like I just started yesterday to be fascinated by the possibilities of the block editor. For many people, it actually was just yesterday that they dipped their toes into the world of the new thing. Not you of course. You have been a wonderful subscriber and reader for a while now, and I am infinitely grateful for your support. Thank you! </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Welcome to all new subscribers this year. So glad you are here. </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive into the sixth year together, and learn what will be next for the block editor and what other people make with it and for it. The ecosystem seems to keep expanding quite a bit with the block editor. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wishing you and yours a fabulous 2023. May you be prosperous, happy, and healthy! </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yours, 💕<br /><em>Birgit</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>PS: Reminder: Hope to see you next week at the Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A. <a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Get your seats now for January 11, 2023, at 5pm / ET 22:00 UTC</a></p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-sortabrilliant-guidepost\"><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-word-press-release-information\">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-ne\">From the WordPress Developer Blog</a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#2-gutenberg-plugin-releases\">Gutenberg plugin releases</a></li></ul></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-p\">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#4-making-block-art\">Making Block Art </a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#5-form-plugins-working-with-blocks\">Form Plugins working with Blocks</a></li></ul></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled\">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press\">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#5-s\">Upcoming WordPress events</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-l\">Learn WordPress Online Meetups</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"0-word-press-release-information\">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hector Prieto</strong> published the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/27/wordpress-6-2-planning-schedule-proposal/\"><strong>WordPress 6.2 Planning Schedule Proposal</strong></a>, and it&#8217;s also a call for volunteers for the release squad. The 6.2 release squad will then decide on the final release schedule. For now, Feature Freeze and Beta 1 would be on February 7th, 2023. Tthere are four Beta releases planned before release candidate 1 will be available on March 7th, and a final release on March 28th, 2023. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>Reminder: January 10, 2023, at 9:30 ET / 14:30 UTC:  <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/16/hallway-hangout-performance-considerations-for-block-themes/\"><strong>Hallway Hangout: Performance Considerations for Block Themes</strong></a> <strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> wrote: &#8220;At a high level, we’ll go through general intros (what each person does/focuses on), current work underway to address performance, what work is being done specifically for block themes, and general open Q&amp;A. Hallway hangouts are meant to be casual and collaborative so come prepared with a kind, curious mind along with any questions or items you want to demo/discuss.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-ne\">From the WordPress Developer Blog</h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> published a tutorial for <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/20/building-a-book-review-grid-with-a-query-loop-block-variation/\"><strong>building a book review grid with a Query Loop block variation</strong></a>.  WordPress 6.1 introduced an extension to the Query Loop block, which allows plugin developers to filter existing functionality in core WordPress rather than building custom blocks to query posts. This tutorial shows how to build a WordPress plugin that display a list of book review posts including <code>post_meta` </code>data, using a block variation for the Query Loop and set up rendering it on the front end. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nick Diego</strong> <a href=\"https://twitter.com/nickmdiego/status/1611377046785081345\">tweeted</a>:  I always knew the Query Loop block was incredibly powerful, but I had never explored integrating post metadata into custom block variations! Learn how in this fantastic article by <a href=\"https://twitter.com/justintadlock\">@justintadlock</a> on the new WordPress Developer Blog.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Micheal Burridge</strong> composed a Roundup post to review <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/28/2022-the-block-developers-year-in-review/\"><strong>2022 from a block developer&#8217;s perspective</strong></a> in is post. You&#8217;ll find a select list of resources, to get started or to catch up on the development from the last 12 months, via the Make Blog, WordPress TV and the Learn WordPress site. </p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-gutenberg-plugin-releases\">Gutenberg plugin releases</h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gutenberg 14.8 </strong>was released on December 22, 2022, and release lead <strong>Ryan Welcher</strong> highlighted in his post <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\"><strong>What’s new in Gutenberg 14.8? (21 December)</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/#new-reorganized-site-editor-interface\">A new, reorganized Site Editor interface</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/#introduce-the-stylebook\">Introducing the Style Book</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/#Add-custom-CSS-rules-for-your-site\">Add custom CSS rules for your site</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> reported on the release as well via the WPTavern: <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-8-overhauls-site-editor-interface-adds-style-book\"><strong>Gutenberg 14.8 Overhauls Site Editor Interface, Adds Style Book</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gutenberg 14.9 i</strong>s the first release of 2023, and release lead Justin Tadlock pointed out a few new features in his post <strong><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/\">What’s new in Gutenberg 14.9? (4 January)</a></strong>: </p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/#push-block-changes-to-global-styles\">Push block changes to Global Styles</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/#typography-support-for-page-list-block\">Typography support for Page List block</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/#import-sidebar-widgets-to-template-parts\">Import sidebar widgets to template parts</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/#shadow-presets-minimum-fluid-font-size\">theme.json support: Shadow presets and minimum fluid font size</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/#other-notable-highlights\">Other notable highlights</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On the WPTavern, <strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> took the version for spin and reported on the new magic: <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-9s-new-magic-push-block-changes-to-global-styles\"><strong>Gutenberg 14.9’s New Magic: Push Block Changes to Global Styles</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>In the upcoming <strong>Gutenberg Changelog episode 78</strong>, <strong>Hector Prieto</strong> was my guest. He is a full-time core contributor and coordinator of multi-release WordPress and Gutenberg releases. We discussed Gutenberg 14.8 and 14.9 as well as 6.2 release schedule proposal and other topics.  The episode will hit your favorite podcast app over the weekend. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>🎙️ </strong> New episode:  <a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-77-gutenberg-14-7-whats-new-for-block-themes-an-upcoming-live-qa-in-january/\">Gutenberg Changelog #77 – Gutenberg 14.7, what’s new for Block Themes, an upcoming Live Q&amp;A in January</a> with special guest, Daisy Olsen and host Birgit Pauli-Haack. </p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"0-p\">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> wrote about <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/block-protocol-announces-new-wordpress-plugin-coming-in-2023\"><strong>Block Protocol Announces New WordPress Plugin Coming in 2023</strong></a> It will allow users to embed interactive blocks that are compatible with Gutenberg, and will include blocks for drawing, GitHub pull request overview, timer, calculation, and more. The plugin will also include new blocks powered by OpenAI DALL-E and GPT . </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://blockprotocol.org/\"><em>Block Protocol</em></a> project is open source and designed to be an open protocol, and WordPress hopes to integrate more with it in the future. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>In the latest WPTavern Jukebox podcast episode, <strong>Damon Cook</strong>, developer advocate at WPEngine, discussed with Nathan Wrigley the <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/podcast/57-damon-cook-on-the-future-of-website-styling-in-wordpress\">f<strong>uture of website styling in WordPress</strong></a>. Wrigley wrote in the introduction: &#8221; Block-based themes are revolutionizing website styling. You’re going to be able to change any aspect of your website from the UI that you’re familiar with. The hope is that it’ll make styling more accessible to a wider audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damon talks about the fact that we’re in a period of flux right now. The documentation and tooling needed to work with website styles is maturing, but is by no means complete.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Torsten Landsiedel</strong> scratched his personal itch and built the plugin Ignore block name in search, after finding that the WordPress built-in search included in the findings posts where the search keywords are in the HTML comments of blocks, and with that skews, the search result less relevant.  It&#8217;s particular helpful when your blog is about working with the block editor or about content creation with WordPress. Landsiedel feels that the block editor makes the shortcomings of the built-in search feature worse because blocks contain full words, and not just HTML tags. It&#8217;s been a <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/3739\">long-standing issue</a>, that this plugin now solves. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/full-site-editing/\"><strong>209 Block Themes </strong></a>are now available in the WordPress repository with new submissions by <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/themeisle/\">Themeisle</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/sparklewpthemes/\">sparklewpthemes</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/olivethemes/\">olivethemes</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/deothemes/\">deothemes</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/sonalsinha21/\">sonalsinha21</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/blockify/\">Blockify</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/hamidxazad/\">hamidxazad</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/author/wpzoom/\">WPZOOM</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/full-site-editing/\"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ana Segota</strong> of <em>Anariel Design</em> also <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Ana_Segota/status/1608903485956947968\">announced</a> <a href=\"https://anarieldesign.com/themes/yuna/\"><strong>Yuna, a block theme for Nonprofits</strong></a> that comes with 100+ Design Patterns, you can add to your page with a simple drag and drop. Use built-in options to arrange and style them any way you want. It also includes built-in styles for the popular GiveWP donations plugin and is also ready to house your ecommerce store. </p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-making-block-art\">Making Block Art </h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Curious about some art behind Matt Mullenweg during State of the Word? Below are those pieces designed for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://block-museum.com/\">Museum of Block Art</a>&nbsp;which represent the creativity that Gutenberg blocks inspire. Be sure to stop by and experience the museum’s&nbsp;<a href=\"https://block-museum.com/interact/\">digital interactive exhibit</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see </p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://block-museum.com/2022/06/03/circular-rainbow/\"><strong>Circular rainbow</strong></a> by Chuck Grimmett&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://block-museum.com/2022/03/01/splitting/\"><strong>Splitting</strong></a> by Anne McCarthy</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://block-museum.com/2022/02/02/its-me/\"><strong>It’s me</strong></a> by Nick Hamze</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://block-museum.com/2022/01/19/futuro-1/\"><strong>Futuro 1</strong></a> by Javier Arce</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://block-museum.com/2022/01/11/019/\"><strong>019</strong></a> by Tammy Lister</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong>, instigator and curator of the Museum of Block Art, wrote an insightful blog post about how she approached making art with the Block Editor.  Take a look <a href=\"https://nomad.blog/2022/12/26/behind-the-scenes-of-creating-art-with-wordpress/\"><strong>Behind the scenes of creating art with WordPress</strong></a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chuck Grimmett</strong> has more examples of <a href=\"https://cagrimmett.com/wp-block-art/\"><strong>WP Block Art</strong></a> on his blog. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rich Tabor</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Courtney Portnoy</strong>&nbsp;discussed&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/18/the-creative-side-of-blocks-vol-3/\"><strong>The creative side of blocks</strong></a>&nbsp;on WordPressTV. Rich Tabor walks the viewers through one of his block art creations. It’s quite inspiring to watch Tabor’s exploratory creative process using the block editor. I learned quite a few things about the power of the various color features: gradient, nested group blocks, and how to replace the theme’s primary and secondary colors for the whole site. You’ll also get an introduction to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://block-museum.com/\">Museum of Block Art</a>, where Rich and other block artists showcase their creations. <em>(also mentioned in GT 239)</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-form-plugins-working-with-blocks\">Form Plugins working with Blocks</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Two plugins emerged that take advantage of the block editor and its components and scripts so site owners and builders can use them to create forms. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Munir Kamal</strong>, created a block integration for the popular CF7 Forms. It&#8217;s aptly names <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/cf7-blocks/\"><strong>CF Blocks</strong></a> and available in the WordPress repository. He wrote in the description: &#8220;With CF7 Blocks, you can easily create and customize contact forms within the familiar block editor interface. No more fiddling with short codes or HTML – just drag and drop blocks to build your forms exactly how you want them.&#8221; Sounds spectacular, doesn&#8217;t it? </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In here article <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/new-cf7-blocks-plugin-brings-blocks-to-contact-form-7\"><strong>New CF7 Blocks Plugin Brings Blocks to Contact Form 7</strong></a>, Sarah Gooding, took a more in-depth look and shares her findings. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>On <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jrtashjian/status/1610761741025087521\">Twitter</a>, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jrtashjian\"><strong>JR Tashjian</strong></a> developer at GoDaddy, <strong>introduced </strong><a href=\"https://omniform.io/\"><strong>OmniForm</strong>,</a> the next-generation Form Builder for your website. Sign up for early access now and be among the first to try it. The plan is to make the plugin available in the WordPress plugin directory at the end of January, with early access provided to users the week prior. Tashjian continues: &#8220;OmniForm embraces the block editor to the fullest extent and unlike any solution right now. The block editor is the future of editing in WordPress and building any kind of form will be no different from creating a post or page.&#8221; Tall order. Looking forward to doing some testing, too. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled\">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> has a new video up on YouTube:  <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2bFOZ7O-Po\"><strong>Building a site with WordPress 5.9 vs. WordPress 6.2 (in progress features)</strong></a> &#8211; To better show what&#8217;s changed with the Site Editor from when it was first introduced in WordPress 5.9, this video goes through both a demo of the original state and a brief look at what&#8217;s in place today and what&#8217;s to come, especially as 6.2 looks to wrap up much of the work around site editing/phase 2 of Gutenberg. Keep in mind that WordPress 6.2 is not out yet and much of what&#8217;s being shown is very much a work in progress with big opportunities to provide feedback along the way. Either way, I hope you enjoy taking a peak back and a look forward. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n\n<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 2022&#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>\n\n\n\n\n<p>In this video tutorial, <strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong> gives you an <strong><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2023/01/06/introduction-to-theme-json/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Introduction to theme.json</a>.</strong> You will learn how the theme.js file works, and how you can control these settings and styles.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Daisy Olsen</strong> started a new Live Stream schedule and will show off Block Themes in WordPress every Friday at 10:30 am ET / 15:30 UTC on Twitch. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inaugural show took place  Friday, January 6th, 2023 with the topic: <a href=\"https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1699386540\"><strong>Building a Block Theme</strong></a>. It&#8217;s a great opportunity to follow along with Daisy and ask questions along the way. </p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https://www.twitch.tv/daisyonwp\"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press\">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Munir Kamal </strong>takes you on a journey of <a href=\"https://gutenberghub.com/from-wordpress-to-the-world-intro-to-the-standalone-gutenberg-block-editor/\"><strong>From WordPress to the World: Intro to the Standalone Gutenberg Block Editor</strong></a>. In his new plugin, Kamal made the journey and found a few challenges along the way, overcame them and new put it all together for others to follow.  Using the app <a href=\"https://github.com/Automattic/isolated-block-editor\"><strong>&#8216;Isolated block editor</strong></a>, from the public repo, maintained by Automattic. Matt Mullenweg in the State of the Word emphasized that the block editor is also used outside of WordPress, with Tumblr, Day One app and with bbPress instance.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>The team working on <strong>GiveWP</strong> went on a similar route on the revamp of the highly popular donation plugin. Post Status recently posted an article about that: <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/the-future-of-givewp-and-the-block-editor/\"><strong>The Future of GiveWP and the Block Editor</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>GiveWP will hold a Town hall event about the new version on January 25th, 2023 at 10am PT / 18:00 UTC – in case someone is interested.&nbsp;<a href=\"https://href.li/?https://givewp.com/town-hall-givewp-design-mode-and-whats-next-for-3-0/?\"><strong>Learn more Town Hall: GiveWP Design Mode and What’s Next for 3.0</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><br /><strong>Kyle Johnson</strong>, JavaScript developer at GiveWP will present his talk: <a href=\"https://birmingham.wordcamp.org/2023/session/using-gutenberg-as-a-development-foundation-not-just-a-block-builder/\"><strong>Using Gutenberg as a Development Foundation, Not Just a Block Builder</strong></a> at WordCamp Birmingham on February 4th, 2023. As far as we know, the talks will be recorded, but not livestreamed. So, they will show up on WordPress TV in the weeks after the WordCamp. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>Mohammed Noufal of Hubspot wrote about <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/website/custom-blocks-wordpress\"><strong>How to Create Custom Blocks in WordPress</strong></a>, providing answers to the questions:  why use a custom block, how to make Custom Block Templates and how to use custom blocks on your site. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong>&#8216;s last section of his series: <em>Let’s code: developing blocks without React!&nbsp;</em> is now also available on WordPress TV. <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2023/01/04/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-review/\"><strong>Let’s code: developing blocks without React! –&nbsp;Review</strong></a>. If you followed along over the past few weeks, you would have learned to build a small WordPress block using plain (vanilla) JavaScript. In this session, we will review everything we’ve learned so far, by rebuilding the entire block from scratch.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other editions for the series are in order of broadcast/</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/02/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-controls/\">Controls</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/25/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-part-2-take-2/\">Attributes and&nbsp;RichText</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/18/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-all-about-attributes/\">All about Attributes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/11/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-part-1/\">Block&nbsp;Basics</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/12/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-block-supports/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Block Supports</a>&nbsp;</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/\">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master 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>\n\n\n\n<p><img alt=\"GitHub all releases\" src=\"https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge\" /></p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-s\">Upcoming WordPress events</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>January 10, 2023 &#8211; 9:30 ET / 14:30 UTC </strong><br /><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/16/hallway-hangout-performance-considerations-for-block-themes/\"><strong>Hallway Hangout: Performance Considerations for Block Themes</strong></a> with Anne McCarthy</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>January 11, 2023 – 5 pm ET / 22:00 UTC</strong><br /><strong><a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A: Layout, layout, layout</a></strong><br />Panel discussion with Isabel Brison, Andrew Serong, Justin Tadlock and Birgit Pauli-Haack</p>\n\n\n\n<p>February 4 + 5, 2023 <br /><a href=\"https://birmingham.wordcamp.org/\"><strong>WordCamp Birmingham, AL</strong></a><br /></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>February 17 – 19, 2023</strong><br /><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/\"><strong>WordCamp Asia 2023</strong></a>&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-l\">Learn WordPress Online Meetups</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>January 17, 2023 &#8211; 3pm / 20:00 UTC <br /><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290412094/\"><strong>Patterns, reusable blocks and block locking</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>January 19, 2023 – 7 pm ET / 24:00 UTC<br /><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290363952/\"><strong>Let’s make custom templates in the Site Editor!</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>January 31, 2023 &#8211; 3pm ET / 20:00 UTC <br /><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290414181/\"><strong>Creating a photography website with the block editor</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n\n<p>Featured Image:</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<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\"><br />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 type=\"submit\" 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>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity 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 Jan 2023 14:25:00 +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: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:2;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:103:\"WPTavern: WordCamp Europe 2023 Speaker Applications Open, Organizers Call for More Interactive Sessions\";s: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=140881\";s: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:113:\"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-2023-speaker-applications-open-organizers-call-for-more-interactive-sessions\";s: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:2184:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>WordCamp Europe 2023 is being hosted in Athens this year with two conference days scheduled for June 9 and 10. The first day&#8217;s theme is &#8220;WordPress Now&#8221; (Everything that can be currently achieved with WordPress) and the second day is &#8220;WordPress Tomorrow.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizers have opened the <a href=\"https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-speakers/\">call for speakers</a> and are especially interested in scheduling talks that &#8220;empower people to feel more comfortable using WordPress.&#8221; They are soliciting new voices this year with fresh perspectives.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>After reviewing attendee feedback from the previous year, organizers have identified more than three dozen requested topics across the development, business, community, and design categories. These include many more development topics, such as security, CI/CD, headless CMS, ReactJS for PHP Developers / Building Blocks, and more. Attendees are also eager to hear about content monetization, recurring revenue, GDPR compliance, brand identity, and designing for accessibility, to list a few examples.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Presentation formats will include traditional talks, hands-on workshops, expert panels, and lightning talks. Organizers are encouraging speakers to add activities to sessions that will get the audience involved and avoid the afternoon slump. They cited a few examples, including a WordCamp in the Czech Republic where a security researcher installed a Wi-Fi honeypot in the venue and demonstrated how dangerous public wi-fi is when logging into a WordPress site that doesn&#8217;t have SSL. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>WCEU has launched a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/?page_id=2755\" target=\"_blank\">Speaker’s support program</a> to help fund selected speakers with financial barriers to attending. Organizers arrange for speakers and the sponsoring companies to connect but are not involved in selecting who receives the funds.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The call for speakers will close the first week of February and applicants will receive a response by the second week of March. Speakers will be announced in the second week of April.</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 Jan 2023 03:18:41 +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: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:3;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: BuddyPress 11.0.0 Adds Filter for Improved JS and CSS Asset Loading, WebP Support, and New Ways to Fetch Activities\";s: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=140854\";s: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://wptavern.com/buddypress-11-0-0-adds-filter-for-improved-js-and-css-asset-loading-webp-support-and-new-ways-to-fetch-activities\";s: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:3436:\"<p><a href=\"https://buddypress.org/2023/01/buddypress-11-0-0-la-scala/\">BuddyPress 11.0.0</a> is now available thanks to the efforts of 34 contributors. The release is named “La Scala” in honor of a pizza restaurant located in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, a Paris suburb.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version 11.0.0 introduces a few important changes. BuddyPress has <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/buddypress-11-0-0-to-limit-javascript-and-css-asset-loading-to-community-pages-using-a-filter\">improved the way it loads its JavaScript and CSS assets</a> with the addition of <a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/11/21/buddypress-will-soon-only-load-its-javascript-and-style-assets-into-the-community-area-of-your-site/\">a new filter</a> so that they are now only loaded on community pages. Previously, the plugin would load them indiscriminately on every page, a leftover from how they were loaded in the first Template Pack (BP Legacy). This change is being rolled out progressively, so users who want to take advantage of this improvement will need to add the filter to their <a href=\"https://codex.buddypress.org/themes/bp-custom-php/\">bp-custom.php</a> file.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>add_filter( ‘bp_enqueue_assets_in_bp_pages_only’, ‘__return_true’ );</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>BP 11.0.0 also enables the use of use <a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/11/24/webp-support-is-arriving-in-buddypress-11-0-0/\">.webp</a> images for profile and cover images, after a user requested it in a negative review. This feature requires WordPress 5.8 or newer. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>This release introduces the ability to <a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/12/01/bp-11-fetch-activities-for-or-excluding-a-group-of-users/\">fetch activities for or excluding a group of users</a>. For example, developers can now write code to fetch activities for a select few users based on user ID or block updates from some annoying users by excluding their user IDs. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This change is simple but powerful!&#8221; BuddyPress core developer Dan Cavins said. &#8220;For instance, you could create custom interest activity streams, or build a mute feature to let your members take a break from other, too-chatty users!&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version 11.0.0 also gives developers the ability to build custom xProfile loops <a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/12/06/bp-11-bp_has_profile-now-accepts-an-array-of-profile-group-ids/\">including a specific set of profile field groups</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>BuddyPress 10.0.0 introduced an add-ons section in the plugin administration screen for users to easily test plugins or blocks maintained by the BuddyPress development team and hosted on WordPress.org. BP lead developer Mathieu Viet said the team will soon be publishing a Community Media Attachments add-on and a block-based Activity Post Form that will &#8220;standardize the way to extend activity updates with richer and more engaging content.&#8221; These feature plugins are part of what Viet anticipates will be &#8220;a transitional year for BuddyPress&#8221; and may be published to the add-ons section independent of a major release. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>BuddyPress users should watch for updates to the add-ons section and check out the full list of changes in <a href=\"https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-11-0-0/\">11.0.0 in the BuddyPress codex</a>. Updating to the latest version will require WordPress 5.7 or later.</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 Jan 2023 22:33:59 +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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:62:\"Do The Woo Community: A New YouTube Channel and WooBits Format\";s: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:28:\"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74228\";s: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:55:\"https://dothewoo.io/new-youtube-channel-woobits-format/\";s: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:414:\"<p>WooBits now featuring guest hosts for a one-off chance to share their insights and perspectives on various topics. Plus a new YouTube channel.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io/new-youtube-channel-woobits-format/\">A New YouTube Channel and WooBits Format</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io\">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce Builder Community</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:\"Fri, 06 Jan 2023 10:54:00 +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:5:\"BobWP\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:51:\"WPTavern: Awesome Motive Acquires Duplicator 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=140830\";s: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:62:\"https://wptavern.com/awesome-motive-acquires-duplicator-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:2164:\"<p>Awesome Motive&#8217;s <a href=\"https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-plugins/\">product suite</a> of nearly 20 commercial plugins has expanded to include a backup plugin. The company <a href=\"https://www.wpbeginner.com/news/welcome-duplicator-to-the-wpbeginner-family-of-products/\">announced</a> its acquisition of <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/\">Duplicator</a> today, a 12-year-old freemium product with more than 1.5 million users. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the backup utility, the plugin enables users to migrate, copy, move, or clone a site from one location to another. Commercial licenses range from $49/year to $299.50/year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snapcreek co-founders Bob Riley and Cory Lamle, creators of Duplicator, will be moving on to pursue other endeavors but the rest of the team will continue to work on the product at Awesome Motive led by <a href=\"https://johndturner.com/\">John Turner</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the first WordPress business acquisition of 2023, and it&#8217;s a major one as 1.5 million users are changing hands to rely on a new company. Users can expect <a href=\"https://twitter.com/syedbalkhi/status/1611100494839316480\">no pricing changes</a> but some have already <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wpeditorial/status/1611027326795681794\">expressed</a> <a href=\"https://twitter.com/karks88/status/1610991832749539328\">concern</a> about having to put up with Awesome Motive&#8217;s trademark aggressive marketing that litters the WordPress admin with ads and upsells. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the co-founders&#8217; <a href=\"https://snapcreek.com/blog/news/duplicator-is-joining-the-awesome-motive-family/\">farewell post</a>, they assured users that Awesome Motive will continue working on their prior roadmap.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We have shared our extensive feature wishlist, and we know that with Awesome Motive’s resources and experience that wishlist will become a reality much faster,&#8221; Riley said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;As we pass the baton, Cory and I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We are extremely grateful to be able to play a small part in the amazing WordPress ecosystem.&#8221;</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 Jan 2023 02:48:43 +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:6;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: Gutenberg 14.9’s New Magic: Push Block Changes to Global Styles\";s: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=140717\";s: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:82:\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-9s-new-magic-push-block-changes-to-global-styles\";s: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:3405:\"<p><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/\">Gutenberg 14.9</a> was released this week with a powerful new feature for site editing that allows users to push individual block changes to Global Styles. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>When WordPress makes it this easy for users to design their own sites, there&#8217;s always the lingering concern &#8211; will the tools inadvertently be used to make sites that are wild and wacky à la GeoCities? For example, if a user makes a change to a Heading block on the Page template, that doesn&#8217;t get automatically enabled for headings on other templates, which could potentially create an inconsistent design across the website. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new &#8220;Push changes to Global Styles&#8221; button allows users to apply that same change to all blocks of that type. In the example below, the H1 heading has been updated to have a lime green background with red text. Under the Advanced panel in block settings, a new button appears for pushing changes to Global Styles.  </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that the feature only works inside the Site Editor. Users writing posts and pages will not have the ability to push changes to Global Styles. The new button gives users a quick way to update blocks across the site without having to manually edit every template or figure out the right CSS to apply. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other important changes in 14.9 include <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/43316\">typography support for the Page List block</a>, a new option to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/45509\">import sidebar widgets into a template part</a> when switching from a classic theme, and  word count/time to read meta info has been <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46648\">moved to the top of the outline</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New Features for Theme Authors</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gutenberg 14.9 introduces support for shadow presets in theme.json, with two bundled default presets (Natural and Sharp). Theme authors can <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46813\">see how it&#8217;s done</a> and create&nbsp;custom box-shadow presets, or wait for an <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/developer-blog-content/issues/51\">upcoming tutorial</a> on the topic. The 14.9 release post includes a screenshot of how this feature might be implemented:</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Theme authors now have the ability to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/42489\">set the minimum font size for fluid typography in theme.json</a>. It is currently hard coded to 14px by default, which may not work for all designs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another new tool for theme developers is the ability to register patterns for specific templates, which would restrict where they appear. This was added via <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/45814\">a new templateType property</a> in the patterns registration API. Theme developers can restrict patterns to only show up for the templates where they make sense, such as 404, single-post, single-product, and category templates, for example.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/\">14.9 release post</a> to see all the bug fixes and enhancements to the editor, accessibility, performance, tooling, and 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:\"Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:20:46 +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:7;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 11.0.0 “La Scala”\";s: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=327885\";s: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:58:\"https://buddypress.org/2023/01/buddypress-11-0-0-la-scala/\";s: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:10413:\"<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Happy new year &amp; best wishes for Twenty Twenty-Three <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f973.png\" alt=\"🥳\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n<cite>The BuddyPress Core Team</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>BuddyPress 11.0.0 “La Scala” is now <a href=\"https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.11.0.0.zip\">available for download</a> from the <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/\">WordPress.org plugin repository</a>, or right from your WordPress Dashboard.</p>\n\n\n\n<span id=\"more-327885\"></span>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-8 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/\">BuddyPress</a></blockquote>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\"></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>This new major version of your site’s community engine introduces around 50 changes mostly acting under the hood to improve performance, consistency and the stability of the plugin. Here are five important changes we would like to highlight:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>You may now use&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/11/24/webp-support-is-arriving-in-buddypress-11-0-0/\">.webp</a>&nbsp;images for your profile and cover images (requires WordPress 5.8 or newer).</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/11/21/buddypress-will-soon-only-load-its-javascript-and-style-assets-into-the-community-area-of-your-site/\">new filter</a>&nbsp;was introduced to only load BuddyPress JavaScript &amp; CSS assets on BuddyPress-generated pages.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The way BuddyPress loads its&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/11/20/the-way-buddypress-loads-deprecated-code-will-change-in-version-11-0-0/\">deprecated code</a>&nbsp;has been improved.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advanced users or developers can now extend the Activity loop to&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/12/01/bp-11-fetch-activities-for-or-excluding-a-group-of-users/\">include or exclude a list of users</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advanced users or developers can now build custom xProfile loops&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/12/06/bp-11-bp_has_profile-now-accepts-an-array-of-profile-group-ids/\">including a specific set of profile field groups</a>.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note BuddyPress 11.0.0&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2022/07/12/wordpress-required-version-update-4/\">will require at least WordPress 5.7</a></strong> &amp; take a few minutes to discover all changes reading this <a href=\"https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-11-0-0/\">release note</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2>11.0.0 also marks the beginning of a transitional year for BuddyPress: get ready for great features and changes.</h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<img width=\"1024\" height=\"285\" src=\"https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/01/hello-bp-addons-1024x285.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-327887\" /></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 10.0.0, we’ve introduced a&nbsp;new area in the Plugin Administration screen&nbsp;to easily find BuddyPress Add-ons maintained by the BuddyPress Core Team. Check this list often as we will soon publish the following add-ons:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;THE&#8221; long-awaited feature: Community Media Attachments.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A revolutionary Block-based Activity Post Form to standardize the way to extend activity updates with richer &amp; more engaging content.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-12 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-rewrites/\">BP Rewrites</a></blockquote>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\"></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>An example about this new way to keep moving forward is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-rewrites/\">BP Rewrites</a>&nbsp;Add-on. You can already test this breaking change, which uses the WordPress way to parse URLs (thanks to the WP Rewrites API), and report issues to us or to the third-party plugin authors. Once BP Rewrites are merged into BuddyPress 12.0.0 (our next major release), we’ll make sure to build a backward-compatibility add-on so that you can still use plugins that do not work with &#8220;BP Rewrites&#8221;.</p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<img width=\"1024\" height=\"521\" src=\"https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/01/bp-rewrites-visibility-1024x521.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-327895\" /><strong>BP Rewrites </strong>now brings a community visibility option to BuddyPress</div>\n\n\n<p>By the way, the latest version of BP Rewrites also includes a feature to restrict the community area to your site members only.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Many thanks to 11.0.0 contributors&nbsp;<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-heart\"></span></h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/oztaser/\">Adil Öztaşer (oztaser)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/alexmangini/\">Alex Mangini (alexmangini)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/baasui/\">baasui</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/bouncingsprout/\">Ben Roberts (bouncingsprout)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/\">Boone B Gorges (boonebgorges)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/sbrajesh/\">Brajesh Singh (sbrajesh)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/dancaragea/\">Dan Caragea (dancaragea)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/dcavins/\">David Cavins (dcavins)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/devutpol/\">Deb Nath Utpol (devutpol)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/fawp/\">fawp</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/fernandot/\">Fernando Tellado (fernandot)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/hnla/\">Hugo Ashmore (hnla)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/nobnob/\">Javier Esteban (nobnob)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/\">John James Jacoby (johnjamesjacoby)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/jtymann/\">jtymann</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/rudlinkon/\">Linkon Miyan (rudlinkon)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/martinutopia/\">martinutopia</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/\">Mathieu Viet (imath)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/nickchomey/\">Nick (nickchomey)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/niftythree/\">Nifty (niftythree)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/DJPaul/\">Paul Gibbs (DJPaul)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/nekojonez/\">Pieterjan Deneys (nekojonez)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/r-a-y/\">r-a-y</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/rafiahmedd/\">Rafi Ahmed (rafiahmedd)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://github.com/ranfen/\">ranfen</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/espellcaste/\">Renato Alves (espellcaste)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/robinwpdeveloper/\">Robin (robinwpdeveloper)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/shawfactor/\">shawfactor</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/slaffik/\">Slava Abakumov (slaffik)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/sjregan/\">sjregan</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/tahmidulkarim/\">Tahmid ul Karim (tahmidulkarim)</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/teeboy4real/\">teeboy4real</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/thomaslhotta/\">thomaslhotta</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/username_/\">username_</a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/venutius/\">Venutius</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><span class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\"></span><img width=\"2000\" height=\"1247\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-327909\" alt=\"\" src=\"https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/01/la-scala-van.jpg\" /><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-large-font-size\">Welcome to &#8220;La Scala&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-15 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>As soon as you enter the pasta and pizza restaurant, you are transported to Italy a few years ago. On your right, hung on the wall, in the middle of drawings of hearts and the inscriptions &#8220;Ti amo&#8221; (I love you in Italian), an old coin-operated telephone creates a retro atmosphere. Further on, you come face to face with a rustic van that survived the 70s and which secretly houses the oven and the pizza workshop! &#8220;La Scala&#8221; (stairs in Italian) certainly owes its name to the two magnificent spiral staircases that allow guests to climb to the upper level. On the ceiling, an old map allows you to familiarize yourself with the names of the most important cities in Italy, while your pizza is cooking. When it arrives, it&#8217;s an explosion of authentic flavors and if you have the good idea to have chosen the &#8220;capricciosa&#8221;, the spicy Italian sausages will delight your taste buds.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yum, good treat!</p>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>&#8220;La Scala&#8221; is located in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, a french city of the Paris suburbs.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"your-feedback\"><span class=\"dashicons dashicons-format-chat\"></span>  Your feedback</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Receiving your feedback and suggestions for future versions of BuddyPress genuinely motivates and encourages our contributors. Please&nbsp;<a href=\"https://buddypress.org/support/\">share it</a>&nbsp;<img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks a lot for using BuddyPress <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60d.png\" alt=\"😍\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></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 Jan 2023 22:18:01 +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: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:8;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:35:\"Do The Woo Community: A 2023 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:28:\"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74218\";s: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:32:\"https://dothewoo.io/2023-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:357:\"<p>In 2022, the show released 115 episodes featuring 112 guests, discussing a wide range of topics related to WooCommerce and e-commerce. </p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io/2023-update/\">A 2023 Update</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io\">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce Builder Community</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:\"Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:10:00 +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:5:\"BobWP\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:63:\"WPTavern: New CF7 Blocks Plugin Brings Blocks to Contact Form 7\";s: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=140765\";s: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://wptavern.com/new-cf7-blocks-plugin-brings-blocks-to-contact-form-7\";s: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:3006:\"<p>WordPress developer Munir Kamal has released a new plugin called <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/cf7-blocks/\">CF7 Blocks</a> that does exactly what it says in the name. It brings blocks to one of WordPress&#8217; most beloved plugins, which has kept the same familiar interface and has not yet adopted the block editor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/\">Contact Form 7</a> plugin was created by WordPress developer <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/takayukister/\">Takayuki Miyoshi</a>, who has devotedly kept it updated for the past 15 years. His stalwart commitment to <a href=\"https://ideasilo.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/free-plugin-declaration/\">keeping it free forever</a> is one of the reasons it has grown to more than 5 million active installs. The developer community has built hundreds of <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/cf7/\">integrations and extensions for CF7</a> because users found it easy to build forms with its simple interface. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />Contact Form 7 interface\n\n\n\n<p>CF7 users currently edit forms in the plugin&#8217;s dedicated interface. The plugin also includes a block, so users can return to the block editor and select a form to embed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new CF7 Blocks plugin makes it possible to edit CF7 forms using WordPress&#8217; default editor, instead of having to mess with shortcodes and HTML. It still has its own dedicated Contact form editing page, except with the ability to customize fields as blocks. New forms will use the block interface and old ones can still be edited using CF7&#8217;s default HTML editor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>CF7 Blocks offers a more intuitive experience with pre-made form templates that will automatically insert the necessary blocks so users don&#8217;t have to start from scratch.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>In the block settings, users can easily customize the text of the labels, enter a value for placeholders, toggle the label on or off, mark fields as required, customize dimensions, and more. Fields can easily be dragged and dropped for re-ordering, a feature that is especially useful with lengthier, more complex forms.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One handy feature is that form fields can easily be transformed into other fields with the click of a button, making it easy to customize a form when the pre-set templates aren&#8217;t exactly what is needed.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>In the same tradition of Contact Form 7, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/cf7-blocks/\">CF7 Blocks</a> is available for free in the WordPress plugin directory. The plugin also has its own <a href=\"https://cf7blocks.com/\">website</a> where users can <a href=\"https://cf7blocks.substack.com/\">subscribe</a> to get updates and find out what&#8217;s coming soon. Kamal said users can expect more fields to be added to the plugin in future releases beyond the standard fields that come with Contact Form 7. Design options for visually styling and customizing forms are another feature on the roadmap for CF7 Blocks.</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 Jan 2023 02:54:21 +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: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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:101:\"WPTavern: Linux Backdoor Malware Targets WordPress Sites with Outdated, Vulnerable Themes and Plugins\";s: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=140716\";s: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:111:\"https://wptavern.com/linux-backdoor-malware-targets-wordpress-sites-with-outdated-vulnerable-themes-and-plugins\";s: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:3075:\"<p>Security researchers at Doctor Web, a security company focused on threat detection and prevention, have <a href=\"https://news.drweb.com/show/?i=14646&lng=en&c=23\">discovered a malicious Linux program that targets WordPress sites</a> running outdated and vulnerable plugins and themes. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The malware targets 32-bit versions of Linux, but it is also capable of running on 64-bit versions. It exploits 30 theme and plugin vulnerabilities to inject malicious JavaScript into websites, redirecting visitors to the attacker&#8217;s selected website.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report states that Doctor Webs&#8217; analysis of the application revealed that <strong>&#8220;it could be the malicious tool that cybercriminals have been using for more than three years to carry out such attacks and monetize the resale of traffic, or arbitrage.&#8221;</strong> During this time, the tool has been updated to target more exploitable vulnerabilities.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two versions of the malware &#8211; <a href=\"https://vms.drweb.com/search/?q=Linux.BackDoor.WordPressExploit.1&lng=en\">Linux.BackDoor.WordPressExploit.1</a> and <a href=\"https://vms.drweb.com/search/?q=Linux.BackDoor.WordPressExploit.2&lng=en\">Linux.BackDoor.WordPressExploit.2</a>. Version 1 seeks to exploit vulnerabilities in popular plugins like WP GDPR Compliance,  Easysmtp, WP Live Chat, and a dozen other free and commercial extensions. A few of these have been known to have frequent vulnerabilities and one was <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/yuzo-related-post/\">closed due to guideline violations</a> but may still be active on some sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>An updated Version 2 has a different server address for distributing the malicious JavaScript and an additional list of exploited vulnerabilities for a few more widely used plugins, including FV Flowplayer Video Player, Brizy Page Builder, WooCommerce, and more.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doctor Web&#8217;s report also speculates that attackers may have engineered a long game plan that will give them administrative access even after users update to newer (patched) versions of the compromised plugins: </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Both trojan variants have been found to contain unimplemented functionality for hacking the administrator accounts of targeted websites through a brute-force attack—by applying known logins and passwords, using special vocabularies. It is possible that this functionality was present in earlier modifications, or, conversely, that attackers plan to use it for future versions of this malware. If such an option is implemented in newer versions of the backdoor, cybercriminals will even be able to successfully attack some of those websites that use current plugin versions with patched vulnerabilities.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Doctor Web published a document with <a href=\"https://github.com/DoctorWebLtd/malware-iocs/tree/master/Linux.Backdoor.WordPressExploit.1\">indicators of compromise</a>, detailing hashes, IPs, and domains that the Linux backdoor malware has been using to infect WordPress websites. </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 Jan 2023 22:14:53 +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:11;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:108:\"Post Status: On The Fediverse, WordPress, And Activity Pub With Matthias Pfefferle — Post Status Draft 135\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=146145\";s: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:113:\"https://poststatus.com/on-the-fediverse-wordpress-and-activity-pub-with-matthias-pfefferle-post-status-draft-135/\";s: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:7124:\"<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group eplus-wrapper has-theme-palette-2-color has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\"><a href=\"https://notiz.blog/\">Matthias Pfefferle</a> is head of WordPress development at a hosting company in Europe and the creator of <a href=\"https://activitypub.rocks/\">Activity Pub</a>, a WordPress plugin. He joins Cory Miller to discuss the rising need for decentralization in social networking, the current movement, and the future potential available within WordPress. </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer eplus-wrapper\"></div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time:  </span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">2</span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes</span></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/planet/feed/#h-transcript\">Transcript</a> ↓</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode, Cory Miller talks with <a href=\"https://twitter.com/pfefferle?lang=en\">Matthias Pfefferle</a>, creator of <a href=\"https://activitypub.rocks/\">Activity Pub</a>, about the growing potential for decentralization through innovation within WordPress. Current social networks have stripped creators of agency and power. The threat has been more acutely felt with the recent transitions within Twitter. Recognizing what is at stake and moving towards innovation could not only create needed solutions but could also propel the future of WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top Takeaways:</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Decentralization:</strong> So much of the power of WordPress is rooted in decentralization. The silos created by social media platforms leave users without agency. The potential and appetite for decentralization is increasing along with the tools to make it a reality via the Fediverse, Activity Pub, and more.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Portable Social Networks:</strong> If you are blocked or banned from a major social network, you lose your content and contacts. The need to create portable social networks so you can move your audience and retain your content if you opt to or are forced to switch platforms or hosts is crucial.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative Walled Gardens:</strong> The need for alternative social platforms where users have agency and ownership continues to increase. The Twitter debacle has been a huge catalyst for users to transition to other platforms like Mastodon, but the potential for WordPress to solve identifier issues and more could create the largest platform overnight. How can we create tools and empower people to be a part of social networks and retain ownership of all they create? How can WordPress build on the current momentum to create future relevance?</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-10 wp-block-columns has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-background\" id=\"WP-Engine\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h3><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Sponsor: <a href=\"https://poststat.us/a2-hosting\">A2 Hosting</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A2Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable.</strong> WordPress can be easily deployed on <em>ANY</em> web hosting plan from A2: Shared, VPS, or Dedicated. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at <a href=\"http://a2hosting.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a2hosting.com</a> today!</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<a href=\"https://poststatus.com/planet/feed/a2hosting.com\"><img width=\"304\" height=\"304\" src=\"https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/88b63da0-f90b-11e6-bc40-730c4553c727.png\" alt=\"A2 Hosting\" class=\"wp-image-101225\" title=\"WP Engine\" /></a></div></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-mentioned-in-the-show\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f517.png\" alt=\"🔗\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Mentioned in the show:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://notiz.blog/\">Matthias Pfefferle</a> </li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://activitypub.rocks/\">Activity Pub</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/activitypub/\">Activity Pub Plugin</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://fediverse.info/\">Fediverse</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://mastodon.social/explore\">Mastodon</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://pixelfed.org/\">Pixelfed</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://b2evolution.net/\">B2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://www.w3.org/\">W3C</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://webfoundation.org/\">World Wide Web Foundation</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-you-can-follow-post-status-and-our-guests-on-twitter\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"eplus-wrapper\">\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/krissierae\">Matthias Pfefferle</a> (Creator, <a href=\"https://activitypub.rocks/\">Activity Pub</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/corymiller303\">Cory Miller</a> (CEO, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/lemonadecode\">Olivia Bisset</a> (Intern, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper has-background\">The <strong>Post Status Draft</strong> podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4dd.png\" alt=\"📝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /><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>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f3a7.png\" alt=\"🎧\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-transcript\">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<p></p>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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 Jan 2023 18:30:33 +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:13:\"Olivia 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:12;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:118:\"Post Status: WordPress 6.2 Schedule • 2022 in Core • Block Developer Year in Review • New Incident Response Team\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=146254\";s: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:117:\"https://poststatus.com/wordpress-6-2-schedule-2022-in-core-block-developer-year-in-review-new-incident-response-team/\";s: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:15836:\"<h2 id=\"h-this-week-at-wordpress-org-january-2-2023\">This Week at WordPress.org (January 2, 2023)</h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"has-background has-theme-palette-8-background-color wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">WordPress 6.2 is set to reach feature freeze on February 7 and final release on March 28. Take a look back at Core contribution stats from 2022. Read the recap of everything that happened last year that developers need to know. Meet the members of the Incident Response Team. </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"kt-info-box_adc852-65\" class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-left\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container\"><span class=\"kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fas_calendar-alt\"></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><h2 class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-title\">WordPress 6.2 release schedule, Block Developer Year in Review, New Incident Response Team</h2><p class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-text\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f5d3.png\" alt=\"🗓\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/27/wordpress-6-2-planning-schedule-proposal/\">WordPress 6.2 Planning Schedule Proposal</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f440.png\" alt=\"👀\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/03/a-year-in-core-2022/\">A Year in Core – 2022</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/23ea.png\" alt=\"⏪\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/28/2022-the-block-developers-year-in-review/\">2022: the block developer’s year in review</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f440.png\" alt=\"👀\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/project/2022/12/21/announcement-new-wordpress-incident-response-team/\">Announcement: New WordPress Incident Response Team</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/23e9.png\" alt=\"⏩\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/06/core-editor-improvement-advancing-the-site-editor-experience/\">Core Editor Improvement: Advancing the Site Editor experience</a></p></div></div></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-news\">News<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/10/wordpress-6-1-release-candidate-3/\"></a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/episode-46-the-wp-bloopers-podcast/\">WP Briefing: Episode 46: The WP Bloopers Podcast</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/episode-45-state-of-the-word-reflections/\">WP Briefing: Episode 45: State of the Word Reflections</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_121b9e-cb\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\" /></div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-3 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-community\">Community</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/22/meetup-organizer-newsletter-december-2022/\">Meetup Organizer Newsletter: December 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/21/updates-across-the-make-community-team-site-and-our-handbooks/\">Updates Across the Make/Community Team Site and our Handbooks</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-reps-for-2023/\">Community Team Reps for 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-2022-goals-recap/\">Community Team 2022 Goals Recap</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-core\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core\">Core</a> </h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/help-us-test-the-sqlite-implementation/\">Help us test the SQLite implementation</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/06/core-editor-improvement-advancing-the-site-editor-experience/\">Core Editor Improvement: Advancing the Site Editor experience</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/03/a-year-in-core-2022/\">A Year in Core – 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/02/a-week-in-core-january-2-2022/\">A Week in Core – January 2, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/27/wordpress-6-2-planning-schedule-proposal/\">WordPress 6.2 Planning Schedule Proposal</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/26/a-week-in-core-december-26-2022/\">A Week in Core – December 26, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">What’s new in Gutenberg 14.8? (21 December)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-meetings\">Meetings</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/03/editor-chat-agenda-4th-january-2023/\">Editor Chat Agenda: 4th January 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/dev-chat-summary-wednesday-december-21-2022/\">Dev Chat summary: Wednesday, December 21, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-dev-blog\"><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/\">Dev Blog</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/28/2022-the-block-developers-year-in-review/\">2022: the block developer’s year in review</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-design\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design\">Design</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2023/01/02/design-share-dec-19-dec-30/\">Design Share: Dec 19–Dec 30</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-docs\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/docs\">Docs</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/docs/2022/12/22/summary-for-docs-team-meeting-december-13-2022/\">Summary for Docs Team meeting, December 13, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-support-articles\">Support Articles</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/article/comments-block/\">Comments Block</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/article/post-navigation-link-block/\">Post Navigation Link Block</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-developer-articles\">Developer Articles</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/security/common-vulnerabilities/\">Common Vulnerabilities</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/security/user-roles-and-capabilities/\">User Roles and Capabilities</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/security/example/\">Security Example</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/security/nonces/\">Nonces</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-hosting\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting\">Hosting</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting/2022/12/28/2022-recap/\">WordPress Hosting Team 2022 recap</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-marketing\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing\">Marketing</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2022/12/26/notes-global-marketing-team-meeting-december-21-2022/\">Notes: Global Marketing Team meeting, December 21, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-meta\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta\">Meta</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2022/12/22/two-factor-auth-progress-for-wordpress-org/\">Two-Factor Auth progress for WordPress.org</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-mobile\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/mobile\">Mobile</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2022/12/20/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-android-21-4/\">Call for Testing: WordPress for Android 21.4</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2022/12/19/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-ios-21-4/\">Call for Testing: WordPress for iOS 21.4</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-openverse\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse\">Openverse</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2023/01/03/community-meeting-recap-3-january-2023/\">Community Meeting Recap (3 January 2023)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-performance\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/performance/\">Performance</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/03/performance-team-meeting-summary-3-january-2023/\">Performance Chat Summary: 3 January 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-polyglots\">Polyglots</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2023/01/03/agenda-weekly-polyglots-chat-january-4-2023-700-utc/\">Agenda: Weekly Polyglots Chat – January 4, 2023 (7:00 UTC)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-plugins\">Plugins</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/21/plugin-guideline-update-community-code-of-conduct/\">Plugin Guideline Update: Community Code of Conduct</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/16/plugins-themes-categorization/\">Plugins/themes categorization</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/01/01/plugin-review-team-2-january-2023/\">Plugin Review Team: 2 January 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-project\">Project</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/project/2022/12/21/announcement-new-wordpress-incident-response-team/\">Announcement: New WordPress Incident Response Team</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/project/2022/12/22/journal-entry-wordcamp-asia-2020-cancellation-debrief/\">Journal Entry: WordCamp Asia 2020 Cancellation Debrief</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-support\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support\">Support</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support/2022/12/introducing-the-block-editor-in-the-support-forums/\">Introducing the Block Editor in the Support Forums</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-test\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test\">Test</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/14/fse-program-testing-call-19-running-through-refinements/\">FSE Program Testing Call #19: Running Through Refinements</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/01/02/test-team-update-2-january-2023/\">Test Team Update: 2 January 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-themes\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes\">Themes</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2022/12/14/themes-team-meeting-notes-december-13-2022/\">Themes Team Meeting Notes –&nbsp;December 13, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/01/04/themes-team-update-january-04-2023/\">Themes team update January 04, 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-training\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training\">Training</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/individual-learner-survey/\">How did you learn WordPress?</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-online-workshops\">Online Workshops</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-code-wordpress-plugin-security\">Let’s code: WordPress Plugin Security</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=block-themes-and-wordpress-live-stream\">Block Themes and WordPress: Live Stream</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep6-introduction-to-plugins-file-structure-troubleshooting-bangla\">EP6: Introduction to Plugins (File Structure, Troubleshooting) | Bangla</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep5-introduction-to-themes-file-structure-troubleshooting-bangla\">EP5: Introduction to Themes (File Structure, Troubleshooting) | Bangla</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep4-introduction-to-wordpress-dashboard-frontend-bangla\">EP4: Introduction to WordPress (Dashboard, Frontend) | Bangla</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=the-wide-world-of-wordpress-events-2\">The Wide World of WordPress Events</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-tutorials\"><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorials\">Tutorials</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/creating-a-call-to-action/\">Creating a Call To Action</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/displaying-the-post-comments-block-in-block-themes/\">Displaying the Comments block in Block Themes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/wordpress-theme-template-tour/\">WordPress Theme Template Tour</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-wptv\">WPTV</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/category/year/2022/\">Latest WordPress TV videos</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-related-news\">Related News:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://getcomposer.org/changelog/2.5.0\">Composer 2.5 released</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://tek.phparch.com/\">Registration open for PHP Tek</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\">Thanks for reading our WP dot .org roundup! Each week we are highlighting the news and discussions coming from the good folks making WordPress possible. If you or your company create products or services that use WordPress, you need to be engaged with them and their work. Be sure to share this resource with your product and project managers. <br /><br /><strong>Are you interested in giving back and contributing your time and skills to WordPress.org?</strong> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/article/contributing-to-wordpress/\">Start Here ›</a><br /><br /><strong>Get our weekly WordPress community news digest</strong> — Post Status\' <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/news/week-in-review/\">Week in Review</a> — covering the WP/Woo news plus significant writing and podcasts. It\'s also available in <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter\">our newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f48c.png\" alt=\"💌\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\"><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/\"><img src=\"https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vertical-post-status-logo-250.png\" alt=\"Post Status\" class=\"wp-image-85823 size-full\" /></a><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-normal-font-size\" id=\"h-get-ready-for-remote-work\">You — and <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#Agency\">your whole team</a> can <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#choose-membership\">Join Post Status</a> too!</p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-small-font-size\"><strong>Build your network. Learn with others. Find your next job — or your next hire.</strong> Read the <strong>Post Status</strong> <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter/\">newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2709.png\" alt=\"✉\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Listen to <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/podcasts/\">podcasts</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f399.png\" alt=\"🎙\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Follow <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status/\">@Post_Status</a> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> and <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/post-status-llc/\">LinkedIn</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4bc.png\" alt=\"💼\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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 Jan 2023 15:40:51 +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:18:\"Courtney Robertson\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: #57 – Damon Cook on the Future of Website Styling 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:48:\"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=140664\";s: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:88:\"https://wptavern.com/podcast/57-damon-cook-on-the-future-of-website-styling-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:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:43881:\"Transcript<div>\n<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern, and a Happy New Year to you as well. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, the future of styling your WordPress website.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to WPTavern.com forward slash feed forward slash podcast. And you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m very keen to hear from you, and hopefully get you or your idea featured on the show. Head to WPTavern.com forward slash contact forward slash jukebox, and use the form there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So on the podcast today we have Damon Cook. He&#8217;s a long time user of WordPress, trying it first in around 2008. He&#8217;s worked for some of the largest WordPress agencies over the years, but his current role is that of Developer Advocate with WP Engine, where he engages with the WordPress community, trying to figure out where WordPress is headed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damon is on the podcast today to talk about styling WordPress, and how it&#8217;s changing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Up until recently, if you wanted to modify your website&#8217;s appearance, you needed to work with the theme. Sometimes this could be done in the theme&#8217;s UI or in the WordPress customizer. But if you really needed fine control, then it&#8217;s likely you edited the themes files or created a theme of your own. It can be quite a complex process.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Block-based themes or revolutionizing websites styling. You&#8217;re going to be able to modify any aspect of your website from the UI that you&#8217;re familiar with. The hope is that it&#8217;ll make styling more accessible to a wider audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damon talks about the fact that we&#8217;re in a period of flux right now. The documentation and tooling needed to work with website styles is maturing, but is by no means complete.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talk through some of the new concepts which are underpinning all of this. Style variations, style engine, global styles, block themes, block patterns, theme.json. These are perhaps terms that you&#8217;ve heard being used, but might not be familiar with. Damon explains what they are and where they fit into the website styling jigsaw.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end, we briefly get into the work that Damon has been doing with ACF to make his own blocks, and how it provides a bridge for those people who are not yet familiar with React.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, you can find all the links in the show notes by heading over to. WPTavern.com forward slash podcast. And you&#8217;ll find all of the other episodes there as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so without further delay, I bring you Damon Cook.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Damon Cook. Hello Damon.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:03:42] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Hi Nathan. How you doing?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:03:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. Very nice. Thank you for joining us on the podcast today. Damon is going to have a chat with us today all about, well, a whole myriad of things, to be honest. But largely it&#8217;s about the things which are either currently in WordPress, potentially recently put into WordPress, or maybe even some things which are coming down the path.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He works for WP Engine. His role there is a really interesting one actually. It&#8217;s called Developer Advocate. I&#8217;m going to dig into what that role entails in a minute, in more depth. But Damon, will you just give us a little bit of a background of your journey with WordPress Just to orientate the listeners, what have you been up to in the WordPress space? When did you come across WordPress? Go as far back as you like to make it work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:26] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Sure. I was thinking about that this morning. I&#8217;m trying to remember what my origin date would be. If I had to guess, because I&#8217;m not clear on it, but I probably started working with WordPress back in around 2008. I remember multi-site was just getting an introduction. Well, it was MU, multi-user, at the time. So, that was where I was introduced. I actually created an internal blogging platform for a state university I was working at at the time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it was neat to start working with open source tools. And I left there and went into agency land for about a decade where I worked with solely WordPress focused agencies like TenUp, WebDevStudios, and a few others. And, that is where I really focused my work as a front end developer. That&#8217;s where I&#8217;ve come to WP Engine with, I&#8217;ve been here about four or five months and, I&#8217;ve always found it a passion of mine to give back in to the community and really advocate and try to raise awareness around some of the newer features coming out of WordPress, which is, these days seems to be going at a pretty breakneck speed with Gutenberg. So, there&#8217;s a lot going on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:05:49] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, there really is a lot going on and we we&#8217;ll dig more into that and your interest in it in a moment. But I want to just dwell on your job title if you don&#8217;t mind, a developer advocate at WP Engine. I have heard this muttered a few times by various different people from WP Engine, amongst other companies, and never really that sure what that role entails. So would you mind just spelling it out? I know that you&#8217;re new to the role, so maybe still finding your feet, I don&#8217;t know, but just tell us what the purpose of that job title is.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:20] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, I am new to it and it is interesting and, I see it as trying to gauge and engage with the community around WordPress. And that is as broad as it can be as in community, because coming from a agency world I tend to definitely focus and have a bias towards developer solutions. But at the end of the day, I&#8217;ve always been passionate about creating experiences for the end user, for builders of any stages of learning whether it&#8217;s a marketer building a site, or you know, somebody who has a background as a developer or an enterprise developer, or a designer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So trying to engage with that community and see where there are any gaps or barriers to onboarding them, really to any of the latest things coming out of the project, or elevate their experience in creating and building sites with WordPress, I guess. And with that also, giving back to WordPress core make teams. I&#8217;ve been trying to contribute a little bit to the Docs team and the Learn team. And that&#8217;s all sponsored by WP Engine too, as a developer advocate role. So that&#8217;s kind of the lay of the land as I see it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, that&#8217;s absolutely fascinating. Can I ask, can I drill deeper into this, because find it really interesting. Where do you go looking for the WordPress community? Because it&#8217;s pretty clear that, well, it&#8217;s as broad as it is deep. You could find WordPress people in almost every walk of life. Every age group, every part of the world.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And also, you can&#8217;t spread yourself throughout the world, so you probably have to do a lot of this online. And, well, there&#8217;s Slack, there&#8217;s Make, there&#8217;s, well there&#8217;s podcasts like this, there&#8217;s news outlets, There&#8217;s all sorts of different places where these people find themselves. And I guess you&#8217;ve got to try and touch as many of those as possible to gauge all of the different opinions. Where do you find yourself, well spending most of your time? Where do you seem to put your endeavors?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:29] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Twitter.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:32] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s the answer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:33] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah. That seems to be, it seems to be the most engaging and successful platform for that type of community. Which, with the current state of affairs there is concerning because I feel like there has been such a great buildup and yeah, it&#8217;s a great platform to engage with the community and reach a large audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I&#8217;ll be curious to see. I know lots of people are migrating to other platforms and there&#8217;s conversations of different experiments and explorations, which I think are great because, really I&#8217;m all for owning your content and however we can expedite that process for anybody is a cool thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But yeah, Twitter is the heart of a lot of it. But Slack, WordPress communities, Make communities even. Again, probably my bias is being in Gutenberg pull requests and issues, and trying to give feedback and even sharing some of the higher level issues to see if the community is interested in pursuing or giving feedback on those features, or if they&#8217;re just something that&#8217;s not even warranted to pursue.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think there tends to be definitely bias of what, you know, a lot of these areas that we&#8217;re focusing on for new features can at times. Yeah. I think the more input we can and the more eyes then the better validation and verification of what we&#8217;re doing in Gutenberg and these new features. It helps at the end of the day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:10:15] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, we&#8217;ll have to see what happens over on the Twitter side of things. We&#8217;re recording this episode at the ending of 2022 and a lot of flux, shall we say, over there at the moment. Let&#8217;s just see what happens. So it&#8217;s really curious though. Thank you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when we decided to have this podcast, we settled on the topic of, I&#8217;m just going to list them frankly. And then we can sort of dip into them one at a time or see where the conversation goes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you decided that you wanted to speak to your passions I guess. So things like the new, I&#8217;m going to use that word, I don&#8217;t know for how much longer I&#8217;m going to be using it. But the new block themes. The style engine, which I&#8217;m, I frankly need explaining to me. Global styles, the ability to style everything in the future of WordPress. So styling blocks, themes, patterns, and so on. WordPress 6.1 and all of the fun things that that brought around. And maybe we&#8217;ll get into the new theme of 2023. Which offers some really interesting capabilities.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let&#8217;s just rewind the clock a little bit. Go back there to block themes and what have you. This is obviously something that you are excited about. They are new. I think for a lot of people, they still have a, beware, there be monsters kind of flag attached to them. You know, they&#8217;re happy with their customizer. They like the ability to change things in the way that they&#8217;ve always changed them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That menu area where you could fiddle, under appearances menus. That was fine. Can we just keep that please? And of course, WordPress is moving in a different direction where all of this is being handled by blocks. And so I want to know what you think about it all.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:12:03] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Sure. Again, my bias is as a front end developer. So, the themes have been the heart of where I spend most of my day for the past decade as a developer. That tends to be where my passions lie. So block themes are definitely the evolution of so many things I&#8217;ve seen in the WordPress project. Like you mentioned, the customizer. I think that it had great potential, but at the end of the day, there was far too much compatibility issues from switching from themes, and how theme developers were implementing custom fields into the customizer, and custom entry points.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when users were switching, there was an inconsistency. So I see the evolution that is putting the hands back into the users where, that&#8217;s where a lot of the potential lies, or lied, with the customizer because theme developers could add these bells and whistles that end users could customize.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, the site editor is the evolution and, and in a lot of ways, I think there&#8217;s a revisiting of a lot of the APIs that were in the customizer but rethought in so many different ways, on so many different levels that they&#8217;re being abstracted and pulled apart. And so when they come back together, have so much more potential for developers and end users to extend, and build off of.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so it is a struggle because a lot of the underlying code base is being produced as we speak. And it&#8217;s going fast, and it&#8217;s hard to understand at times. Even, like you mentioned, and I put on the show notes style engine. That is totally new to me, and something that came on to my radar in the 6.1 release like a month ago. Because I had not even heard of this package that is in Gutenberg called the Style Engine.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I still don&#8217;t have a clear definition and understanding. But if I were to throw enough definition at it, I think it&#8217;s just a component of global styles, and really site editing to incorporate some of the classes that are used underneath in the code base.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I know that a lot of feedback has been given about classes changing on certain elements and breaking things. And even the potential for builders to be able to assign custom classes to certain elements and have that spread throughout the whole site editing experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I think there is that drive in core to have those features, and the feedback is being heard. But it&#8217;s slow with great cause because there&#8217;s a lot of thought going into making sure it&#8217;s done right. So yeah, I think the style engine is a neat concept and I still am getting my head around a lot of it, but I think it&#8217;s got great potential.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:15:11] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. You mentioned a couple of things there, which I want to drill down on a little bit. The first one was the fact that the customizer offered an experience, which, for its day, I think was really ingenious. The ability to modify things and get a real time update. But of course, you are separating the area in which you can edit content from the area in which you interact with the way that the site looks, the styles and so on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How the fonts will look, and what the background color of your body is, and so on and so forth. But you said that it was being implemented by theme authors in a whole host of different ways. So if I download and use one theme, I may have a very different experience once I dig into the menus. Theme authors were really doing things in ingenious ways, let&#8217;s not deny it. It was also potentially, if you swapped a theme for a different one, you could be, I guess, disorientated because one theme author has done something absolutely differently.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So let&#8217;s speak about that for a minute. Is the intention then you feel to make the whole experience, and I know we&#8217;re not there yet, the experience of the site editor, now called site editor, is still very confusing. But is the intention for it in the end, do you believe, to be one experience? The same experience, no matter what theme you end up using. You&#8217;re going to have a familiarity with the UI.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:16:40] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> The simple answer, yes I do. But I think that there will definitely be some rough areas. I see potential and abstraction enough in some of these packages that, there&#8217;s definitely enough thought that if a user were to switch themes in the site editor, you know that there will be a lot less breaking, a lot less confusion.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like you said, we&#8217;re certainly not there yet, but I think there&#8217;s a great, there&#8217;s enough thought and carefulness that&#8217;s going in consideration into the different packages and areas and features that make up site editing. So that the potential will be there that users can switch. But also users can switch and still maintain their customizations, right, within global styles. That&#8217;s a really complex thing to solve. But I think there&#8217;s definitely great consideration being applied there and making sure that that will happen. And so, yeah, I&#8217;m excited to see the future, that&#8217;s where it is for me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:46] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I have no idea how to square this circle. I really don&#8217;t know how to do it. But the whole problem of putting the site editor into WordPress, and for everybody to go, yay, this is exactly what we wanted. Because we do seem to have an era, right at the minute where, people are adopting it, other people are finding it difficult to adopt.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re holding off because they can see that it&#8217;s not where it needs to be. And I just don&#8217;t know what the solution could have been to make that transition as easy as possible. So we are in a situation right now where if you download a vanilla version of WordPress and put it on a site, you&#8217;re going to have the 2022 theme. But the editing experience for that will still be labeled as beta.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So in a way, it&#8217;s sort of saying, whoa, don&#8217;t go in here. This is likely to break. So the default editing experience is warning us off and be mindful of the fact that things may be damaged if you use this. But the traditional way worked. People that were happy with it are still happy with it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s no period at which, hopefully, at least anyway, one is going to, the old way of doing things, if you like the classic themes, they&#8217;re not going to be put out to pasture at any point in the near future. So we&#8217;ve got try and swing people over gently. And I don&#8217;t know how that journey could have been achieved successfully, but it does feel as if maybe it&#8217;s put some people&#8217;s noses out of joint.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course there&#8217;s this whole other crowd of people that we are not used to talking to because they don&#8217;t yet exist. And what I mean by that is people who&#8217;ve never used WordPress and for them, they&#8217;re going to step into WordPress tomorrow, the day after.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this will be the way that they&#8217;ve done it. What the heck? The customizer. What? I have no interest in that. That looks very strange. I&#8217;m used to this experience and I guess part of your job and part of everybody&#8217;s job in WordPress is to sort of bridge that gap and see how smooth we can make it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:19:48] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, and I think that what excites me the most is the experimentation and exploration for even existing users. I mean, I think that some people are transitioning and exploring even new ways that even if they have the Gutenberg plugin installed and activated and are testing out things that aren&#8217;t ready for a production site necessarily, but really pushing the boundaries of what can be done.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then, I think that can come back to influence the project and direction. So those edge cases and experimentations are definitely where things that get me excited. One thing I just saw that, it&#8217;s kind of a tangent I guess, but I saw that there&#8217;s a color randomizer that was introduced in Gutenberg, and I think that&#8217;s being, featured on, is it Anne McCarthy&#8217;s new call for full site editing outreach experiment.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, she does our outreach program. That&#8217;s right, yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:46] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> So that is a really neat exploration to have in the global styles. A little button you can randomize the colors and see that being applied. You&#8217;ll see the different colors applied to the theme, and so I think that type of exploration shows some of the excitement and some of the neat things that there is potential for.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s also the people, I mean, and I am totally like, how many people are going to use that? I don&#8217;t know, maybe two. But I think that that type of exploration can give great value if done carefully and considered what the outcomes are, and what the potential is. Whether that feature gets pulled into a final solution and product of WordPress core, I don&#8217;t know, that may not. But I&#8217;m sure that the outcomes will be documented, whether it&#8217;s in Gutenberg and whether that comes back up in two or three years as another exploration, you know. That&#8217;s something to learn from and build off of. So that stuff is, I think, super valuable.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:21:48] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s a really interesting position you&#8217;ve taken there. I really hadn&#8217;t framed it in my head in that way too often, because when something like that comes along, it would seem that those people who aren&#8217;t going to make any use of it, the common clarion call is, well, who&#8217;s going to make use of it? What&#8217;s the point of this? Why have we got this, I don&#8217;t know, style randomizer that you&#8217;ve just mentioned? And, maybe the same could be true of things like the duotone option that was available. I haven&#8217;t really seen too much of the duotone out there in the wild.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what I&#8217;m taking from that is that it was an interesting experiment. Nobody, well, not nobody, very few people made use of it. But the way that you just framed it was fascinating. It was more about, well let&#8217;s just try things. Throw spaghetti at the wall, and see what sticks. And maybe some of it is going to be the exact thing first time, but maybe not.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe it&#8217;ll be a case of, what we&#8217;ve shown you here is what is possible, not how it will end up. Look, there is an option here. By clicking a button, you can dramatically change the style of your site, you can randomize it. But what if we didn&#8217;t want to randomize it completely? What if we could apply constraints to that randomization, so that it was broadly the same as it was before, but just a tiny bit different.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, we varied your website, not completely randomized it. And so it can be iterated on. The goal isn&#8217;t to arrive at the end point, first time. It&#8217;s just, here&#8217;s an idea. Anybody going to make use of it? No, okay. We&#8217;ll move on. Or, yes, but not how it is. We&#8217;re going to iterate on it, so, yeah interesting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:25] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, they&#8217;re experiments. I mean, it&#8217;s like good old science class. You do an experiment, document the outcomes. And I think that&#8217;s a really great way to look at it. Not everything is going to be a success. Experiments fail all the time. But, just as long as you can kinda learn and get the key takeaways and maybe revisit and iterate on a different type of that experiment. So yeah, I think it&#8217;s a great thing,</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:51] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Showing the boundaries of what might be possible, not necessarily what will be. Here&#8217;s the sort of thing that you can do. Here&#8217;s the direction that you could go in and what have you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I feel like styles, you were mentioning there the ability to randomize them. I feel like styles is a real area of success in WordPress at the minute. Because we&#8217;ve got things like global styles in the latest iteration of the default theme, 2023. We&#8217;ve got this fabulous new thing, which certainly I think is fabulous, I think you do too, called style variations. Other things perhaps less successful. You know, the navigation block, I think still is broadly speaking too unfamiliar for many people to use it as a default. But yeah, styles. Styling everything, blocks, themes, patterns, and what have you, and style variations. Do you just want to tell us, because you wrote that in the show notes, you must have some, insight and excitement around it?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:24:49] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, style variations, I think that came out in 5.9 or maybe 6.0. With 6.1 that just came out, the core theme 2023 had a series of style variations within it. That was showing the potential of that new API. And again it&#8217;s a great exploration and I don&#8217;t think that every theme that&#8217;s going to be developed, or need to be developed, is going to need a style variation. But, the fact that those APIs are there and you can have that UI, that a user can just browse through and pick different styles and appearances, and get different looks to their site. I think is always something that&#8217;s going to land with developers and end users. Because yeah, the web is a big visual experience for a lot of us. So just seeing those changes in real life is always a great thing. And, there was about 10 style variations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so yeah, if you open up the 2023 theme and go into the global styles area, you can just browse different appearances and even save, if you like one, and start using it today.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:26:03] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> It really is remarkably clever and very, very interesting to look at. So, as you&#8217;ve just said, you download, start using the 2023 theme, and you&#8217;ve got these 10 contributed style variations. And really, in a sense, it&#8217;s almost like a theme within a theme. It&#8217;s almost like the 2023 theme is 10 themes. I&#8217;m over exaggerating it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It really is just changing the styling. So the text is the same. The images, they remain the same. But it plays very nicely, like I said, these 10 contributed styles that were selected as the ones to go into the theme, they&#8217;re really, really different to each other. So in some of them the images, they have different border radiuss, you know, really startlingly, different border radiuss.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The typography&#8217;s changed, the background has changed. And for an end user, you are basically looking at a different website. And the ability to change that, I can&#8217;t see any people, well any clients, not at least thinking, well that&#8217;s a nice option to have. Nobody&#8217;s going to say, well, no, no. I don&#8217;t wish to ever be able to change the style of my website with the click of a button. That&#8217;s just such a great idea.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:27:15] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah. And I think it, that even reinforces a lot of, I know that the introduction of the theme.json, right, using json file to right. A lot of people say, and it is if you&#8217;re essentially writing kind of a CSS abstraction, right, of styling your site in theme.json files. But I think that&#8217;s where, again I see the potential is. Yeah, you&#8217;re saving these styles as json objects, but you know, at the end of the day there&#8217;s so much more potential that, you know, you can take different json objects.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe it&#8217;s styling the same exact thing. Maybe the theme is saying style buttons this way with this border, and then there&#8217;s a UI for the user to modify that border, and then take those json objects and synthesize them together. That is the potential of, again, going back to the customizer, if a user just switched themes and some of those stylings weren&#8217;t there, then they had a bad experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I think the value of the theme.json file is hard for a lot of people to grasp, because especially if you&#8217;re familiar with writing CSS, you&#8217;re like, oh, I&#8217;m just writing CSS in a json file. But, yes you are. But, the way that data is being exchanged and can be exchanged in the future will have great potential and, really enable a lot of clever things, I think.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Just to give some more context to that. Does the theme json file, for those people who are listening who don&#8217;t know what that is and don&#8217;t really want to get into that. Fear not, it&#8217;s not tremendously difficult, but also I think there&#8217;s a lot of tooling coming out, which is online platforms if you like, which will help you get through that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a lot of tutorials around now to help with that, much more so than there was a little while ago. But there are tools which are coming out which will enable you to create these files in a much more straightforward way than typing it into your IDE. But do you see that as a really nice bridge between swapping out themes, because it will provide consistency over time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things in the theme.json file will be immutable, if you like. And if you swap your theme for a completely different theme, hopefully, you won&#8217;t just be looking at a complete horror show where everything is completely different. We&#8217;re looking for a more consistent experience with these new adoptions.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:29:39] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, I think my mind definitely goes to the edge cases, well not the edge cases, but like AI. I mean you kind of have to make some inferences of if you&#8217;re going to take what the theme, it might be telling you, and trying to allow the user to override some of the things the theme might be setting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, you want, you want to make that optional, right? You want to be able to allow theme developers to even surface the UI. So, do they want the potential for somebody to change a button border? That should be an option. And if it&#8217;s enabled, how do we infer what the user has customized versus what the theme originally was doing?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think you can kind of make some inferences there, but at the end of the day, there&#8217;ll probably be some rough edges that will break in changing themes. But I think that it has a greater potential in the current iteration of it, like the APIs with theme.json ,to make things easier to work with, and how they&#8217;re saved and exchanged. So, I&#8217;m not sure if that answered your question, but.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:30:52] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it&#8217;s not the silver bullet, but it hopefully will provide a little bit of stability over time. And be less of a, of an experience that you described earlier with the customizer where swap themes and you really are left with a black hole that is hard to get out of.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, so we&#8217;re recording this end of November, 2022. WordPress 6.1. Actually 6.1.1 as of a few hours ago. But, broadly speaking, WordPress 6.1 is the latest and greatest. You put in the show notes, the future of WordPress including 6.1 and beyond. What has got you excited in 6.1? What are some of the, the fun bells and whistles that you&#8217;ve enjoyed seeing?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:31:34] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> I think some of the global styles work, like saving and importing and exporting for themes to allow end users and builders to create their own variations on a theme. That is currently being worked on, and I think has great potential and excites me. So that, again, it goes back to enabling a good theme switching experience for the end user and for builders and for developers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I think there&#8217;s also more, I mean, in 6.1 there was a good deal of work in allowing the bridge between classic themes and block themes with allowing classic template parts to pull in patterns. And, even now I think there&#8217;s work for replacing a template part from patterns. Those types of things speak to the backwards compatibility of the project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That stuff excites me the most is bridging that gap, because I think a lot of people are, it&#8217;s either a classic theme world or a block theme world. And so, if we can slowly onboard users and developers from classic theme to block theme development, then I think that&#8217;s always going to be a success for everyone.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:32:52] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> You, uh, you mentioned also in the show notes. One of the things that people listening to this may or may not know, is, they may have come across a plugin before called ACF. ACF stands for Advanced Custom Fields. I forget when, it was certainly before your time at WP Engine, but WP Engine acquired ACF. And, I can&#8217;t remember the route that it went. I think it went through Delicious Brains first, and then it ended up with WP Engine. It&#8217;s now under WP Engine&#8217;s stewardship. It&#8217;s a very popular plugin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the fun things that you can do with ACF is to create blocks in, let&#8217;s just call it a simpler way. There&#8217;s less of a curve. You can stick with some of the things that you&#8217;ve known for years. You mentioned in the show notes you thought this was quite an interesting thing that you&#8217;ve been playing with lately. Tell us a little bit about ACF blocks and what you&#8217;ve been doing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:33:40] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, I recently was able to revisit because I&#8217;ve used, I&#8217;ve been an ACF Pro user throughout my years as a developer and I&#8217;ve used it on projects and, it had been a while and the 6.0 release just came out. And so I was able to dig in and experiment with the current iteration of ACF blocks, which has great potential, I think, and is really useful.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again, I think it bridges a gap for a lot of builders in creating custom blocks. I think it&#8217;s become a less of a need, because I think WordPress core has enough great blocks out of the box to use. But there&#8217;s always going to be potential for different accordions, tabs, those good old sliders, stuff like that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And ACF definitely makes a great argument for using PHP and not even having to dabble in kind of the Gutenberg React, JavaScript world. So I think that makes sense for a lot of developers. Why start learning all this React stuff when I can just stick with PHP, and that makes sense to me. And I think that whatever gets you an end project done quicker than that, whatever works, that works.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:35:08] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So is the idea of ACF blocks then that with an understanding of PHP, CSS and what have you? You can combine custom field groups, say, or a selection of custom fields. And you can have those be output in a block? So you&#8217;re in the Gutenberg editor, you drag in the ACF block that you&#8217;ve created, and whatever you&#8217;ve given it a name for. And then you can style it in Gutenberg based upon what you&#8217;ve set up. You can obviously, depending on what you&#8217;ve done, you can add in text or multiline text or date pickers or whatever it may be. Is that the promise of it?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:35:43] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, and I think for any ACF users that are already working with the field&#8217;s UI, registering and creating those fields in ACF and then assigning them to a custom block that you can just drag and drop into the editor, is quick and easy with ACF. And it makes sense in a lot of ways, because yeah, those fields are available in your block and you get the output that you expect.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think there&#8217;s a little bit of a deviation in kind of the editor experience, because the way the fields, but that&#8217;s really on the developer and implementation really. I mean, you can go all out and try to make it a native feeling experience. And I think that there&#8217;s a lot of work even in ACF to give it that native experience. But yeah, I think having those fields available right on your block in the editor makes things easy to work with and makes sense at the end of the day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:36:40] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it&#8217;s a nice bridge isn&#8217;t it, for people who don&#8217;t wish to commit the time or the energy to learning those fairly difficult skills. You can stick with the skills that you&#8217;ve already got and use perhaps a tool that you&#8217;ve had lying around for a while in a new and interesting way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I also feel that the idea of being able to drop in custom blocks for your clients, whatever industry they&#8217;re in. I don&#8217;t know, you build a site for a real estate agent and managed to throw together a real estate block, which, you know, if you fill out the fields, there&#8217;s a house, that you can have on your website and all you had to do was drag in a block and complete the necessary fields.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s really great. Really interesting. Do you actually dabble in the, the React side of things? Do you build your own custom blocks? Is that something you have experimented with? And if the answer&#8217;s yes, how have you found that challenge?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:37:31] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yes I do. And it is a challenge. I think that I tend to bounce between trying to learn React fundamentals, but mostly I think that I spend most of my time learning Gutenberg&#8217;s flavour of React, which makes more sense to me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And makes more sense in that, it&#8217;s in WordPress and that&#8217;s the APIs that they&#8217;re spinning off is going to always, it&#8217;s going to mature and change a little bit, but that&#8217;s where I&#8217;d rather spend my time learning. But I think there are some key concepts in React fundamentals that it&#8217;s always good to go back and revisit. But, I do that sporadically. That&#8217;s even, uh, as a front end developer of 10 years, I still, you know, I&#8217;m still looking up HTML elements in MDN Mozilla.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But yeah, developing custom blocks I think has become a lot easier because I&#8217;ve developed them throughout the years in agency land and just the tooling has become a lot better and consistent. Still a ways to go in the documentation. And I think there&#8217;s a, a lot of great feedback on how to extend some of the tools to help enable custom block development.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, I think it&#8217;s come a long way and, there is the barrier to creating your first block is pretty low these days. And if anything, the biggest barriers are probably spinning up and setting up Node and NPM, which is understandably a pretty significant technical barrier. But, I think there&#8217;s a lot of great tutorials out there on that stuff as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:39:19] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Given that your developer advocate role is your job, and you&#8217;re trying to bridge the gap, I guess, you&#8217;re trying to find ways to promote the community and help the community and so on. Are there any resources that you have found particularly useful? You mentioned that there&#8217;s more now than there ever has been, which is great, but are there any resources that you have personally found to be very useful about anything that we&#8217;ve talked about today? Whether that&#8217;s blocks, style variations, block themes, block patterns, whatever, just stuff that you&#8217;ve found to be useful, resources that we can mention.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:39:54] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Yeah, I think the Learn Team and learn.wordpress.org has been putting out some great material. Courses, video tutorials. So I think that has been a really great resource lately. Also, Carolina&#8217;s fullsiteediting.com. I think a lot of people find that very useful. She does a great job of keeping that up to date and so much, so much great resources there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only other, and I know this isn&#8217;t probably what everybody does with their free time, but, I actually find it interesting to open up GitHub and go into the Gutenberg project and just pick a package and start looking at code. But not everybody is a coder and not everybody&#8217;s a developer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, along those lines, I think if you are even on an early journey and have any interest in being a developer, I would focus more on just learning HTML and CSS. Then if you do someday want to open up Gutenberg and start looking at the code, I think that to have that background is, is far more important to get you into the larger stuff that goes on there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:41:09] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Damon, I am wondering if people have listened to this episode and they&#8217;ve thought, I would like to talk to Damon about this. Where could we find you? What social platforms do you use, or email address do you want to disclose? Entirely up to you. As much or as little as you like?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:41:24] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Hopefully Twitter is still very active. But that&#8217;s where I do spend a lot of my time still. So I am dcook on Twitter. So definitely reach out to me there. And I think I&#8217;m always in the WordPress Slack. Definitely lots of great content coming out of wpengine.com builders site in the future. We&#8217;re actually just starting to do some workshops as well. So look for announcements on Twitter through wpenginebuilders. That&#8217;s where mostly where I can be reached.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:41:59] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Damon Cook, appreciate you chatting to us on the podcast today. Thank you very much.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:42:03] <strong>Damon Cook:</strong> Thank you.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast today, we have <a href=\"https://twitter.com/dcook\">Damon Cook</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He’s a longtime user of WordPress, trying it first in around 2008. He’s worked for some of the largest WordPress agencies over the years, but his current role is that of Developer Advocate with WP Engine, where he engages with the WordPress community, trying to figure out where WordPress is headed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damon is on the podcast to talk about styling WordPress, and how it’s changing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Until recently, if you wanted to modify your website’s appearance, you needed to work with the theme. Sometimes this could be done in the theme’s UI or in the WordPress Customizer, but if you really needed fine control, then it’s likely you edited the theme’s files or created a theme of your own. It can be quite a complex process.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Block-based themes are revolutionising website styling. You’re going to be able to change any aspect of your website from the UI that you’re familiar with. The hope is that it’ll make styling more accessible to a wider audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damon talks about the fact that we’re in a period of flux right now. The documentation and tooling needed to work with website styles is maturing, but is by no means complete.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talk through some new concepts which are underpinning all of this. Style variations, style engine, global styles, block themes, block patterns, theme.json. These are perhaps terms that you’ve heard being used, but might not be familiar with. Damon explains what they are and where they fit into the website styling jigsaw.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end we briefly get into work that Damon has been doing with ACF to make his own blocks, and how it provides a bridge for those people who are not yet familiar with React.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful links.</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://wpengine.com/\">WP Engine</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://wpengine.com/builders/\">WP Engine Builders</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://deliciousbrains.com/\">Delicious Brains</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/\">Advanced Custom Fields</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/blocks/\">ACF Blocks</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/\">Learn WordPress website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://fullsiteediting.com/\">Full site editing website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg\">Gutenberg Project on GitHub</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 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +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:14;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:88:\"Do The Woo Community: The Process for Applying to the WooCommerce Agency Partner Program\";s: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:28:\"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74212\";s: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:87:\"https://dothewoo.io/the-process-for-applying-to-the-woocommerce-agency-partner-program/\";s: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:394:\"<p>A simple explanation of the process for applying as a WooExpert </p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io/the-process-for-applying-to-the-woocommerce-agency-partner-program/\">The Process for Applying to the WooCommerce Agency Partner Program</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io\">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce Builder Community</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 Jan 2023 10:32:00 +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:5:\"BobWP\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:103:\"WPTavern: Icon Block 1.4.0 Adds Height Control, Improves Color Handling to Better Support Global Styles\";s: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=140670\";s: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:113:\"https://wptavern.com/icon-block-1-4-0-adds-height-control-improves-color-handling-to-better-support-global-styles\";s: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:5873:\"<p>Nick Diego, developer advocate at WP Engine, has released <a href=\"https://nickdiego.com/the-icon-block-1-4-0-release-whats-new-and-how-i-built-it/\">version 1.4.0</a> of his <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/icon-block/\">Icon Block</a> plugin. Diego launched it in October 2021, after struggling to find an efficient way to add SVG icons to the block editor. He is aiming for this small but useful plugin to become &#8220;the definitive SVG icon and graphic block.&#8221; In the past year, it has grown 1300%  to more than 7,000 active installs, while staying focused on a tight set of features. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress contributors have been <a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24251\">discussing adding SVG support</a> to core for more than a decade, but have not yet found a clear path forward that properly addresses security concerns. In July 2022, the Performance team began <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-performance-team-is-working-on-a-module-for-svg-uploads\">working on a module for SVG uploads</a> but it&#8217;s still in progress. In the meantime, since the SVG format has <a href=\"https://caniuse.com/?search=svg\">nearly universal support across the web</a>, users have relied on plugins like <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/svg-support/\">SVG Support</a> (1M+ installs) or <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/safe-svg/\">Safe SVG</a> (700k+ installs) to upload SVG files to the media library and use them like any other image file.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diego&#8217;s plugin is different in that it was made for use with the block and site editors. The Icon Block registers a single block that allows users to add custom SVG icons and graphics. It also enables access to the WordPress icon library, which contains 270+ SVG icons. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>One advantage of the plugin is that users don&#8217;t need to install a whole block library if they just need SVG icons. In version 1.2.0, Icon Block added the ability for developers to <a href=\"https://nickdiego.com/adding-custom-icons-to-the-icon-block/\">register their own custom icon libraries</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest release expands width control beyond what is offered in the core Image block to support <code>%</code>, <code>px</code>, <code>em</code>, <code>rem</code>, <code>vh</code>, <code>vw</code>, or whatever units are defined in theme.json. These units are also available in Global Styles, so users can control width based on how the theme author intended. Diego, who said he prefers to use native WordPress components wherever possible, updated width controls using Gutenberg&#8217;s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/trunk/packages/block-editor/src/components/height-control/index.js\" target=\"_blank\">HeightControl</a>, which isn&#8217;t yet available in core. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Luckily, it is built out of components that have been in WordPress since 6.0. I ported the code from the <code>HeightControl</code> over to a custom <code><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://github.com/ndiego/icon-block/blob/main/src/components/dimension-control.js\" target=\"_blank\">DimensionControl</a></code> in the Icon Block and made a few modifications to meet my specific needs,&#8221; Diego said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Icon height support is a new feature in the latest 1.4.0 release, another feature request from the plugin&#8217;s community of users.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />image source: <a href=\"https://nickdiego.com/the-icon-block-1-4-0-release-whats-new-and-how-i-built-it/\">Icon Block 1.4.0 release post</a>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;One thing to note is that I choose to exclude&nbsp;<code>%</code>&nbsp;from the height unit options,&#8221; Diego said in the release post. &#8220;Using&nbsp;<code>%</code>&nbsp;can have unexpected results based on the icon’s container height and is quite unintuitive.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version 1.4.0 also improves color support to better support Global Styles. When themes define a <code><code>primary</code> and <code>secondary</code></code> colors in theme.json, icons set to use these will work seamlessly with style variation switching. This is a beautiful demonstration of how block developers can make their plugins work harmoniously with Global Styles to improve the experience of full-site editing.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />image source: <a href=\"https://nickdiego.com/the-icon-block-1-4-0-release-whats-new-and-how-i-built-it/\">Icon Block 1.4.0 release post</a>\n\n\n\n<p>In future releases, Diego said he plans to work on a way to allow users to insert custom SVG icons from an &#8220;uploaded&#8221; SVG file, as well as explore ways to integrate with third-party icon libraries. Access to Font Awesome, Boostrap icons, Ionicons, and other SVG libraries would give users a much wider selection beyond the WordPress icon library when designing their sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Users can submit feature requests via the <a href=\"https://github.com/ndiego/icon-block/issues\">issues</a> queue in the plugin&#8217;s GitHub repository. Since Diego is developing the plugin using native WordPress components as much as possible, users can also expect additional functionality to become available as it is added to WordPress core.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;There are tons of great icon plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, free and premium,&#8221; Diego said. &#8220;Most have more features and functionality than the Icon Block. However, what makes this block different is its strong commitment to WordPress&#8217; core design principles.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The goal was always to make the block feel like it belonged in WordPress itself. I have strived to use as many core <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/reference-guides/block-api/block-supports/\" target=\"_blank\">block supports</a> and components as possible. Version 1.4.0 stays true to this effort with much-needed enhancements.&#8221;</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 Jan 2023 21:36:06 +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: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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:63:\"Do The Woo Community: Knowing What Your Sites Performance Means\";s: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:28:\"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74171\";s: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:62:\"https://dothewoo.io/knowing-what-your-sites-performance-means/\";s: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:439:\"<p>You may find a tool that gives you a good indication of what your site does in a browser, but it\'s just a metric. It\'s not the metric, not the end all, be all.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io/knowing-what-your-sites-performance-means/\">Knowing What Your Sites Performance Means</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io\">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce Builder Community</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:\"Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:49:00 +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:5:\"BobWP\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"Donncha: The Mastodon Onslaught on your blog\";s: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:28:\"https://odd.blog/?p=89589420\";s: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:64:\"https://odd.blog/2023/01/02/the-mastodon-onslaught-on-your-blog/\";s: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:7169:\"<p>You might not be on Mastodon yet, but your blog could get a torrent of traffic from Mastodon, or other Fediverse network if it&#8217;s shared there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your website is mentioned there, it might be the “victim” of an inadvertent denial of service attack, as hundreds or thousands of servers request the URL in the 60 seconds or so afterwards. That is precisely what <a href=\"https://www.jwz.org/blog/2022/11/mastodon-stampede/\">JWZ blogged about</a> last month when his site was taken down by Mastodon servers.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Every time I do a new blog post, within a second I have over a thousand simultaneous hits of that URL on my web server from unique IPs. Load goes over 100, and mariadb stops responding.</p>\n<cite>JWZ on <a href=\"https://www.jwz.org/blog/2022/11/mastodon-stampede/\">Mastodon Stampede</a>.</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p></p>\n\n\n\n<p>JWZ has over <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/@jwz\">8,000 followers.</a> Every time he shares a post on Mastodon, the instances (servers) where those followers live will send a request to his blog to generate a preview. Actually, two requests will be sent:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A request for the wp-json embed for the page.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A request for the page that was shared.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, he blocked the Mastodon user agent. That stops previews of his website showing up on Mastodon posts, but resolves the problem for his website.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yesterday morning, I <a href=\"https://mastodon.ie/@donncha/109614145566437712\">decided to see what effect</a> sharing a link on my Mastodon account would have on my server. My Mastodon account has 1.8K followers. A far cry from the number of followers JWZ has, but still enough to test my server.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wanted to test several scenarios:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Caching the post before sharing.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changing Apache configuration.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sharing without caching on my server.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>My server is at Linode. I pay an average of $24/month to run this site and my photoblog is on it too where I share a daily photo + link on Mastodon. It&#8217;s not a heavy-duty server that can withstand a huge amount of traffic.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to skip the details, my server coped fine with sharing a URL from here to Mastodon. The load average went up for about 20 seconds, topping out at the max for about 5 seconds before things calmed down. It was responsive the whole time. Install a full-page caching plugin like <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-super-cache/\">WP Super Cache</a>, <a href=\"https://jetpack.com/boost/\">Jetpack Boost</a> and <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-rest-cache/\">WP Rest Cache</a> and your site will probably be fine. Jetpack Boost and the <a href=\"https://jetpack.com/\">Jetpack</a> Image Accelerator will help when human visitors arrive.</p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<a href=\"https://i0.wp.com/odd.blog/files/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-02-at-10.03.17.png?ssl=1\"><img /></a></div>\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://mastodon.ie/@donncha/109614168671378154\">first test</a> resulted in:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>261 requests for the page embed.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>359 requests for the page itself.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 minute load average topped out at 1.34 for 5 seconds.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The page was cached by WP Super Cache, but I had set the garbage collection TTL to 60 seconds and I believe it expired halfway through the test, so it had to generate the cache again. Once I adjusted that, and set the TTL to 600 seconds, <a href=\"https://mastodon.ie/@donncha/109614227575646081\">the second test</a> performed better. The page remained cached throughout:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>273 requests for the page embed.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>289 requests for the page itself.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 minute load average topped out at 0.71 for 5 seconds.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The main points of my Apache configuration:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Keep alives are disabled.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 start servers</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Minimum 10 spare servers</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When I reduced the start and minimum spare servers to 1, <a href=\"https://mastodon.ie/@donncha/109614274892094213\">the next test</a> took longer to complete, and the load average rose to 1.24, even on a fully cached page. This was expected as the server didn&#8217;t have the spare capacity to deal with the sudden traffic.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>After reverting the changes to Apache, I disabled caching on my blog and shared another URL. The <a href=\"https://mastodon.ie/@donncha/109614344675460069\">load average</a> only rose to 1.12 for a very short time. I was pleased with that. While caching does help, my server could cope with that traffic.</p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<a href=\"https://i0.wp.com/odd.blog/files/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-02-at-09.57.25.png?ssl=1\"><img /></a>A sample of the user agents used by Mastodon instances hitting my blog for previews</div>\n\n\n<p>I suspected that there was one hit per Mastodon instance on my site. I checked my logs and was proved right. For all the accounts that follow me on mastodon.social, only one request was made. That does mean the onslaught of requests isn&#8217;t as bad as it might be. Instead of 1,800 requests for a page, there were far fewer. I did notice that a Friendica instance requested one of my test URLs several times.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mastodon and other Fediverse servers will start requesting a preview within a second of you sharing your post on the network. It helps if your server is running some sort of caching.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have many Mastodon followers or if you&#8217;re worried about a DDoS from Mastodon, the following will help:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure Apache/Nginx has the spare capacity to grow quickly and respond to a sudden torrent of requests.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install a caching plugin like <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-super-cache/\">WP Super Cache</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use “expert caching” in WP Super Cache which serves the cached page using mod_rewrite. That will mean your blog post is served almost as fast as requesting a text file from the server. No PHP is executed at all.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-rest-cache/\">WP Rest Cache</a> as it will <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get-wp-json-oembed-not-cached-can-it-be/\">soon cache the embed page request</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install <a href=\"https://jetpack.com/\">Jetpack</a> and enable the Image Accelerator and Jetpack Boost for human visitors who come later.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This problem has existed for a long time. Popular blogs had the same issue when they published new content and people following their blogs (through RSS feed readers, remember them?) hit the server looking for the new post. At least with Mastodon, you can load the post in a private browser window and cache it before sharing it. I want to write a WP Super Cache add-on plugin that allows the site owner to preload a new post as it&#8217;s published. That will ensure the new content is ready for sharing. I haven&#8217;t started work on that yet, so don&#8217;t ask when it&#8217;ll be done. Maybe someone else will beat me to it and claim all the credit!</p>\n\n\n\n<p></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 Jan 2023 09:31:43 +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:7:\"Donncha\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 46: The WP Bloopers Podcast\";s: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=14123\";s: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:70:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/episode-46-the-wp-bloopers-podcast/\";s: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:9573:\"<p>This episode of the WP Briefing features all the Josepha bloopers our little elves have stored away over the year. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Have a question you&#8217;d like answered? You can submit them to <a href=\"mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org\">wpbriefing@wordpress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Credits</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Editor:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/\">Dustin Hartzler</a><br />Logo:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/javiarce/\">Javier Arce</a><br />Production:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/santanainniss/\">Santana Inniss</a><br />Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id=\"more-14123\"></span>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hello everyone, and welcome to the WordPress Briefing, the podcast where you can normally catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project with the hope that deeper understanding creates deeper appreciation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But on today&#8217;s bonus episode, instead of catching quick explanations, you&#8217;ll catch some quick bloopers.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The end of the year is a time when many people and many cultures gather together, and whether you observe traditions of light or faith, compassion, or celebration from everyone here at the WordPress Briefing Podcast, we&#8217;re wishing you a happy, festive season and a very happy New Year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the laughs and outtakes from recording the WP Briefing over the year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hello everyone, and welcome to the WordPress. This is the thing I&#8217;ve done 25 times, and I know how to do it for reals.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Welcome to WordPress Briefing, episode 20. Oh no, 7? 27? 26? Episode 27. I know how many things I&#8217;ve done.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ooh, neat. This is Josepha recording episode 46 of the WP Bonus Briefings. Not because we&#8217;ve had 46 bonus Briefings, but because this is the 46th one and it is a bonus, it will also have a fancy name. But right now, I&#8217;m just calling it the bonus. It&#8217;s gonna be quick. Here I go.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Group them into two big buckets, themes, uh, themes and tools. Mmm, I&#8217;m gonna have to redo the whole thing! No! I thought I could save it, and I didn&#8217;t save it. I had a typo in my script, and then I messed it up. I, it said into you big buckets instead of into two big buckets.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m gonna start over from the target release date because I kind of smeared it all together, um, despite what I intended to do.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And gives everyone, no. What is this ringing of phones? Oh, I was doing so well. Where was I? Let&#8217;s see if I can just pick it up.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>All righty, live from my closet. It&#8217;s episode 20, the WordPress Briefing, WP Briefing. So I have a title for this, and when I started writing it, I really had every intention of writing it to the title. And then what I wrote doesn&#8217;t fit the title at all, but does really hang together well. And so we&#8217;re gonna have to come up with a new title, but at the moment, it&#8217;s called So Many Ways to WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here in a minute, you will see why it doesn&#8217;t fit. Also, at the end, I feel like I get very, like, angry nerd leader.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:00]&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so I may, I may at the end, give that a second go and see if there&#8217;s a way that I can soften it a little bit, but, I, I don&#8217;t know that I can soften it. I feel very strongly about it. So, maybe I am just an angry nerd leader.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, okay. I&#8217;ll get us started now that I apparently have filled the room with apologies, not the room, the closet.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll figure out something very catchy as a title or as an alternative. Very descriptive, and people will click on it because they must know, but we&#8217;ll figure out the title later.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>@wordpress.org. However, I don&#8217;t know why I decided to do an invitation to email me in the middle of that. I&#8217;m gonna start from the top of that paragraph. I just got too excited by the opportunity to get mail.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I gotta slow it down. I&#8217;m like the fastest talker, had too much coffee. Okay, slowing it down now.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huh? What am I saying? No, no, that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m saying. It&#8217;s fine. I, I can do this.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hold on. Oww. Sorry. I was adjusting my microphone, and then it fell down. I happened to be holding it at the time, so it didn&#8217;t, like, slam down, I think, and hurt your ears and so I apologize. Good thing I stopped so it didn&#8217;t just, like, slam down in the middle of a recording.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s all right. I&#8217;m gonna give myself that win, even though it&#8217;s a hollow one. All right. Trying again. Starting right there, at now since.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, it starts on October 18th, 2001. That&#8217;s the year? No, 2021. That&#8217;s the year. Oh man. I&#8217;m doing such a great job of this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I&#8217;m recording this slightly before, um, you&#8217;re hearing it? What, how am I gonna start this? Hold on. I don&#8217;t know how to start this. All right. I&#8217;m, I can do it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, I&#8217;m so glad I remembered. We had guests that could have been so embarrassing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now for me, the trade-offs work well. How many times can I say now?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do I just start every sentence with now now? Is this just how I do things? Uh, now, now, now, now. I&#8217;m gonna start all over again because I&#8217;m in my head about the words in my mouth now. So.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some near timeframe, some near timeframe. This is not a thing that people say, Dustin, I&#8217;m sorry. That&#8217;s not a thing people say. I&#8217;m just gonna retry that one sentence to sound like I speak with other human beings sometimes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today is the start of… I can do these things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was a terrible ending. I need to just finish that last part. I&#8217;m gonna redo the part where I started with my name and not the name of the podcast. Um, and we&#8217;ll do that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you&#8217;re supporting or building anything to hand off to clients, you know that timely, easy to ship changes on a site are considered a vital part of any overarching brand and marketing strategy. Wow. It&#8217;s like, I don&#8217;t know what words are right there.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tripped over my own tongue a lot. I&#8217;m gonna sit, I&#8217;m gonna do that paragraph again because I didn&#8217;t do a very good job of it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll do a better job.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I literally digress, and now I don&#8217;t know. I am in my thing. What was I saying? Oh, there we go.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Topher DeRosia, who founded Word not WordPress. Holy moly. That was a, I knew I was gonna say that, and I was like, don&#8217;t say that when you actually get around to saying this, but here I am, and I did it. Even though I knew I was gonna do it and I told myself not to. Doing it again. Right from there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not which audiench segment. Oh man. Audiench is not a word, folks. I was on a roll. I&#8217;m gonna start right from the primary thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t even remember how I started this podcast. What is the last thing I said? I said, here we go. All right.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kind of covered some interesting ground, and so, oh no, this is not where I&#8217;m gonna start it. I know exactly where I&#8217;m gonna start it. Okay. I&#8217;m really ready now. Here we go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:07:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I suddenly, I&#8217;m gonna pause right here because I suddenly got really worried that I didn&#8217;t actually hit record. Oh my gosh. I did. Woo. I&#8217;m all over the place. Okay. We&#8217;ll now continue. Wait, did I? Oh my goodness. I did, super sorry.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m gonna do some singing in the middle of some talking, but I keep trying to talk myself out of the singing, so I&#8217;m gonna go ahead and do the singing, and then I&#8217;ll do the talking before I talk myself out of the singing. Here I go, probably.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I added a word. That was so good. I&#8217;m gonna start again. I&#8217;m gonna get some water, and then I&#8217;m gonna start again. Not again. Again. Just from the ‘and finally.’</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know how I finish my show. Y&#8217;all, I do this literally every week. I never know how to finish my show. Here we go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know why I shouted at you from the other side of the tiny closet. I apologize. I&#8217;m gonna start again from ‘and finally.’</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tada we did it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:08:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ha. I hate it. I hate the whole podcast. It&#8217;s gonna be fine.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Done. Nailed it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that, I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Merry Christmas from me. Happy holidays to you, and we&#8217;ll see you again in the new year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>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:\"Sat, 31 Dec 2022 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:14:\"Santana Inniss\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:30:\"Post Status: New Year, Same Me\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=146196\";s: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:40:\"https://poststatus.com/new-year-same-me/\";s: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:3111:\"<p>As I reflect on 2022, I think back over a year of mixed blessings, and I’m so grateful for the WordPress Community who supported me through family loss, new ventures, and the things I’m always doing both in and outside of WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year I:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>I completed my first year on the Post Status team! I love working in the community this way, helping tell your stories, helping post jobs, and being able to help you all make connections.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>I completed my first year on the StellarWP team! Again, working in our community is amazing. I get to post on different social accounts, connect people with support, and help users find the products that work for them (and they make it possible for me to contribute to the community in big ways.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>I served on the WCUS org team. You read my post <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/5-days-without-a-shower/\">5 Days Without a Shower</a>, so you know it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it was amazing, and the efforts within WordPress that have come from that post (and my experiences) will help the community going forward.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>I lost my dad this year, and the community (at StellarWP, Post Status, and the community as a whole) rallied around me with cards, DM’s, packages, phone calls, and more. If I could hug you all, I would!</li>\n\n\n\n<li>We had a Post Status member retreat in OKC. Meeting some of our agency owners was so amazing. What a huge braintrust we have in Post Status.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>We had an in-person huddle at WCUS and it was a blast! I loved getting to know you better.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>I started a <a href=\"https://wpmotivate.com\">podcast</a> with the amazing, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kathyzant\">Kathy Zant</a>, and together we hope to bring some sunshine and positivity into your week.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>My wish for you in 2023 is continued health, happiness and prosperity. Connect with me on <a href=\"https://poststatus.slack.com\">Post Status slack</a> if there’s any way I can help you moving forward.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-in-the-spotlight\">In the Spotlight</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Post Status professional member, <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/member-spotlight-seth-goldstein/\">Seth Goldstein</a>. Seth has been in the digital marketing and WordPress space for more than 15 years.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-weekly-member-huddles\">Weekly Member Huddles</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We’re restructuring in 2023, so keep an eye out for news of upcoming Post Status events.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-quick-links\">Quick Links:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Asia</a> February 17-19, 2023</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://yoast.com/yoastcon/\">YoastCon</a> is back May 10 & 11</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcast: WP Motivate <a href=\"https://wpmotivate.com/podcast/gratitude-for-the-conveniences-of-the-internet-at-christmastime/\">Gratitude for the Conveniences of the Internet at Christmastime</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordCamps are back. <a href=\"https://central.wordcamp.org/schedule/\">Check the schedule online</a>!</li>\n</ul>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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, 30 Dec 2022 17:00:10 +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:18:\"Michelle Frechette\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:54:\"Post Status: Community Wrap-up Week Ending December 23\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=146125\";s: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:65:\"https://poststatus.com/community-wrap-up-week-ending-december-23/\";s: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:3120:\"<h2>The WordPress Community is a Wonderful Place to Be</h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-wp-community-collective\">The WP Community Collective</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The WP Community Collective aims to address some of these ongoing challenges by creating community-funded <a href=\"https://www.thewpcommunitycollective.com/fellowships/\">Fellowships</a> to financially support individual contributions to the WordPress project and community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We hope that the WP Community Collective can help bridge the gap between the passion people feel for WordPress, and the very real and practical limits of volunteer contribution,” said founding co-director Sé Reed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The WPCC’s first initiative is the <a href=\"https://opencollective.com/thewpcc/contribute/accessibility-fellowship-46812\">WPCC Accessibility Fellowship</a>. They are currently in discussion with an existing unsponsored core contributor to hold the inaugural role of Accessibility Fellow, and have launched the fundraising efforts to fund this Fellowship: <a href=\"https://opencollective.com/thewpcc/contribute/accessibility-fellowship-46812\">https://opencollective.com/thewpcc/contribute/accessibility-fellowship-46812</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more or to get involved visit <a href=\"https://www.thewpcommunitycollective.com/\">thewpcommunitycollective.com</a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-post-status-membership-deal-through-december-31\">Post Status Membership Deal through December 31!</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the spirit of Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Post Status is offering $100 off any annual membership through December 31. Why? Because we love you! Membership gets you into our Slack community, too!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use discount code BFCM for your best Post Status membership deal ever!</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-in-the-spotlight\">In the Spotlight</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Post Status professional member, <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/member-spotlight-mark-andrew-nordstrom/\">Mark-Andrew Nordstrom</a>. Mark-Andrew is skateboarding across the world and through life, building WordPress websites at no charge, believing in open source everything. And that life should not be transactional.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-weekly-member-huddles\">Weekly Member Huddles</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No huddle for the week of December 25. We’ll be back in 2023.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wednesdays <a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuf-GrpjksH91MJiGiaIwzpHWzhWSgOrKL\">Sign Up</a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-quick-links\">Quick Links:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Asia</a> February 17-19, 2023</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://yoast.com/yoastcon/\">YoastCon</a> is back May 10 & 11</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcast: <a href=\"https://podcast.lifterlms.com/build-the-coaching-business/\">How to Build the Coaching Business that Lights You Up with Holly Chantal</a> on LMSCast</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcast: <a href=\"https://wpbuilds.com/2022/12/20/this-week-in-wordpress-235/\">This Week in WordPress</a> on WPBuilds</li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordCamps are back. <a href=\"https://central.wordcamp.org/schedule/\">Check the schedule online</a>!</li>\n</ul>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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, 23 Dec 2022 19:37:08 +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:\"Michelle Frechette\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:103:\"WPTavern: Commercial and Community Categorization Is Live on WordPress.org Theme and Plugin Directories\";s: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=140559\";s: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:114:\"https://wptavern.com/commercial-and-community-categorization-is-live-on-wordpress-org-theme-and-plugin-directories\";s: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:3508:\"<p>One of Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s announcements at the <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2022-matt-mullenweg-highlights-gutenbergs-progress-announces-new-community-tools\">2022 State of the Word</a> was the addition of new taxonomies for the theme and plugin directories that will help users more quickly ascertain the purpose of the extensions they are considering. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>With nearly 60,000 free plugins available and more than 10,000 free themes, it&#8217;s not always immediately evident which extensions are officially supported by the community and which have commercial upgrades and support available.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new &#8220;Community&#8221; and &#8220;Commercial&#8221; designations were created to demystify the selection process and empower users to find plugins and themes that suit their needs. They were <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/16/plugins-themes-categorization/\">live on WordPress.org</a> last week and plugin and theme authors were invited to opt into the categorization. The categories are visible in the sidebar of the listings. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the example below, Akismet, Automattic&#8217;s commercial spam plugin that is bundled with WordPress, has the new Commercial category applied, indicating it is free but offers additional paid commercial upgrades or support. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The categories do not yet seem to be as widely applied to themes, but one example is all the default themes fall under the &#8220;Community Theme&#8221; designation, indicating that they are developed and supported by a community as opposed to being a part of a commercial endeavor.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>There are currently just two categories, but meta contributor Samuel (Otto) Wood said this effort is &#8220;the start of a broader categorization of plugins and themes.&#8221; He outlined how plugin and theme authors can opt into the new categorization feature:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>To opt in a plugin or theme, email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:plugins@wordpress.org\">plugins@wordpress.org</a>, or&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:themes@wordpress.org\">themes@wordpress.org</a>, and simply ask to opt into it. This is a manual process for now. In the future, we will be adding a method for plugins and themes to do it themselves.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your plugin or theme is added, you will get a new feature (on the advanced tab for plugins, or at the bottom of the listing page for themes). For both cases, it’s a simple&nbsp;URL&nbsp;entry.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For Commercial extensions the URL is a support link. Community extension URLs will be labeled as a contribute link.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several participants in the comments of the announcement suggested that commercial-tagged&nbsp;plugins and themes should also have the option to include a &#8220;contribute&#8221; link since they are open source software. Wood&#8217;s response seems to indicate the URL is more about where to direct support.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This is a matter of categorization,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Community plugins are those that are mainly supported by a community of users. Commercial plugins are those primarily supported by a commercial profit-seeking entity.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once these categorizations are more widely adopted, it will be interesting to see if the theme and plugin directories will add the ability to filter search results using these tags. This would allow users to narrow down the results to be in line with their expectations for support. </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, 23 Dec 2022 04:46:22 +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: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:22;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: Gutenberg 14.8 Overhauls Site Editor Interface, Adds Style Book\";s: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=140536\";s: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://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-8-overhauls-site-editor-interface-adds-style-book\";s: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:4073:\"<p><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">Gutenberg 14.8</a> was released today with a major update to the Site Editor&#8217;s interface that makes it feel more unified as a design tool. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In August, Gutenberg designer James Koster shared some mockups for <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/james-koster-shares-design-explorations-that-transform-wordpress-site-editor-into-a-more-visual-user-friendly-tool\">updating the Site Editor to include a “navigable frame”</a> where users can select from a menu of features and styles on the left. This was one answer to what Koster identified as unbalanced feature weighting, a critical design flaw that he said was negatively impacting users’ experience with the editor. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In October, contributors began <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-contributors-explore-a-new-browse-mode-for-navigating-the-site-editor\">moving this idea forward</a>, and now the first iteration of the new &#8220;browse mode&#8221; is making its debut in Gutenberg 14.8. Automattic-sponsored contributor Ryan Welcher published a video demonstrating the new UI for navigating the Site Editor:</p>\n\n\n\nvideo credit: <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">Gutenberg 14.8</a> release post\n\n\n\n<p>Version 14.8 also introduces Style Block, which is now nestled into the Global Styles panel. It offers a way to visualize how global style changes will affect blocks by previewing them (both core and third-party blocks) in a resizable panel. This is especially useful when a theme has many style variations that would otherwise be time intensive to save and then preview with various blocks. It helps users answer the question, &#8220;How are these styles going to look with my blocks?&#8221; Styles can also be <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/45719\">previewed for individual blocks</a>.</p>\n\n\n\nvideo credit: <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">Gutenberg 14.8</a> release post\n\n\n\n<p>Users who have been missing the Custom CSS panel from the Customizer will be delighted to know that Gutenberg 14.8 adds custom CSS to the <strong>Styles > Custom</strong> panel in the Site Editor. This first iteration is shipping as Experimental, so users who want to test it can enable &#8220;Global styles custom CSS&#8221; under the Gutenberg > Experiments menu in the admin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When checking out patterns in the inserter, hovering over a pattern will now reveal its title. The  invisibility of pattern titles <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/45595\">becomes an issue when patterns are visually similar to one another</a> with slight variations. Having the title be visible helps users sort through and select the best pattern for their needs.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The Navigation block has several updates that should improve the experience of building and editing menus:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Navigation block: Add page list to Link&nbsp;UI&nbsp;transforms in Nav block. (<a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46426\">46426</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigation block: Add location-&gt;primary to fallback nav creation for classic menus. (<a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/45976\">45976</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigation block: Update fallback nav creation to the most recently created menu. (<a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46286\">46286</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigation block: Add a ‘open list view’ button. (<a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46335\">46335</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigation block: Removes the header from the navigation list view in the experiment. (<a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46070\">46070</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Gutenberg 14.8 includes dozens of enhancements and bug fixes beyond these highlights. Check out the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/\">release post</a> for the full changelog.</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, 22 Dec 2022 23:59:09 +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:23;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 45: State of the Word Reflections\";s: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=14070\";s: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:76:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/episode-45-state-of-the-word-reflections/\";s: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:14257:\"<p>In the forty-fifth episode of the WordPress Briefing, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy discusses highlights from this year&#8217;s State of the Word address. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Have a question you&#8217;d like answered? You can submit them to <a href=\"mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org\">wpbriefing@wordpress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Credits</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Editor:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/\">Dustin Hartzler</a><br />Logo:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/javiarce/\">Javier Arce</a><br />Production:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/santanainniss/\">Santana Inniss</a><br />Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/\">LearnWP</a><br /><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/demo/\">WordPress Playground</a><br /><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/state-of-the-word-2022-recap/\">ICYMI: State of the Word Recap</a><br /><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Take the 2020 WordPress Survey!</a><br /><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/07/11/exploring-wordpress-certifications/\">Exploring WordPress Certifications</a><br /><a href=\"https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/\">Community Summit WordCamp Site</a><br /><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">Submit Topics for the 2023 Community Summit</a><br /><a href=\"https://wp20.wordpress.net/\">20th Anniversary&#8211; Stay Tuned for Updates</a><br /><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/11/introducing-twenty-twenty-three/\">Check Out Style Variations and the 2023 Theme</a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id=\"more-14070\"></span>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:39] </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, WordPress hosted its annual State of the Word. As usual, this was delivered by our project co-founder Matt Mullenweg and represented a year-long labor of love from the WordPress community as a whole. There are many things I love about State of the Word, but consistently the thing I love the most is being able to shine spotlights on the great work of our global network of contributors.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:02]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since that presentation goes by at the speed of light, I wanted to highlight a few things as well. First things first, I wanted to highlight that we had nearly 1,400 contributors, and by nearly, I mean just one too few. We had 1,399 contributors. So that is a big deal in general, but it&#8217;s an especially big deal to me because that&#8217;s before we start looking at any contributions that aren&#8217;t specifically tied to a release.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may be wondering what those non-release contributions are. An incomplete list of those contributions would include organizing WordPress events, training others how to use WordPress, the myriad podcasts, articles, and newsletters that make up the WordPress media community, and any participant in a call for testing. Not to mention the unglamorous ways to contribute, like reviewing themes or reviewing plugins.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:58]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things like patching security vulnerabilities and the bazillion things that Meta does to make sure that our community has all the tools that it needs to function. So I want to echo, once again, the huge, huge thanks that Matt already shared in State of the Word, and thank all of you for showing up for our project and for each other this way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next thing I wanted to be sure to highlight was LearnWP. It was briefly noted that 12,000 learners had found their way to courses on learn.wordpress.org, and then during the Q&amp;A, there was a related question about certifications in WordPress.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The need for certifications has been a regular topic in our project, and I mentioned that there are two different ongoing discussions at the moment. One of those discussions is happening directly on the make.wordpress.org/training site, so I&#8217;ll share a link in the show notes for that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I&#8217;ve also been personally chatting on and off with Training team reps and other members of the community about what makes that so hard. In case you have not heard my whole spiel about what makes it difficult, it&#8217;s the logistics and our speed of iteration, and public perception.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:05] </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So not exactly a small set of hurdles. I&#8217;ll be doing a more complete post on this in the New Year so that we can get some solid documentation of the state of things and not let it be lost forever in this podcast. But I do know that it is something that we are very interested in as a community and something that, historically, I have really been resistant to.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not because I think it&#8217;s a bad idea, but because as someone who&#8217;s looking out for our operations side of things and our logistics side of things, it is not clear how we&#8217;re gonna get that done. Like I said, in the New Year, keep an eye out for a big, big post that takes a look at the benefits versus the costs and everything that we can do to help make those match each other a bit better.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the last thing I wanted to highlight was the WordPress Playground. Okay, so this was the last thing that Matt mentioned, and I want to be sure that it&#8217;s clear what&#8217;s going on with this project because when I first heard about it, I very nearly lept from my chair!&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:03]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was such a remarkably big deal. Okay, so the WordPress Playground uses technological magic called ‘web assembly.’ I don&#8217;t know what it is, but it&#8217;s magic. And when I say magic, I mean that this tool makes it possible to run WordPress, an instance of WordPress, including a theme and a handful of plug-ins entirely inside your browser as a logged-in admin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need a server. You don&#8217;t need to select a host. You don&#8217;t need to download anything at all. You don&#8217;t need to know what your domain&#8217;s going to be. You simply select the theme you want to test. Add some dummy content and see how all of the posts and pages function as though we&#8217;re a real live WordPress site running on your favorite top-tier host.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then when you close the tab, it&#8217;s gone forever. Poof. Just like that. Now, this is a brand new project. It&#8217;s brand new to us and has a long way to go. So if working on that sounds cool, stop by the Meta Playground channel in the Making WordPress Slack.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:09]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this, in my mind, changes the way that we stage sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It could change the way we determine whether a theme or plugin is right for us. And arguably, it can become a stress-free way to introduce new or undecided users to WordPress’s admin area so that they can tell what they&#8217;re getting into. So when I say that this is a mind-blowing thing, and when I say that it is powered by magic, like it is astounding, it is astounding.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the applications for our users as a whole, I think, are untapped yet, and potentially even the applications for our learners and future learners of WordPress– equally untapped. I&#8217;m very excited to see what we can do with this project in the future. So stop by the Meta channel. Stop by Meta Playground.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>See what&#8217;s going on over there. We would love to have you.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So those are my highlights of the day for State of the Word. Like I said, there are a few things I want to do more of a deep dive on in the text, so keep an eye out on make.wordpress.org/projects for most of those. But right now, let&#8217;s make some time for the small list of big things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:17]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today I actually have kind of like a big list of big things. But I pretended it was small, so you didn&#8217;t turn off the podcast. So the first thing that I have is that in case you missed State of the Word, if you didn&#8217;t have a Watch Party to go to, or you didn&#8217;t know it was happening and so you didn&#8217;t really tune in at the time, I&#8217;m going to drop in a link of the recording.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s gonna probably start right when everything gets going. And so you shouldn&#8217;t have to scrub through anything. If you end up on one of the recordings that includes like the whole live stream, there is jazz for the first 30 minutes, and just, you know, skip through that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:07:00] </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing on my big list of big things is our annual community survey. So Matt mentioned this in State of the Word, and he pointed out that one of the things that makes WordPress and open source in general so effective is that we have a way to communicate with people who are using our software and we make every effort to be responsive to it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the annual survey that we send out, it used to be quite big, and we&#8217;ve cut it down to 20 questions. If you want, you can think of it as like a census, so have your type of work and how long you&#8217;ve been working in WordPress, and what you wish to do with WordPress– have all those things be counted so we have a good idea of the type of person who&#8217;s currently using WordPress, and we can account for your needs and wants.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But also, if you want to think of it more as an opportunity to share the things that were especially useful for you in the project this year or especially valuable for you as a contributor, this is also an excellent place to do that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:08:01]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a QR code running around on the internet somewhere, but I&#8217;ll also put a link in the show notes. If you do not know where the show notes are, by the way, they are at wordpress.org/news/podcast, and you&#8217;ll be able to get to the survey.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third thing on my big list of big things is that next year we&#8217;re hosting a community summit. So if you&#8217;ve never been to a community summit, Matt mentioned that it is an opportunity for the best and most prolific contributors that we have to show up and discuss the things that are the biggest problems for the WordPress project right now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we also want to make sure that we are making space for the voices that we know that we are missing from the community as well as contributors who look like they are probably excellent future stewards of this open source project that we are taking care of together. And so there is a whole website for that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:08:55]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I believe it&#8217;s communitysummit.wordcamp.org. Right now, there is a form up asking for topics that you want to be able to discuss while we are there, but it&#8217;s taking place, if I recall correctly, on August 22nd and 23rd of 2023.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Number four on my big list of big things is that next year is WordPress&#8217;s 20th anniversary. So on May 27th of next year, WordPress will officially be 20 years old. So on our 10th birthday, anniversary rather, and our 15th anniversary, we pulled together some parties all across the world.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had some images, some logos, and things that were specific to the celebration that we printed into stickers and that folks put on, like, mugs and backpacks and cakes and stuff. So if you want to learn more about that, keep an eye out in the community channel in making WordPress Slack. They will keep you posted on how to one, find any of those logos and designs so that your local community can join in the celebrations.<br /></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:10:03]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But they will also help you learn how to have any sort of WordPress celebration party that we&#8217;re doing there in May of 2023.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the final thing on my big list of big things, it was mentioned that on the 2023 theme that was shipped with a bunch of style variations and there was this really, I think, excellent illustrative video that <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/richtabor/\">Rich Tabor</a> put together for us that shows that you can switch through style variations on a single theme and have a site that looks totally different.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, that feels like that&#8217;s just a thing that should always have been in WordPress, but it is new this year. And so, if you have not yet had a chance to look at the 2023 theme, it is the default theme that shipped with 6.1. And so, if you have it on your website and just haven&#8217;t had a look at it yet, I encourage you to do that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:11:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a really interesting implementation that makes a single theme potentially look like an infinite number of other themes, and those style variations can be specific to the theme or can just kind of be around and about in the patterns that are also available in Core.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Give that a look. I think it&#8217;s super worthwhile.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that, my friends, is your big 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 the New Year.</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, 22 Dec 2022 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:14:\"Santana Inniss\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: ClassicPress at a Crossroads, Directors Consider Re-Forking 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=140466\";s: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:89:\"https://wptavern.com/classicpress-at-a-crossroads-directors-consider-re-forking-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:8012:\"<p>ClassicPress is <a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/t/community-poll-the-future-of-classicpress/4446/80\">polling its users</a> to determine the next step for the software. The project is a pared back fork of WordPress based on version 4.9 that uses the TinyMCE classic editor as the default option with no block editor. It&#8217;s run under a non-profit organization called the ClassicPress Initiative.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In July 2022, the project <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/classicpress-on-the-rocks-directors-resign-new-leadership-installed\">appeared to be on the rocks</a> when its directors resigned, saying that the community felt they were now hindering the progress of ClassicPress. The organization was struggling to meet its required financial support but has since rallied and is in a more stable place after moving the donation process to <a href=\"https://opencollective.com/classicpress\">Open Collective</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent forum post titled &#8220;<a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/t/community-poll-the-future-of-classicpress/4446\">The Future of ClassicPress</a>,&#8221; one of the project&#8217;s directors, Viktor Nagornyy, presented the community with two paths: re-fork ClassicPress using WordPress 6.0, or continue as-is. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Over the past few years, our core team has been working on improving ClassicPress and backporting features from WordPress,&#8221; Nagornyy said. &#8220;As WordPress continued to evolve, ClassicPress got a bit behind in adding new features as the focus became PHP 8+ compatibility.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>An exploratory fork of WordPress 6.0 with the block editor removed exists in a GitHub repository called <a href=\"https://github.com/wp-cms/wp-cms\">WP-CMS</a>. It is not finished but could potentially become ClassicPress 2.0. This option has the benefit of helping the project catch up to WordPress and improve compatibility with more recent versions of PHP, and open up more plugins and themes for users that require 5.0+ in order to be compatible. The downside is that it will take months to complete with ClassicPress&#8217; limited number of contributors and ClassicPress 1.x would need to be maintained in terms of security for some time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The alternative is continuing to maintain the project as it is with no requirement to maintain separate versions. Nagornyy identified the cons of this approach:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Our small core team will continue to focus on PHP compatibility</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Backporting from WP is prioritized, so new ClassicPress features might not happen</li>\n\n\n\n<li>We won’t be able to catch up with WordPress, functions/features will be missing</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plugins/themes compatible with WordPress 5+ would be incompatible with ClassicPress</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The project is now at a crossroads considering the two options, which has forced the community to reexamine the purpose of ClassicPress. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;So the real question is ClassicPress a Pre-Wordpress 5.0 or just WordPress without Gutenberg?&#8221; founding committee member Daniele Scasciafratte said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Considering also that CP is based on a codebase of 5 years ago and the web is moving on, I think that we should move to Re-Fork and find a way to automatize it as much possible and simplify it.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>ClassicPress core committer Álvaro Franz, who is also the author of the WP-CMS fork based on WP 6.0, <a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/t/community-poll-the-future-of-classicpress/4446/46\">said</a> he is unwilling to help with a continuation of the current version.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I don’t see the point in working on an outdated version of something that has already been improved by many great developers at WordPress (as stated by <a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/u/mte90\">@Mte90</a>, there have in fact been A LOT of improvements),&#8221; Franz said. &#8220;But I can take care of v2, since I already am the author of the mentioned fork, I can help with keeping WP-CMS up with WordPress and then using that as a base for CP v2.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress core contributor Joy Reynolds <a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/t/community-poll-the-future-of-classicpress/4446/60\">commented</a> on the thread, indicating  that ClassicPress has a grim future ahead if it keeps struggling to backport all the improvements made after 4.9. She contends that continuing on the same path leads to a dead end, given the project&#8217;s small contributor base:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>The whole point of backporting from WP is because they have thousands of developers, millions of users testing every combination of version and plugin and host to find problems (plus a testing team), a security team, and a performance team. CP has none of that and it’s kind of silly to not take advantage of their efforts. But the more things we ignore or fall behind on, the harder it is to backport anything.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many things that continue to evolve, outside of WP, like PHP, Javascript, CSS, HTML, and various bundled tools (like jQuery and TinyMCE and PHPMailer and Simple Pie and Requests…).</p>\n\n\n\n<p>CP can’t stand still at 4.9. That’s dead. But if you tried to backport all the PHP8 stuff, you’d find it very difficult because of all the formatting changes they made, plus all the bug fixes, plus all the new features. The new fork bypasses the backport problem by taking it all at once and deleting the block stuff that is unwanted.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I personally think that CP doesn’t have any features of value that WP doesn’t have. It has a bunch of fixes and a few features from WP, but it’s a dead end, especially with the limited roster of people who contribute code.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In a contrasting comment, ClassicPress founding committee member Tim Kaye distilled why the poll seems to be so divisive.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If all that people want is WordPress without Gutenberg, there’s absolutely no need for ClassicPress at all since there’s already a plugin that provides what you’re looking for,&#8221; Kaye said. &#8220;It’s called <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/plugins/classic-editor-addon/\">Classic Editor</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The idea that the question is whether CP should essentially mirror a stripped-down version of WP or not is therefore entirely misconceived. Those who desire that objective should be using that plugin. It’s really that simple.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;CP (and the work that goes into it) only makes sense if it’s its own CMS with its own decision-making process and its own features.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former ClassicPress contributor @ozfiddler, who likened working on the project to &#8220;polishing the brass on a rudderless ship,&#8221; <a href=\"https://forums.classicpress.net/t/community-poll-the-future-of-classicpress/4446/65\">suggested</a> ClassicPress identify a destination before choosing between two paths. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;But then, that’s the problem with CP &#8211; it never really knew where it was going, beyond &#8216;WP-without-Gutenberg,\'&#8221; @ozfiddler said. &#8220;So, it means you get statements like this listed as a <em>con</em> for one of the options: &#8216;We won’t be able to catch up with WordPress.&#8217;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When I was contributing to CP I always thought that the ambitions greatly outweighed the available resources. I occasionally suggested a drastic pruning back of the project, but this was always met with widespread disapproval. I still think that if CP is going to survive at all (and I very much doubt it) then you will need to define a narrower subset of users and focus your limited efforts on catering to them.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>ClassicPress&#8217; poll and the 80 comments in the discussion offer a glimpse into the frustrating reality of maintaining a fork of a fast-moving, large project like WordPress. So far there are 31 votes and Nagornyy plans to close it within the next few days if it doesn&#8217;t receive any new votes.</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, 22 Dec 2022 02:21:35 +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:25;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:85:\"Post Status: Annual Survey • WordPress Playground • Plugins/themes Categorization\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=146066\";s: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:88:\"https://poststatus.com/annual-survey-wordpress-playground-plugins-themes-categorization/\";s: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:16571:\"<h2 id=\"h-this-week-at-wordpress-org-december-19-2022\">This Week at WordPress.org (December 19, 2022)</h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"has-background has-theme-palette-8-background-color wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">What are the four freedoms of open source and how do they impact us? Get a look in the Celebration of the Four Freedoms of Open Source.  Try out the new WordPress Playground to run WordPress in the browser.  <strong>Plugin and Theme developers note the new categorizations: Canonical, Community, and Commercial. </strong> </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"kt-info-box_adc852-65\" class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-left\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container\"><span class=\"kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fe_alertTriangle\"></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><h2 class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-title\">Annual Survey, WordPress Playground, Plugins/themes Categorization, Four Freedoms</h2><p class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-text\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4dd.png\" alt=\"📝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Share Your Experience: The 2022 WordPress Survey is Open</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f6dd.png\" alt=\"🛝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/26a0.png\" alt=\"⚠\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/16/plugins-themes-categorization/\">Plugins/themes categorization</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f399.png\" alt=\"🎙\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/sotw-2022-a-celebration-of-the-four-freedoms-of-open-source/\">State of the Word 2022: A Celebration of the Four Freedoms of Open Source</a></p></div></div></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-news\">News<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/10/wordpress-6-1-release-candidate-3/\"></a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/the-month-in-wordpress-november-2022/\">The Month in WordPress – November 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Share Your Experience: The 2022 WordPress Survey is Open</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/sotw-2022-a-celebration-of-the-four-freedoms-of-open-source/\">State of the Word 2022: A Celebration of the Four Freedoms of Open Source</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">Suggest Topics for the 2023 WordPress Community Summit</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_121b9e-cb\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\" /></div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-17 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-accessibility\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility\">Accessibility</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2022/12/16/accessibility-team-meeting-agenda-december-16-2022/\">Accessibility Team Meeting Agenda: December 16, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-community\">Community</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-reps-for-2023/\">Community Team Reps for 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-2022-goals-recap/\">Community Team 2022 Goals Recap</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/19/diverse-speaker-training-group-wpdiversity-2022-year-end-report/\">Diverse Speaker Training Group (#WPDiversity) 2022 Year-End Report</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/17/report-wpdiversity-inclusion-and-diverse-speaker-workshops-october-and-november-2022/\">Report: #WPDiversity Inclusion and Diverse Speaker Workshops October and November 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/16/twitter-links-on-wordcamp-websites/\">Twitter links on WordCamp websites</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-core\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core\">Core</a> </h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/core-team-reps-for-2023-and-beyond/\">Introducing new Core Team Reps for 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/help-us-test-the-sqlite-implementation/\">Help us test the SQLite implementation</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/19/a-week-in-core-december-19-2022/\">Two Weeks in Core – December 19, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-meetings\">Meetings</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/21/editor-chat-summary-wednesday-december-14-2022/\">Editor chat summary: Wednesday, December 14, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/dev-chat-agenda-december-21-2022/\">Dev chat agenda, December 21, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-dev-blog\"><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/\">Dev Blog</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/20/building-a-book-review-grid-with-a-query-loop-block-variation/\">Building a book review grid with a Query Loop block variation</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-design\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design\">Design</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2022/12/19/design-share-dec-5-dec-16/\">Design Share: Dec 5–Dec 16</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-docs\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/docs\">Docs</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/12/documentation-team-update-december-12-2022/\">Documentation Team Update – December 12, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-hosting\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting\">Hosting</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting/2022/12/15/voting-for-hosting-team-reps-2023/\">Voting for Hosting Team Reps 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-marketing\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing\">Marketing</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2022/12/19/notes-global-marketing-team-meeting-december-14-2022/\">Notes: Global Marketing Team meeting, December 14, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-meta\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta\">Meta</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2022/12/14/showcase-visual-refresh/\">Refreshing&nbsp;the WordPress Showcase</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-openverse\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse\">Openverse</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2022/12/20/community-meeting-recap-20-december-2022/\">Community Meeting Recap (20 December 2022)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-performance\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/performance/\">Performance</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/performance-team-meeting-summary-20-december-2022/\">Performance Chat Summary: 20 December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-polyglots\">Polyglots</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/20/polyglots-monthly-newsletter-december-2022/\">Polyglots Monthly Newsletter: December 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/20/weekly-polyglots-chat-dec-21-2022-1300-utc/\">Weekly Polyglots Chat – Dec. 21, 2022 (13:00 UTC)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/20/agenda-trac-triage-session-dec-21-2022-900-utc/\">Agenda: Trac triage session – Dec. 21, 2022 (9:00 UTC)</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-plugins\">Plugins</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/16/plugins-themes-categorization/\">Plugins/themes categorization</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/19/plugin-review-team-19-december-2022/\">Plugin Review Team: 19 December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-support\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support\">Support</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support/2022/12/introducing-the-block-editor-in-the-support-forums/\">Introducing the Block Editor in the Support Forums</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-test\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test\">Test</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/17/week-in-test-16-december-2022/\">Week in Test: 16 December 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/14/fse-program-testing-call-19-running-through-refinements/\">FSE Program Testing Call #19: Running Through Refinements</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/13/test-team-update-12-december-2022/\">Test Team Update: 12 December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-themes\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes\">Themes</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/13/themes-team-update-december-13-2022/\">Themes team update December 13, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-training\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training\">Training</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/individual-learner-survey/\">How did you learn WordPress?</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/21/december-2022-faculty-meeting/\">December 2022 Faculty Meeting</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/19/meeting-agenda-for-december-20-2022/\">Meeting Agenda for December 20, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/17/training-team-meeting-recap-for-december-13-2022/\">Training Team Meeting Recap for December 13, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-courses\"><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/courses\">Courses</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/course/a-developers-guide-to-block-themes-part-2/\">A Developers Guide to Block Themes – Part 2</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-online-workshops\">Online Workshops</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=getting-started-with-a-wordpress-org-account-2\">Getting Started with a WordPress.org Account</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=learn-wordpress-end-of-year-social\">Learn WordPress end-of-year social</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=apac-creating-a-photography-website-with-the-block-editor\">APAC: Creating a photography website with the block editor</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=creating-a-photography-website-with-the-block-editor\">Creating a photography website with the block editor</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=apac-patterns-reusable-blocks-and-block-locking\">APAC: Patterns, reusable blocks and block locking</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=patterns-reusable-blocks-and-block-locking\">Patterns, reusable blocks and block locking</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-make-custom-templates-in-the-site-editor-2\">Let’s make custom templates in the Site Editor!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-make-custom-templates-in-the-site-editor\">Let’s make custom templates in the Site Editor!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88%E3%82%A8%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AE%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E3%81%AB%E6%85%A3%E3%82%8C%E3%82%88-2\">サイトエディターでのテンプレート編集に慣れよう！</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88%E3%82%A8%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AE%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E3%81%AB%E6%85%A3%E3%82%8C%E3%82%88\">サイトエディターでのテンプレート編集に慣れよう！</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-tutorials\"><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorials\">Tutorials</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/manage-your-block-theme-fonts-with-create-block-theme/\">Manage your block theme fonts with Create Block&nbsp;Theme</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/the-key-to-locking-blocks/\">The Key to Locking Blocks</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/templates/\">Using Page Templates</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/streamline-your-block-theme-development-with-create-block-theme/\">Streamline your Block Theme development with Create Block&nbsp;Theme</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/trabalhando-com-estilos-globais/\">Trabalhando com estilos globais</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/padding-versus-margin/\">Padding Versus Margin</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-wptv\">WPTV</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/category/year/2022/\">Latest WordPress TV videos</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-related-news\">Related News:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://getcomposer.org/changelog/2.5.0\">Composer 2.5 released</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://tek.phparch.com/\">Registration open for PHP Tek</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\">Thanks for reading our WP dot .org roundup! Each week we are highlighting the news and discussions coming from the good folks making WordPress possible. If you or your company create products or services that use WordPress, you need to be engaged with them and their work. Be sure to share this resource with your product and project managers. <br /><br /><strong>Are you interested in giving back and contributing your time and skills to WordPress.org?</strong> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/article/contributing-to-wordpress/\">Start Here ›</a><br /><br /><strong>Get our weekly WordPress community news digest</strong> — Post Status\' <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/news/week-in-review/\">Week in Review</a> — covering the WP/Woo news plus significant writing and podcasts. It\'s also available in <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter\">our newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f48c.png\" alt=\"💌\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\"><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/\"><img src=\"https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vertical-post-status-logo-250.png\" alt=\"Post Status\" class=\"wp-image-85823 size-full\" /></a><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-normal-font-size\" id=\"h-get-ready-for-remote-work\">You — and <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#Agency\">your whole team</a> can <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#choose-membership\">Join Post Status</a> too!</p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-small-font-size\"><strong>Build your network. Learn with others. Find your next job — or your next hire.</strong> Read the <strong>Post Status</strong> <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter/\">newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2709.png\" alt=\"✉\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Listen to <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/podcasts/\">podcasts</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f399.png\" alt=\"🎙\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Follow <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status/\">@Post_Status</a> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> and <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/post-status-llc/\">LinkedIn</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4bc.png\" alt=\"💼\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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, 21 Dec 2022 16:47:21 +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:18:\"Courtney Robertson\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: #56 – Chris Badgett on Using WordPress for Online Courses\";s: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=140510\";s: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://wptavern.com/podcast/56-chris-badgett-on-using-wordpress-for-online-courses\";s: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:52906:\"Transcript<div>\n<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox Podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, how to use WordPress as an education platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to wptavern.com/feed/podcast, and you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m very keen to hear from, and hopefully get you or your idea featured on the show. Head over to wptavern.com/contact/jukebox and use the form there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So on the podcast today we have Chris Badgett. Chris is behind LifterLMS, which is a learning management system built as a WordPress plugin. He&#8217;s been in the WordPress space since 2008, and has moved his agency away from general website building to concentrate upon e-learning membership sites, course creation and marketing automation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;s on the podcast today to talk about how WordPress and e-learning are a good fit. Although there&#8217;s a flourishing SaaS side to e-learning, Chris is convinced that WordPress allows you to make your LMS site exactly what you want. You won&#8217;t be facing the limitations imposed upon you by the platform. And can, if you have the time and skills, modify almost anything to suit your brand and niche.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We begin by talking through how well a WordPress based LMS site can scale. Should your course be a runaway success, you want to be aware of how you&#8217;re going to have to manage the resources that your site will need. There&#8217;s a lot of dynamic content being displayed to your users, and this will affect the tech stack that you&#8217;ll need to deploy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We then get into a broad conversation about how online courses have taken off in the last few years. Even before global lockdowns, individuals and businesses were adopting online courses in innovative ways, to educate their customers, staff, and the wider public. Chris&#8217;s data points to the fact that this growth seems set to continue.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a real understanding now that in many niches, the course curriculum needs to be adapted and amended continually. This is extremely easy to do with an LMS. You create new content, click publish, and notify your users that the new material is there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also discuss the reality of actually making a course. Like writing a book, the idea of creating a course is easy to conceive, but hard to execute. There&#8217;s the content, the branding, the marketing, the updates, and much more. Chris has some advice to help you get over the bumps in the road if you&#8217;ve decided that you want to dip your feet into online course creation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s an interesting podcast and digs into yet another area where WordPress can help people thrive online.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, you can find all of the links in the show notes by heading over to wptavern.com/podcast, where you&#8217;ll find all the other episodes as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so without further delay, I bring you Chris Badgett.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Chris Badgett. Hello Chris.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:16] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Hey, Nathan. Great to be here.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:17] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, thank you for joining me. Chris and I have been in touch with one another over many years, but it was very nice in the WordCamp US, which was recently something that I attended to find Chris there. Very nice to meet you in person.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:29] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> That was great.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:30] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Chris is on the podcast today. He&#8217;s going to be talking to us about e-learning or LMSs, all of the different ways that you can do that with a WordPress website. But if you don&#8217;t know Chris, you&#8217;re about to find out why he&#8217;s an expert in this and why he&#8217;s got the chops to be talking about it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris, would you just spend a moment or two orientating our listeners, giving them an idea of, a, your relationship with WordPress. We&#8217;re on a WordPress podcast after all, but also why you are somebody who is an expert in e-learning.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:05:00] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Absolutely. So I&#8217;ve been at WordPress since 2008. Around that time I started blogging. I was actually living in Alaska. I used to run sled dogs up there, and I started on the side building WordPress sites for myself and then later for clients, and I kind of accidentally started an agency. And fast forward the timeline a little bit, I started blogging about some courses that I was creating because I was trying to create some more passive income for my family, my newborn kids and everything.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started blogging about how I did that with WordPress, and this is back in 2000 and 11 or so. Over time I built an agency to about 17 people. People started responding to all my, my blogs on building an LMS website, creating online courses with WordPress. A lot of my blogs, nothing ever happened, but I clearly struck a nerve and the market was interested in this information.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our agency started focusing on that. Those are the kind of clients we attracted. And ultimately the clients wanted this perfect e-learning membership site, course creation, marketing automation tool that didn&#8217;t exist. So we built that in 2013 and that was the origin of Lifter LMS. Which is one of the leading learning management systems for WordPress. So I&#8217;ve been a course creator. I&#8217;ve been an agency guy, and I&#8217;ve been in this niche for about a decade here.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:25] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Nice. When you initially launched, it sounds like it was held together by sticky tape. You were literally making it up as you went along. This is the first iteration where you were designing it. How did that go? Were you just cobbling together a bunch of disparate plugins and figuring it all out piece by piece?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:42] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> I would say one of my talents as an entrepreneur is team building, and I&#8217;ve had some really talented developers with me from the agency side. And because I was so close to our ideal customer, as a product guy, working from first principles. We took one of our developers, his name was Mark, off of client work, and gave him a spec to build. He built the first version of Lifter LMS in about 60 days from scratch.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>No cobbling together anything. And then we launched it to the world, for a closed beta period. Opened it for a week. We got 42 customers in that week. We said if we didn&#8217;t get a hundred that we would shut it down and go back to agency work, but I&#8217;m kind of stubborn. So we, uh, we kept going and continued to develop Lifter LMS. I&#8217;m very much as an entrepreneur where the customers kind of pull the product out of you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m not trying to push product on the market. So I&#8217;m a really good listener. I&#8217;m a big community guy. I&#8217;m also decent at filtering and focusing and weaving my own vision in with what the market wants. So that&#8217;s how Lifter started.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. That&#8217;s really interesting. The WordPress space is obviously full of websites, different things you can do with it, e-commerce, LMSs, you name it. The truth is as well that there&#8217;s a really thriving SaaS side to LMSs. So I&#8217;m just curious if you could give us, being that we&#8217;re on a WordPress podcast, if you could give us a bunch of different reasons why WordPress is a really great fit for an LMS. I mean, obviously we&#8217;re not trying to disparage the SaaS products out there. There&#8217;s going to be a whole bunch of reasons, I&#8217;m sure, why WordPress might be top of your list.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:22] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Yeah. And, and this, I&#8217;ll go back to the voice of the customer here. You know, there&#8217;s some great platforms out there, SaaS solutions like Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, there&#8217;s many others. In the early days, a lot of people were putting stuff on course and marketplaces like Udemy. Udemy as an example started enforcing pricing controls where you can only charge up to $50 for your course.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That upset a lot of people. The SaaS solutions tend to look pretty cookie cutter. So people that really want to build like a unique brand and design get the longing to go to WordPress where they have unlimited brand and design flexibility. And then it&#8217;s really just a functionality thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my customers who switched from one of the SaaS solutions, described it this way. He said that the SaaS that he was in, they were trying to conform him to it, like as a course creator and entrepreneur. But over here in WordPress he&#8217;s in the driver&#8217;s seat of what his vision is for his online learning platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;s not being put in a box. So that&#8217;s kind of the simple way to say it. Brand flexibility and just this whole ownership and control aspect. Because when you build a site like this, you&#8217;re not just building a brochure, you&#8217;re literally building a business asset. So to have more control over that is something that&#8217;s really important to a lot of people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:09:37] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, I guess the same could be true in just about every sphere of WordPress, where there&#8217;s commercial rivals that are SaaS products. The customizability. The fact that you can make it your own and do whatever you like with it, given the time and development. Yeah, that&#8217;s the perfect answer really, isn&#8217;t it?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does WordPress scale well with LMSs? And what I mean by that is if we took a inexpensive hosting package and we dropped WordPress into that, and then we install one of the LMSs. It&#8217;s doing a lot of work. There&#8217;s a whole bunch of different things going on, and we can get into that a little bit later. Needless to say, there&#8217;s lots and lots of things happening. Are there constraints around the hosting and the tech stack that you need behind WordPress? Or does it actually function pretty well even on modest resources?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:10:25] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Well, not all plugins are created equal. Something like a WooCommerce, or one of the WordPress LMS plugins are, quote, heavier. They require a lot more resources. We have a lot of dynamic content, We have a lot of user interactions. So as platforms themselves, like a platform plugin, they require a lot of resources.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, performance is something we focused on and, I think the industry in general has to pay attention to because as your customers become more and more successful and get more and more users, the last thing you want to have happen is for your tool to start malfunctioning or cause the site to slow down or whatever.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reality is, yeah, you can start with the cheap, low end of the market hosting and you&#8217;re completely fine. When you start getting above like a thousand users, you need to start looking at bigger plans. We actually have a list on our website of the six options that we recommend. But, we have customers that have 50,000. There&#8217;s one person on there, because we have some telemetry data tracking that people opt into, where we collect just non-identifiable information just to see what people are doing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve seen people with 800,000 users in just massive sites. At the end of the day, we work to create a performant plugin and we continually focus on performance. We actually work with hosting companies to improve performance together, which is awesome. There&#8217;s some great hosts out there that take a keen interest in that. Because they themselves as hosts are looking to attract high quality customers, which LMS websites can be, when they&#8217;re successful.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you do get into large concurrent users or you&#8217;re doing something really at scale, you are going to be spending a lot more on hosting. That&#8217;s just part of the game. But if you design your business model correctly for your school or your academy, or your membership site, whatever you call it. If you&#8217;re hosting bill jumps up from $30 a month to a hundred dollars a month, you&#8217;re fine. It&#8217;s just the real estate tax for your online business. And if it, even if it jumps up higher than that, you&#8217;re having a ton of people move through your platform and it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s just a cost of doing business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:12:35] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Let&#8217;s just move sort of sideways, away from the tech and possibly away from WordPress just for a moment, and talk about the kind of people who may be interested in this. I&#8217;m imagining just like everybody, there&#8217;s a whole bunch of people who, if you like, they have the New Year&#8217;s resolution. want to do a course. I want to launch a course. I&#8217;ve got this area of expertise and I want the world to know about it. The world will be a better place after I&#8217;ve launched my course.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I imagine there&#8217;s quite a high attrition rate, where people have that and then they&#8217;re confronted with the reality of what&#8217;s actually involved. And the course doesn&#8217;t get launched. So just give us some broad outlines of the concerns and considerations you would put in front of people just to say, Okay, if you really are serious about this, bear these things in mind, because I imagine there&#8217;s quite a lot.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:13:25] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Yeah. I kind of think of us as having two markets. One is the WordPress professional who builds sites for clients and stuff like that. And the other is what I call the expert industry. And there&#8217;s other niches within e-learning besides the expert, which we also have, but, for that person who wants to take their knowledge, skills, and life experience and turn that into a product through an online course. I think this is not a new story, it&#8217;s an old story. I don&#8217;t know if you, Nathan, or anybody out there listening has ever had a vision of writing a book one day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:13:56] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Oh yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:13:56] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> I have. It&#8217;s that same story. I haven&#8217;t written a book. I don&#8217;t know if you wrote your book Nathan?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:14:01] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Failed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:14:02] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> It&#8217;s the same thing, and I would argue, it&#8217;s almost a little harder for courses and stuff than a book, because a book is typing and words. With courses, you got to figure out the website. You start working with video and audio and instructional design and curriculum. All the stuff, it&#8217;s a lot. Really if I look across the patterns of the people that make it, there&#8217;s several things to mention here. One of &#8216;them, which I can go into more detail later, but just to drop it now, is you have to have a baseline of competency across five areas, either within yourself or your team, for it to even work at all.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so this is the fundamental thing. I call it the five hats problem. So you have to wear five hats. One is you actually have to have expertise. Two is you have to be an entrepreneur, which includes starting a business, marketing, all that stuff. You have to be a teacher. The ability to not just know something, but help somebody else learn it. You have to be a community builder, before the sale and then after the sale. And then you have to be a driver of technology and be able to use hardware and software and stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So just know what you&#8217;re getting into. So that&#8217;s one. Number two. The people that really make it, take consistent forward action even though it&#8217;s imperfect. What stops a lot of people in this industry is imposter syndrome, and the people that make it literally ship the course, even if it&#8217;s not perfect, even if the videos aren&#8217;t perfect, even if they&#8217;re unsure of their self worth or whatever, they ship it. and then they make it better over time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the third thing that&#8217;s really important, I&#8217;ll stop at three points because these are kind of the three biggest that I&#8217;m giving you here, is that a lot of people get really focused on the concept of making money online or building an online business or working from home. And these are all good things and I&#8217;m all for all those things. But they&#8217;re very self focussed. The people that really make it out there, kind of have a service mindset that drives their business. They focus on a particular niche, and they make it about impact and serving others.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And through all that, they make a lot of money and they build the online business and they work from wherever in the world. But when you flip that script, from a priority standpoint to be like, you know what, I&#8217;m going to focus on this person and help this person be successful. Quick example. One of our customers, Angela Brown, I watched her go from like zero to like 200,000 person YouTube channel teaching house cleaners how to start and grow their businesses. And she&#8217;s hugely successful now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>She&#8217;s really famous in that niche. And, basically she just was targeting people that were just starting out trying to run a cleaning company with cleaning supplies in the trunk of their car, and helping them become professionals. And through all that, she&#8217;s made a bunch of money and everything, but she&#8217;s given everything to her industry and she&#8217;s really focused on helping her core customer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:16:57] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s a really fascinating story actually. I&#8217;m really taken by that. I do like the, the story of the underdog. That&#8217;s brilliant. So let&#8217;s go back to your five hats, of which I think you mentioned the first three. There&#8217;s a lot in there, isn&#8217;t there? There really is a lot in there. You mentioned expertise, entrepreneurship. The fact that you&#8217;ve got to be a teacher, an educator. Got to build a community. And then you&#8217;ve got to be somebody who&#8217;s presumably on some level, you described it as a driver of tech, but basically a geek.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you say that if you don&#8217;t satisfy all of those things, you are kind of asking for trouble? I mean, let&#8217;s say for example that I&#8217;m not particularly good at tech. Presumably there are some of these things which you can farm out? You could hire somebody to do the tech for you and so on. But the other ones really do feel like, that&#8217;s got to be a part of your core being, your soul if you like.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:44] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> It really depends on the person. I kind of think of it as like a personality type matrix. And by the way, I mentioned one of our major customer set is people who build these kind of sites for clients. So a lot of people are not trying to do this all themselves. They partner with a WordPress professional to be the tech person to actually build the site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that&#8217;s a common one that, an expert, especially a really established expert who&#8217;s not in a technical field, maybe it&#8217;s a yoga instructor or some kind of cooking thing or parenting thing. We see a lot of people just partnering with a WordPress professional, I&#8217;ll say that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to the entrepreneurship piece, I call our ideal customer an education entrepreneur. They&#8217;re both driven by teaching some subject matter, but also being an entrepreneur, which literally is somebody who creates value out of nothing and gets it out into the world by their sheer will.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s one thing to be a teacher. It&#8217;s one thing to be an entrepreneur. Not all entrepreneurs want to be teachers. Not all teachers want to be entrepreneurs. But when you have both together, that&#8217;s kind of the core that you can&#8217;t really outsource. You can hire in pieces of the entrepreneurship, I see people hire marketers to help with content, or ads, or taxes and things like that. But at its core, for someone to be successful in this endeavor, there&#8217;s that overlapping of the teacher entrepreneur in one. It&#8217;s kind of a common thread.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:19:10] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, so let&#8217;s imagine that I want to do a course. I&#8217;ve got this area of expertise. Let&#8217;s imagine that I&#8217;m a, I don&#8217;t know, fabulous guitarist or something like that. And I want to spread the word, and teach people how to play the guitar successfully and enjoy it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to me about the process that you would advise somebody like me to go through. In order to get this thing off the ground, because the first thing I&#8217;m going to do is not shoot myself a video of me playing the guitar. That may be quite high on the list, but I&#8217;m imagining there&#8217;s a whole bucket load of other things that need to be done, in terms of market research, and branding, and coming up with the structure of the course and so on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, just run us through a typical, different in every case I&#8217;m sure, but a typical way of mapping out the journey from just the idea, just saying you&#8217;re going to do it, to finally having all of the bits and pieces so that you are ready to do it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:05] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> You know, I&#8217;ve seen so much failure or just slow progress on this question here that I&#8217;ve created a system to help people figure this all out. I call it the five day course plan challenge, it&#8217;s on our website. But basically what happens on those five days. My whole point is give me an hour, for five days in a row and then you&#8217;re going to be ready to actually approach this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So on day one we get into a lot of the inner game stuff like your purpose and your vision. Getting some of the mindset stuff straight. Day two, we get into designing your ideal customer avatar. So for you, who are we teaching? Are we teaching other guitar teachers? Are we teaching kids? Are we teaching a specialized style of guitar. Nicheing and doing the avatar work is super important. Then there&#8217;s the actual, this is the fundamental thing that the entrepreneur does, which is, the core of what entrepreneurs do is they create an offer, right?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>An iPhone is an offer. A Tesla car is a offer. A WordCamp as an example, there&#8217;s like a promise there. And what a lot of course creators and coaches and things like that do, is they get really focused on their mechanism, which for your example, is a guitar playing. Okay, that&#8217;s a mechanism. But what is the offer? I have a whole thing where I teach about how to develop this, but basically what it boils down to is, I help X person achieve X result through my mechanism. Offer construction is the key, and if you don&#8217;t nail that, everything else will be inefficient or potentially fail.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have your offer on the next day, I give people, because a lot of experts have no training in how to be a teacher or a coach. So I have some training in instructional design after a decade in this space of like how to think about chunking down your skills and your, what you want to teach, and the result your avatar wants, into an actual framework that has a high likelihood of actually working. So I help people become instructional designers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the last step, that sometimes people overlook, is it&#8217;s not just about content. You want to design some kind of success system. So if you look at like a popular online course that you can buy, that you hear ads for all the time called Masterclass. This is like $15 a month and you can learn comedy from Steve Martin, and all this stuff from all these famous people, but it&#8217;s only $15 a month. The reason why those courses from the best in the world are so cheap is because they lack any kind of support or connection with the creator.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when you design a success system, and I have a whole system of how to think about that and map it to your personality style and preferences, but it could include things like group coaching, email access, office hours, phone support, live events in person. When you combine that success element, and not think of your product as not just organized content, that&#8217;s when you really create a winning course. So my advice to you, Nathan the guitar teacher, is to go through that pre-work of those five steps I just laid out.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:16] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I should probably learn to play the guitar first.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:19] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> That too. Hey, expertise is one of the five hats. So if you don&#8217;t have it. You know, sometimes people see a business opportunity. Maybe I&#8217;ll teach people how to trade crypto or whatever. But they see the opportunity, but they lack the expertise. But that&#8217;s still possible, by the way. One of my first courses was in organic gardening and permaculture.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I had all the hats except for the expert. My wife was skilled at this, but, I actually went out into the world and found some of the best people in the world. I flew to Costa Rica and traveled to a bunch of places, and I was filming these people doing permaculture design workshops in the jungle or in different places.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so I went and I got an expert, right? And I was taking an industry that was predominantly offline. I was trying to get it online because I could see how many people on YouTube were looking for this information and everything. So, you don&#8217;t have to have the expertise, is what I&#8217;m saying. Nathan, you can go find you a guitar player, you guys partner, and you can make it happen.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:24:18] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> You were talking earlier about writing a book, and how so many people have this thought and it never happens. I&#8217;m sure that there&#8217;s quite a few people who get halfway through a book and then it never gets across the finish line. They&#8217;ve written the first 25,000 words and it&#8217;s all going great, and then for some reason the atrophy sets in and the word processor never comes out again and it just tails off and gets forgotten about. I&#8217;m sure the same is true of courses, you know, people they decide that they&#8217;re going to set up some kind of LMS.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;ve thought through carefully all of the bits and pieces, but at some point the project gets derailed. And I&#8217;m wondering if, as somebody in this space whose job it is, not only to sell an LMS, but obviously to coach people around how to do that. Are there communities of like-minded LMS-ers, if you like, who can help you through this bit?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, if you, if you hit a roadblock, if you find yourself getting distracted and you never get it across the finish line. Are there mechanisms in place, communities, online or otherwise of people who can help you, support you, try to get you through the bit that you&#8217;re stuck on?.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:25:26] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Yeah, a hundred percent. I have a podcast called LMSCast, and we&#8217;re about 400 episodes deep. And part of the reason I created that podcast is I wanted to interview people, not just about the tech and WordPress, but around all these other challenges that people face around the five hats, and things like instructional design and marketing and community building and all this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, that&#8217;s a resource, but there&#8217;s also a lot of great Facebook groups, as an example out there. The whole course creator, entrepreneur thing is definitely a niche. Coaching. Some people kind of use different words around the space. You&#8217;ll hear course creator, I&#8217;m a coach, I have a membership site, I have a paid community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do all those things and kind of mix and match whichever variables you want in your online learning platform. But there&#8217;s definitely communities and content around these types of people. And you can find the ones that resonate with you. What we find here in WordPress, or just in software in general, is that sometimes people buy the tool before they&#8217;re ready, right?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s one of the reasons why I&#8217;ve made that five day challenge course for people to be more ready for the tool, and not just the tool, but for the business. And there&#8217;s a lot of people out there who teach around course creation. You just have to be careful though, because there is a lot of over promise snake oil stuff about how easy it is and, you know, follow these easy steps and all this stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a big commitment. If you&#8217;re going to create a course, it&#8217;s not easy, I&#8217;m just being honest with you. Just like writing a book is not easy. And starting a business, especially if you don&#8217;t already have an online platform or website and e-commerce system and everything. It&#8217;s going to take a little bit of time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a lot of people on this journey. The online industry is booming. People becoming entrepreneurs and wanting to be entrepreneurs and want to work remotely and digitally and be digital nomads and all this stuff, it&#8217;s all booming. It is an emerging trend, and you can find others on the same path.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:27:22] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it strikes me that it could be quite a lonely journey being a course creator, because if you&#8217;re doing it by yourself, you may struggle to make those connections, so it&#8217;s nice to hear that there are different communities and groups out there which will help you through that. Yeah, that&#8217;s great.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of LMSs and all of that, the technology behind it all. I don&#8217;t know how to phrase this question because it brings up Covid, but during the last few years Covid happened. And I&#8217;m guessing, I have no data to back this up, it just is a thought in my head, that online courses became more of a thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>More people creating them. More people consuming them. And whilst nobody wants to celebrate Covid, it might be interesting to get into that conversation about whether or not that was in fact the case. Did people swell to LMSs and were there more courses being put out and consumed? And also, what&#8217;s the trend since the world has gone a little bit more back to normal? Since we&#8217;ve been able to go back to in-person events? Has it declined or has it kept its growth?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:28] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> There was a huge boom that I could say from our company, in terms of new users, new customers due to Covid. And also just to talk about a little more, there&#8217;s some different flavors to it. Yes, there&#8217;s some people that want a side income or a full-time income from home now, that wanted to become course creators or coaches and they needed an LMS. But we also saw a big influx of trainers, people that would go places and train people at a company, or they would deliver some kind of event thing from the stage, and now they want to package it inside of a LMS in a course format. They literally had to, to keep their businesses going.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there was a lot of, there was a lot of both those aspiring entrepreneurs, but also just trainers and events and regular schools. A big, small, traditional alternative, whatever, that we&#8217;re trying to figure this all out. Yeah, it caused a huge boom in the industry, and I guess it&#8217;s been, I don&#8217;t know, has it been almost three years now? Something like that. The initial parabolic rise, if you will, has slowed, but the industry continues to grow, from what I can see.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, that caused a big spike, but we&#8217;re seeing the industry just continue to grow. And also new, if you look broadly across the online learning SaaS space and the online community SaaS platforms, and the Zoom alternatives and everything, like the whole industry is just continuing to expand.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:30:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, I think there&#8217;s something which I can identify in my life at least anyway. Before the last five years, shall we say, I was probably far less willing to enroll in courses just because, I hadn&#8217;t really done it before. It was still a new thing. Much more likely now, personally, to do that because I now see this as a really legitimate thing. People now have the expertise to do it. There&#8217;s platforms like yours which enable them to do it. And it, it is no longer the thing held together by sticky tape. It can be a really professional enterprise, even just a one person enterprise can do it really professionally, given the arrangement of tools that are out there now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now people can download all sorts of clever software, which will enable the video editing process to be slightly more painless, if you know what I mean. And you can download software which enables you to do the marketing side of things and all of this kind of stuff. What I&#8217;m basically trying to say is, I feel that it&#8217;s become part of the landscape now. Online courses is now a thing, and it feels like it&#8217;s a thing that&#8217;s here for good.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:31:02] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> It is, and I&#8217;ll just throw a few more trends kind of on top that are happening. One is the transition from just in case, to just in time education. So what I mean by that is, you know, if we go to college and we get a degree, we learn a lot of stuff just in case we might need it or whatever.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I&#8217;m a fan of college. I&#8217;m not bashing college, but just in time education, as our world has become more complex and dynamic, and the rapid changing of things for example, um, if you need to learn how to use a new software tool or, you know, you go to YouTube the tech training at universities and community colleges has a hard time keeping up with just independent, online learning platforms for fast changing and emerging technologies, just as an example. So, just in time education.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other trend that&#8217;s happening is called micro learning, and that&#8217;s where it gets really important to chunk down your content so that it&#8217;s as effective and efficient as possible, without wasting time. So, back in the earlier days of the online course industry, it was all about, I&#8217;m speaking to the expert, entrepreneur kind of subject matter expert courses. It was all about how much stuff you could cram in the membership site. Like, okay, we got 200 hours of videos, 500 PDFs, all these bonuses. The trend we have now is people don&#8217;t have time for that. So, it&#8217;s got to be good. It&#8217;s it&#8217;s got to work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>People will be forgiving on production quality to a degree, like video, audio, whatever PDFs you&#8217;re doing, if you&#8217;re doing that. But the best stuff is like, super targeted, super efficient, very clear offer. There&#8217;s just so much opportunity out there in the world. Anytime I see a friction point in anything, that could be a course. And if you&#8217;re going to, if you as an entrepreneur, are going to jump on that friction point, make it as frictionless as possible for the person to achieve the result.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:33:02] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I really hadn&#8217;t thought about the just in time piece, and that makes so much sense. Especially when you think about the landscape of the industry that we are in, technology, specifically WordPress. Things are changing all the time. And something that you may have wished to learn last year might now be completely obsolete.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There really is no rival than the internet for that. Online based learning can be updated now, this second, and I will immediately receive the fruits of all of those changes. Yeah, that&#8217;s really remarkable. I hadn&#8217;t really made the connection there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:33:35] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> And just a quick marketing insight on that too, is if you&#8217;re going to do it, this is why doing the avatar work and stuff is so important, because once you get into this, it&#8217;s going to be a long road, and it&#8217;s not always going to be easy. But my best advice is if once you decide who you&#8217;re going to help, and who that avatar is, and what you&#8217;re going to teach, I would build the course business and a YouTube channel in parallel, because, just in time education, a lot of it happens on YouTube, where people go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I of course want to see people helping people for free on YouTube, from my perspective, across all these tens of thousands of course creators is, YouTube is a really strong marketing channel to get people, you on their radar and then them into your marketing funnel.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:34:20] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> This leads me to another thought, and it wasn&#8217;t necessarily where I wanted to go, but I&#8217;m going to ask this anyway. If I was a course creator and something seismic happened that meant that my course needed to be amended, adapted, maybe something extra needs to be added. What do we do with that?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because it feels almost like a course is a package, it&#8217;s a parcel. It&#8217;s finished. I&#8217;m handing it over, I&#8217;ve put it in the LMS, and there it is. That&#8217;s the thing. But presumably there has to be modifications made. Let&#8217;s say for example something in WordPress suddenly, let&#8217;s say there&#8217;s a virus which goes around and we need to disseminate the news about that quickly. Just a silly example.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would need to put that into the course somewhere. What would the advice be about amendments? Do you normally ask people to substitute one video for another in place, or do you say, Look, add extra content? How does that amending on the fly, nature of online learning go?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:35:15] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Well, there&#8217;s lots of options. It rolls back to the business model. So you can sell a course that has lifetime access, and then in that case you just update the content or add the additional resource. But if you&#8217;re selling a course that has a monthly recurring cost to it, and this is where the success systems come into play too.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The easiest way to add recurring revenue to a course, the lowest friction way for you to do it, is to once a month do a one hour ask me anything office hours, right. Now you have recurring value. It&#8217;s time boxed to just that hour. And you can help people in ways that they decide to stay and you continually get recurring revenue.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if we have a model like that, you need another reason to stay on the subscription is to get the updated content when it comes out. And then a third option, there&#8217;s more, but I&#8217;m trying to give you the basics, is, there&#8217;s this concept of cohort based courses. So we&#8217;re doing this one in the spring, this one in the summer. They&#8217;re kind of separate and they just go with that time period. It is all just thinking through the time, the finances, the business model, what you&#8217;re willing to commit to as well in terms of updating content. Like one of our great customers, Sean Heskith from WP101, one of the largest, I think it might be the largest WordPress education site on the internet. He&#8217;s constantly updating his course content when new versions of WordPress come out and stuff. And he is super professional with it. So he is constantly polishing the asset, if you will.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then I&#8217;ll just throw one more concept out there. Which is that there&#8217;s these two personality types. One, I call the serial course creator. They] just, they create a membership site and they create a course in November, then they launch a new course in December, and a new course in January, and they just keep adding new courses. The old stuff never really gets updated.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a guy who teaches people how to tie animal balloons. And he makes six figures with his courses. He&#8217;s got, they&#8217;re like child entertainer and magician type people is his avatar. It&#8217;s called Balloon Artist College. It&#8217;s awesome. But he&#8217;s got like 200 courses on there or something like that at this point. But then there&#8217;s the other entrepreneur, kind of like Sean with his WordPress 101 course, that they&#8217;re just continually just updating the course, right?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the old school, like internet marketer guys that I followed back in the day, his name&#8217;s Jeff Walker. He has a course called Product Launch Formula that I think I first saw in 2007, 2008. He still launches it twice a year or once a year. Same course. He just keeps polishing it every year. But every time he launches it, I believe it&#8217;s a new product. So different ways to tackle that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:38:03] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> It occurs to me that so far we&#8217;ve spoken as if the target audience of the course is individuals. So, you&#8217;re trying to sell out there into the market. You&#8217;ve put a website together and you&#8217;re trying to encourage people, individuals to sign up. But, I&#8217;m wondering if there&#8217;s different audiences out there for your courses, or should I say different ways of implementing them?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for example, you might go after an entire business and offer a hundred seats at your course, or maybe you would just be implementing it as something to train your employees. There doesn&#8217;t have to be an audience of people who are willing to pay. An LMS might just be the perfect way of training your employees. So essentially, I&#8217;m just opening up the conversation to alternative uses of LMSs rather than, okay, I have a course, I&#8217;m going to sell it to a bunch of individuals, one at a time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:38:53] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Yeah. At Lifter LMS we have a groups feature where you can do exactly what you described. Where you offer the training into a school or a business and a certain number of seats. And the leader at that place can keep tabs on the analytics and reporting for their students that they invite into the platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s absolutely possible. I highly recommend that too. If you can figure that out in your business model, because it can create a serious amount of revenue when you can do deals at scale like that. Doing it for internal training, we do that at Lifter LMS as an example. We have a site that&#8217;s protected from the outside world, where we have all our customer success, marketing, sales, product, operational, like processes and stuff documented.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We use our own tool to train our people, as new people come in and so on. I&#8217;ve seen people get really creative with it, and I&#8217;m thinking of a guy who uses it for tutors. The tutor licenses the course, but then the uses that content with their students up on a screen in the classroom and stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there&#8217;s all kinds of ways to do it. I saw one guy run like a pay per view sporting event through Lifter LMS. You know, people get really creative. WordPress, what you can put inside the membership site, it&#8217;s up to you. A course creates structured content. Some people will use it like a course to just hold, like a webinar vault, like a library kind of thing. So there&#8217;s lots of different ways to use it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:40:20] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, and it goes back to what you said right at the beginning about WordPress. Maybe that&#8217;s one of the reasons why a WordPress solution is so desirable, is that you really can take it in whichever way you like.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have just a couple of final questions, if that&#8217;s all right. It occurs to me that the listenership to this podcast, not everybody is going to be shouting, I want to make a course. But they may be saying, I have a web design business, and it occurs to me that, well maybe maybe selling courses could become a part of my revenue. Is there a niche out there? Is it a successful niche? Does it even exist of web designers implementing LMSs?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:41:02] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Absolutely. yeah, I mean, literally half of our customers, the people that buy the tool are freelancers and agencies, right? So it&#8217;s a split market. And then you have the DIY, do it yourself expert, or maybe that expert just buys the tool and then they hire somebody. So, a lot of people in this space are working with a WordPress professional to make it happen.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve known that for a very long time. So we created this experts program where we, it&#8217;s not like a paid thing, we&#8217;re not trying to monetize it. We just constantly get asked for like, hey, do you know anybody that can help me build this site? Or, who do you recommend? So we built a list of people that have experience with Lifter.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It kind of happened to me as an example. Early on, I had this agency, people just needed all this stuff for their, their online learning business. It&#8217;s a great niche to focus on. They&#8217;re great customers. They often have recurring needs. The site build is complex, from a standpoint that it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s just not static pages and it&#8217;s incredibly valuable, which helps with your pricing as an agency owner.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And these people often need ongoing work or they want to have like a tech person aside the business, in case they ever need anything, or they have a new idea they want to implement, stuff like that. So it&#8217;s a great, it&#8217;s a great niche if you&#8217;re looking to diversify into it. And I&#8217;ll also say that a lot of times, I&#8217;ve seen a lot of people who are WordPress professionals, and they implement for a client, and then once they see how it all works, possibly see their client make a bunch of money or whatever, then they&#8217;re like, you know what, I&#8217;m going to, I&#8217;m going to launch a course.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, uh, there&#8217;s a lot of that, that goes on when you really fall in. When you fall in love with the niche, it&#8217;s hard not to start releasing some courses yourself. And as a WordPress professional, one of the things I know from my agency days is that sometimes it&#8217;s a little frustrating or slow to train a client on how to use the website. So as part of your handoff, if you create like a course that they can then stop, rewind, play seven times to get it or whatever, and then make that as part of your handoff package. That can actually add a lot of value and save a lot of time on your end just to kind of use that course in that way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another counterintuitive way we use courses at Lifter is for marketing. We have several free courses, but particularly this one that teaches, quick start course, that teaches you how to use the 5% of the tool that gives you 80% of the value.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with that one course, it lets people that are curious about the product, in about 40 minutes, see how it works, see what it does, to see if it&#8217;s a fit for their requirements. While simultaneously acting as an onboarding, at your own pace, at your own time resource. So super effective in that way. So using courses for marketing and customer success is also another counterintuitive way to, to do them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:43:58] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> It strikes me that the more that you do this, the less impediments there would be. So, it may be that you launch your guitar course and it&#8217;s not a runaway success, but there are takeaways there. You know, you&#8217;ve learned how to use an LMS. You&#8217;ve learned how to do some video editing. You&#8217;ve made some mistakes in your email campaigns, and all of those things, and the next time around there&#8217;s probably going to be a little bit less friction. So, I guess one of the messages that you would have for people is, if it doesn&#8217;t work first time, if at first you don&#8217;t succeed, try, try again.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:44:29] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Yeah, just like anything. Learning is what makes us human, right? So when we double down on like a business model or a tool or a business, failure is just feedback. That&#8217;s why that trait we see in our successful community members, whether they&#8217;re a WordPress professional or more of a subject matter expert, is that consistent, imperfect action moving forward with an open mind That&#8217;s the through line through the people that find the best success.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:44:56] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> If people want to reach out to you, Chris, if they&#8217;ve been inspired by what you&#8217;ve said and they want to just get a little bit more advice, personal advice, maybe one to one or something, are you available? And if so, where&#8217;s the best place to find you, or best places?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:45:10] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> I am available. I&#8217;m a big community guy. Community building&#8217;s always been important to me. You can easily find me on Twitter @ChrisBadgett. And then also in our Facebook group. It&#8217;s another great place to reach out. So if you just do a search for Lifter LMS, courses, WordPress, you&#8217;ll find our Facebook group, and that&#8217;s a great place to connect as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:45:30] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Chris Badgett, thanks for joining me on the podcast today. I really appreciate it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:45:34] <strong>Chris Badgett:</strong> Thanks for having me, Nathan.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast today we have <a href=\"https://twitter.com/chrisbadgett\">Chris Badgett</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris is behind <a href=\"https://lifterlms.com/\">LifterLMS</a>, which is a learning management system built as a WordPress plugin. He’s been in the WordPress space since 2008, and has moved his agency away from general website building to concentrating upon e-learning membership sites, course creation and marketing automation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He’s on the podcast today to talk about how WordPress and e-learning are a good fit. Although there’s a flourishing SaaS side to e-learning, Chris is convinced that WordPress allows you to make your LMS site exactly what you want. You won’t be facing the limitations imposed upon you by the platform, and can, if you have the time and skills, modify almost anything to suit your brand and niche.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We begin by talking through how well a WordPress based LMS site can scale. Should your course be a runaway success, you want to be aware of how you’re going to have to manage the resources that your site will need. There’s a lot of dynamic content being displayed to your users, and this will affect the tech stack that you’ll need to deploy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We then get into a broad conversation about how online courses have taken off in the last few years. Even before global lockdowns, individuals and businesses were adopting online courses in innovative ways to educate their customers, staff, and the wider public. Chris’ data points to the fact that this growth seems set to continue. There’s a real understanding now that in many niches, the course curriculum needs to be adapted and amended continually. This is extremely easy to do with an LMS. You create new content, click publish and notify your users that the new material is there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also discuss the reality of actually making a course. Like the writing of a book, the idea of creating a course is easy to conceive, but hard to execute. There’s the content, the branding, the marketing, the updates and much more. Chris has some advice to help you get over the bumps in the road if you’ve decided that you want to dip your feet into online course creation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It’s an interesting podcast and digs into yet another area where WordPress can help people thrive online.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful links.</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://lifterlms.com/\">LifterLMS website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifterlmsvip\">LifterLMS Facebook Group</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, 21 Dec 2022 15:00:00 +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:27;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:62:\"HeroPress: Manifesting Our Life – Manifestare la nostra vita\";s: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=4981\";s: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:114:\"https://heropress.com/essays/manifesting-our-life/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=manifesting-our-life\";s: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:20223:\"<img width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/122022-min.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Pull Quote: I joined the most dedicated and inspiring community I have ever met: the WordPress community.\" />\n<p><a href=\"https://heropress.com/feed/#italian\">Questo saggio è disponibile anche in italiano.</a></p>\n\n\n\nHere is Isotta reading her own story aloud.\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n<p>Every morning from Monday to Friday, when I open up my laptop to start my working day, I smile. Every single day. Multiple times per week, I take a moment to acknowledge the gratitude I feel for living my dream life. I&#8217;ve always been an optimistic person, and in the last few years, I&#8217;ve also become very aware of the beauty of my life, but there is a date that pivoted everything. January 17th, 2022, is the day I joined Automattic to become a sponsored full-time contributor to the WordPress community.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-let-s-rewind-it-a-little-bit\">Let&#8217;s rewind it a little bit!&nbsp;</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I was born in a middle-class family in Savona, a small city on the North-west coast of Italy. I had a marvelous and carefree childhood in a caring and fun family that gave me more love and support than I could have asked for. Everyone would always encourage me to follow my dreams, and I&#8217;d rarely receive a NO to my requests. Nevertheless, Savona is a small city, and in the 90s, the people who set an example for me pursued careers that had nothing to do with the digital world; there were butchers, warehouse supervisors, and local business secretaries. I remember how cool my mother looked when she spoke English, as no one else in the family could speak any foreign language! I carried this admiration with me when I started wondering about learning languages and being able to travel the world and engage in conversations with people from different places, cultures, and backgrounds. Fortunately, there was the perfect academic path to follow my dream. Studying translation and interpreting at Genoa University. I specialized in Spanish and French, and took a job in Madrid that brought me to live in Spain, France, Morocco. It got to travel to different headquarters far away from home, including India. I learned so much during those years and met good friends who are still in my life.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, that company&#8217;s values didn&#8217;t align with mine, and brought them to terminate my contract in 2018. This unfair and immoral dismissal is the first of a list of blessings in disguise that happened in my life since then! For the first time, I could decide what my future job would be, instead of passively accepting a position because of the fear of remaining unemployed. I&#8217;ve always loved cooking. Cooking with others was my favorite way to become closer to new people and friends, learn from their culture, and share mine. I hadn&#8217;t really thought that this could be a profession, until my wife encouraged me to explore this possibility to create the workspace that aligns with my values and help me pursue my mission.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We founded Eatsperience Madrid to welcome in our home people from different backgrounds and create a community of open-minded and caring people who shared a passion, wanted to learn and share their skills, and were welcoming to each other. Andrea (my wife) and I were living far from our families, so we decided to offer a space to rediscover those family moments where people gather together to cook, eat, and share quality time. What a wonderful period! We hosted dinners, cooking classes, culinary events up to 5 days per week and met people from all around the world. Andrea was still working full-time for a marketing agency, and I would be working for the culinary business countless hours a day. We were so tired, whenever we weren&#8217;t working, we were sleeping. 2020 was going to be the year when Eatsperience finally would start making money, I had been hired to cook at international fairs and to private events, and we had our own events booked for the entire year. Of course, March 2020 put an end to all of it.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I immediately switched online and offered virtual cooking classes for individuals, private groups, and remote teams. It was tough to pivot and try to save everything in those uncertain times, while Andrea was dealing with uncertainty at her working place as well. From our career&#8217;s standpoint, it was another blessing well disguised at first.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-meeting-wordpress\">Meeting WordPress</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We had our WordPress website built by a professional in 2019, but now I had to revamp the site entirely according to the new business&#8217; needs. With the help of an online business manager, we understood the new path we wanted Eatsperience to take, and I got closer to WordPress. We built the online shop on WooCommerce, I learned how to update and customize it, and I fell in love with email automation. I didn&#8217;t realize that there was a huge community behind it, though. Now I wonder if, in 2020, online events showed up in the WP dashboard, but I was too absorbed in learning and worrying about my business to see them. I would land in the forums sometimes, but I didn&#8217;t understand the terminology used in questions and answers, so I got scared and decided to not engage with it.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-turning-point\">The turning point</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>2020 made us realize that life is too short to live out of worryings, focus on our frustrations, and compromise for jobs and people who don&#8217;t make us happy. So, Andrea and I decided we&#8217;d keep pursuing our dream of working remotely. At the beginning of 2021, Andrea enrolled in a learning program to become a frontend web developer while I focused on consolidating my online business. Nevertheless, the universe had another plan for me, but I still didn&#8217;t know! Alongside Eatsperience Madrid, since 2019 I have been managing an online community, and in 2021 I followed the advice of formalizing those skills I gained as a community manager. I studied and got the Facebook community manager certification because.. why not? For me, it&#8217;s always worth it to keep learning and have a &#8220;piece of paper&#8221; to certify your skills.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the summer of 2021 it was clear that Eatsperience Madrid couldn&#8217;t survive. Sales dropped since 2020, I had invested all my unemployed fund, and Andrea started to suffer of strong panic attacks. She had been working full-time, studying every evening and saturday, and supported me for the past 2 years. I needed to change that situation and be the one to provide for the family instead. I discontinued Eatsperience, it was like dealing with a loss in a certain way, but this was the third blessing in disguise. I wrote down the list of the characteristics that I wanted for my next company and job, and started applying to full-time positions in remote companies. A few days later, I joined the hiring process for a company that looked perfect to me but when I arrived to the last of many steps, I got rejected. Another defeat, another hidden blessing.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>During those same days, the turning point. A friend sent me the link for a position at an American remote company called Automattic, which I didn&#8217;t know about. They seemed to be looking for someone with my skills to donate to a non-profit project. Their values seemed perfectly aligned with mine, so I applied and got into the hiring process. The more I learned about the company, the open-source world, and the WordPress community, the more I felt I belonged to it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, my feeling was right! I found a place where people are heard, valued, and respected. I found teammates who uphold and support me. And I joined the most dedicated and inspiring community I have ever met: the WordPress community. Thanks to all WordPressers around the world, I learn something new every day, and I grow by watching them shape their world to make it a better place for everyone and the generations to come. I feel lucky and thankful for having the privilege to dedicate my entire week to such a meaningful, fun, and inspiring mission! I feel proud to be a WordPress contributor myself.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-living-the-life-that-we-want\">Living the life that we want</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since I joined the community in January 2022, I&#8217;ve participated in the impact that we have on our ecosystem as individuals and a community. I gained new technical knowledge and new soft skills. I grew as a professional and as a human being. I&#8217;ve supported my wife while she left her company, became a front-end developer, and is looking for her first job in this industry. We can travel and visit our families, and I can work from everywhere. I&#8217;ve never been happier. I&#8217;ve spent many moments manifesting what I truly wanted for my life, and it has always come true, even if it means going through some defeats first.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope that my story reaches those who haven&#8217;t yet experienced the power of manifestation, of stating what they want and being truthful to their hopes and values. I believe in abundance and I believe that we attract what we feel. So let&#8217;s open up to our desires, connect with people, do some good, and live our best lives!&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p></p>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"italian\" class=\"kt-adv-heading_39bac8-8e wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\">Manifestare la nostra vita</h1>\n\n\n\nEcco Isotta che legge ad alta voce la sua storia.\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n<p>Ogni mattina, da lunedì a venerdì, quando apro il mio portatile per iniziare la mia giornata lavorativa, sorrido. Ogni giorno. Più volte alla settimana, mi prendo un momento per riconoscere la gratitudine che provo per star vivendo la vita dei miei sogni. Sono sempre stata una persona ottimista e negli ultimi anni sono anche diventata molto consapevole della bellezza della mia vita, ma c&#8217;è una data che ha cambiato tutto. Il 17 gennaio 2022 è il giorno in cui mi sono unita ad Automattic per contribuire full-time alla comunità di WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Facciamo un salto indietro!&nbsp;</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sono nata in una famiglia di classe media a Savona, una piccola città sulla costa nord-occidentale dell&#8217;Italia. Ho avuto un&#8217;infanzia meravigliosa e spensierata in una famiglia dolce e divertente che mi ha dato più amore e sostegno di quanto avrei potuto chiedere. Tutti mi hanno sempre incoraggiata a seguire i miei sogni e raramente ho ricevuto un NO alle mie richieste. Tuttavia, Savona è una piccola città e negli anni &#8217;90 le persone che rappresentavano un esempio per me avevano intrapreso carriere che non avevano nulla a che fare con il mondo digitale: c&#8217;erano macellai, magazzinieri e segretari di aziende locali. Ricordo che mia madre sembrava fighissima quando parlava inglese, nessun altro in famiglia sapeva parlare una lingua straniera! Questo sentimento di ammirazione mi accompagnava quando ho iniziato a desiderare di imparare lingue straniere e di poter viaggiare per il mondo, per poter parlare con persone provenienti da posti, culture e contesti diversi. Fortunatamente, c&#8217;era il percorso accademico perfetto. Studiare traduzione e interpretariato all&#8217;Università di Genova. Mi sono specializzata in spagnolo e francese e ho accettato un lavoro a Madrid che mi ha permesso di vivere in Spagna, Francia e Marocco. Ho avuto modo di viaggiare in diversi uffici, tra cui in India. Ho imparato tanto in quegli anni e ho incontrato buoni amici che sono ancora nella mia vita.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Purtroppo, i valori di quell&#8217;azienda non erano allineati con i miei e nel 2018 sono stata licenziata. Questo licenziamento ingiusto e immorale è il primo di una lista di quelle che chiamo benedizioni mascherate che mi sono capitate da quel momento in poi! Per la prima volta, ho potuto decidere quale sarebbe stato il mio prossimo lavoro, invece di accettare passivamente una posizione per la paura di rimanere disoccupata.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ho sempre amato cucinare. Cucinare con gli altri era il mio modo preferito per avvicinarmi a nuove persone e amici, imparare dalla loro cultura e condividere la mia. Ma non avevo mai pensato che questa potesse essere una professione, finché mia moglie non mi ha incoraggiata a esplorare questa possibilità per creare uno spazio di lavoro che fosse in linea con i miei valori e mi aiutasse a seguire la mia missione.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abbiamo fondato Eatsperience Madrid per accogliere nella nostra casa persone provenienti da contesti diversi e creare una comunità di persone dalla mentalità aperta, e interessate a altri esseri umani, che condividessero una passione, volessero imparare l’un l’altro condividendo le proprie competenze. Io e Andrea (mia moglie) vivevamo lontane dalle nostre famiglie, così abbiamo deciso di ricreare quei momenti familiari in cui ci si riunisce per cucinare, mangiare e condividere del tempo di qualità e offrirli nella nostra casa a chiunque volesse partecipare. È stato un periodo meraviglioso! Organizzavamo cene, corsi di cucina, ed eventi culinari fino a 5 giorni a settimana e conoscevmo persone provenienti da tutto il mondo. Andrea lavorava ancora a tempo pieno per un&#8217;agenzia di marketing e io lavoravo per il nostro business innumerevoli ore al giorno. Eravamo stanchissime: ogni momento in cui non lavoravamo, dormivamo. Il 2020 sarebbe stato l&#8217;anno in cui Eatsperience avrebbe finalmente iniziato a prosperare. Ero stata ingaggiata per cucinare a fiere internazionali ed eventi privati, e avevamo i nostri eventi prenotati per tutto l&#8217;anno. Ovviamente, il mese di marzo del 2020 ha messo fine a tutto ciò.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Siamo passate immediatamente all&#8217;online e ho iniziato ad offrire eventi di cucina virtuali per singoli, gruppi privati e team remoti. È stato duro cambiare tutto e cercare di salvare l’attività in quei tempi incerti, mentre anche Andrea affrontava momenti di incertezza nel suo posto di lavoro. Dal punto di vista della nostra carriera, è stata un&#8217;altra benedizione inizialmente ben mascherata.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>L&#8217;incontro con WordPress</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nel 2019 ci eravamo affidate a un professionista che aveva creato il nostro sito web su WordPress, ma ora dovevo rinnovarlo completamente in base alle esigenze della nuova attività. Con l&#8217;aiuto di una online business manager, abbiamo capito il nuovo percorso che volevamo far intraprendere a Eatsperience e mi sono avvicinata io stessa a WordPress. Abbiamo costruito il negozio online con WooCommerce, ho imparato ad aggiornarlo e personalizzarlo e mi sono appassionata alle automatizzazioni di e-mail. Non avevo però capito che c&#8217;era un&#8217;enorme comunità alle spalle. Ora mi chiedo se, nel 2020, gli eventi online apparissero nella dashboard di WP, ma io fossi troppo occupata ad imparare ad usare quel nuovo strumento, e dalle preoccupazioni per la mia attività, per vederli. A volte entravo nei forum, ma non capivo la terminologia usata nelle domande e nelle risposte, quindi mi spaventavo e decidevo di cercare le soluzioni di cui avevo bisogno altrove.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>La svolta</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Il 2020 ci ha fatto capire che la vita è troppo breve per vivere di preoccupazioni, per pensare solo alle nostre frustrazioni e scendere a compromessi per lavori e persone che non ci rendono felici. Così, Andrea e io abbiamo deciso di continuare a inseguire il nostro sogno di lavorare da casa. All&#8217;inizio del 2021, Andrea si è iscritta a un corso per diventare uno frontend developer, mentre io mi concentravo sul consolidare la mia attività online. Tuttavia, l&#8217;universo aveva degli altri piani per me, ma non lo sapevo ancora! Oltre a Eatsperience Madrid, dal 2019 mi occupo di una comunità online e nel 2021 ho seguito un ottimo consiglio di un’amica e ho formalizzato le competenze acquisite come community manager. Ho studiato duro e passato l’esame per ottenere la certificazione di Facebook community manager perché&#8230; perché no? Per me vale sempre la pena continuare a imparare e avere un &#8220;pezzo di carta&#8221; che certifichi le mie competenze non nuoce mai.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poi, nell&#8217;estate del 2021 era diventato chiaro che Eatsperience Madrid non poteva sopravvivere. Le vendite erano calate dal 2020, io avevo investito tutto il mio fondo di disoccupazione e Andrea aveva iniziato a soffrire di forti attacchi di panico. Lavorava a tempo pieno, studiava tutte le sere e i sabati, e mi aveva sostenuta negli ultimi due anni. Dovevo cambiare la situazione e prendermi cura io della famiglia. Così ho chiuso Eatsperience, ed è stato un po’ come affrontare un lutto, ma questa era la terza benedizione arrivata sotto mentite spoglie.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ho fatto un elenco delle caratteristiche che volevo per la mia prossima azienda e il mio prossimo lavoro e ho iniziato a fare domanda per posizioni a tempo pieno in aziende che lavorano in remoto. Pochi giorni dopo, ho iniziato un processo di selezione per un&#8217;azienda che sembrava perfetta, ma quando sono arrivata all&#8217;ultima delle tante fasi, sono stata respinta. Un&#8217;altra sconfitta, un&#8217;altra benedizione nascosta.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In quegli stessi giorni, la svolta. Un’amica mi aveva inviato il link di una posizione presso un&#8217;azienda americana chiamata Automattic, che lavorava in remoto e che io non conoscevo. Sembrava che stessero cercando qualcuno con le mie competenze da donare a un progetto senza scopo di lucro. I loro valori sembravano perfettamente in linea con i miei, così mi sono candidata e ho iniziato il processo di selezione. Più cose conoscevo dell&#8217;azienda, del mondo open-source e della comunità di WordPress, più sentivo di aver trovato la mia realtà.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quella sensazione era giusta! Ho trovato un posto in cui le persone sono ascoltate e rispettate. Ho trovato colleghe e colleghi che mi apprezzano e mi appoggiano. E sono entrata a far parte della comunità più potente e motivatrice che abbia mai conosciuto: la comunità di WordPress. Grazie a tutti e tutte le WordPressers del mondo, ogni giorno imparo qualcosa di nuovo e cresco osservandoli mentre plasmano le loro città per renderle un posto migliore per noi e per le generazioni a venire. Mi sento fortunata e grata di avere il privilegio di dedicare il mio tempo a una missione così importante, divertente e stimolante! Sono orgogliosa di contribuire al progetto open source, e di far parte della comunità di WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Vivere la vita che vogliamo</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Da quando sono entrata a far parte della community a gennaio 2022, ho partecipato all&#8217;impatto che abbiamo sul nostro ecosistema come individui e come comunità. Ho acquisito nuove conoscenze tecniche e nuovi soft skills. Sono cresciuta come professionista e come essere umano. Ho sostenuto mia moglie mentre lasciava la sua azienda, diventava una frontend developer e adesso mentre cerca il suo primo lavoro in questo settore. Possiamo viaggiare e visitare le nostre famiglie, e io posso lavorare da qualsiasi luogo. Non sono mai stata così felice. Ho passato molti momenti a manifestare ciò che volevo veramente per la mia vita, e si è sempre avverato, anche se questo ha comportato alcune sconfitte lungo la strada.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spero che la mia storia raggiunga persone che non hanno ancora sperimentato il potere della manifestazione, dell&#8217;affermare ciò che si vuole e dell&#8217;essere sinceri con le proprie speranze e i propri valori. Credo nell&#8217;abbondanza e credo che attiriamo ciò che sentiamo. Quindi apriamoci ai nostri desideri, entriamo in contatto con altre persone, facciamo del bene e viviamo la nostra vita migliore!&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://heropress.com/essays/manifesting-our-life/\">Manifesting Our Life &#8211; Manifestare la nostra vita</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, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:40 +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:12:\"Isotta Peira\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:70:\"WPTavern: Block Protocol Announces New WordPress Plugin Coming in 2023\";s: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=140462\";s: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://wptavern.com/block-protocol-announces-new-wordpress-plugin-coming-in-2023\";s: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:6532:\"<p><a href=\"https://blockprotocol.org/\">Block Protocol</a>, a project that <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/block-protocol-project-aims-to-create-universal-block-system-may-collaborate-with-gutenberg\">launched earlier this year</a> that aims to build a universal block system, has <a href=\"https://blockprotocol.org/wordpress\">announced a new WordPress plugin</a> coming in early 2023. It will allow users to embed interactive blocks that are compatible with Gutenberg. Given WordPress&#8217; footprint on the web (43% by W3Tech&#8217;s estimate), this plugin is a major milestone on the project&#8217;s roadmap for supporting a more interoperable and open web with blocks that can be shared through a standardized protocol. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Block Protocol plugin will give users access to the <a href=\"https://blockprotocol.org/hub\">global registry of interoperable blocks</a>. These include interactive blocks for drawing, a GitHub pull request overview, a timer, calculation, and more. Once installed, users will see these blocks available in the inserter. The newest versions of the blocks are always available to users without having to update the plugin. Creators of the Block Protocol are also releasing a few new blocks alongside the plugin, including an OpenAI DALL-E-powered image generation block and a GPT-powered block for generating text.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>This announcement comes just days after Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2022-matt-mullenweg-highlights-gutenbergs-progress-announces-new-community-tools\">2022 State of the Word</a> address, where he was asked about Gutenberg potentially collaborating with the Block Protocol project. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Sometimes developers don’t like to work together on the same thing,&#8221; Mullenweg said in response to the question. &#8220;And so it’s part of why there’s like 200 CMS&#8217;s and stuff like that. Sometimes there might be a stylistic or a technical change that when you look at it, you say, &#8216;I can’t use this thing that exists. I’m going to start something that’s different.&#8217; And I think that’s a little bit what’s happening with Gutenberg and the Block Protocol.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mullenweg confirmed that the projects have been communicating but were not able to get onto the same page. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;They feel like there’s some things, either choices in Gutenberg or ways we develop things, that just are incompatible with how they see it happening,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We’ll see where that goes in the future. We’ve tried to make it CMS-agnostic so it can be embedded in anything and re-skinned, like you saw with the Tumblr example, it can be totally different. Everything we’re doing is open, so I would hope that wherever they end up, Gutenberg blocks could maybe be embedded, if there’s a translation layer or something like that.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mullenweg sounded optimistic about the possibility of interoperability between Gutenberg and Block Protocol&#8217;s specification where users could copy and paste blocks across applications. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Maybe they create something really cool, that’s open source,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And then we’re like, &#8216;oh, let’s bring that over to Gutenberg,&#8217; so the innovation can flow both ways, and sometimes that’s only possible if you’re starting something from scratch.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the Block Protocol project is open source and designed to be an open protocol, Mullenweg said he considers it &#8220;like a cousin project,&#8221; and hopes that WordPress can integrate more in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If not, that’s okay too,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Maybe this will just be an alternative ecosystem that can experiment with new ideas or maybe things we would say no to, they can try. And then we see how it’s adopted by users.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initial draft of the Block Protocol spec is being incubated by the team at <a href=\"https://hash.ai/blog/announcing-the-block-protocol\">HASH</a>, an open source data, modeling, and simulation platform. HASH is using the protocol in beta. The current version of the spec will be deprecated as of v0.3, which is anticipated to arrive in February 2023 alongside the WordPress plugin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I obviously can’t speak to what Automattic are officially thinking about the Block Protocol, but we&#8217;ve been energized by the community&#8217;s continued interest,&#8221; HASH CEO David Wilkinson said. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Thanks to WordPress&#8217; open architecture we can prove out the Block Protocol first as a plugin, giving users today the ability to access Block Protocol blocks within WordPress, and build blocks themselves that work not only in WordPress, but in <a href=\"https://hash.ai/\">HASH</a> and other Block Protocol embedders, as well. In time we think that the value in having a standard way to write blocks which work across apps will become self-evident.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wilkinson said WordPress was the most requested CMS from Block Protocol users, as it is the most widely used, but he also has a personal connection with the software.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;WordPress is near and dear to my heart,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I built my first websites with it, have worked with it for more than half my life (!), and have a huge amount of respect for the organization and operation behind it. It&#8217;s the obvious platform to start with.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Block Protocol team has received requests for support from users of more than 50 block-based applications, and the project is currently <a href=\"http://blockprotocol.org/wordpress\">running a poll</a> to help identify the next one on the roadmap.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Even though the Block Protocol and Gutenberg projects did not find an acceptable way to combine efforts, WordPress users will get the best of both worlds with the new upcoming plugin. At the moment, access to Block Protocol&#8217;s Hub of blocks doesn&#8217;t offer any functionality that is superior to what is found in core WordPress and other native block plugins. The addition of the OpenAI-powered blocks will help make it more compelling, and the protocol&#8217;s ability to work across apps may bring an influx of more interesting blocks in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Block Protocol is currently onboarding beta testers for the new WordPress plugin. Those who are interested can <a href=\"https://blockprotocol.org/wordpress#availability\">sign up for early access</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, 21 Dec 2022 03:19:36 +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: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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress – November 2022\";s: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=14124\";s: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:72:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/the-month-in-wordpress-november-2022/\";s: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:13587:\"<p>WordPress enthusiasts tuned in last week for the State of the Word address to celebrate the project&#8217;s yearly accomplishments and explore what 2023 holds. But that’s not the only exciting update from the past month. New proposals and ideas are already emerging with an eye on the year ahead—let’s dive into them!</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-light-grey-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-light-grey-background-color has-background\" />\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlights from State of the Word 2022</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress co-founder <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/\">Matt Mullenweg</a> delivered the annual State of the Word address on <strong>December 15, 2022</strong>, before a live audience in New York City. Most attendees joined the event via livestream or one of the 33 watch parties held across 11 countries.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a>, Executive Director of WordPress, kicked off this year&#8217;s event with an introduction to the <strong>Four Freedoms of open source</strong> and the importance of WordPress in ensuring “a free, open and interconnected web for the future.”</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to past State of the Word events, Matt reflected on the project’s achievements over the past year, including Gutenberg’s adoption beyond WordPress, the steady progress in advancing the site editing experience, and the return to in-person events.<em> </em>In addition, he took the opportunity to remind everyone of the <a href=\"https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/\">2023 Community Summit</a> and the <a href=\"https://wp20.wordpress.net/\">20th anniversary of WordPress</a> coming up next year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ahead of 2023</strong>, Matt announced <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2022/12/16/plugins-themes-categorization/\">new taxonomies</a> in the WordPress.org theme and plugin directories to help users identify the extensions that best fit their needs and plans for Phase 3 of Gutenberg—Collaboration—among other notable updates.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who watched the State of the Word enjoyed a demo of <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a>, an experimental project to explore, experiment, and build apps with a WordPress instance that runs entirely in the browser.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p>Missed the event? <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/state-of-the-word-2022-recap/\">Read the recap</a> or <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/16/matt-mullenweg-state-of-the-word-2022/\">watch the State of the Word recording</a> and <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/16/matt-mullenweg-state-of-the-word-2022-qa/\">Q&amp;A session</a> on WordPress.tv.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 2022 WordPress Survey is open</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The annual WordPress survey helps project leadership and those who build WordPress understand more about the contributor experience, how the software is used, and by whom.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year’s survey will remain <strong>open through the end of 2022</strong> and is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Take the 2022 WordPress Survey</a> to help make an impact on the project.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s new in Gutenberg</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two new versions of Gutenberg have shipped in the last month:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-6-23-november/\"><strong>Gutenberg 14.6</strong></a>, released on November 23, 2022, came with many refinements to core blocks. Notable highlights include a variation picker that allows users to choose a desired layout when a Group block is inserted on a page, a new list view for editing the Navigation block, and a keyboard shortcut to transform paragraph blocks into headings.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-7-7-december/\"><strong>Gutenberg 14.7</strong></a>, released on December 7, 2022, introduced an experimental tabbed sidebar, colors to help identify some block types in list view, and improvements to the Page List block to make it easier to manage page links in the content.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p>Follow the “<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/gutenberg-new/\">What’s new in Gutenberg</a>” posts to stay on top of the latest enhancements.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Team updates: Introducing the block editor in the support forums, a revamped Showcase page, and more</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The Support and Meta Teams are bringing <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support/2022/12/introducing-the-block-editor-in-the-support-forums/\">the block editor experience into the WordPress.org support forums</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordPress.org’s redesign continues with a <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2022/12/14/showcase-visual-refresh/\">refreshed Showcase page</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/05/proposed-2023-global-community-sponsorship-program/\">proposal for the 2023 Global Community Sponsorship Program</a> has been published.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordPress is accessible to more people thanks to 19,357 contributors who translated more than eight million strings this year. Learn more about the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/12/reflecting-on-2022-in-polyglots/\">Polyglots Team&#8217;s achievements in 2022</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speaking of accomplishments, supporters of the Global Meetup Reactivation project <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/09/december-update-global-meetup-reactivation-project/\">helped reactivated 126 meetup groups</a> in 2022! There are also some discussions on <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/15/idea-creating-a-translation-events-kit-for-meetups/\">how these efforts can support the Polyglots Outreach Effort project</a>, and vice versa.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Community Team met with members of the Meetup.com team to help report some feedback and issues with an accessibility overlay that they ultimately <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/11/23/meetup-com-accessibility-overlay-update/\">agreed to remove</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Training Team highlighted <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/05/learn-wordpress-site-updates-december-2022/\">the latest updates</a> that have been made to <a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/\">Learn WordPress</a>. In addition, <a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/course/a-developers-guide-to-block-themes-part-1/\">part 1</a> and <a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/course/a-developers-guide-to-block-themes-part-2/\">part 2</a> of the Developers Guide to Block Themes are now available on the platform.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2022/12/05/introducing-new-themes-team-representatives-for-the-2023-edition/\">Themes</a> and <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/11/08/call-for-polyglots-team-representatives-2/#comment-295831\">Polyglots</a> Teams announced their team representatives for 2023.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/30/now-available-wordpress-3-7-4-0-final-releases/\">final releases for WordPress 3.7-4.0</a> were made available on November 30, 2022, with a notice that they are no longer receiving security updates. WordPress 4.1 and later will continue to receive such updates.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fresh off the press, the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/20/polyglots-monthly-newsletter-december-2022/\">December 2022 edition of the Polyglots monthly newsletter</a> is available for reading.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The latest edition of People of WordPress features <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/11/people-of-wordpress-huanyi-chuang/\">Huanyi Chuang</a>, a front end developer from Taiwan.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p>Curious about why WordPress has so many releases? <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/11/episode-44-minors-majors-and-why-we-have-so-many-releases/\">Tune in to Episode 44 of WP Briefing</a> to learn about the role of major and minor releases in the project.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feedback &amp; testing requests</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Help efforts to wrap up Gutenberg Phase 2 by <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/14/fse-program-testing-call-19-running-through-refinements/\">testing the Site Editor’s latest updates</a>. Leave your feedback by January 6, 2023.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Performance Team shared a <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/enhancing-the-scripts-api-with-a-loading-strategy/\">new proposal for enhancing the Scripts API with a loading strategy</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Full Site Editing (FSE) Outreach Program is <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/07/fse-program-seeking-volunteers-to-use-replay-io-for-capturing-bugs/\">looking for volunteers to use Replay.io for capturing bugs</a>. Express your interest by December 28, 2022.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Version 21.4 of the WordPress mobile app for <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2022/12/20/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-android-21-4/\">Android</a> and <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2022/12/19/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-ios-21-4/\">iOS</a> is available for testing.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p>The Community Team is calling on WordPress contributor teams to <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">suggest topics for the 2023 Community Summit</a> by January 16, 2023.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WordPress events updates</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The #WPDiversity working group organized <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/17/report-wpdiversity-inclusion-and-diverse-speaker-workshops-october-and-november-2022/\">several workshops</a> during the past few months. Among other highlights, attendees of the Speaker Workshop for Women Voices in Latin America reported a 52% increase in self-confidence to speak in public. <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/event-formats/diversity-speaker-training-workshop/#upcoming-wpdiversity-workshops\">Stay tuned for the next events</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The WordCamp Europe 2023 organizing team shared <a href=\"https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/wceu-2023-content-vision/\">their content vision</a> for next year&#8217;s flagship event in Athens, Greece.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Asia 2023</a> is just a few months away, scheduled for February 17-19, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand. Organizers have announced the first recipient of the WordCamp Asia Diversity Scholarship, <a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/diversity-scholarship-recipient/\">Awais Arfan</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Three more WordCamps are happening in the next few months:\n<ul>\n<li><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1ea-1f1f8.png\" alt=\"🇪🇸\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://zaragoza.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Zaragoza</a>, Spain on January 20-21, 2023</li>\n\n\n\n<li><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1fa-1f1f8.png\" alt=\"🇺🇸\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://birmingham.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Birmingham, Alabama</a>, USA on February 4-5, 2023</li>\n\n\n\n<li><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1f5-1f1ed.png\" alt=\"🇵🇭\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://cebu.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordCamp Cebu</a>, Philippines on February 11, 2023</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size\">\n<p>WordCamp Europe 2023 is calling for <a href=\"https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/the-call-for-sponsors-is-now-open/\">sponsors</a> and <a href=\"https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-speakers-is-open-now/\">speakers</a>.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-light-grey-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-light-grey-background-color has-background\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><strong><em><strong><em>Have a story we should include in the next issue of The Month in WordPress? <strong><em>Fill out </em></strong><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/\"><strong><em>this quick form</em></strong></a><strong><em> to let us know.</em></strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The following folks contributed to this edition of The Month in WordPress: <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>cbringmann</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>webcommsat</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/sereedmedia/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>sereedmedia</a>, and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/rmartinezduque/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>rmartinezduque</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, 20 Dec 2022 12:05:04 +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:\"rmartinezduque\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:51:\"WPTavern: WordPress.com Launches Newsletter 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=140414\";s: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:62:\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-com-launches-newsletter-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:5978:\"<p>WordPress.com has <a href=\"https://wordpress.com/blog/2022/12/19/write-and-publish-your-newsletter-on-wordpress-com/\">launched</a> a newsletter product just in time to capture those escaping <a href=\"https://twitter.com/shl/status/1603954292834328577\">Gumroad&#8217;s price increase</a> and editors displaced by <a href=\"http://help.getrevue.co/en/articles/6819675-we-ve-made-the-difficult-decision-to-shut-down-revue\">Revue shutting down</a>. Newsletters, which were already booming as a communication tool in recent years, have become more critical than ever, as the uncertainty around Twitter has people scrambling to find reliable ways to stay connected.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress.com (and Jetpack users) have had the ability to send published posts to email subscribers for years. This isn&#8217;t usually marketed as a newsletter (as you can see below) but functions in the same way.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://wordpress.com/setup/newsletter/intro\">WordPress.com Newsletter</a> is a new streamlined product for scheduling and publishing newsletters using WordPress. It uses the same underlying infrastructure as subscribing to sites via email, offering users unlimited email subscribers. During setup, newsletter creators can import up to 100 subscribers from other newsletter services by uploading a CSV file. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>A theme designed for newsletters is put in place with additional <a href=\"https://wordpress.com/blog/2022/11/18/new-patterns-subscriptions-link-in-bio-wireframes-and-more/\">newsletter-focused block patterns</a> for the Subscribe box. Users can take advantage of the Site Editor to further customize the site&#8217;s background, site icon, and accent colors. This type of website showcases the versatility of the block editor, as newsletter creators can quickly design their own unique websites, without editing any code.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all the activity in the newsletter product space lately, I had to give myself a tour of WordPress.com&#8217;s new product to see how it stacks up to creating campaigns with other dedicated email services. In the first part of the setup process, users will upload a logo, specify a site name and description, and select a color. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The next section displays pricing options with a plain link at the top for the free plan. Paid plans are ad-free and allow users to send unlimited emails. In the future, the premium plan will allow users to monetize their newsletters in various ways, such as selling subscriptions or collecting donations.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>After selecting a plan and free or paid domain name, users have the opportunity to upload up to 100 emails from other newsletter services. I selected the free plan, so that number may be unlimited with the paid plans. The site setup is fairly quick, as it puts the default theme in place, and users are encouraged to start writing. It&#8217;s a simple flow entirely geared towards publishing newsletters. Depending on the readiness of the post, newsletter authors can have their first issue landing in subscribers&#8217; inboxes in minutes.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The default newsletter site theme doesn&#8217;t come with additional style variations but users can easily edit the templates to expand, reduce, or further customize what is shown on the frontend. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The default theme is very minimalist but looks nice out of the box on both desktop and mobile. The subscribe form is front and center and recent posts, or newsletter &#8220;issues,&#8221; show up underneath with a featured image.</p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>If you are familiar with WordPress, using the block editor is likely far easier than any newsletter campaign editor out there, as these tend to be clunky and limited in options. Publishing directly from WordPress.com also eliminates the need to copy the content over into a newsletter service and reformat it for email, a problem that services like <a href=\"https://newsletterglue.com/\">Newsletter Glue</a> have set out to solve for self-hosted WordPress sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>if you are a subscriber of <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/principles#:~:text=%F0%9F%97%BD%20The%20IndieWeb%20Community%20is,platform%20agnostic%20platforms%2C%20plurality%20over\">IndieWeb principles</a>, one of the most important considerations in launching a newsletter is that you own your own data and have the opportunity to practice POSSE (Publish (on your) Own Site, <a href=\"https://indieweb.org/Category:syndication\">Syndicate</a> Elsewhere). WordPress.com&#8217;s new offering makes it effortless to follow this workflow for newsletter publishing. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>One bonus feature, which is lacking with major newsletter service providers, is that subscribers can reply to the email to leave a comment on the published post, furthering the public conversation around each issue of the newsletter.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although WordPress.com has experience sending millions of emails at scale, the newsletter product&#8217;s pricing and sales copy doesn&#8217;t mention anything about deliverability rates. This is a major selling point for people coming from other services which haven&#8217;t performed as well on deliverability. There is also no comparison chart showing the limitations of the free account, which may be an important consideration for those who are just testing the waters.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who are not hosting their sites at WordPress.com, there are a myriad of diverse plugins for self-hosted WordPress that can make newsletter publishing a seamless process. It requires knowing which ones to install, setup, and configure. For non-technical publishers, WordPress.com&#8217;s newsletter product is the most approachable entry point to WordPress-based newsletter publishing that exists on the market right now. If the company can add the monetization features fast enough, this product has the potential to become a major contender among newsletter services jostling to capture the creator economy.</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, 20 Dec 2022 06:56:28 +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:31;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:62:\"Do The Woo Community: A State of the Word Dinner with Some Woo\";s: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:28:\"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74129\";s: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:61:\"https://dothewoo.io/a-state-of-the-word-dinner-with-some-woo/\";s: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:418:\"<p>As some WordPress people gathered in NYC for the WordPress State of the Word, the night before a few of us gathered for a dinner and drinks.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io/a-state-of-the-word-dinner-with-some-woo/\">A State of the Word Dinner with Some Woo</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://dothewoo.io\">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce Builder Community</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, 19 Dec 2022 10:38:00 +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:5:\"BobWP\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:114:\"Gutenberg Times: Design System Bridge to WordPress, Fonts management, Playground and more – Weekend Edition #239\";s: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=22982\";s: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:118:\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/design-system-bridge-to-wordpress-fonts-management-playground-and-more-weekend-edition-239/\";s: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:28376:\"<p>Howdy, </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Welcome to the last edition of the year 2022! It&#8217;s been a fantastic year for the block editor with many new features. What is your most favorite feature that gives you joy whenever you use it? Please let me know pauli@gutenbergtimes.com or use the comments. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>For me, it&#8217;s the little things, like drag &amp; drop (🐉 + 💧) an image from a screenshot right into the post or the [[ -shortcut to link to other posts and pages on the same site or the gallery block that now has individual image blocks, or the nicely revamped color-picker to assign colors. I am excited about the next WordPress version, to see great enhancements of the Site Editor. It will feel much more natural to use and easier for a user to orient oneself. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>This last edition of the year has a lot of interesting content for all WordPress users, developers, site builders and designers. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yours, 💕<br /><em>Birgit</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>PS: With all the talk about collaborative editing, I just came across a great article by the CKEditor team. (Thank you, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/nomad_skate\">Mark Andrew</a>) There are quite a few considerations and decisions to make. If you want to start thinking deeply about the problem, this is one article for you. <a href=\"https://ckeditor.com/blog/Lessons-learned-from-creating-a-rich-text-editor-with-real-time-collaboration/\"><strong>Lessons learned from creating a rich-text editor with real-time collaboration</strong></a>, by <strong><a href=\"https://twitter.com/scofalik\">Szymon Cofalik</a></strong>, Collaboration Features Technical Leader and <strong>Anna Tomanek</strong>, Documentation &amp; Content Manager at CKEditor.</p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong><a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Reserve your seats!</a></strong>&nbsp;The next&nbsp;<strong>Gutenberg Live Q &amp; A</strong>&nbsp;will take place on January 11th, 2023 at 5pm ET / 22:00 UTC .</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this show,&nbsp;<strong>Isabel Brison</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Andrew Serong</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Justin Tadlock</strong>&nbsp;will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the Layout features for site builders, and they will be available to answer your questions. Isabel Brison will also give us a demo of various layout scenarios.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Join us!</a></strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This is also a preview on&nbsp;<a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/layout-layout-layout/\">Isabel Brison’s talk at WordCamp Asia</a></em>&nbsp;i<em>n February 2023</em></p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\"><img /></a>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-sortabrilliant-guidepost\"><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-word-press-release-information\">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-state-of-the-word\">State of the Word</a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#2-gutenberg-14-7\">Gutenberg 14.7</a></li></ul></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-p\">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#4-tutorial\">Tutorials on WordPressTV</a></li></ul></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled\">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press\">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </a></li><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#5-s\">Upcoming WordPress events</a><ul><li><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-l\">Learn WordPress Online Meetups</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"0-word-press-release-information\">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><br /><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> posted a new <strong><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/14/fse-program-testing-call-19-running-through-refinements/\">FSE Program Testing Call #19: Running Through Refinements</a></strong>. The test instructions have you focus on several changes to the site editing experience, including an easier way to navigate between content, the ability to change menus from within the block settings sidebar, and the addition of block inspector tabs to make blocks with numerous controls easier to configure and customize. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal of these changes is to make it easier to navigate, see changes at scale, create an easier navigation editing/creation experience, and have a more intuitive experience when editing individual blocks. The testing instructions outline how to use a prebuilt test site or set up your own test site and then walk through the steps of exploring the browse mode, editing navigation, and updating the homepage and overall styling.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-state-of-the-word\">State of the Word</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In his <em>State of the Word</em>, <strong>Matt Mullenweg</strong> spoke about the big things in 2022 and 2023. The Q &amp; A was also recorded. You can watch the <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeigCZuxnfY\">recording on YouTube</a>. The fine folks at various WordPress News outlets, already published their recap articles: </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Emily Schiola,</strong> editor at the <em>Torque Magazine</em> wrote in <a href=\"https://torquemag.io/2022/12/open-for-all-state-of-the-word-2022/\"><strong>Open for All: State of the Word 2022</strong></a>, &#8220;Some themes were familiar such as the power of the community, and the importance of keeping open-source open. But others like collaborative editing within the dashboard and new plugin taxonomies spoke to an exciting and vibrant future of the project that couldn’t have been imagined when it was created 20 years ago.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> wrote in her article, <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2022-matt-mullenweg-highlights-gutenbergs-progress-announces-new-community-tools\"><strong>State of the Word 2022: Matt Mullenweg Highlights Gutenberg’s Progress, Announces New Community Tools</strong></a>, &#8220;Mullenweg said he is hoping Gutenberg can create an “open block standard that can be used anywhere,” where users learn it on one system, and it can be applied in other apps.” Gooding also explains more on the &#8220;Tools Coming to the Community: New Taxonomies for the Plugin and Theme Directories and Staging “Playground” that Runs WordPress in the Browser&#8221;.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Matt Mederios</strong> published a recap on <em>The WPMinute</em>, with a great list of bullet points, links to mention activities and sites, and a transcript:  <a href=\"https://thewpminute.com/state-of-the-word-2022/\"><strong>State of The Word 2022</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, I just want to point out the gigantic numbers around contributors in 2022.</p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeigCZuxnfY\"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p>These are very impressive numbers of unique contributors on releases in 2022. </p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>1,399 &#8211; unique count of contributors to releases in 2022</li>\n\n\n\n<li>652 &#8211; first time contributors, that&#8217;s almost half! 🤯 That&#8217;s a huge amount of onboarding work by the teams! </li>\n\n\n\n<li>424 &#8211; contributed in 2021 and returned in 2022</li>\n\n\n\n<li>322 &#8211; who took a break in 2021 and returned in 2022</li>\n\n\n\n<li>204 &#8211; contributed to all releases in 2022</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/\"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p>On a side note: The <a href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/\">Pew Research Center</a> received a shout-out for their &#8220;Politology&#8221; Quiz, built with blocks and over 1 Million people taking it. <strong>Seth Rubenstein</strong>, lead web developer, was a guest on a Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A and gave a great demonstration about the team&#8217;s work with the block editor. </p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"ngl-articles colored ngl-articles-30_70 ngl-articles-frontend\">\n\n	\n	<div class=\"ngl-articles-wrap ngl-articles-webview\">\n	\n						\n			<div class=\"ngl-article-mobile\">\n				<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n					<tr>\n						<td valign=\"top\">\n							<div class=\"ngl-article-mob-wrap\">\n							<div class=\"ngl-article-featured\"><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/live-q-a-block-first-approach-at-pew-research-center/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Screen-shot-Pew-Research-Center-july-0222-.png?w=652&ssl=1\" /></a></div><div class=\"ngl-article-title\"><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/live-q-a-block-first-approach-at-pew-research-center/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\"><span>Live Q &#038; A: Block-First Approach at Pew Research Center</span></a></div><div class=\"ngl-article-excerpt\">On July 22, 2022, Michael Piccorossi, Head of Digital Strategy and Seth Rubenstein, Lead Developer at Pew Research Center talked to co-hosts Anne McCarthy, WordPress Product Liaison and Birgit Pauli-Haack,…</div>							</div>\n						</td>\n					</tr>\n				</table>\n			</div>\n			\n			\n			\n\n		\n		\n		</div>\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-gutenberg-14-7\">Gutenberg 14.7</h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> reported on the <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-14-7-introduces-color-coding-for-template-parts-and-reusable-blocks-adds-media-tab-to-inserter\"><strong>Gutenberg 14.7 release Gutenberg 14.7 Introduces Color Coding for Template Parts and Reusable Blocks, Adds Media Tab to Inserter</strong></a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>🎙️ </strong> New episode:  <a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-77-gutenberg-14-7-whats-new-for-block-themes-an-upcoming-live-qa-in-january/\">Gutenberg Changelog #77 – Gutenberg 14.7, what’s new for Block Themes, an upcoming Live Q&amp;A in January</a> with special guest, Daisy Olsen and host Birgit Pauli-Haack. </p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v14.8.0-rc.1\">Gutenberg 14.8 RC</a></strong> candidate is already available for testing. Stable release is scheduled for December 21st, 2022. Release lead is <strong>Ryan Welcher</strong>. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"0-p\">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/12/creating-a-call-to-action/\"><strong>Create a Call to Action</strong></a> is the recording of a recent workshop by <strong>Wes Theron</strong>, WordPress Training team. A Call To Action (CTA) is an element on your site that asks people to take a specific action. In this session, you will look at how you can create your own CTA by only using the block editor.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> was a guest on Press This the WordPress Community Podcast. <strong>Doc Pop</strong> discussed with McCarthy what&#8217;s <a href=\"https://torquemag.io/2022/12/press-this-whats-next-6-2/\"><strong>beyond Site Editing, What’s Next for WordPress 6.2?</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://stunningdigitalmarketing.com/episode-285-talking-all-things-wordpress/\"><strong>In Episode 285</strong></a> <strong>Rob Cairns</strong>, of Stunning Digital Marketing and host of the podcast with the same name, sat down with Birgit Pauli-Haack and Matias Ventura to talk all  things WordPress</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding </strong>reports on the latest release of WooCommerce Blocks. <strong><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-blocks-9-1-0-introduces-products-block-in-beta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WooCommerce Blocks 9.1.0 Introduces Products Block in Beta</a>.</strong> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/woo-gutenberg-products-block/\">WooCommerce Blocks</a> is a plugin that helps users to create and customize online stores using blocks. The latest version, 9.1.0, includes the beta release of a new Product Query-powered Products block, which allows users to arrange and display products using preset options and control the layout. The Products block is based on the core Query Loop block and is intended to eventually replace all the plugin&#8217;s current product-displaying blocks. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the Products block, version 9.1.0 introduces three new &#8220;product-adjacent&#8221; block patterns, which focus on presentation rather than store data. It also includes support for alignment settings in the Add to Cart Button and Product Rating elements.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Doc Pop</strong> hosted the <a href=\"https://torquemag.io/2022/12/torque-social-hour-learning-to-use-the-site-editor/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Torque Social Hour: Learning to use the Site Editor</strong></a>. This week&#8217;s episode features Brian Gardner teaching Doc how to edit a block-based WordPress theme with the new Site Editor. Gardner designed one of the Style Variations in the new Twenty Twenty Three theme</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-tutorial\">Tutorials on WordPressTV</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://css-tricks.com/adding-box-shadows-to-wordpress-blocks-and-elements/\">Training team published a few more videos on WordPressTV</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/15/exploring-category-templates-and-the-query-loop-block/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Exploring Category Templates and the Query Loop Block</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/15/displaying-the-comments-block-in-block-themes/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Displaying the comments block in block themes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/07/using-the-navigation-block-2/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Using the navigation block</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/30/using-page-templates/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Using page templates</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/08/the-key-to-locking-blocks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The key to locking blocks</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled\">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> invites you to a <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/16/hallway-hangout-performance-considerations-for-block-themes/\"><strong>Hallway Hangout: Performance Considerations for Block Themes</strong></a> on <strong>January 10, 2023 at 9:30 ET / 14:30 UTC.</strong> She wrote: &#8220;As more is being done to work on performance as it relates to block themes, a hallway hangout has been planned to bring together folks from various backgrounds to see what else can be worked on, unblocked, and better understood. This is meant to be both a knowledge sharing and alignment creating session between folks from various areas&#8221;. The Zoom link will be shared in the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core-performance/\">#core-performance</a> Slack channel before starting<strong>.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, <strong><a href=\"https://wpvip.com/2022/12/09/figma-to-wordpress/\">Exporting Design System Tokens From Figma to WordPress</a>,</strong> <strong>Alec Geatches</strong>, and <strong>Gopal Krishnan</strong>, both software developers at Automattic walk you through their process &#8211; in great detail &#8211; to connect the design system created in Figma with the WordPress theme to keep both in sync. With the assistance of two plugins one for Figma and one for WordPress, they showed how you can import your design system from Figma into the theme.json of a WordPress theme. The two plugins are <a href=\"https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/843461159747178978/Figma-Tokens\">Figma Tokens plugin</a> and <a href=\"https://github.com/Automattic/vip-design-system-bridge\">Design System Bridge</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a new two-part series, Geatches and Krishan build on that foundation by showing you how you can use imported design tokens from theme.json in the block editor. This allows you to better organize your WordPress site to reflect your design system.&nbsp;The first part of the series is already published:  <a href=\"https://wpvip.com/2022/12/15/using-a-design-system-with-the-wordpress-block-editor-pt-1-theme-json/\"><strong>Using a Design System with the WordPress Block Editor Pt. 1: theme.json</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>In his article on the Developer Blog,<strong> Justin Tadlock</strong>, outlined how theme developers can <strong><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/07/leveraging-theme-json-and-per-block-styles-for-more-performant-themes/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leverage theme.json and per-block styles for more performant themes</a>.</strong> The block system in WordPress also allows for per-block styles to be loaded, in-lining the CSS for specific blocks in the front-end view. It is recommended for theme developers to utilize <code>theme.json</code> and per-block styles to ensure a performant theme, and to check for available settings and styles before using custom CSS.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this workshop recording, <strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong> took participants on a <strong><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/15/wordpress-theme-template-tour/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WordPress theme template tour</a>.</strong> Templates are the WordPress theme files used to render website pages. Getting acquainted with templates is an important step in learning to build themes for WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n\n<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 2022&#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>\n\n\n\n\n<p>In his video, <strong><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/09/manage-your-block-theme-fonts-with-create-block-theme/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manage your block theme fonts with Create Block Theme</a>,</strong> <strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong>, shows you how you can add external fonts to your block theme by using the updated plugin  <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/create-block-theme/\">Create Block Theme</a>. Whether you want to download a font from Google fonts, or install a font you’ve downloaded elsewhere, Create Block Theme makes it painless to add them to your block theme.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press\">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With his post, <a href=\"https://css-tricks.com/saving-settings-for-a-custom-wordpress-block-in-the-block-editor/\"><strong>Saving Settings for a Custom WordPress Block in the Block&nbsp;Editor</strong></a> on CSS Tricks, Manoj Kumar, published the fourth part of the series <em>Working With External APIs in WordPress Blocks</em>. Kumar covers saving the settings options, so they persist the next time someone edits a post that contains the  custom block, that was created and expanded in the last three post of the series. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>In his recent live streams, Ryan Welcher started <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsAfBMZzhw\"><strong>building an Advanced Query Loop plugin</strong></a>. Part one is now available on his YouTube channel. This plugin introduces a Query Loop block variation that will empower users to be able to do much more complicated queries with the Query Loop block, such number of posts to display and post meta. The <a href=\"https://github.com/ryanwelcher/advanced-query-loop\">source code</a> is already available on GitHub. Part 2 will be posted in the next couple of weeks. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>The latest article on the WordPress Developer Blog, come from <a href=\"https://twitter.com/dsas\"><strong>Dean Sas,</strong></a> JavaScript wrangler at Automattic. It&#8217;s  an introduction of <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/13/application-state-managed-withdispatch-withselect-and-compose-101/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Application state managed withDispatch, withSelect and compose 101</strong></a>. <code>withDispatch</code>, <code>withSelect</code> and <code>compose</code> are a triad of Gutenberg methods that are often used together to manage application state. This article briefly explains why these methods are important, what they’re used for and how to use them.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong> continues is series of videos <em>Developing blocks without React! &#8212;</em> The video on <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/12/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-block-supports/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Block Supports</strong></a> is the latest of the series.  He wrote: &#8220;So far, we’ve built a WordPress block using plain JavaScript which supports custom styles via a stylesheet,  uses block attributes and the RichText component to allow the user to edit the block content, and uses a custom toolbar control to allow the user to align the RichText content. Next, we will look at adding additional support for managing the block styles, via the Block Supports API.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other editions </p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/02/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-controls/\">Controls</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/25/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-part-2-take-2/\">Attributes and&nbsp;RichText</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/18/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-all-about-attributes/\">All about Attributes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/11/11/lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-part-1/\">Block&nbsp;Basics</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> reported on the latest <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/drupal-gutenberg-2-6-released-with-drupal-10-compatibility\"><strong>Drupal Gutenberg 2.6 Released with Drupal 10 Compatibility</strong></a>. The module allows users to build landing pages and save reusable blocks using a block-based editor without needing to know code &#8211; Over 3,300 Drupal installations currently use Gutenberg, and the module has been regularly updated for over 4 years &#8211; Gutenberg ships with 60+ blocks and access to a cross-platform community library for custom blocks. M<a href=\"https://wptavern.com/drupal-gutenberg-2-6-released-with-drupal-10-compatibility\">ore info is available in the article. </a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>WordPress Playground</strong> was mentioned in the State of the Word this week. It was renamed from the former WordPress Sandbox title, as it was too close to a commercial product in the WordPress space. <strong>Sarah Gooding</strong> reported on it in here article <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-sandbox-project-demos-test-drive-themes-and-plugins-in-the-browser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Project Demos: Test-Drive Themes and Plugins in the Browser</a>. The <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a> project uses WASM to provide in-browser IDE and test environment for theme and plugin development. <strong>Adam Zieliński,</strong> core contributor sponsored by Automattic, introduced the project in September wiith his post on the Make Blog: <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/09/23/client-side-webassembly-wordpress-with-no-server/\">Client-side WebAssembly WordPress with no server</a>. <a href=\"https://wordpresswasm.readthedocs.io/en/latest/\">Documentation and API reference</a> is also available </p>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/\">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master 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>\n\n\n\n<p><img alt=\"GitHub all releases\" src=\"https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge\" /></p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-s\">Upcoming WordPress events</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>January 11, 2023 – 5 pm ET / 22:00 UTC</strong><br /><strong><a href=\"https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7616700808432/WN_IG_fXjzCQymTk62cV9_ocw\">Gutenberg Times Live Q &amp; A: Layout, layout, layout</a></strong><br />Panel discussion with Isabel Brison, Andrew Serong, Justing Tadlock and Birgit Pauli-Haack</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>February 17 – 19, 2023</strong><br /><a href=\"https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/\"><strong>WordCamp Asia 2023</strong></a>&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-l\">Learn WordPress Online Meetups</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>December 21, 2022 – 7 pm ET / 24:00 UTC<br /><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290170454/\"><strong>Creating a Theme with the Create Block Theme Plugin Session 1</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<p>December 21, 2022 – 3 am ET / 8 am UTC<br /><strong><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290170469/\">Creating a Theme with the Create Block Theme Plugin Session 2</a></strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>January 19, 2023 &#8211; 7 pm ET / 24:00 UTC<br /><a href=\"https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/290363952/\"><strong>Let’s make custom templates in the Site Editor!</strong></a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n\n<p>Featured Image: Imajinn AI &#8211; Holidays-at-futuristic-Times-Square</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide\" />\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<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\"><br />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 type=\"submit\" 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>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity 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, 17 Dec 2022 08:38:00 +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: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:33;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: Drupal Gutenberg 2.6 Released with Drupal 10 Compatibility\";s: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=140392\";s: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:79:\"https://wptavern.com/drupal-gutenberg-2-6-released-with-drupal-10-compatibility\";s: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:3317:\"<p>Drupal Gutenberg, the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://www.drupal.org/project/gutenberg\" target=\"_blank\">Gutenberg module for Drupal</a> that was created by <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://www.frontkom.no/\" target=\"_blank\">Frontkom</a>, has released <a href=\"https://www.drupal.org/project/gutenberg/releases/8.x-2.6\">version 2.6</a> with compatibility for Drupal 10. The module offers Drupal users a better authoring experience using blocks, allowing them to quickly build landing pages and save reusable blocks inside the editor without any code required. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are more than 3,300 active Drupal installations using Gutenberg, and the module has been receiving regular updates for more than four years. It ships with 60+ blocks as well as access to the <a href=\"https://gutenbergcloud.org/\">Gutenberg Cloud</a>, a cross-platform community library for custom Gutenberg blocks. Since the blocks are JavaScript-only, they work across both Drupal and WordPress sites alike. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Installing Gutenberg slashed our content creation time by 80%,&#8221; a content creator at <a href=\"https://www.fortum.com/\">Fortum</a>, a Finnish state-owned energy company, reported to the Drupal Gutenberg maintainers. &#8220;We are able to create more content in a shorter time, allowing us to be much more agile than we used to.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version 2.6 includes the following fixes and enhancements:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Handle translations for mapped fields&nbsp;<s><a href=\"https://www.drupal.org/project/gutenberg/issues/3320395\">#3320395: Handle translations for mapped fields</a></s></li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support for field groups&nbsp;<s><a href=\"https://www.drupal.org/project/gutenberg/issues/3096002\">#3096002: Support Field Groups</a></s></li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixes for Claro&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.drupal.org/project/gutenberg/issues/3142400\">#3142400: Compatibility with Claro/Gin theme</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Drupal Gutenberg has removed support for Drupal 8 in this release. Version 2.6 is fully compatible with Drupal 10, released yesterday. Drupal 10 was previously scheduled for June 2022 but pushed back to December. This release shipped with all the new features of <a href=\"https://ckeditor.com/ckeditor-5/\">CKEditor 5</a>, which boasts a more modular architecture, but it is a complete rewrite of the previous version with no backwards compatibility. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>CKEditor is the most popular editor among Drupal users and is now the default editor. Drupal users can easily swap out their editor on per content-type basis, and the Gutenberg module can be enabled as an alternative to CKEditor. The module is superior to CKEditor when it comes to design controls and building layouts.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The maintainers of Drupal Gutenberg hold periodic contributor meetings on a bi-weekly basis, every second Friday at 15-16 CET on <a href=\"https://meet.google.com/afp-yive-gio?authuser=0\">Google Meet</a>. They have fully embraced the vision of Gutenberg as a platform where blocks can be used to edit content and design across a variety of applications. If you are a user of the Drupal Gutenberg module, the maintainers are requesting feedback through a <a href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfprFqqc9luZYzXDclSTNeQOXa82thu3TlFbA0uIEx7sXwNg/viewform\">30-second survey</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:\"Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:43:04 +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: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:34;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"WordPress.org blog: State of the Word 2022: A Celebration of the Four Freedoms of Open Source\";s: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=14110\";s: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:64:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/state-of-the-word-2022-recap/\";s: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:4480:\"<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>WordPress belongs to all of us, but really we’re taking care of it for the next generation.” </p>\n<cite>Matt Mullenweg</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>A small audience of WordPress contributors, developers, and extenders gathered on December 15 for the annual State of the Word keynote from WordPress co-founder <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/\">Matt Mullenweg</a>. Those who could not join in person joined via livestream or one of 33 watch parties held across 11 countries, with more than 500 RSVPs.</p>\n\n\n\n<img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2022/12/the-four-freedoms.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1\" alt=\"The four freedoms of open source: run the program, study the change, redistribute, and distribute your copies.\" class=\"wp-image-14111\" />\n\n\n\n<p>Executive Director, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a>, introduced the event with a reminder of why so many of those gathered choose WordPress—the Four Freedoms of open source. As Haden Chomphosy noted, open source is an idea that can change our generation, and WordPress is one of the most consistent and impactful stewards of those freedoms.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with past State of the Word events, Matt reflected on the year’s accomplishments, learnings, and aspirations as the project moves into 2023. From Gutenberg concluding its second phase of site editing in preparation for phase three—Collaborative Workflows, to the reactivation of meetups and global WordCamps, to the introduction of a new theme and plugin taxonomy, to musings on the potential of machine learning, WordPress enters its <a href=\"https://wp20.wordpress.net/\">20th year</a> continuing to define bleeding edge technology in thanks to the ecosystem’s vibrant community.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The one-hour multimedia presentation was followed by an interactive <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/16/matt-mullenweg-state-of-the-word-2022-qa/\">question and answer</a> session where Matt fielded questions from the livestream and studio audience. All questions will be responded to in a follow-up post on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/project\" target=\"_blank\">Make.WordPress.org/project</a>.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discover everything that was covered by <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2022/12/16/matt-mullenweg-state-of-the-word-2022/\">watching the official event recording</a> and join the ongoing #StateOfTheWord conversation on <a href=\"https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/StateoftheWord?sort=top\">Tumblr</a>, <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/stateoftheword/\">Instagram</a>, <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stateoftheword\">Facebook</a>, <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=stateoftheword\">Linkedin</a>, and <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateOfTheWord\">Twitter</a>. For another way to get involved, consider sharing your experience with WordPress in the <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">2022 WordPress Community Survey</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<span id=\"more-14110\"></span>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Referenced Resources</strong>&nbsp;</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http://wordpress.tumblr.com/\">WordPress on Tumblr</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http://engineawesome.com/\">Engineawesome.com</a> using Gutenberg</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/\">WordPress Community Summit 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http://wp20.wordpress.net/\">WP20.wordpress.net</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/\">learn.WordPress.org</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/openverse\">Openverse</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/create-block-theme/\">Create Block Theme plugin</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/\">Make.WordPress.org</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground\">WordPress Playground</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http://photomatt.tumblr.com/\">Matt on Tumblr</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://distributed.blog/\">Distributed.blog</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><em>Special thanks to <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurlittle/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>laurlittle</a> and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/eidolonnight/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>eidolonnight</a> for review and collaboration.</em></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:\"Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:11:15 +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: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:35;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:\"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 11.0.0 Release Candidate\";s: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=327475\";s: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:67:\"https://buddypress.org/2022/12/buddypress-11-0-0-release-candidate/\";s: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:3224:\"<p>The first release candidate for BuddyPress 11.0.0 is now available!</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-16 wp-block-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.11.0.0-RC1.zip\">Let&#8217;s test it!</a></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Release Candidate&#8221; means that we think the new version is ready for release, but with a bit less than 200,000 active installs, hundreds of BuddyPress plugins and Thousands of WordPress themes, it’s possible something was missed. BuddyPress 11.0.0 is slated for release&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>January 5, 2023</strong>, but&nbsp;<em>your</em>&nbsp;help is needed to get there — if you haven’t tried 11.0.0 yet,&nbsp;doing it now is a great idea!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can test the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.11.0.0-RC1.zip\">11.0.0-RC</a>&nbsp;pre-release in 4 ways :</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Try the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/\">BP Beta Tester</a>&nbsp;plugin.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.11.0.0-RC1.zip\">Download the release candidate here (zip file)</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check out our SVN repository:&nbsp;<code>svn co https://buddypress.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/</code></li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clone our read-only Git repository:&nbsp;<code>git clone git://buddypress.git.wordpress.org/</code></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A detailed changelog will be part of our official release note, but&nbsp;you can get a quick overview by reading the post about the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://buddypress.org/2022/11/buddypress-11-0-0-beta1/\">11.0.0 Beta1</a>&nbsp;release.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Plugin and Theme Developers</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Please test your plugins and themes against BuddyPress 11.0.0. If you find compatibility problems, please be sure to post to this specific&nbsp;<a href=\"https://buddypress.org/support/topic/buddypress-11-0-0-release-candidate/\">support topic</a>&nbsp;so we can figure those out before the final release. We strongly advise you to have a look at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/category/development-notes/11-0/\">11.0.0 developer notes</a>&nbsp;to figure out what to focus on during your testing.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2>How you can help</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you speak a language other than English?&nbsp;<a href=\"https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/buddypress/\">Help us translate BuddyPress into as many languages as possible!</a>&nbsp;This release also marks the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/glossary/#string-freeze\">string freeze</a>&nbsp;point of the 11.0.0 release schedule.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>If you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, you can share it with us replying to this <a href=\"https://buddypress.org/support/topic/buddypress-11-0-0-release-candidate/\">support topic</a> or if you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/\">file one on BuddyPress Trac</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:\"Fri, 16 Dec 2022 05:51:33 +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:\"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:36;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:113:\"WPTavern: State of the Word 2022: Matt Mullenweg Highlights Gutenberg’s Progress, Announces New Community Tools\";s: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=140361\";s: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:119:\"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2022-matt-mullenweg-highlights-gutenbergs-progress-announces-new-community-tools\";s: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:6540:\"<p>State of the Word (SOTW) watch parties kicked off around the world this afternoon as Matt Mullenweg delivered his annual address to the WordPress community. A small group of people gathered live in New York City to participate while the majority of enthusiasts watched via the livestream. Mullenweg spent an hour reviewing and celebrating the work done across the project in 2022 before taking questions from the audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>At last year’s SOTW, Mullenweg spoke about how Gutenberg adoption is growing beyond WordPress and how he believed it could become &#8220;bigger than WordPress itself.&#8221; In addition to Gutenberg <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/the-block-editor-is-coming-to-wordpress-support-forums\">getting rolled out on the bbPress support forums</a> this week to modernize the WordPress support experience, the block editor has found its way into more apps in 2022. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mullenweg cited a few examples including <a href=\"https://engineawesome.com/\">Engine Awesome</a> (a Laravel-based SaaS application), the Pew Research Center&#8217;s Political Typology Quiz, the web version of Automattic&#8217;s Day One app, and the Tumblr post form. He noted that in Tumblr, 99% of the editor is hidden &#8211; there&#8217;s no sidebar, everything happens inline. Mullenweg said he is hoping Gutenberg can create an &#8220;open block standard that can be used anywhere,&#8221; where users learn it on one system and it can be applied in other apps.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who had been missing WordCamps, one of the major highlights of 2022 was the return to in-person events. From 2021 to 2022, the number of meetup groups doubled. Only one WordCamp was held in 2021 but that jumped to 22 WordCamps in 2022. Mullenweg highlighted how WordCamps have historically been &#8220;the magical ingredient&#8221; for onboarding people to contribute and teaching them about WordPress culture. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>For being just one year back into in-person events, WordPress has done well in 2022 with 1,399 release contributors and 652 contributing for the first time. There were 204 people who contributed to all releases in 2022 and 424 who contributed in 2021 and returned in 2022. Some 322 contributors took a break in 2021 and returned in 2022.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>People are also contributing to Openverse, which has indexed more than 22 million images, 1.1 million audio files, and has handled more than 59 million requests in the last 30 days.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools Coming to the Community: New Taxonomies for the Plugin and Theme Directories and Staging &#8220;Playground&#8221; that Runs WordPress in the Browser</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It wouldn&#8217;t be the State of the Word without a few exciting announcements. Mullenweg unveiled a plan to add new taxonomies for the theme and plugin directories that will help users more quickly ascertain the purpose of the extensions they are considering. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, there would be a tag for the type of plugins that a developer might create to solve a problem but may not be intended for wide public use and may not come with dedicated support. Another tag would be designated for &#8220;Community&#8221; plugins, which Mullenweg said is for software that &#8220;belongs to all of us&#8221; with the lead developers stewarding it for the next generation. This tag is for plugins that do not have any upsells and invite contributions. Some of these plugins will be <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/matt-mullenweg-renews-push-for-canonical-plugins\">canonical plugins</a>, those that are officially supported by core developers and receive attention from the security team. Gutenberg and the importer plugins are a few examples.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another tag would be designated for commercial plugins that have some sort of upsell and often include commercial support. Anything with a pro version will fall within this category. Mullenweg said he wants WordPress.org to create an environment where commercial and non-commercial plugins can exist together harmoniously.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new taxonomies will be launching in the directories this month and will also eventually make their way into the plugin and theme screens inside the WordPress admin. This will be a major improvement that will give users of all experience levels a better understanding of the extensions they are examining, making it easier to select the right type for their needs. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mullenweg also announced WordPress&#8217; official support for the <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-sandbox-project-demos-test-drive-themes-and-plugins-in-the-browser\">WordPress Sandbox project</a>, which we featured earlier this month. He outlined a plan for what will officially be called &#8220;WordPress Playground.&#8221; The experimental project uses WebAssembly (WASM) to <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/new-prototype-runs-wordpress-in-the-browser-with-no-php-server\">run WordPress in the browser without a PHP server</a>, making it possible to spin up new playgrounds in just a couple of seconds. This will enable things like a guided, interactive WordPress landing experience where developers can edit code live and see the results right away. It will also make it possible for users to try plugins directly from the directory and may someday be used to allow people to contribute to WordPress core.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new website for WordPress Playground is located at <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/</a> where anyone interested can check out the experimental project for running a WordPress instance entirely in your browser. There&#8217;s also a new #meta-playground Slack channel for those who want to join the conversation.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress turns 20 next year. Mullenweg noted that not many software projects make it that long but WordPress is also growing faster than ever, currently powering 43% of websites according to W3Techs and 32% according to Builtwith. A new website at <a href=\"https://wp20.wordpress.net/\">wp20.wordpress.net</a> will be headquarters for the festivities, including swag, merchandise, and a new Milestones book for the most recent 10 years of WordPress&#8217; history. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you didn&#8217;t have the chance to catch the State of the Word this afternoon, check out the recording below to hear Mullenweg&#8217;s vision for the next phases of WordPress and see demos of all the progress made on block themes and full-site editing in 2022.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</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:\"Fri, 16 Dec 2022 01:42:37 +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: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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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: The WP Agency Journey with Krissie VandeNoord of North UX — Post Status Draft 134\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=145935\";s: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:103:\"https://poststatus.com/the-wp-agency-journey-with-krissie-vandenoord-of-north-ux-post-status-draft-134/\";s: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:42734:\"<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group eplus-wrapper has-theme-palette-2-color has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\"><a href=\"https://twitter.com/krissierae\">Krissie VandeNoord</a>, founder of <a href=\"https://www.northuxdesign.com/\">North UX</a>, talks with Cory Miller about their work in creating people-first solutions for the nuanced needs of ecommerce and membership site owners. Krissie shares her story from her early days as a designer and blogger to launching her own agency. Her work and energy will encourage you to think beyond what is to build the possibilities that make things work better. </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer eplus-wrapper\"></div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time:  </span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">2</span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes</span></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/planet/feed/#h-transcript\">Transcript</a> ↓</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cory Miller is joined by North UX founder, Krissie VandeNoord to discuss her journey of agency ownership. Their work contributes to the businesses they serve, winning big and experiencing new levels of growth from the unique solutions they bring. From hearing about her background as a natural problem solver to her experiences engaging client needs with creative solutions, you will be inspired to break through limitations into the land of possibility.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Top Takeaways:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Building for Nuance: </strong>North UX likes to hone in on what makes a business really unique and find solutions to highlight those things so they are experienced as an asset instead of a detractor.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Problem Solving Spiral:</strong> Poking around, asking questions, and figuring out ways to develop solutions spiraled Krissie from seeing and experiencing challenges to being a solution-building developer. Navigating and figuring things out is the work it takes to give you the experience to increase your confidence threshold. This can act as a springboard to making great connections and solving more complex problems.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact of Creating Efficiency: </strong>This isn’t just about creating solutions that get customers to take certain actions. It is also about saving hours or weeks of time spent on manual processes. As a small business owner, I know this makes a BIG difference, and that is exciting. Time can be invested in growth, making the impact exponential. Initial solutions fuel inspiration to shift from survival to ongoing enhancements.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Empowering DIY-ers:</strong> Rather than viewing self-build solutions as a threat or an indication of impending obsoletion, Krissie frames this as an opportunity to educate and become a trusted expert who will be there when more complex solutions are needed.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-mentioned-in-the-show\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f517.png\" alt=\"🔗\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Mentioned in the show:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.northuxdesign.com/\">North UX</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://geovin.com/\">Geovin</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-you-can-follow-post-status-and-our-guests-on-twitter\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"eplus-wrapper\">\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/krissierae\">Krissie VandeNoord</a> (Team Lead, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/northuxdesign\">North UX</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/corymiller303\">Cory Miller</a> (CEO, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/lemonadecode\">Olivia Bisset</a> (Intern, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper has-background\">The <strong>Post Status Draft</strong> podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4dd.png\" alt=\"📝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /><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>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f3a7.png\" alt=\"🎧\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-transcript\">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> [00:00:00] Hey everybody. Welcome back to Post Tes Draft. Um, this is another great story in our agency journey series. Uh, we\'ll be talking to Chrissy, one of our great agency owners. At post status about her journey today, and I got to a couple weeks ago, get to know Chrissy and more about her story, and I\'m really excited to, uh, be able to share her story with you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So Chrissy, thanks so much for being on the draft podcast, talking about your journey and what you\'re doing with WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Thank you so much for having me. I\'m super, super excited. Um, yeah, I couldn\'t be, I couldn\'t be more excited to just kind of be engaged in this community and seeing kind of.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Communities, specifically around agencies kind of start to develop.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> It\'s really exciting. There\'s so many good people, members of post status doing great work, and I love when I get to talk to people like you and just see what cool things you\'re doing in the world. So could you tell us, uh, a little bit about [00:01:00] your agency and where you\'re at now and what you do for your clients in the world?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> absolutely. So, um, I own North. And, um, my last name is Van De nor, which actually means from the North and, um, which is where North UX came from. When I started, I knew I didn\'t, I wanted to be more than just me. Um, and so I didn\'t want to just like, use my name. And so that\'s, that\'s how we got to North ux.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And ux obviously. That\'s just very much the center of what we try to do is we\'re really trying to deliver, um, a development experience that very much is considerative of um, how real people are going to engage with what we\'re, what we\'re doing and what we\'re creating, and. [00:02:00] Very, very much like a people first kind of</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> approach.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. I love that there\'s real humans that actually have to use the web, so it\'s kinda good to have that experience. I love, I love the, the basis for the name. Um, so what kind of work do you do at your agency? Yeah. Basis,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> we typically, um, find, I would say, you know, right now, 99% of our work is, is WordPress in some regard, most of it is some kind of e-commerce, whether it\'s a membership type e-commerce, or whether it\'s actual like a product WooCommerce, um, setup and.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would say that we specialize in, uh, working with clients who need something that doesn\'t exist in an off-the-shelf plugin right now. Um, sometimes that\'s just a, a really custom user flow. Like they\'re, they\'re going to use WooCommerce, but they want to really walk their customers through in [00:03:00] a very set, set way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, sometimes it\'s custom functionality, um, like extending subscriptions or, um, We\'ve done a project with Restrict Content Pro where um, instead of renewing on, um, like a normal annual, like one year from when they signed up, we needed everybody to renew at the exact same time every year. Uh, little things like that that, um, really kind of, I think help businesses and set themselves apart in an industry to be able to just extend kind of like what\'s just out there and accessible to the general business population.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah. And so I, I\'m sorry, I was writing a note, but if, if I missed it. So a lot of your work is membership site projects,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> um, either memberships or Woo</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> commerce. Woo commerce. Okay. Yeah. Um, and, and particularly helping with the experiences and some of those custom things that don\'t happen out of the box that I know [00:04:00] from my experience, Christy, and you know, this way better than me building the e-Commerce Pro product back in the day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a thousand flavors of e-commerce times infinity because everyone has like you. I was trying to imagine when would somebody want to start the first day or whatever that could be, you know, probably a hundred different things, but like there\'s so much nuance in e-commerce and memberships that why organizations, agencies like yours exist because there\'s so many nuanced needs out there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> I mean, it\'s impossible for a plug and developer to be able to truly like be all things to all people and you know, arguably, Trying to do that to a certain extent is going to like water down or bloat, um, what they\'re actually offering. And so we tend to work with plugins that are built in a way and intended to be easily extended by another developer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, because what we just found is like businesses, [00:05:00] even though, you know, it\'s interesting cuz I think businesses. There are, there are definitely, they\'re buckets. You can put businesses, you know, you\'re direct to consumer, you\'re selling a physical product, you\'re selling, um, you know, digital content. And, but at the same time, like they\'re so different and so nuanced and they have such unique needs, um, that it\'s just really fun to kind of like hone in on what makes businesses really unique and then like work to highlight that and, and make that be an asset instead of a detractor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah, we would always have this example like, okay, you, you sell a t-shirt, but you want a membership with it. And oh, by the way, you want a 14 day trial, or you want them to pay a dollar for a 14 day trial. And, uh, I mean, you know, oh, and then you wanna be able to add consulting time or a coaching thing to it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\'s the day and age we we\'re, we\'re in right now is, The web enabling these businesses with [00:06:00] vast setups to be able to offer those things online where it was picking up the phone call and say, okay, well I\'ll take one of those, one of those, one of those. Well, this is technology doing that. So I love that you all are helping people with that, because I see that need so often with these vastly nuanced, uh, needs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> and I feel like that level of nuance was really only available at enter. Like, I mean, even like five, 10 years ago, you know, you, if you were a small business like you, you just had to try to make do, um, because it just wasn\'t as accessible. And there are so many tools now that get you, you know, 70% of the way there, that that extra 30% you can bite that off and it\'s no big deal, um, to a small business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas before it just wasn\'t even. , you know, something they were really considering as a possibility.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> And that\'s so great, like you said, with the enterprise, [00:07:00] um, you know, with huge budgets, Disney or some other big can code that probably for, to code that. Mainly now we have some tools and great agencies like yours now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So tell me a little bit about your team set up and how you work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yeah, so, um, I have. One official employee, um, and she\'s a project manager and she has been, oh my goodness, that was such a, I can\'t believe I waited so long to hire a project manager, . I should have done that a long time ago. Um, and then everyone else currently right now is a contractor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, they are either in Europe or in the us and I find that it works best for us to kind of just work on. Hourly model. That\'s how we structure our projects. Um, we give people estimated ranges and we bill hourly. And so I just do the same for, for my people. Um, and I, I just feel like that, [00:08:00] that for me, I\'ve found has been the best setup.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\'ve tried a few other things, but as far as like really like paying people for like the value that they\'re bringing, Really doing a true straight up hourly has been the best, best situation. And so right now we have got, um, A freelance designer and UX person, um, that contributes regularly. And then we\'ve got, um, a front end developer that contributes regularly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, um, we have two backend developers beyond just myself. I\'m a full stack develop. I started as a designer and then quickly kind of moved into the development world cause I wanted to control what things looked like and, and now somehow a full stack developer. So, um, And, and just kind of wear all of the hats.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But yeah, that\'s kind of the makeup of the team at the current moment. And we\'re honestly at the spot now where I\'m I. [00:09:00] Very much looking towards January and having meetings with clients and them saying, we wanna do this, we wanna do that. And I\'m like, okay, I need to figure out who I\'m hiring on , who I\'m gonna bring on</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cause we\'re not gonna be able to cover</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> all of this. That\'s a great reflection of doing good work, you know? Yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> I\'m a, it\'s a really, it\'s, it\'s an exciting place to be, but it\'s also, um, I feel like whenever I bring somebody new on, there\'s this trade off. Um, my productivity decreases because I\'m spending time training them and getting up them up to speed and they\'re not like immediately productive.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so there\'s this like dip of like, Okay, now we\'re</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> great. . Yes. Yes. Well, um, okay, so that\'s how you work and you started getting in a little bit to your journey. So that\'s where you are now. Um, working with WordPress obviously, but also membership sites, WooCommerce, and how your team kind of set up and how you work with clients.[00:10:00]</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tell us how you got here.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yeah, so like I said, I started as a designer, um, and. It was just like early two thousands, mid two thousands, somewhere there, , where, you know, blogs were super popular and everybody had a blog and um, and so I. I had a blog, but I was a designer, so I wanted to make the blog look like I wanted it to look like, especially if it\'s like representing like myself.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so I just, it, it happened to be in WordPress and I just got in there and started like poking around and figuring things out. And that was really kind of like my first experience with code was kind of just. Poking things. And, you know, fast forward, you know, a few years I started with a very small agency.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and so we, we all wore a lot of hats. And when [00:11:00] I started it was, oh, you know, can, you know, doing a lot of design, but it was, oh, can you, you know, tweak this, you know, h t l newsletter or can you tweak this webpage or whatever. And after a few years, I would start to ask them questions and they\'d be like, you know, more than we do about development right now,</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and it just kind of spiraled into. Becoming the queen of web, um, and, and grew from there. I\'ve just always been a natural problem solver. And so that idea of, Hmm, can I do this? I wanna find out , like I wanna figure out how I can do that. Um, and so it, yeah, it just kind of spiraled from there. And then, um, I was with that small agency for I think about eight years, and it just was a real obvious, um, You know, they weren\'t bringing in the business to fill my plate.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, um, and so we parted ways, but, and at, at [00:12:00] first they were like, let\'s, you know, keep this relationship going. We\'ll use you as a contractor. But I was like, ah, I just really want a job . Um, I was at that point in time, um, when I started my business, I had a one, I, not even a one year old, he wasn\'t even one years old.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>my second kid. and my daughter was three at the time. So like, I had small children and I was just like, I just want something like nice and consistent and reliable. Um, but it, I did end up starting my business and it\'s been fantastic. Um, and I\'ve never looked back. Um, and it\'s been just, uh, like in some regards, my fear of it, lacking the stability I\'m feeling.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\'ve got these young kids, um, Has like the other side of that coin is it\'s offered me the flexibility to like be fully invested in work and at the same time feel like I can be present with my kids and my family. Um, [00:13:00]</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> do good work and also live life, like Right. Live and manage life. Yeah, absolutely. Now what, what year was it when you started North ux?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, 2016. 2016. And then how, how did it evolve to, to get into where you\'re really focusing on a lot of commerce and membership projects? Um,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> you know, it kind of just happened. Organically. One of my first clients was, um, I took over a project that was WooCommerce, um, from someone else. And that was the first time I think I\'d done anything with WooCommerce that really involved extending it in any way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and so I just like dove right into the deep end. And, um, man, I, I learned a lot about Woo Conversa in that project cuz we were migrating them. From a whole other system and subscriptions. And so it was, it was just a beast of a [00:14:00] process, um, that took way longer than we thought it was going to. But, um, I gained so much from the experience that then it just was a springboard towards doing more and more along those lines.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I also made some really great connections and working on that project, kind of like. Space. Um, and so it just was kind of like a natural extension. And then I think also because I am such a, I just, I really love the problem to solve. Um, I think that e-commerce space just tends to offer the problem a lot.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so I naturally gravitate towards like, Ooh, that\'d be fun, .</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Um, you, you have to have that mindset and attitude, I think for that because I think of those subjects, I go, oh my gosh. Every possibility, every possible problem. But you have to be somebody that loves that rub. Rubrics cube, you know,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> kinda problem solving.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh yeah. Yeah. I used to say, um, and I don\'t think this is true anymore, but especially like when I was still working at that agency now as I transitioned into my own business, that when somebody [00:15:00] would come to me and say like, can this be done? I would do just enough research to feel like 60% confident that the answer was yes,</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then I\'d be like, yeah, we can do it. And then I would just figure it out. Um, and I\'m also just a very much like a, I will finish it. Like it may take longer than I wanted it to. Um, but I\'m kind of like, I can\'t let it go until like I actually solved the problem. And so I don\'t think there\'s any, there\'s ever been something where I like was like 60% and then got into it and was like, oh, nope.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevermind. Can\'t do it. . Um, and I would say anymore, like I. My confidence threshold is much higher just because from experience. Um, so I\'ve never, I think at that 60% mark, but that\'s definitely where I started</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> that I think that\'s good though. And that\'s the beauty of everything we\'re doing with talented people like yourself is if you have that much confidence, confidence, at least, you know, the other part is part of [00:16:00] just navigating and figuring it out.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Exactly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Exactly. Can you, can you share, um, and you don\'t have to say the name, of course. We want to, you know, I know sometimes we, we need to be careful sharing clients and names and stuff. We can, can you talk about a recent project you\'re really proud of, or you really appreciated what you did, uh, with, with some of your clients?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> stick out. Oh my goodness. Like so many of them. So many of them. And I don\'t think I have any, well, I\'ve got one that I\'m currently working on that I can\'t really talk about, but the rest are all out there for anybody to experience. Um, trying to think what\'s the best, like, I think the most recent one, um, that has just like a real kind of feel, good sense to it is, um, and I talked about it in, um, the woosh, um, presentation that I.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Goodness. When was that? Beginning of October. Um, but it\'s this furniture company, Giovan, and we did [00:17:00] a implementation, well, we, they were on a very static site. Um, they sh they sold through dealers and so they, for a long time just didn\'t have the need for e-commerce because it, you know, dealers are pay, we\'re placing large orders, that sort of a thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we essentially moved them into, like, we moved them from like way old to like way new. And to watch them kind, kind of like step into this, um, digital world has been really fun. And, um, we created, you know, a 3D model that connects to the WooCommerce attribute so people can like customize their furniture pieces and like see it like in real time, um, which is really cool.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, Like, the part that I\'m loving about it is how much we are like equipping, like the people inside the company and like how it boosts [00:18:00] their excitement about what they\'re doing and then, um, like how that then trickles out to like their customers. And just like having all these like improved experiences and being able to do things so much more efficiently.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love it. We like, create efficiency for a business, like almost more so than, um, you know, when we design a great landing page and the, you know, we look at the analytics and we\'re like, oh, the users are doing exactly what we wanted them to do. That\'s, that\'s rewarding, but, I think that I get a little bit more of like a rewarding sense when I\'m like, I just saved you like 20 hours of work every month.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, that to me, I\'m, I think just because I am a small business owner, I know how big of a difference that makes to a small business that I get really excited about this stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Oh yeah. Anytime you can save time like that, I hope they value and understand that like you just took a big swath of our time out, that we can focus [00:19:00] on other things now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And particularly like a furniture company that might, that you know, more traditional sales thing and being able to have that ability now on the web I think is pretty, pretty amazing. Oh</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> yeah. And they do. I mean that\'s, um, I need to figure out how to better quantify those things when I get those calls cuz they\'re harder things to try to quantify is like when you\'re talking about like employees time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we built one system that has um, an integration that tracks like continuing education credits. And this organization put on a conference every year and they\'ve got, their members are tracking their credits score. The way that they were trying to process that. It was literally like manual assignment sheets and then somebody was like data entering, like all of this stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And after we transitioned to this new digital system, and it\'s like the conference was over and like all of the credits were entered like in real time as people attended because it happened digitally. He was just like, I don\'t even know what to do with myself. I mean, I would\'ve spent six [00:20:00] weeks trying to process all of these c e credits.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I don\'t have to, like, it\'s done. I don\'t, like it was just mind blowing to him of like, oh my goodness, I don\'t have to do</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> this. I\'ve got experience helping a mental health organization, um, offer CEUs. And, and they do have that same thing, so I need to refer them on to you to do something like that because, um, she was the point of content.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their marketing director would spend some, probably half a day on the back end after we did a C E U. Um, To like, you know, get all the paperwork and everything ready to go. Yeah. And</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> it\'s, it\'s always somebody like that. It\'s always like, why is the marketing director having to do this? Because like there isn\'t somebody that is, I, you know, there\'s nobody else to do it and just has to get done.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And cuz you know, they do the website and so, you know, whatever, like it somehow falls in their lap. But those are the people that I think appreciate the most when you save them time too. Cuz they\'re like, I didn\'t wanna be doing this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah. Yeah. Uh, it seems very much [00:21:00] too is like if you\'re an organization business that is trying to do more of those things online to reach more people and probably secondarily don\'t fully realize it efficiently, um, that\'s how you help people navigate that and then build the result they\'re trying to get.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That helps save time and increase the, and grow the.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> And honestly, I think that in some regards, when small businesses can see like that kind of a direct value, it\'s easier for them to bite off a more sizable project, like financially speaking, because they\'re like, oh shoot, I don\'t have to hire somebody.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, that\'s a lot of money that I\'m. Saving, like sure, that\'s not a big deal if I am gonna pay you, you know, 30 or $40,000 to build this, you know, site for us. Um, cuz now I don\'t, I\'m not hiring another person. Um,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> and so it\'s a, it\'s a big win. We see that all the time at post status with our members trying to hire hiring\'s tough.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not even now. It\'s just tough in general because [00:22:00] mm-hmm. , um, there are some tech companies that can throw lots of money at someone. You, the person wants to stay engaged with interesting projects, and I think that\'s where our agencies like yourself, um, really have a great solution in that. Why hire a full-time person?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That might not have the training excu, uh, skills experience that you all have access to and, and have, um, to do that. Where I, I hear a lot of our agencies, you know, they\'re the support, summer support for just, you know, basic website updates, but then someone like you all just to, you know, manage, I know from my own, our own business projects, You know, when I, when we add in an e-commerce option, I\'m like, who\'s gonna babysit it?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who\'s gonna be there when we need to do something more than the base software might do for us? Cuz we have those new odds setups and things like that. And then having someone like North UX where you can rely on them without having this, there\'s so much overhead. Like we talked just a minute ago of hire having [00:23:00] a full-time employee, but someone who knows WordPress and web stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\'s even a higher bar, I think.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Oh yeah. Oh. Um,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> do you do ongoing, um, support retainers, things like that? Yes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yes, we do. And what I, what\'s interesting is I was, I was just actually just sharing the story the other day that about a client, um, that like when they came to us, and this is, this is the same client with the, uh, CU credits.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like when they came to us, um, they had it, they had a WordPress site, but Oh my word. It was so outdated and it was, There was, there was p h P in the content editor. Like, I mean, it was just like, and I\'m like, I dunno what, like it\'s, it was so like, Not great. And so it was very much like, and, and they were very kind of like, oh, trepidatious about, you know, spending money.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so like, we started them on this like super small monthly plan where we\'re [00:24:00] literally just like, we\'re just gonna duct tape things to kind of like keep this thing going. And then I, you know, gave them proposal for a new site. Really like pared it down to try to get it to this point where it, it was a digestible cost for them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and so it was like a really limited scope. Um, and like, you know, that first plan they were on, I think was like $500 a month or something like that. And, um, now they\'ve turned into clients and like once we launched their site, they\'re like, we can automate that. And they, I mean, we probably. On a given month, do 30 to 50 hours worth of work for them because there\'s just something else that they\'re like, Ooh, let\'s make.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>New and shiny. Let\'s make that new and shiny. Let\'s do this. And you know, and they have really bought into like the value of what we\'re doing for them. And so it\'s not even so much like, uh, a support plan or a retainer from [00:25:00] just like a, keeping the site going. It\'s very much like an ongoing enhancements.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we find that a lot of our clients kind of, once we do like the first big project, they. Start to kind of move into this, like, oh, we just want to continue to iterate and add more features and functions and, um, and just make it bigger and better and, and whatnot. So it\'s, it\'s even beyond just the support of it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Be that backstop, be that partner ally when let them do what they do best and you all do what you do best and that seems to work fantastically. Um, okay. So, you know, with all of your experience with, with e-commerce, Myriad of versions of this. I\'d love to get your thoughts on where it\'s going, what trends and things and themes you see.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, during C O D. Um, I was just talking to an agency owner yesterday that, you know, they were working with, let\'s say yoga studio studio business owners, and [00:26:00] their, their business and business model got flipped on its head. So then they transitioned to use web, which I think is such a, if there\'s positives that come outta Covid, I would mm-hmm.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>or, or the pandemic. I would say it\'s this. Did you know the whole world exists out here for your. From an e-commerce and all these type of things, perspective, what are you seeing? What are you looking forward to, you know, out there as, as you know, particularly as you work daily with clients doing these, these cool projects for them to grow their businesses.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What, what things are you seeing that stand out to you?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Um, yeah, so I think that there are a lot of people that are kind of like jumping into. Um, online business kind of a thing like for the first time. Um, and at the same time, like as so many companies have kind of come out with these, and even as work processes moved more towards like a, a, um, an actual usable like [00:27:00] page builder, like d i y kind of a website thing, um, I think that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, I think you could either look at that from, a couple of, you can look at it like, oh, it\'s almost like, well, we\'re just not needed anymore. People can just do it themselves. Um, but the reality is like, that\'s not true. But I think that the way that we are, um, engaging with the people that do want to do it themselves, um, I think there\'s opportunity there and I\'m kind of excited about some of the things cause I.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As nor as an agency, we\'ve really served these very, um, like small businesses, but very established small businesses. Like they\'ve been around for a while. They have, you know, 10 to 20 employees. Um, you know, they\'ve got money to invest in a sizable project. Um, But I\'ve kind of always wanted to figure out, um, a better way to catch people, like catch businesses as they\'re [00:28:00] just starting because of what I\'ve, I mean, so many of our clients made poor tech decisions in the beginning and are with us because we are unraveling something.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so how can, how can with this new. Uh, you know, it\'s so easy to do, like no code or page builders or whatever, like how can I walk people through, like just when they\'re just starting to give them resources so they understand the decisions that they\'re making and are when they\'re comparing apples to apples or apples to oranges.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cuz sometimes they don\'t even know. And, um, they\'ve got a cucumber and they had no idea, um, , but it\'s technically a fruit. So, Um, but like give them the resources and the knowledge about technology in a way that they feel empowered to make some decisions and like also establish ourselves as, um, as experts in this area so that [00:29:00] then when they get to the point where they need the one little extra piece, like were there to help.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and so I think that there is definitely almost like that, um, moving towards like a. Partner with you around some of the stuff you can do for yourself, um, as opposed to just, we\'re gonna do it all for you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah, I can see that. You know, we, we, we have a great friend who we helped start, get her off the ground and she was doing a physical product and, um, it was interesting trying to look at all the options out there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I know a little bit more than most people, uh, when it comes to these. But what we found too was like there\'s a graduation point you may start selling here and it helps fill a need, but then you get into more complex, and if you\'re like me, I go, I don\'t do this all day, every day. I wanna find somebody, an expert to lead and guide me through these things.[00:30:00]</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\'ve talked to a lot of our agency members like yourself and go, there\'s this shift from, it\'s not just Technic delivery. That\'s part of it for sure. But there\'s also this thing, I hope clients are more and more valuing that having a guide like yourself who has been there, done that do, does this every day to help you not make those big pitfalls.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when there\'s those steps, it seems like there might be a. , you know? Mm-hmm. , maybe we get on this thing, it\'s the software as a service software solution, and it gets \'em to a step, but then they\'re like, we\'re ready to graduate. We wanna do all these things. Then they can come to North UX and say, guide me, lead me, and deliver the project too.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Are, are you seeing that more and more to, it seems like that\'s what you\'re saying.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yeah, exactly. And I think what I\'m, what I\'ve seen is I feel like, um, I\'ve encountered so many businesses that kind of, you know, they did the steps and then they got to a point where they were like, we wanna take the next step, but we can\'t figure out how to do it from where we\'re at.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And [00:31:00] by the time that they\'re actually starting to engage with someone who knows this space, it\'s like, oh, well we actually need to go all the way back. Square one because you have reached the top of where these stairs were going. Yeah. Um, and so helping them to make the decisions along the way that are really paving the way for their future, even before they really know what their future holds, um, I think is just, it\'s huge.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Oh yeah. And there\'s so much complexity there and, and I say that\'s a byproduct of success. You\'ve gotten to this point that you need to come to Christy and other, other, our agency owners and help you guide them because you\'ve gotten to this complexity and hopefully that\'s called success. Well, you\'re ready.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. You need, you need this. You\'re ready to take this new step and blow your business out the doors for the next stage. Yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> And we also, like, we\'ve even. Taken clients through to where they\'re, they\'ve now they\'ve grown enough that they\'ve hired an in-house developer and like we\'ve partnered with them to help them figure out like, how do we hire, should [00:32:00] we hire an in-house developer?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and how do we hire and then continue to have a collaborative relationship to like supplement. , you know, their developer and like also just helping business understand like, you know, it\'s unrealistic to think that you\'re gonna hire one person that\'s going to be able to truly do everything. Exactly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, and so helping them understand like what is the range of skills and where\'s like the 80% mark in a role that you could carve out? And where is this 20% like? Somebody that actually could do the 20% and then you\'re still stuck with , the 80% that they\'re not skilled for having to outsource, um, those kinds.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of things of like really just walking everybody through from the point of like DIYing your first website to your big enough business that you have an in-house developer and we\'ve held your hands the whole way</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> through . It seems like that\'s a trend in a lot of business, not just in the technical side, but where you might have somebody, that person, and I\'m not [00:33:00] trying to devalue that person, but is a coordinator of these things that works with great groups and partners.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\'t wanna say vendors, but partner. Yeah, that can come in and do those, and they\'re air traffic control. I need to get these things done. We talk about a lot with the marketing side of things, Matt. You might have some that coordinates all these other things, but if you, like you said, if you expect that person to do everything, you\'re wishing for a unicorn.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, Christy, this has been awesome. I want to ask finally, um, what you\'re excited. Coming up next year or so, um, with your work and your agency work in the world.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yeah. Um, oh my goodness. I\'m like, what, what do I pick? . Yeah. Right. I\'m excited about a lot. Um, I think the thing that I\'m most excited, and I\'ve not said this like out loud publicly yet, I don\'t think, um, but kind of along these lines of [00:34:00] this, like to helping people start at the beginning is, um, I\'m getting ready to kind of launch like a pilot program of what I\'m calling like a e-commerce website in a day where, um, we have like some really specific.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Steps that like we walk them through that they engage with like some forms and like, you need to gather this and you need to gather that and you need to do that. And where they kind of like walk them through prepping all the things that they need and making some of the preliminary decisions. And then, um, they literally schedule a day with us where we\'re just gonna crank out, um, you know, we\'re gonna start with our, our skeleton theme and just be able to get them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A site up and going because they\'ve done all of the preliminary work, will import their products, you know, all of that stuff, and it\'ll happen on that day, and then they\'ll have a website. Um, that\'s fantastic. I\'m really excited about it. I [00:35:00] did kind of a really, a trial project with someone last year and, um, she, she does pottery and so this is again, Our, we\'ve been with these really established small businesses, but starting to kind of find some people that are just getting started on their business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And after we launched her site, she was like, I just did a new product drop and I made $4,000 at a time of the year where I wouldn\'t have done an in-person event and would not have made any money. You know? And she\'s like, Like, I can\'t believe I waited this long to have my own website. Um, and so I\'m excited about like that kind of stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> that\'s so fun when you\'re able to, yeah. The work you\'re doing contributes to this big win where someone\'s in that setting able to like start and grow their business in a really tough time. Uh, and then like your furniture, uh, example is help them make processes more efficient and grow their [00:36:00] business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Exciting work. Thank you, Christie, for sharing your story. And, um, tell us finally where they can find out about more about you and your, your work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> Yeah, so, um, north ux design.com is where you can certainly know all about North UX and what we\'re doing and, um, Whatnot. And then as far as me, best place is probably Twitter, which, um, my personal Twitter is Chrissy Ray, k r i s s i e r a e.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and I do have a North Uax design Twitter as well. Um, but it\'s not quite as, it\'s a little bit more, you know, polished professional. I don\'t engage with it quite as much, but those are great places to find me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Well, thank you Christy, for this time and sharing your</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Krissie VandeNoord:</strong> story. Yeah, thanks so much for having me.</p>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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, 15 Dec 2022 20:06:08 +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:\"Olivia 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:38;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:12:\"Matt: Fusion\";s: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=72681\";s: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:29:\"https://ma.tt/2022/12/fusion/\";s: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:973:\"<p><a href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignition\">This is a big deal</a>. There are a lot of <a href=\"https://chat.openai.com/\">big deals</a> happening right now, it&#8217;s honestly a very exciting time to be in tech. I feel like a sailor in a tumultuous sea, and they should have sent a poet. T. S. Eliot was actually the inspiration for WordPress&#8217; tagline &#8220;Code is Poetry&#8221; and I&#8217;m reminded of this from <a href=\"https://stuff.mit.edu/people/dpolicar/writing/poetry/poems/fareForward.html\">The Dry Salvages</a>:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>O voyagers, O seamen,<br />You who came to port, and you whose bodies<br />Will suffer the trial and judgement of the sea,<br />Or whatever event, this is your real destination.&#8221;<br />So Krishna, as when he admonished Arjuna<br />On the field of battle.<br />Not fare well,<br />But fare forward, voyagers.</p>\n</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:\"Thu, 15 Dec 2022 06:19:30 +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: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:39;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:121:\"Post Status: Annual Survey • State of the Word 2022 • Suggest Community Summit Topics • WordPress Playground (WASM)\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=145943\";s: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:118:\"https://poststatus.com/annual-survey-state-of-the-word-2022-suggest-community-summit-topics-wordpress-playground-wasm/\";s: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:16511:\"<h2 id=\"h-this-week-at-wordpress-org-december-12-2022\">This Week at WordPress.org (December 12, 2022)</h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"has-background has-theme-palette-8-background-color wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Tune in Thursday for Matt\'s annual State of the Word address. Check out the WordPress Playground now. It brings key platform dependencies into the browser that you can embed in your own site today.  Your feedback into the annual WordPress survey helps shape the project, so fill it out as soon as possible. </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"kt-info-box_adc852-65\" class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-left\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container\"><span class=\"kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-ic_people\"></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><h2 class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-title\">2022 Survey, SotW, Community Summit, and the WordPress Playground</h2><p class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-text\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4dd.png\" alt=\"📝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Share Your Experience: The 2022 WordPress Survey is Open</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f399.png\" alt=\"🎙\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/11/state-of-the-word-2022/\">State of the Word 2022</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f465.png\" alt=\"👥\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">Suggest Topics for the 2023 WordPress Community Summit</a><br /><br /><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f6dd.png\" alt=\"🛝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a></p></div></div></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-news\">News<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/10/wordpress-6-1-release-candidate-3/\"></a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/2022-wordpress-survey/\">Share Your Experience: The 2022 WordPress Survey is Open</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/sotw-2022-a-celebration-of-the-four-freedoms-of-open-source/\">State of the Word 2022: A Celebration of the Four Freedoms of Open Source</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">Suggest Topics for the 2023 WordPress Community Summit</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/\">WordPress Playground</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_121b9e-cb\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\" /></div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-25 wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-accessibility\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility\">Accessibility</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2022/12/08/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-december-2-2022/\">Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: December 2, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-community\">Community</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/15/idea-creating-a-translation-events-kit-for-meetups/\">Idea: Creating a translation events kit for Meetups</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/15/recap-of-the-diverse-speaker-training-group-wpdiversity-amer-emea-on-december-14-2022/\">Recap of the Diverse Speaker Training group (#WPDiversity) AMER/EMEA on December 14, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/09/december-update-global-meetup-reactivation-project/\">December Update: Global Meetup Reactivation Project</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/\">Suggest Topics for the 2023 WordPress Community Summit</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-core\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core\">Core</a> </h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/latest/#:~:text=hallway%20hangout%3A%20performance%20considerations%20for%20block%20themes\">Hallway Hangout: Performance Considerations for Block Themes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-7-7-december/\">What’s new in Gutenberg 14.7? (7 December)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/enhancing-the-scripts-api-with-a-loading-strategy/\">Enhancing the Scripts API with a loading strategy</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/update-to-content-only-editing-filter-namespace/\">Update to content only editing filter namespace</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-meetings\">Meetings</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/14/dev-chat-summary-wednesday-december-14-2022/\">Dev Chat summary: Wednesday, December 14, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/13/editor-chat-agenda-december-14-2022/\">Editor Chat Agenda: December 14, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/08/editor-chat-summary-wednesday-december-7-2022/\">Editor chat summary: Wednesday, December 7, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/07/dev-chat-summary-wednesday-december-7-2022/\">Dev Chat summary: Wednesday, December 7, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-dev-blog\"><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/\">Dev Blog</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/13/application-state-managed-withdispatch-withselect-and-compose-101/\">Application state managed withDispatch, withSelect and compose 101</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-docs\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/docs\">Docs</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/12/documentation-team-update-december-12-2022/\">Documentation Team Update – December 12, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-hosting\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting\">Hosting</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/hosting/2022/12/08/nominations-are-in-hosting-team-rep-2023/\">Nominations are in – Hosting Team Rep 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-marketing\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing\">Marketing</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2022/12/14/notes-global-marketing-team-meeting-november-30-2022/\">Notes: Global Marketing Team meeting, November 30, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2022/12/14/notes-global-marketing-team-meeting-december-7-2022/\">Notes: Global Marketing Team meeting, December 7, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-meta\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta\">Meta</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2022/12/14/showcase-visual-refresh/\">Refreshing&nbsp;the WordPress Showcase</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-openverse\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse\">Openverse</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2022/12/13/community-meeting-recap-14-december-2022/\">Community Meeting Recap (13 December 2022)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-performance\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/performance/\">Performance</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/13/performance-team-meeting-summary-13-december-2022/\">Performance Chat Summary: 13 December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-polyglots\">Polyglots</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/13/agenda-weekly-polyglots-chat-dec-13-2022-700-utc/\">Agenda: Weekly Polyglots Chat – Dec. 13, 2022 (7:00 UTC)</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-plugins\">Plugins</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/12/plugin-review-team-12-december-22/\">Plugin Review Team: 12 December ’22</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h2 id=\"h-support\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support\">Support</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/support/2022/12/introducing-the-block-editor-in-the-support-forums/\">Introducing the Block Editor in the Support Forums</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-test\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test\">Test</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/08/hallway-hangout-lets-chat-about-the-future-of-custom-css-with-block-themes/\">Hallway Hangout: Let’s chat about the Future of Custom CSS with block themes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/08/fse-program-site-editor-sneak-peek-summary/\">FSE Program Site Editor Sneak Peek Summary</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/test/2022/12/07/fse-program-seeking-volunteers-to-use-replay-io-for-capturing-bugs/\">FSE Program: Seeking volunteers to use Replay.io for capturing bugs</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/13/test-team-update-12-december-2022/\">Test Team Update: 12 December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-themes\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes\">Themes</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2022/12/14/themes-team-meeting-notes-december-13-2022/\">Themes Team Meeting Notes –&nbsp;December 13, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2022/12/13/themes-team-update-december-13-2022/\">Themes team update December 13, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-training\"><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training\">Training</a></h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/individual-learner-survey/\">How did you learn WordPress?</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/12/meeting-agenda-for-december-13-2022/\">Meeting Agenda for December 13, 2022</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/training/2022/12/09/training-team-meeting-recap-for-december-6-2022/\">Training Team Meeting Recap for December 6, 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-courses\"><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/courses\">Courses</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/course/a-developers-guide-to-block-themes-part-2/\">A Developers Guide to Block Themes – Part 2</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-online-workshops\">Online Workshops</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=wordpress-development-live-stream-building-an-advanced-query-loop-plugin\">WordPress development live stream: Building an Advanced Query Loop plugin</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=getting-started-with-a-wordpress-org-account\">Getting Started with a WordPress.org Account</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=start-blogging-in-2023-part-2-planning-your-blogs-content\">Start Blogging in 2023 Part 2: Planning Your Blog’s Content</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=start-blogging-in-2023-part-1-planning-to-reach-your-audience\">Start Blogging in 2023 – Part 1: Planning To Reach Your Audience</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep3-wordpress-migration-local-live-to-local-live-bangla\">EP3: WordPress Migration (Local/Live to Local/Live) | Bangla</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=get-blogging-in-2023-set-up-your-blog-interactive-2\">Get Blogging in 2023: Set Up Your Blog (Interactive)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=get-blogging-in-2023-set-up-your-blog-interactive\">Get Blogging in 2023: Set Up Your Blog (Interactive)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-code-developing-blocks-without-react-review\">Let’s code: Developing Blocks without React! – Review</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep2-wordpress-installation-on-local-and-live-cpanel-ftp-mysql-bangla\">EP2: WordPress Installation on Local and Live (cPanel, FTP & MySQL) | Bangla</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=ep1-wordpress-environment-setup-local-wp-laravel-valet-bangla\">EP1: WordPress Environment Setup (Local WP & Laravel Valet) | Bangla</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-tutorials\"><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorials\">Tutorials</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/manage-your-block-theme-fonts-with-create-block-theme/\">Manage your block theme fonts with Create Block&nbsp;Theme</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/the-key-to-locking-blocks/\">The Key to Locking Blocks</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/templates/\">Using Page Templates</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/streamline-your-block-theme-development-with-create-block-theme/\">Streamline your Block Theme development with Create Block&nbsp;Theme</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/trabalhando-com-estilos-globais/\">Trabalhando com estilos globais</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/padding-versus-margin/\">Padding Versus Margin</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-wptv\">WPTV</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/category/year/2022/\">Latest WordPress TV videos</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-related-news\">Related News:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://phpconference.com/berlin-en/\">International PHP Conference Berlin 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\">Thanks for reading our WP dot .org roundup! Each week we are highlighting the news and discussions coming from the good folks making WordPress possible. If you or your company create products or services that use WordPress, you need to be engaged with them and their work. Be sure to share this resource with your product and project managers. <br /><br /><strong>Are you interested in giving back and contributing your time and skills to WordPress.org?</strong> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/article/contributing-to-wordpress/\">Start Here ›</a><br /><br /><strong>Get our weekly WordPress community news digest</strong> — Post Status\' <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/news/week-in-review/\">Week in Review</a> — covering the WP/Woo news plus significant writing and podcasts. It\'s also available in <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter\">our newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f48c.png\" alt=\"💌\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\"><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/\"><img src=\"https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/vertical-post-status-logo-250.png\" alt=\"Post Status\" class=\"wp-image-85823 size-full\" /></a><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-normal-font-size\" id=\"h-get-ready-for-remote-work\">You — and <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#Agency\">your whole team</a> can <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/#choose-membership\">Join Post Status</a> too!</p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-small-font-size\"><strong>Build your network. Learn with others. Find your next job — or your next hire.</strong> Read the <strong>Post Status</strong> <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter/\">newsletter</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2709.png\" alt=\"✉\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Listen to <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/podcasts/\">podcasts</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f399.png\" alt=\"🎙\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Follow <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status/\">@Post_Status</a> <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> and <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/post-status-llc/\">LinkedIn</a>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4bc.png\" alt=\"💼\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"></div>\n<p>This article was published at Post Status — the community for WordPress professionals.</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, 15 Dec 2022 02:41:48 +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:\"Courtney Robertson\";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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:108:\"WPTavern: Performance Lab Plugin to Add New Experimental SQLite Integration Module in Upcoming 1.8.0 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:30:\"https://wptavern.com/?p=140328\";s: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:119:\"https://wptavern.com/performance-lab-plugin-to-add-new-experimental-sqlite-integration-module-in-upcoming-1-8-0-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:7434:\"<p>WordPress&#8217; Performance Team contributors have merged <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/performance/pull/547\">a new experimental SQLite integration module</a> that is on track to be included in the upcoming version 1.8.0 of the <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/performance-lab/\">Performance Lab</a> plugin. (This is the plugin that contains a collection of feature plugins with performance-related modules the team hopes to land in WordPress core.) The new module allows the adventurous to test the new SQLite implementation, with the understanding that the overall user experience will still be rough.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a proposal titled <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/09/12/lets-make-wordpress-officially-support-sqlite/\">Let’s make WordPress officially support SQLite</a>, Yoast-sponsored core contributor Ari Stathopoulos contends that less complex sites (small to medium sites and blogs) don&#8217;t necessarily benefit from the requirement of using WordPress&#8217; standard MySQL database:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>On the lower end of the spectrum, there are small and simple sites. These are numerous and consist of all the blogs, company pages, and sites that don’t have thousands of users or thousands of posts, etc. These websites don’t always need the complexities of a MySQL/MariaDB database. The requirement of a dedicated MySQL server increases their hosting cost and the complexity of installation. On lower-end servers, it also decreases performance since the same “box” needs to cater to both a PHP and a MySQL/MariaDB server.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In an ideal world, users could select their database type during installation. Stathopoulos said this would require WordPress to have a database abstraction layer, which other platforms like Drupal have had more 10+ years. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Building a database abstraction layer for WordPress would be a colossal task – though it might be one that, at some point in the future, we may have to undertake to ensure the project’s continued evolution and longevity,&#8221; he said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an alternative, Stathopoulos sees SQLite as a &#8220;perfect fit&#8221; and cited the benefits of using it for smaller websites:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<ul>\n<li>It is the most widely used database worldwide</li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is cross-platform and can run on any device</li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is included by default on all PHP installations (unless explicitly disabled)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordPress’s minimum requirements would be a simple PHP server, without the need for a separate database server.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>SQLite support enables lower hosting costs, decreases energy consumption, and lowers performance costs on lower-end servers.</li>\n</ul>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This new SQLite integration module is based on the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://github.com/aaemnnosttv/wp-sqlite-db\" target=\"_blank\">wp-db-sqlite</a> plugin, a SQLite database driver drop-in that is also <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-sandbox-project-demos-test-drive-themes-and-plugins-in-the-browser\">used by the WordPress Sandbox project</a>, as WASM doesn&#8217;t support MySQL. The wp-db-sqlite plugin was based on the original work of Kojima Toshiyasu in his eight-year-old <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/sqlite-integration/\">SQLite Integration plugin</a>, which is no longer available for download on WordPress.org. Stathopoulos said these solutions have evolved over the years, have been thoroughly tested, and proven to work seamlessly, although they are not well known among users.     </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Matt Mullenweg <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/09/12/lets-make-wordpress-officially-support-sqlite/#comment-43729\">commented</a> in support of the proposal so the implementation moving into the Performance Lab plugin may have a decent shot at landing in core someday in the future. Most participants in the discussion on the proposal were supportive of the idea but also discussed a few of the potential drawbacks. These include poorer support for things like multi-author editing and search. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;MySQL is and should continue to be the default because if you have aspirations to be the next big thing, then MySQL can scale better,&#8221; Stathopoulos said.&#8221; If on the other hand you just want a blog, a company site with your about page and a contact form to have an online presence, or any type of small site (which is arguably the majority of sites on WordPress) then SQLite is all you’ll ever need and it will perform a lot better.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few participants in the discussion also bristled at the controversial, religious <a href=\"https://sqlite.org/codeofethics.html\">code of ethics</a> SQLite holds for its contributors. Stathopoulos sees it as a non-issue because the project is open source and the technology is widely used.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Its popularity speaks volumes regarding what it can do and where it can be used,&#8221; he said in response to criticism of the idea of tying WordPress to a project with an objectionable code of ethics.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have used WordPress from the early days, you have witnessed it become more complicated over the years. Discussions around the idea of a &#8220;<a href=\"https://chriscoyier.net/2022/11/01/wordpress-lite/\">WordPress Lite</a>&#8221; have popped up every few years, but the platform&#8217;s specific selection of features seems to have been a major factor in WordPress powering 43% of the web (according to <a href=\"https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress\">W3Techs</a>). NerdPress founder Andrew Wilder suggested that a SQLite implementation might benefit from being branded as &#8220;WordPress Lite.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Reading the comments and potential issues above, if this does move forward, perhaps the way to implement this in a way that makes sense to users would be to brand it simultaneously as &#8216;WordPress Lite,\'&#8221; Wilder said. &#8220;So if a site is using SQLite, there could be features that are simply no longer available (such as multiple authors, or perhaps plugins that have certain database requirements can’t be installed).&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who are interested in testing the new SQLite integration module should be able to test drive it next week. Google-sponsored Performance Team contributor Felix Arntz gave a few notes on testing in yesterday&#8217;s team meeting:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>For the SQLite implementation, other than the SQLite DB working correctly by itself, another crucial aspect to test is the user experience on module activation. You&#8217;ll get an entirely new database, but we&#8217;ve added some logic to make the transition as seamless as possible: On a typical WordPress setup, you should not need to reinstall WordPress yourself when you enable the module, and you shouldn&#8217;t even be needed to log in again.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically the PR has logic to install WordPress automatically in the new database, using the same basic setup data that is present in the regular database.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just keep in mind that it is by no means a migration. It&#8217;s only the install you&#8217;ll get; no content will be migrated.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The 1.8.0 release of the Performance Lab plugin is expected on Monday, December 19, and is set to include the new module.</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, 15 Dec 2022 02:29:38 +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: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:41;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s: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:92:\"Post Status: Interview With Product Lead Jessica Frick At Pressable— Post Status Draft 133\";s: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://poststatus.com/?p=145743\";s: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://poststatus.com/interview-with-product-lead-jessica-frick-at-pressable-post-status-draft-133/\";s: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:39938:\"<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-group eplus-wrapper has-theme-palette-2-color has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\"><a href=\"https://twitter.com/renewabelle\">Jessica Frick</a> is a huge WordPress advocate and has been a contributing community member since 2008. She is the Director of Operations at <a href=\"https://pressable.com/\">Pressable</a>, one of our Post Status sponsors. Jess joins Cory Miller to share about the amazing WordPress hosting experience Pressable offers, in addition to her own experience and expertise as a long-time member of the WordPress community. </p></div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer eplus-wrapper\"></div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\"></span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time:  </span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">2</span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes</span></p>\n</div></div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://poststatus.com/planet/feed/#h-transcript\">Transcript</a> ↓</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/renewabelle\">Jess Frick</a>, Pressable’s Director of Operations, discusses what differentiates the hosting performance and support <a href=\"https://pressable.com/\">Pressable</a> offers WordPress users. They are a “small but mighty” hosting provider from the Automattic family powered by the agility to continuously evolve to better serve customers with diverse needs. Her enthusiasm, generosity, and honesty inspire us to use the power of WordPress for good. As a WordPress lover, Jess shares her thoughts on the benefits of being people-powered.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Top Takeaways:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Differentiated by Support:</strong> When facing an issue with your site, Pressable understands you don’t have time to wait for answers or be redirected to articles and links that don’t deliver real-time solutions. Pressable support is led by a team of WordPress experts with a proven record of responding in less than 3 minutes and solving issues in under 10 minutes on average.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technical, User-Friendly Interface:</strong> Pressable’s single dashboard offers simple site management with a clear view of site performance and metrics. More technical users can manage multiple sites from one platform, build API applications, test site versions, and more.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power of Decentralization:</strong> As we are seeing the real-time impacts of power being held singularly in other organizations, it highlights the power of the open-source community we have within WordPress. Jess shares her thoughts on how this insulates WordPress from experiencing toxic growth and protects the evolution of future technology powered by WP.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-container-32 wp-block-columns Pressable has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-background\" id=\"Pressable\">\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column\">\n<h3><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png\" alt=\"🙏\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Sponsor: <a href=\"https://poststat.us/pressable\">Pressable</a></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded in 2010, <strong>Pressable</strong> is a world-class managed WordPress hosting provider built on the same data network as <strong>WordPress.com</strong> and <strong>WordPress VIP</strong>. With industry-leading performance, 24/7 expert support, a 100% uptime guarantee, and seamless integrations with <strong>WooCommerce</strong> and <strong>Jetpack</strong>, Pressable provides the tools you need to manage your WordPress websites and grow your business all in one place. <a href=\"https://poststat.us/pressable\">TRY PRESSABLE→</a></p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<a href=\"https://poststat.us/pressable\"><img src=\"https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/pressable-icon-primary.svg\" alt=\"Pressable\" class=\"wp-image-121339\" width=\"150\" title=\"Pressable\" /></a>Pressable\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-mentioned-in-the-show\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f517.png\" alt=\"🔗\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> Mentioned in the show:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://pressable.com/\">Pressable</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://automattic.com/\">Automattic</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://www.liquidweb.com/\">Liquid Web</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/chrislema\">Chris Lema</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://copyblogger.com/\">Copy Blogger Media</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://www.studiopress.com/\">Studio Press</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://wphostingbenchmarks.com/\">WordPress Hosting Benchmarks by Review Signal</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/kevinohashi\">Kevin Ohashi</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://titan.email/\">Titan Mail</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-you-can-follow-post-status-and-our-guests-on-twitter\"><img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f426.png\" alt=\"🐦\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /> You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"eplus-wrapper\">\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/renewabelle\">Jessica Frick</a> (Director of Operations, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Pressable\">Pressable</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/corymiller303\">Cory Miller</a> (CEO, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https://twitter.com/lemonadecode\">Olivia Bisset</a> (Intern, <a href=\"https://twitter.com/post_status\">Post Status</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper has-background\">The <strong>Post Status Draft</strong> podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4dd.png\" alt=\"📝\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /><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>. <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f3a7.png\" alt=\"🎧\" class=\"wp-smiley\" /></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"eplus-wrapper\" id=\"h-transcript\">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Interview With Product Lead Jessica Frick At Pressable</p>\n\n\n\n<h1>Interview With Product Lead Jessica Frick At Pressable</h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> [00:00:00] Hey everybody. Welcome back to Post Edits Draft. This is another interview in our series of product people. Um, and the intention behind this is there\'s all these great products out there in WordPress. And I wanna hear from the humans that lead these products for their customers and the clients. And today I\'ve got a dear friend, Jess Frick, who is over at a great hosting company called Pressable.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also an awesome sponsor and supporter post status. And I\'m excited for this. Uh, all these are so much fun to me, but I\'ve known Jess a long time. I\'m really excited to let you hear. What I get to hear, uh, about her passion, her vision, her values for what she does, and how she leads her team, um, and really around the product that she, she runs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So Jess, welcome to post status draft.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Thanks for having me, Corey. As you know, we are huge supporters of post status. We love the community and I\'ve been a [00:01:00] member since before I\'ve been with Pressable cuz I just love everybody in the community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Also, before Corey and Lindsay, uh, were part of the ownership.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So That\'s true.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> That\'s true. But you know what? Post status has been giving back to the community for a really long time and so you\'re, you\'re always honoring us and I wanna take a minute to honor you too. So. Thanks for all you do.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Thanks my friend. If you don\'t know Jess, you need to get to know her. By the way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\'s an incredible human being and you\'re getting ready to hear some of her experience and expertise too. Jess, could you start and tell us what your role is at Principal?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Uh, Well, we\'re not really big on titles around here, but I do have one. It\'s Director of Operations and what that ultimately entails is I lead our product ops and marketing here at Principal.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>People think we\'re a lot bigger than we are. We are a small but mighty team over here. Um, little, little known secret. Pressable has less than 20 full-time employee. We [00:02:00] are just killing it and everybody\'s just wearing a bunch of hats. .</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I I really love that, even that as a part of automatic, um, to see us. Uh, I like your description, small and mighty team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, and we\'ll talk a little bit about that too. Cause I\'ve experienced that, not just because of our friendship, but as, uh, a friend of mine is a customer and I get to go in and help and experience. What you\'ve done and your team does. Um, Jess, you have a vast experience in WordPress, and I know this, but I want other people to do.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Could you tell us what you\'re doing, what you\'ve done in WordPress, uh, before Princip?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Well, my first time using WordPress would\'ve been in 2008. Um, my first job in WordPress, uh, was with Copy Blogger Media, the parent company of Studio Press. Um, and so if you ever got any swag back in the day with hashtag genesis WP that came from my house, , um, , [00:03:00] we, we grew this awesome brand and.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, I did not build with any other themes. I\'m so sorry, Corey for like 10 years because it was just awesome to watch the genesis of the product. Um, and from there I got to work with the team over at Liquid Web. I was on Chris LEMAs team. We launched the first re commerce product. Um, and then about a year ago I got to join the team here at Pressable and I absolutely love it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> That\'s awesome. Now, one of the angles for the</p>\n\n\n\n<p>part of that is product and um, so can you tell me a little bit about the principle WordPress product?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Yes, I can and I would love to. Um, some things you should know about the Pressable WordPress product is we really differentiate on support. That\'s our number one thing. I know everybody says that their support is great.[00:04:00]</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, if you\'re familiar with. Automatic. You know that sometimes they\'ll have support teams that kind of go across different brands. But at Pressable we have the same core group of people. Most of them are developers, all of them are WordPress experts, and you\'re gonna get the same people every time. So, you know, the product that we serve is hosting, it\'s great hosting, it\'s powerful performance hosting, but what we really sell is the experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that means you\'re gonna have friends here that can help you no matter what your word. Website problem may be, um, within reason, obviously, but, uh, cuz people can do some weird stuff to word breasts. Okay. Um, but uh, the other stuff that we sell is that, uh, performance, um, A lot of people don\'t realize this, but Principle was originally known as Zippy Kid.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We were one of the original three managed WordPress hosting companies in the world. And obviously that a lot\'s changed since 2010 when it was founded. Um, [00:05:00] it\'s. Been rebranded as pressable, and today we\'re owned by Automatic something a lot of other people don\'t know. Um, so the platform that we have that\'s super performant is actually the same one that powers wordpress.com and to some extent, WordPress, v i p.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah, I know a lot of hosts can say performance and support. Uh, on the support side, I know the culture at Automatic is prolific with support. I, I, I recall several years ago that every team member that\'s hired goes through basically their first onboarding experiences, actually doing support. And I thought to myself, that\'s, that\'s a company that does value support, but I\'ve also experienced.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, like I said, my friend, uh, has, has a site on principal and I ran into something because, you know, I\'m barely technical and, um, I can\'t remember his name off the hand, top of my head, but I think it was Michael. But, um, I went to support, asked a question, thought I\'ll get direction and [00:06:00] pointing. The next thing I know it\'s like, Kind of really helped me try to get the, the site going and get past one of the issues that I was having though.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was like, I\'m gonna spend a couple hours googling this or have to go to post outta Slack and ask somebody and beg somebody for help. And, uh, I really did get that experience. And that to me, Jess is pretty rare in hosting. Because in the early days you remember this, you talked about 2008. I remember you go to some of these shared hosting companies and I could get incredible admin type work, like support from people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those days are pretty much gone until you get up to these high tiers of like hosting. So to have that kinda support is incredible. And then to your point, you just told me like support and performance. At first I go, most hosts probably brag about. Two things, but you\'re backing up the performance side too, like you said, but this backbone, which is legendary wordpress.com and b i.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> It\'s true. Um, if you look at this year\'s WP [00:07:00] Hosting Benchmarks studies, um, and if you\'re not familiar with WP Hosting Benchmark, um, review Signal runs these every year, hosts have to pay to participate. Because there is no favoritism, there is no way you can kind of grease the wheels. And if anybody does anything that looks untoward, he blasts you and tells everybody what you did.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but he legitimately, Kevin from Rude View Signal will do these tests and you enter in a variety of categories. and in this year\'s test, pressable aced every single level we were in. We got top awards in every single category we entered. Um, and that\'s a reflection of our environment. Um, we don\'t need to rely only on caching, but our caching is awesome.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, we have, you know, industry leading PHP resources, and I would say that our CPUs can probably best, most other host.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I, I tell you, you\'re not kidding when you talk about Kevin, I get to meet him, um, this [00:08:00] summer in Porto like you did too, I\'m sure. And, um, Kevin is a purist. He\'s extremely passionate about what he does, and I know he\'s been doing the benchmarks for a long time and to, to pass.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\'s this pretty, pretty incredible, um, I, I, I would say it\'s not for the faint of heart. Go through Kevin\'s benchmarks and things, so that\'s great. Backing it up from an external source like Kevin, and he\'s in the process community and pretty active. So yeah, we\'re proud. Awesome. Okay, so we talked a little bit about the product manage WordPress hosting support performance Two highlights.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, what, uh, tell me about the types of customers. If you\'re a customer looking at principle or looking at managed Word Press hosting, who are you, who, who, who did you build the product for, essentially?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> That\'s a really good question. Um, and honestly, [00:09:00] there are two main audiences that we work with and it, it sounds overly simplified to say it this way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, The, the more simple user that just needs powerful hosting with great support. And then the more advanced user, um, which might be a developer or an agency, um, you know, an agency, like there\'s so many different kinds of agencies. You might have an agency that\'s. Super technical and some that are not. Um, I would say that we are ideal for agencies that are operating multiple websites for their clients because we make it super easy to manage multiple sites in one place.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I would also say that we\'re good for agencies that have their own special workflows. We have get integration tools. Um, we are able to help you with custom API applications, um, SSH and WP CLI and all. Stuff. And then of course, um, for the business owner who just has an e-commerce store [00:10:00] that gets crazy waves of traffic every single time her story gets picked up on TikTok and it happens, you know, a couple times a month.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\'ve got her back. because our hosting out of the box can handle huge amounts of traffic at any given moment. And so most of the time, you know, she doesn\'t even have to pay attention to her website, but when she does, she needs help and she needs it now. And that\'s where we come in. One of the things I didn\'t get to mention is our support has some pretty incredible statistics.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So our average first response time is under three. So when that business owner needs our help, she\'s not waiting for like 20 minutes for somebody to respond to her chat. We\'re there our average resolution time, Corey is under 10 minutes. So it\'s not like you write us and then you\'ve gotta wait for us to ask four other people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\'re there and we\'re helping you and we fix it. Um, so I would say, you know, even more simplified than all of [00:11:00] that, we\'re probably not gonna be your first host. We\'re gonna be the host that you graduate to when you\'ve experienced support at some other places, or when you\'ve outgrown what their resources can offer you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, you know, maybe your sites are slow, maybe you\'re experiencing downtime. Um, we have a 100% uptime guarantee, and we\'re able to offer that because we have automatic failover included for free. And because we know that your sites aren\'t gonna go down here, So .</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Okay. Tell, tell me more about that. So, a hundred percent guarantee.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I, I know I\'ve been to hundreds of, you know, hosting sites since like 99.9, and I go, okay, cool. Why does it, why does it, ma, I mean, and, and I\'m not running an e-commerce store that if I, if I\'m down for a minute, I probably lost a thousand dollars, right? Mm-hmm. , tell me why that matters. A hundred percent. And what that means.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A hundred percent uptime and the automatic.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> You can fit a lot of excuses in 0.1%. Corey[00:12:00]</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> That\'s good.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> You know, there are a lot of things you can say. Oh, that\'s the 0.1. No, we we\'re a hundred percent up time. We got you. Um, I was just talking with one of our agencies yesterday who\'s been with us for, since 2017, and they\'ve never had a site go down, ever. And they host hundreds of sites with us.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> And that matters. You know, you got the 99.999 or whatever, and then a hundred percent. Um, for sure, like I at, at Ithe, I knew when our site went down, we lost money. Now we didn\'t lose thousands of dollars, but we were losing opportunity cost. I mean, there\'s a big value to that. Yeah. Um, tell me, because I just don\'t even know what is automatic, fell over.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Automatic failover means if for some reason there\'s a problem with the mechanics and the systems, we will automatically redirect your traffic to your exact [00:13:00] site on a different server elsewhere. So it\'s kind of like that high availability experience where if it goes wrong here, we got you over here.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\'re using our name servers, we\'ve got you everywhere.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Okay. Hat tip. Make sure your name servers are at the host and particularly with Pressable cuz you wanna take advantage of that, that\'s outstanding. Um, okay. Tell me, um, do you wanna show me a little bit of the dashboard and the product itself?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> I do, yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you asked like who we\'re for, and you know, one of the things that I\'m super proud of when it comes to Pressable is it is an extremely technical interface, but it can be done. Um, and it can be used in such a way that. Someone who\'s not super technical will also appreciate it. I\'m so sorry. Like myself.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Well you, but also, you know, you are technical. [00:14:00] Um, I would say that there are also some people that just sort of see this, and I\'m so sorry, I\'m having some technical issues. We\'re gonna have to edit this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yep. We\'ll edit it. Yeah. Lemme start with.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> One of the things that I absolutely love about our interface is that it\'s great for technical people, but it\'s easy to use for people who maybe aren\'t quite as technical. So when you log into your account, this is what you\'re gonna see. Obviously not these sites, this is our demo account. Um, but you know, right off the bat you can see your sites, you know where they all are.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and you\'ve, we\'ve got a new feature here called collaborators. I\'ll get to that in a. Um, but let\'s dig into a site right now. Demoable . Mm-hmm. . It\'s not a real site, don\'t go to it. Um, but when you get in here, you can immediately get a nice overview. You can see what PHP version you\'re running, what WordPress version you\'re running.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, by the way, we will allow you to be on the [00:15:00] previous release, the current stable, or you can go on beta. Um, that is something that we offer here and we\'re very proud to do that, especially because we know that sometimes you might need a little more time for testing. So, um, we offer you the opportunity to leave notes for your team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\'s say you\'re working in here with multiple others and you\'re gonna need to just kind of have those admin. Pieces of information that\'s right there within the dashboard. Here\'s where you\'re gonna have your domain information. Um, obviously our name servers, um, and we can also give you IP addresses. Uh, then we have performance.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, if this was a live site, you would see more data here and it\'s just gonna kinda give you that pulse check on what your site\'s doing this month. Um, I could probably spend a long time on this, but I won\'t cause we only have a couple minutes. But you\'re gonna have all of your users for this particular site here, we offer backups 30 days.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, by the way, our backup storage is complimentary. That does not go [00:16:00] against your total storage that you have for your plan, and then of course, that get integration. What I wanted to show you also was collaborators. So collaborators is gonna give you a way to have multiple people in your account, but not everybody can do everything.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I know at some other host when you add somebody, you basically get to be an admin or just, you know, a viewer. Uh, here, if you want somebody to be able to get that WordPress access, maybe you\'d never wanna give them the ability to delete or disable. But they\'re also gonna need to be able to get that SFTP access.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can fine tune the experience for that one particular person right here. Um, something else that\'s coming up that\'s gonna be super exciting. Uh, we\'re introducing something called the One Press Login. One thing that we\'ve heard from our customers is it\'s kind of annoying to have to enter your credentials every single time you wanna go into your WP admin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And [00:17:00] so here on your site details, we\'re going to give you that one press login button, and it\'s going to basically work like a one time password. Automatically and securely log you into your dashboard. No passwords needed. We also offer email through Titan Mail. This is an upsell. Um, we have usage data for you here.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\'s really nothing super exciting or sexy. Um, billing is no nothing to write home about . make billing sexy. Um, but you know, we also have site performance reports. We have collaborator reports. If you\'ve got a bunch of collaborators on your site and you\'re. Who all is on this and what do they do? Um, you\'ve got different site usage reports, all of these, you click the report and it\'s gonna send you an email.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, please don\'t spam us there, but basically, we\'re trying to make it easy to manage a whole bunch of sites and [00:18:00] just to keep your finger on the pulse of what all of them are doing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I can see that collaborator report, especially if you have a team and different hands in the, in the kitchen. Yeah. Um, for sure.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Yeah. And then of course, you know, if you wanna build your own API application, you can come here and create your api. And we have all of our documentation published here. Um, this is not behind a paywall, so if you ever wanna see if you could do that here, chances are you can.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Fantastic. I love that. Yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, thanks for that quick overview. Uh, I like to see the pro, you know, the dashboard. Um, I, I\'m sure unlike many people listening that I go to, uh, Page or sales page one day, and then it\'s months, maybe even years before I go back when I have a need. And so I like showing the product because I want people to see the experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And one thing that stuck out just was like, how fast that even the admin side oh, uh, was rocking.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Yeah, it\'s super, super fast and it\'s [00:19:00] super fast. Even if you have hundreds of websites as opposed to just one. Um, that\'s something that, you know, obviously I do a lot of testing at our competitors. That\'s not something you get every.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yep. Well, okay, thanks. Now, we talked about the product. We\'ve talked a little bit about what you\'re looking forward to, but I really want to ask that question. What things are you doing? What things are you excited about at Principal?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> I know a lot of people aren\'t comfortable talking about this, but I love talking about what\'s coming soon.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, we have some really fun features coming soon. One of the things is going to include the ability to have kind of a template of your site. Um, Right now, our competitors would call them, you know, templates or, uh, maybe even stencils. It\'s gonna give you a way to just clone your site, but with all of the different settings and plugins attached to it, um, that\'s coming soon.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, the One Press login that I mentioned, we are also looking to bring [00:20:00] forward smart plugin updates, so you\'ll be able to update plugins for one site or multiple. Easily in a safe way. And then we also are looking to improve the sinking between staging and live. This is something that honestly, I have not seen anyone do.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beautifully. Like there\'s problems everywhere when you\'re trying to do this. Um, one of the things that we are trying to keep an eye on though, is the changes that are happening with full site editing. Um, you know, a lot of other hosts might have an easy button. I shouldn\'t say a lot, but a couple of other hosts have an easy button.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And basically what that\'s gonna do is just exclude your databases from syncing your staging environment to your production environment. And that would be fine because you obviously don\'t wanna overwrite your W commerce data, comments, all the other dynamic stuff that happens. But with full sight editing, a lot of that data is being stored in those same places that you\'re currently excluding.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we\'re trying to [00:21:00] like fine tune. So that you get what you want to have from staging moved over. Um, and just to make it fast and easy too. Ultimately, the, the things that we\'re trying to develop are things that people have directly asked us for. Um, we love hearing from our customers and we love hearing from people who would be customers, but perhaps they\'re held from, you know, for one reason or another.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, One of the cool things about us being small and mighty is we actually act on those. Mm-hmm. . And so if somebody\'s watching this and you\'re not a customer because this or that, please tell me cuz we\'ll build it</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> And by the way, Jess is in post set of slacks. She can even DM her. Yeah. So I wanna go back to something you talked about the syncing, and there\'s a nuance there that I hadn\'t thought about, which is all the databases. So could you gimme some examples of that? Uh, particular instance? I know you said, uh, full side [00:22:00] editing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, But I, I\'m, I\'m, I\'ll just confess to you, I\'m a newbie to staging. I have used, uh, principle staging mm-hmm. to, um, we\'re, we\'re working on a rebrand of, uh, post status.com and I was like, I just want to get a site that I can go do. And I\'ve been using the staging for that, but could you tell me what a little bit more details about, or examples of how that might be really critical for store owners, agencies and developers?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\'m sure they know these answers, but I want to.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> So, having worked in hosting for a long time, I can tell you it is shocking how few people actually use staging environments. So high five to you, my friend, for doing an staging environment first. Um, one of the problems is you get your staging site exactly how you want it, and then you need to be able to push it live.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for the, the old way to do it was just to completely overwrite your site. The thing is, and like picking on post status, I know you guys have. [00:23:00] I know you even have a store, but I can\'t remember if your store is actually on the, the site or not, or if it\'s external. Um, but you know, if you have that kind of data coming in on the regular, there are a few ways you can go about it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, the first would be like a two stage migration where you would migrate it. At a single point in time, and then like, kind of do your stuff and then you would bring to date the Delta. Um, so for example, blog vault can actually do that for you. They do a great job with that. Um, and so they\'ll bring over the, the data, but you\'re still gonna have that tiny window where you might miss a pro, a purchase or you know, somebody might be doing something on a membership site and you\'re gonna lose that activity in that moment.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, one way to counter that is to put up a, like. Under maintenance. Interstitial or something that basically lets people know that whatever you\'re doing right now, not gonna count, or you just can\'t do it right now. Um, but the other [00:24:00] option is to create a nuanced tool that does not include that data when they overwrite it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, because whatever is happening on staging is not going to include all of that purchase data. Something people haven\'t considered a lot of times is when you bring an entire production site over to your staging, you might actually have all of that e-commerce stuff in place. And so heaven forbid you\'ve got a membership site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It could be charging subscriptions on. You gotta be real careful of that. And so one of the things that we\'re also working to do is to make sure that that kind of stuff doesn\'t happen in staging. Just a blanket rule that you can\'t be charging for things and you know, running, running different processes that could negatively impact you cuz you didn\'t mean to do that there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah, I can see how you just eliminated how critical that is for a w uh, like a W Commerce site, um, with some of those things because you do have this continuum amount of data and storages or staging as a best practice, [00:25:00] and this is a nuance to make sure you\'re capturing those educations. I think that really stands out, particularly in e-commerce, but I think you showed some other ways where I don\'t want that thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be missed or I don\'t want that thing to be updated. And some of my experience with backups, I kind of, I, I\'m aware of some of those type of nuances and that\'s, I, I ask for my own edification, but also I think it highlights that the person leading the team I knows, knows their stuff. And I love, I love talking with you because you always give me something new to think about.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> Well, thank you. That\'s a very nice thing to say.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> You bet. Well,</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> fortunately I work with some people that are smarter than me too. So , I think I\'m great. You should meet the team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Well, my next and close to my last question is I, I just wanna get your thoughts about tech WordPress in general. We talked a lot about hosting nuances, the things that you\'re working on, you\'re already doing, have done, [00:26:00] um, performance and support being some big highlights backed up, but some really good reasons.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, To be able to say we do performance and support extremely well. But I really wanna turn the page and ask you your thoughts about tech and WordPress and what you see coming up and what you\'re excited about with WordPress and then tech overall.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Frick:</strong> You know, it\'s, um, This is a really interesting question because we\'re at a strange time right now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, for a minute, every time you turned around, another WordPress company was getting acquired and I feel like we\'re kind of in a lull for a little bit. That\'s not to say that somebody\'s not gonna get acquired while we\'re on this call, but it could have , but for a minute, there was like every single day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but what\'s also interesting is we\'re seeing, you know, different companies tightening up. Um, Be it the market conditions or some other, you know, variable. We\'re, we\'re seeing a lot of companies, you know, really getting into conserve [00:27:00] mode and it\'s been interesting to watch how they\'re doing that. Um, thankfully we\'ve not seen a lot of companies just laying off a whole bunch of people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, it\'s happened, but it\'s not happening like you\'re seeing with other big tech. And I think part of the reason that WordPress is probably a little more insulated is because I think by and large the WordPress community has perhaps been more stable to grow in the first place. Um, I think it\'s gonna be interesting to see what happens in the hosting world, but also, you know, in the future of plugins, um, and certainly themes, especially with, you know, blocks becoming what they are.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I\'m really interested to see how that plays out for the community because at the heart of it, I mean core, you know me, I love WordPress. Like I love WordPress, but part of, one of the, part of the reason that I love WordPress so much is because I [00:28:00] love the community. You know, we have a lot of really great, genuine, smart, helpful people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, if we\'re being honest, yeah, there\'s some jerks, but that\'s. A small percentage. Mm-hmm. , most people would stop what they\'re doing to help you if you needed it. And I think that that\'s also part of why we\'ve become kind of insulated, um, from that toxic growth. I guess if you\'ll let me get kind of spicy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Um, , I think we know who is Awesome. Generally speaking, and we all kind of look out for each other, and I really, real