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Join Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy to learn the importance of the gathering to the WordPress project. </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/" data-type="URL" data-id="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">Show Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2019/06/17/observations-on-wordpress-contributor-team-structure/" target="_blank">Observations on WordPress Contributor Team Structure</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/" target="_blank">Apply to attend the 2023 Community Summit</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/topic-submissions-for-2023-community-summit/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Topic Submissions for the 2023 Community Summit</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuckman&#8217;s Theory: Stages of Group Development</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_House_Rule" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chatham House Rules</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/02/06/proposal-creating-a-wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proposal for a project-wide mentorship program</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.openverse.org" rel="noreferrer noopener">Openverse.org</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/" target="_blank">6.2 Beta 1 is open for testing</a><br><br></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id="more-14404"></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.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:40]&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of episodes ago, I mentioned the Community Summit in the small list of big things. That&#8217;s coming up on August 22nd and 23rd, right before WordCamp US. And for some of you, that made complete sense, and the only thought in your mind was, wow, our last one was in 2017, how could so many years have passed since then? And since so many years have passed, today we&#8217;re gonna talk a bit about the Community Summit, what it is, where it came from, and why it&#8217;s so important for the WordPress project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:09]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, let&#8217;s talk about what exactly the Community Summit is. The Community Summit is a small event where folks from around the WordPress project and community come together to work through some of the most difficult topics the project currently faces, many of which are easier or at least less fraught when we can be face-to-face.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Community Summit is usually done in an “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference">unconference</a>” style, and when we were smaller, we left topic gathering and voting to the day of. That&#8217;s evolved a bit as our group of fearless contributors has grown over the years, and this year, we have been asking for topics ahead of time so that we can make sure we have the right folks in the room and are making the best use of everyone&#8217;s limited time.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to take a look at this event and think it&#8217;s like some fun exclusive thing with a who&#8217;s who of WordPress.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I assure you it&#8217;s a working event. Decisions are not finalized during the event, but since we try very hard to account for many, many viewpoints, it ends up being two days of hard discussions, contentious viewpoints, and problem definition at a level of complexity you don&#8217;t really see every day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing how hard this event is, you may be wondering why we put in that effort. There are a lot of reasons, but there are three that come to my mind immediately. So for starters, working across cultures is hard. Apart from the cultural differences, we tend to be aware of things like where we&#8217;re located or our lived experiences, things like that– working remotely or distributedly is a whole different set of skills than working in person. This helps remind everyone that we&#8217;re humans, that there are humans behind those comments and behind those messages in Slack. The second thing is that I&#8217;m a big supporter of Tuckman&#8217;s theory of group development.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t know what that is, you can look for it, we&#8217;ll put a link in the show notes, but it&#8217;s that forming, storming, norming, performing kind of concept of how groups come together. Because there are so many of us and our community has such a large footprint, there are little storms a-brewin all the time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some get really big, some stay small. But at some point, most of them have to be addressed. And this is a space that is specifically designed to help us do that. Which brings us to the third reason that we do it. This event uses something called the Chatham House Rule, which creates a kind of temporal psychological safety.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right. Psychological safety, if you&#8217;re a leader, you know that that&#8217;s something that is built over time and requires a lot of trust and a lot of conversations with people that you&#8217;re working with, and we can&#8217;t quite do that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so Chatham House Rule builds an environment that helps create that suddenly in the moment and requires, you know, some, some faith in one another.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But basically, no one can be quoted about what they said in those conversations. No one&#8217;s examples can be attributed to them. But the conversations can be summarized and published, which we do on the Community Summit website. And then, we publish those for our collective knowledge over time. This lets folks who are attending advocate for themselves and others fully without worrying over whether they&#8217;re gonna be taken out of context later.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally, one of the biggest questions we get ahead of any Community Summit is why it is by invitation only. The most commonly cited reasons for keeping this small and invite only have everything to do with logistics and leadership. You want it to be large enough to have good representation but small enough to have high-quality interactions. It&#8217;s just a really narrow Goldilocks moment, if you will.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that reason doesn&#8217;t necessarily address the need for invitations rather than letting it be first come, first served. The reason for that is more of a philosophical one and requires you to go on a mini historical journey with me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This also has changed a bit over the years. The first ever Community Summit, way back in 2012, was before my time, but if I recall my history correctly, it was truly by invitation only. The summit after that included a closed nomination process. The next included a team nomination process, and then the last two, 2017 and 2023, have included open nominations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, even in the nomination era of Community Summit organizing, there is still a selection process. The organizers review the list of suggested attendees and check for the same types of things we expect major WordCamp organizers to look for in their speaker selection.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things like which teams they contribute to, what communities they advocate for, and how long they&#8217;ve been a member of the community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then they adjust for balance. In addition to those things, there are also four types of voices that we always want represented at our Community Summit. So first is leading voices, people who are already in the community and kind of are helping us to make decisions. I am considered one of those leading voices; I have put in my application to be included in the Community Summit. Really hope we select me.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second one is future leading voices. Specifically, those are people who are active in the community already and are showing a lot of promise, either because they really understand the values that the WordPress open source project is putting forward or understand the basic processes of communicating and guiding people in such a complex ecosystem as the WordPress project represents. Or because they have said quite plainly they are interested in helping us to make sure that the WordPress project is able to move and continue to create and continue to support democratizing publishing.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:07:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it&#8217;s a little bit potentially folks who are self-selecting for that. People who already are showing that they are doing that either in WordPress or in their local communities. That&#8217;s one of the types of voices we want to include. A third one that we want to include all the time is voices we need, so voices that we need to hear. People that specifically we are building WordPress for, people that have indicated to us that the CMS is not necessarily perfect for some of the use cases that they run into regularly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the people and users and community organizers that can and are able to advocate for the types of user interactions, the types of community interactions that we absolutely want to be able to see.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:08:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so that&#8217;s a third group of voices that we want to make sure we have represented.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the fourth and final group that we always want to have represented is a group that I call voices we miss. And so those are the people that we want to be able to hear more from in our project that we don&#8217;t necessarily either have a good group of representative voices for, so it&#8217;s hard to hear them, or that we know are probably users of the CMS or they are attending events, they are somehow involved in the WordPress project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we don&#8217;t necessarily have any way to have accounted for them while we were building solutions way back in 2012 or 2006 when things were being built for us. And so those are the four groups of people, the four types of voices that I absolutely want to have represented at our Community Summit.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:09:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I ask organizers to go through this incredibly complicated selection process because we want not simply a microcosm of the WordPress community as we see it today and hope to see it in the future but also an equitably voiced forum during that critical problem definition phase.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So TLDL. For, listen?! T L D Real Listen. Although if you didn&#8217;t make it through that, you definitely are not getting to this point. So a TLDR for folks who skimmed the transcript and got here, I guess we keep this invitation structure because we want to account for voices we don&#8217;t hear every day in the WordPress project. Not because we don&#8217;t value them but because we already hear them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:09:44]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now that brings us to our small list of big things. This week it&#8217;s actually kind of a big list of big things, but you know, there it is.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:10:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first. The applications for the Community Summit are now open. Those are the applications to attend. It&#8217;s pretty short. I filled mine out this morning and it&#8217;s three questions about who you are and your username on wordpress.org, and then three questions about the topics you are most interested in and the experience that you have in those conversations so far.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. It took me, like, I think, 90 seconds. Like, a full minute and a half. So head on over there. We have a link in the show notes, but also, you&#8217;ll be able to find it in newsletters across the entire WordPress media ecosystem. I am pretty sure about that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing is that there is a proposal out for a project-wide mentorship program.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a huge potential win for us. It is aiming to fix some of our broken ladders. If you&#8217;re not familiar with my Broken Ladder Theory of the WordPress project, I&#8217;ll try to remember to find a link to that post and put that in the show notes.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:11:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Number three is that Openverse moved. I shared this last week that happened last week. They didn&#8217;t move very far, though. They have a new URL, you can find them at openverse.org. It&#8217;s the same team. It&#8217;s the same product. It&#8217;s the same group of excellent openly-licensed images and media that you have come to expect. It just has its own standalone URL now. Huge kudos to the contributors who got that done.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another thing that happened last week is that WordPress 6.2 has moved into its beta phase, and so now is the time to get out there and test.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There also was an excellent, excellent write-up about how to test any given release. And I think it also includes how to file a good bug. And so we&#8217;ll send all of those things into the show notes. They&#8217;ll be easy to find. Get out there and do your testing.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And number five, longest, small list of big things in recent history.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:12:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I got some interest on [a] women, and non-binary led release for 2023, and so since there was some interest shown for that, it is hereby verbally confirmed. Keep an eye out on make.wordpress.org for more information about what that process is gonna look like and how to volunteer your time for that if that is something that calls to you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Woo. And that, my friends, is your small list of big things, your big list of big things. Thanks for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I&#8217;ll see you again in a couple of weeks.</p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14404";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:69:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"WordPress 6.2 Beta 1";s: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:56:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/";s: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, 07 Feb 2023 19:32:46 +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:8:"category";a:5:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"Releases";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:3:"6.2";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:4;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"releases";s: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=14375";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:307:"WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 is here and ready for download and testing.\n\nThis version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, it is recommended that you test Beta 1 on a test server and site.";s: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:16:"Jonathan Pantani";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7838:"\n<p>WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing!</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This version of the WordPress software is under development.</strong> Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you should test Beta 1 on a test server and site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can test WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 in three ways:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 1:</strong> Install and activate the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin (select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 2: </strong>Direct download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.2-beta1.zip">Beta 1 version (zip)</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 3:</strong> Use the following WP-CLI command:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>wp core update --version=6.2-beta1</code></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current target for the final release is <strong>March 28, 2023</strong>, which is seven weeks away. Your help testing this version is vital to ensuring everything in this release is the best it can be.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get an overview of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-2/">6.2 release cycle</a>, and check the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/6-2/">6.2-related posts</a> in the coming weeks for further details.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How you can help: testing!</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute—whether you have experience or not. This <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">detailed guide</a> is a great place to start if you’ve never tested a beta release. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you build products for WordPress, you probably realize that the sooner you can test this release with your themes, plugins, and patterns, the easier it will be for you to offer a seamless experience to your users.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more about testing releases in general? You can follow along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">testing initiatives</a> that happen in Make Core. You can also join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-test/">#core-test channel</a> on the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/">Making WordPress Slack workspace</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you may have run into an issue, please report it to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">Alpha/Beta area</a> in the support forums. If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, you can <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">file one on WordPress Trac</a>. You can also check your issue against a list of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">known bugs</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interested in Gutenberg features? Find out what’s been included since WordPress 6.1 (the last major release of WordPress). You will find more details in the currently available <em>What’s new in Gutenberg</em> posts for  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january-2/">15.1</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january/">15.0</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/">14.9</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/">14.8</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-7-7-december/">14.7</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-6-23-november/">14.6</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-5-9-november/">14.5</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/27/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-4-26-october/">14.4</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/13/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-3-12-october/">14.3</a>, and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/09/30/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-2-28-september/">14.2</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>This release contains more than 292 enhancements and 354 bug fixes for the editor, including more than <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&amp;milestone=6.2&amp;group=component&amp;max=500&amp;col=id&amp;col=summary&amp;col=owner&amp;col=type&amp;col=priority&amp;col=component&amp;col=version&amp;order=priority">195 tickets for the WordPress 6.2 core</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A major release for a major project milestone</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 6.2 is one of the last planned major releases of Phase 2 on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/">Gutenberg project’s roadmap</a>. The platform has come a long way in the past few years. The 6.2 release both celebrates that progress and looks toward a future of publishing that puts ever more powerful tools in your hands.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next stop: collaboration tools and more, in <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-2022/">Phase 3</a>!</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Notable highlights</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Want to know what’s new in WordPress version 6.2? Read on for a taste of what’s coming.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Beta label is gone—signaling that the Site Editor is stable and ready for anyone to explore, create, and experiment!</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distraction-free mode for a clear, focused writing experience.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new Site Editor interface shows you previews of your templates and Template Parts first, so you can choose exactly where you want to start editing.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scaled block settings with split controls organize your Styles and Settings options to easily find what you need—and clearly see everything a block can do.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Color-coded labels help you find your Template Parts and Reusable Blocks fast, everywhere you look: in the List View, the Block toolbar, even on the Canvas.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>An improved Navigation experience makes menus simple to create and manage—right from the block settings sidebar.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patterns are easier to find and insert—with even more categories to choose from like headers and footers!&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new Style Book offers one place to see all your Styles across every block, for a complete overview of your site’s design details.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Custom CSS support for specific blocks, or your whole site, for another level of control over how you want things to look.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Openverse integration lets you pull free, openly-licensed media directly into your content as you work—along with a quicker way to insert media from your existing library.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Widgets become Template Parts when you switch from a Classic to a Block Theme—making the transition that much smoother.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Please note that the features in this list may change before the final release.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A haiku for 6.2</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Last of Phase 2 now<br>Let’s get the party started<br>WordPress turns 20</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thank you to the following contributors for collaborating on this post: </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marybaum/"><em>@marybaum</em></a><em> </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurlittle/"><em>@laurlittle</em></a><em> </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/"><em>@cbringmann</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/"><em>@webcommsat</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/"><em>@audrasjb</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/annezazu/"><em>@annezazu</em></a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/"><em>@bhp</em></a></p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14375";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:60:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"The Month in WordPress – January 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:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/the-month-in-wordpress-january-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:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 03 Feb 2023 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:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Month 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:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"month 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:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=14352";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:334:"Welcome to the first 2023 edition of The Month in WordPress! January kicked off with an overview of WordPress&#8217; big goals for 2023 and new projects beginning to take shape. Moreover, work on the next major release, WordPress 6.2, continues with Beta 1 scheduled for next week. Read on for the latest news. WordPress 6.2 [&#8230;]";s: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:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10208:"\n<p>Welcome to the first 2023 edition of The Month in WordPress! January kicked off with an overview of <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/18/big-picture-goals-2023/">WordPress&#8217; big goals for 2023</a> and new projects beginning to take shape. Moreover, work on the next major release, WordPress 6.2, continues with Beta 1 scheduled for next week. Read on for the latest news.</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">WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 is on its way</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first beta release of WordPress 6.2 is <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/17/wordpress-6-2-planning-roundup/">scheduled</a> for next Tuesday,<strong> February 7, 2023</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may have heard, this version will wrap up work on Gutenberg Phase 2 (Customization), but what does this mean in the larger context of the WordPress project?</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/episode-48-what-does-concluding-a-gutenberg-phase-really-mean/">Tune in to Episode 48 of WP Briefing</a> to hear Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy discuss what it means to conclude a Gutenberg phase.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january/"><strong>Gutenberg 15.0</strong></a> was released on January 18, 2023. Some highlights include a new “paste styles” feature to easily create multiple blocks with identical styling, and a “sticky” option to keep a block at the top of the page while the rest of the content scrolls.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, block settings have been split into two tabs in the sidebar: Styles and Settings. This makes blocks with more controls, such as the Group block, easier to customize, and allows the interface to scale with the growing number of design tools.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/01/core-editor-improvement-strengthening-style-options/"></a><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/01/core-editor-improvement-strengthening-style-options/">The latest “Core Editor Improvement” post</a> highlights the newest style features enhancements. Learn how they can help give your site a unique and cohesive look and feel.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team updates: Matrix exploration, WordPress.org redesign news, and more</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>WordPress and Matrix contributors published <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/01/25/a-meta-subproject-for-evaluating-matrix/">a proposal to explore the open source chat system Matrix</a> as a possible replacement for the WordPress community&#8217;s Slack.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Several sections of WordPress.org have been redesigned lately, including <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/docs/2023/01/24/new-look-new-site-new-helphub/">Documentation (HelpHub)</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/enterprise/">Enterprise</a>, and <a href="https://mercantile.wordpress.org/">Mercantile</a> (the official WordPress swag store). Learn more about the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/01/26/wordpress-org-redesign-recent-launches/">latest redesign updates</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The implementation of the block editor in the WordPress.org forums is <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/02/block-editor-live-in-most-forums/">progressing well</a> and the feedback so far has been very positive.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/01/25/wordpress-community-support-wordpress-foundation-entity-structure/">This comprehensive post</a> clarifies how WordPress Community Support (also known as WordCamp Central) and WordPress Foundation entities are set up and addresses some misconceptions about them.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/18/bug-scrub-schedule-for-6-2/">bug scrub schedule for WordPress 6.2</a> is now published. The goal of bug scrubs is to ensure tickets move towards a resolution—anyone can join these sessions to learn, help, or even <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/leading-bug-scrubs/">lead one</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Openverse <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2023/02/03/openverse-is-moving/">will be moving</a> from wordpress.org/openverse to openverse.org next week. Along with this move, new improvements are coming to the site&#8217;s homepage, header, and footer.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Plugin Review Team is looking for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2023/01/13/looking-for-your-intentionally-wrong-plugins/">your (intentionally) wrong plugins</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The latest edition of People of WordPress features <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/people-of-wordpress-daniel-kossmann/">Daniel Kossmann</a>, a software engineer from South America.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p>As part of the discussion on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/09/request-for-feedback-how-can-we-improve-the-five-for-the-future-contributor-journey/">improving the contributor journey</a>, Josepha wrote some thoughts on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/27/discussion-ending-the-eternal-september/">the Eternal September phenomenon in open source</a> and invites you to share yours.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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>The Community Team is gathering feedback on a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/01/19/proposal-adopt-github-for-team-projects/">proposed move to GitHub</a> for standardizing the project’s management tools.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>To mark WordPress&#8217; 20th anniversary milestone, Core Team contributors are organizing <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/24/proposal-old-tickets-trac-triage-sessions/">several bug scrub sessions</a> to tackle long-standing Trac tickets.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Version 21.6 of the WordPress mobile app for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2023/01/24/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-ios-21-6/">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 Training Team calls all WordPress users to complete <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/individual-learner-survey/">this short Individual Learner Survey</a> by February 20, 2023. Your feedback will help identify the most high-impact resources for <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a>.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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>Would you like to be a speaker at WordCamp Europe 2023? <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-speakers/">Submit your application</a> by February 5, 2023. The organizing team released the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/wceu-tickets-available-now/" target="_blank">first batch of tickets</a> and is also calling for&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-volunteers/" target="_blank">volunteers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-photographers-is-now-open/" target="_blank">photographers</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first WordCamp to be held in Africa in 2023, <a href="https://entebbe.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Entebbe</a>, is <a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/01/wordcamp-entebbe-first-wordcamp-to-happen-in-africa-in-2023-is-on/">well underway</a> and set to take place on March 10-11.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don’t miss these other upcoming WordCamps:\n<ul>\n<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1fa-1f1f8.png" alt="🇺🇸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <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" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://cebu.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Cebu</a>, Philippines on February 11, 2023</li>\n\n\n\n<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1ea-1f1f8.png" alt="🇪🇸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://chiclana.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Chiclana</a>, Spain, on March 3-4, 2023</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Asia 2023</a> in Bangkok, Thailand, is only two weeks away! Check out the <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/schedule/livestream/">livestream schedule</a> if you are attending virtually.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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: <em><a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>webcommsat</a>, <a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/rmartinezduque/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>rmartinezduque</a></em></em>.</p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14352";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:69:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:36:"People of WordPress: Daniel Kossmann";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/people-of-wordpress-daniel-kossmann/";s: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, 31 Jan 2023 23:00:00 +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:8:"category";a:5:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"Features";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"General";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Interviews";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"HeroPress";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"People of 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:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=14226";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:133:"The latest People of WordPress story features Daniel Kossmann, from Brazil, on his journey from video games fan to community builder.";s: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:11:"Abha Thakor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16419:"\n<p><strong>This month we feature Daniel Kossmann, a software engineer from South America who shares his enthusiasm for WordPress at every opportunity.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The <em>People of WordPress</em> series features inspiring stories of how people&#8217;s lives can change for the better through WordPress and its global community of contributors.</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1014" height="627" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo.jpg?resize=1014%2C627&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14222" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo.jpg?w=1014&amp;ssl=1 1014w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo.jpg?resize=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo.jpg?resize=768%2C475&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel&#8217;s adventure into WordPress began in 2009 when he needed a way to publish and share articles on films. From that small spark, he now enjoys an interesting and varied career in Brazil and beyond, and an ever-expanding community network. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following WordPress and its new features fascinates Daniel and he is always looking for ways to share what it has to offer with others. His initial focus on WordPress for content publishing soon became a wider appreciation of the platform’s capacity for building communities and careers.&nbsp; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel has served as a community organizer for seven years in Curitiba, Brazil and co-organized four annual <a href="https://wptranslationday.org/">WordPress Translation Day</a> events in the city. Community building initiatives, like these, bring in new volunteers and help spur on local user groups.<br><br>Now working as a software engineer manager, Daniel maintains his interest in supporting the WordPress community through a newsletter in Brazilian Portuguese.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Finding WordPress to publish content can be life-changing</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel&#8217;s web development skills were initially self-taught, and built on his interest in technology and from his earlier interest in video games. He developed systems in ASP and PHP, and created online resources to teach others how to create websites. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the time came to choose his academic path, he had no doubt that it would be something related to computers and picked Computer Science at the Federal University of Paraná.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>“In order to focus more on content rather than coding, I ended up getting to know WordPress. It was love at first sight!” </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2009, he launched a public blog about films that became a hub for cultural content related to cinema, literature, and comics. The blog had collaborators from several cities in the country. He found WordPress an easy tool for publishing articles. It allowed him to spend more time on writing content rather than having to use his software engineering skills to write code.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, once he discovered the range and versatility of the software, he wanted to build themes and features to customize websites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he searched for learning materials, he came across a WordPress event happening in his own city. This event, <a href="https://curitiba.wordcamp.org/2010/">WordCamp Curitiba 2010</a>, had a deep impact on Daniel.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>“Other tech events I attended charged more than double this WordCamp, but hadn’t offered half of the things it did.” </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel was inspired not only by the talks but also the kindness shown by others at the event. His inherent shyness meant he had to step out of his comfort zone to socialize. However, the friendliness of attendees and the welcome he received made this less foreboding. He was hooked by the community he met, and he pledged to volunteer at the next WordCamp and even apply as a speaker.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1" alt="Daniel giving a talk at WordCamp São Paulo 2018 \n" class="wp-image-14223" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-saopaulo-2.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Daniel giving a talk at WordCamp São Paulo 2018 about Gutenberg</em></figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Less than two years later, Daniel helped to organize <a href="https://curitiba.wordcamp.org/2012/">WordCamp in Curitiba 2012</a>, and this was where he gave his first public talk. It was an important moment in his journey. He is determined to keep improving his public speaking skills each time he presents, and help others to do so too. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">From WordPress user to entrepreneur</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel had dreamed of starting his own company since childhood. Following his university graduation in 2011, he decided to fulfil that dream. He started a web development company, envisioning it as a creative project lab.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, he worked with a variety of systems and programming languages. Soon, he realized that maintaining multiple solutions took considerable time and effort. So he opted to use a single platform, WordPress. It offered ease of use for his clients and the possibility of offering various types of websites. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>“This decision allowed me to dive even deeper into the system, making better and faster-to-deliver solutions for my clients,” said Daniel.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the company grew, he expanded the services it offered to include support, maintenance, courses, consulting, and optimized hosting for WordPress. This gave Daniel access to a wider range of clients and greater specialization in the WordPress platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even as a small company, Daniel wanted to give back to the WordPress community. Through using this open source software, the business had not faced the costs of using commercial platforms. He felt he should invest back into the software and its community it as much as he could, from sponsorship of events to collaborating in the Contributor Teams.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-floripa.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14221" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-floripa.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-floripa.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-floripa.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2018-wc-floripa.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>His community contributions include speaking at meetups and WordCamps to share what what he has learned in his day-to-day work. “It was always and still is a big pleasure to be able to make these contributions,” he affirmed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, he decided to close his company after eight years and start a new chapter in Development Coordination. His focus continues to be on WordPress, both professionally and in the community.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Supporting local: re-energising the Curitiba’s WordPress community</h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2016-meetup-curitiba.jpg?resize=680%2C510&#038;ssl=1" alt="Daniel speaking at a meetup in Curitiba in 2016." class="wp-image-14241" width="680" height="510" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2016-meetup-curitiba.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2016-meetup-curitiba.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2016-meetup-curitiba.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2016-meetup-curitiba.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Daniel speaking at a meetup in Curitiba in 2016</em></figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After WordCamp in Curitiba in 2012, the community there took a break from organizing events. Three years later, Daniel was eager to help restart meetups in Curitiba. He connected with others in the Brazilian community to find a way forward to support both end users of WordPress and firms using the platform. Through instant messaging tool Slack, a rebooted meetup was organized in August 2015. All the planning was done virtually and they only met for the first time in person on the day of the event.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although they did not have much initial experience in event planning, the meetup organizers were determined attendees should have fun and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. They wanted people to feel comfortable socializing and to chat before and after the talks. The tips that attendees shared at every meeting were one of the most successful elements of these user-focused meetups.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Daniel, getting up in front of people to introduce the meetup was still not easy. However, he knew continuing to practice and improve his self-confidence was the only way to overcome his shyness. This determination and sense of achievement inspires him to encourage others to present talks and share the tips he uses when presenting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://www.meetup.com/wpcuritiba/">Curitiba meetup</a> continues to flourish. Though Daniel has moved to supporting the community in new ways, he has a lasting fondness for it. It has made him an advocate for local groups at the heart of the WordPress community. He believes the shared interest and enthusiasm for learning at meetups helps to increase attendees&#8217; interest in both the software and its community, and their willingness to participate .</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sharing the benefit of WordPress across Brazil</h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2019-meetup-curitiba-4.jpg?resize=680%2C411&#038;ssl=1" alt="Daniel presenting at a Curitiba meetup in 2019." class="wp-image-14242" width="680" height="411" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2019-meetup-curitiba-4.jpg?w=991&amp;ssl=1 991w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2019-meetup-curitiba-4.jpg?resize=300%2C182&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/daniel-kossmann-2019-meetup-curitiba-4.jpg?resize=768%2C465&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Daniel presenting at a Curitiba meetup in 2019</em></figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In June 2019, Daniel created a newsletter to spread content about WordPress in Brazilian Portuguese and inspire others to create content in the language. Translating, Daniel believes is a powerful way to make WordPress more accessible to people who do not speak English, which is the case for a lot of people in Brazil. In 2021, Daniel started writing regularly about WordPress on his blog too. He continues to publish weekly news, tutorials, tips, and share events. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Advice to future WordPress contributors</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel believes that the WordPress community is a key strength of the platform. It attracts people with a range of technical skills and backgrounds, and strives to have a diverse and open space for exchange. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many ways to contribute to WordPress without working with the code. He said: “I&#8217;m a big evangelizer of learning in public. A great way to collaborate is to create your blog in WordPress itself and share your journey of using it, and to write about tips and useful resources. This will eventually lead you to the official WordPress documentation and, the more you use it, the more opportunities for improvements you will see. Then you can start contributing to improving it. Besides this, you can pick a plugin or theme that you use and help with its translation.&#8221;<br><br>He added: “My biggest advice for those who are starting to contribute to WordPress is to start with a small step, maybe solving an easy bug or fixing a typo, and create a routine to consistently work on it, like an hour every weekend.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel has made several lasting friendships, received professional referrals through his participation in community events, and enjoys a career that continues to have variety and new things to learn. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>His final message is to join WordPress <a href="https://www.meetup.com/topics/wordpress/">meetups locally</a> or online in other cities, and be inspired like he has been for 14 years and still counting. </p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Share the stories</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Help share these stories of open source contributors and continue to grow the community. Meet more WordPressers in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/category/newsletter/interviews/">People of WordPress series</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Contributors</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to <a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/kossmann/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>kossmann</a> for sharing his adventures in WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to Abha Thakor (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>webcommsat</a>), Larissa Murillo (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/lmurillom/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>lmurillom</a>), Meher Bala (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>meher</a>), Chloe Bringmann (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>cbringmann</a>) for research, interviews, and writing this feature article.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>People of WordPress</em> series thanks Josepha Haden (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>chanthaboune</a>) and Topher DeRosia (<a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>topher1kenobe</a>) for their support.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-center" style="grid-template-columns:29% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="180" height="135" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/03/heropress_logo_180.png?resize=180%2C135&#038;ssl=1" alt="HeroPress logo" class="wp-image-8409 size-full" data-recalc-dims="1" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">\n<p class="has-small-font-size"><em>This People of WordPress feature is inspired by an essay originally published on </em><a href="https://heropress.com/"><em>HeroPress.com</em></a><em>, a community initiative created by Topher DeRosia. It highlights people in the WordPress community who have overcome barriers and whose stories might otherwise go unheard. </em>#HeroPress </p>\n</div></div>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14226";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:61:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\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:4:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"WP Briefing: Episode 48: What Does Concluding a Gutenberg Phase Really Mean?";s: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:97:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/episode-48-what-does-concluding-a-gutenberg-phase-really-mean/";s: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, 30 Jan 2023 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:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"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:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"wp-briefing";s: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=14213";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:114:"Gutenberg''s second phase is ending. Join Josepha as she reflects on what concluding a phase means in the project. ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:9:"enclosure";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:3:"url";s:60:"https://wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/WP-Briefing-048.mp3";s:6:"length";s:1:"0";s:4:"type";s: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:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9472:"\n<p>On episode forty-eight of the WordPress Briefing podcast, Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy reflects on the closing of Gutenberg phase two, and what that means in the larger context of the project. </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/" data-type="URL" data-id="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">Show Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/39293&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876639227&amp;usg=AOvVaw3p5tCc9THqs-s4oFT7aXL8" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/39293&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876639227&amp;usg=AOvVaw3p5tCc9THqs-s4oFT7aXL8">Removing Block Editor Beta Label GitHub Issue</a><br><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-bugs/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876639741&amp;usg=AOvVaw26y93yfwo7kmKoajxvyYQC" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-bugs/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876639741&amp;usg=AOvVaw26y93yfwo7kmKoajxvyYQC">Reporting Bugs</a><br><a href="https://www.make.wordpress.org/design" data-type="URL" data-id="www.make.wordpress.org/design">make.wordpress.org/design</a><br><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/09/request-for-feedback-how-can-we-improve-the-five-for-the-future-contributor-journey/">Contribution Conversations: Improving the Contributor Journey</a><br><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/27/discussion-ending-the-eternal-september/">Contribution Conversations: Ending the Eternal September</a><br><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/01/20/proposal-dedicated-communication-place-for-wordcamp-mentors/">Contribution Conversations: WordCamp Mentorship</a><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/27/discussion-ending-the-eternal-september/"><br></a><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/schedule/livestream/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876640083&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ew_7Sux2HngWq8FSO__kW" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/schedule/livestream/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1674835876640083&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ew_7Sux2HngWq8FSO__kW">WordCamp Asia Livestream Info</a><br></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id="more-14213"></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.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m your host, Jospeha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:40]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve barely gotten moving here in 2023, but even so, WordPress is already working toward its next major release– coming to us at the end of March. You&#8217;ve probably heard by now that with this release comes the “end of Phase 2.” But for a lot of folks, that&#8217;s raising some questions about what to expect.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:00]&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I&#8217;m gonna spend a little time today sharing what I currently know. Let&#8217;s start with what that phrase does mean. Firstly, all of the projects, with the exception of two, I believe, in the Phase 2 scoping ticket, will be shipped in the Gutenberg plugin before WordPress 6.2 release comes out. Barring any major breaking issues, those will then land in that major release in WordPress 6.2.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, like, 99% of the features we considered in scope for Phase 2 will be in core by April. It also means the block editor may finally shed its beta label. We&#8217;ve been discussing that possibility with the input of the community over the course of the last few major releases, and we&#8217;ll do the same as we get ready for the 6.2 release as well. That discussion is tracked over in GitHub, and I can share a link to that in the show notes. For anyone who is a little super nerd, like me, the ticket number is 39293.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So not only if you&#8217;re going to memorize it and be one of those cool WordPressers who can call tickets to mind based on the numbers. This is a good one because not only is it an important topic, to be able to recall, but also it&#8217;s a palindrome, so you get to be fancy and know that forever.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But anyway, I&#8217;ll put a link to it in the show notes for all the rest of us. Fingers crossed that we get to remove that label this time around, but also, the acceptance criteria on it are pretty clear. So it&#8217;s really a matter of yes or no on all of the columns all the way down.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what does that phase <em>not</em> mean? Firstly, it does not mean that we will stop accepting user feedback or bug reports on any features up to this point. It is always encouraged to file a ticket on track or GitHub detailing any bugs that you&#8217;ve encountered. If you&#8217;ve never reported a bug before, don&#8217;t worry. We have all been there. I&#8217;ll gather a link or two with some information for first-timers.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you ever run into me at a WordCamp, feel free to ask me about my first bug-reporting experience. And after you&#8217;ve heard that, you will immediately go and file that bug that has been sitting screenshotted on your desk for six months because it honestly cannot get any worse than my first one.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondly, it definitely does not mean that we will stop shipping refinements to the user experience. As much as I&#8217;d like to say this isn&#8217;t true, I think all open source contributors know that no matter how much you test a solution, you can&#8217;t actually account for all possible use cases when you work on a project this size.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as we find things that we didn&#8217;t realize were a little rough to use, we will, of course, make the effort to smooth those workflows as quickly as possible. So that&#8217;s my little reassuring tl;dr for what that phrase means. If you are listening to this and haven&#8217;t spent much time in the block editor as it exists today, I encourage you to do so.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has really changed substantially since it was first merged in 2018, and it represents thousands of hours of research and problem-solving and creation, and outreach. If you know someone who has contributed to the project or whose content helped you make sense of some inscrutable part of it, also maybe, drop them a line and let them know you appreciate their hard work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:26]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>That brings us now to our small list of big things. Firstly, we are thinking a lot right now about the paths to contribution. Both at the start of your contribution journey and as you grow into a long-term, seasoned contributor. There are a couple of different discussions related to that right now. So there are actually two project-wide discussions that are on make.wordpress.org/project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there&#8217;s one that is specific to WordCamp membership, and that is on make.wordpress.org/community. You can head over to any of those and share your experiences, thoughts, and any wild ideas that you have.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing on my small list is that there are a lot of pages across wordpress.org that are getting shiny new designs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to get involved in those discussions, or you just wanna catch early previews of what&#8217;s coming to the site, you can hop over to make.wordpress.org/design or join the design team meetings in Slack.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the last thing is that WordCamp Asia is coming quickly, my friends. This event is near and dear to my heart. I hope to see a lot of you in person, but if you won&#8217;t be able to make it in person, we still have you covered. There will be a live stream, and the schedule for that is already on the site. It shows the times for each session in your local time zone so you can easily decide which presentations you absolutely must see right in the moment.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that, my friends, is your small list of big things. Thanks for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I&#8217;ll see you again in a couple of weeks.</p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14213";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:60:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"The Month in WordPress – December 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:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/the-month-in-wordpress-december-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:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 19 Jan 2023 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:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Month 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:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"month 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:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=14191";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:339:"Last month at State of the Word, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy shared some opening thoughts on “Why WordPress” and the Four Freedoms of open source. In this recent letter, she expands on her vision for the WordPress open source project as it prepares for the third phase of Gutenberg: “We are now, as [&#8230;]";s: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:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12820:"\n<p>Last month at <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/state-of-the-word-2022-recap/">State of the Word</a>, WordPress Executive Director <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a> shared some opening thoughts on “Why WordPress” and the Four Freedoms of open source. <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-2022/">In this recent letter</a>, she expands on her vision for the WordPress open source project as it prepares for the third phase of Gutenberg:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-default">\n<p>“We are now, as we ever were, securing the opportunity for those who come after us, because of the opportunity secured by those who came before us.”</p>\n<cite>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>December brought with it a time for reflection—a time to look back, celebrate, and start planning new projects. Read on to find out what 2023 holds for WordPress so far.</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">WordPress is turning 20!</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>2023 marks the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/wordpress-is-turning-20-lets-celebrate/">20th anniversary of WordPress’ launch</a>. The project has come a long way since <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2003/05/wordpress-now-available/">the first release</a> as it continues to advance its mission to democratize publishing. From its beginnings as a blogging platform to a <a href="https://wordpress.org/showcase/">world-leading open source CMS</a> powering over 40% of websites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join the WordPress community in celebrating this important milestone. As the anniversary date approaches, there will be events, commemorative swag, and more.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://wp20.wordpress.net/">Stay tuned for updates</a>.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WordPress 6.2 is scheduled for March 28, 2023</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Work on WordPress 6.2, the first major release of 2023, is already underway. <strong>It is expected to launch on March 28, 2023</strong>, and will include up to Gutenberg 15.1 for a total of 10 <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/contributors/versions-in-wordpress/">Gutenberg releases</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The proposed schedule includes four Beta releases to accommodate the first WordCamp Asia and avoid having major release milestones very close to this event.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/17/wordpress-6-2-planning-roundup/">Read more about the 6.2 schedule and release team</a><em>.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/"><strong>Gutenberg 14.8</strong></a> was released on December 21, 2022. This version features a reorganized Site Editor interface with a Browse Mode that facilitates navigation through templates and template parts. In addition, it includes the ability to add custom CSS via the Style panel and a Style Book that provides an overview of all block styles in a centralized location.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/"><strong>Gutenberg 14.9</strong></a> became available for download on January 4, 2023. It introduces a new “Push changes to Global Styles” button in the Site Editor, which allows users to apply individual block style changes to all blocks of that type across their site. Other features include typography support for the Page List block, and the ability to import sidebar widgets into a template part when transitioning from a classic theme.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p>Learn how Gutenberg’s latest releases are <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/06/core-editor-improvement-advancing-the-site-editor-experience/">advancing the Site Editor experience</a> to be more intuitive and scalable.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team updates: WordPress big picture goals, new Incident Response Team, and more</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Josepha shared <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/18/big-picture-goals-2023/">WordPress’ big picture goals for 2023</a>, which support the vision set out in <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2022/12/state-of-the-word-2022-recap/">State of the Word 2022</a> and her recent <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-2022/">letter to WordPress</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let’s welcome the newly formed <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2022/12/21/announcement-new-wordpress-incident-response-team/">WordPress Incident Response Team (​​IRT)</a>—a group of contributors who will help as a community resource when behavior or actions do not align with the code of conduct.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A number of Make teams have announced their team representatives for 2023, including <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-reps-for-2023/">Community</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/20/core-team-reps-for-2023-and-beyond/">Core</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2023/01/10/2023-marketing-team-new-meeting-time-and-new-team-reps/">Marketing</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2022/12/20/polyglots-monthly-newsletter-december-2022/">Polyglots</a>, <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/training/2022/12/23/training-team-meeting-recap-for-december-20-2022/">Training</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>As part of the WordPress.org redesign project, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2023/01/16/a-refresh-of-wordpress-org-themes/">the Theme Directory will soon get a refreshed look and feel</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The return of in-person events and the Meetup Reactivation project are some of the highlights that marked a challenging but successful year for the Community Team. Learn more about <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/20/community-team-2022-goals-recap/">what they achieved in 2022</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>#WPDiversity also celebrated its accomplishments in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/19/diverse-speaker-training-group-wpdiversity-2022-year-end-report/">this report</a>. Last year, the training group held 15 events attended by more than 200 participants.</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> provides a data overview of contributions made to the WordPress core codebase in the past year.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you into WordPress development? Don’t miss this post on <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/12/28/2022-the-block-developers-year-in-review/">2022&#8217;s most notable milestones and learning resources for block developers</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The January 2023 editions of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2023/01/13/polyglots-monthly-newsletter-january-2023/">Polyglots monthly newsletter</a> and the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/01/18/meetup-organizer-newsletter-january-2023/">Meetup Organizer newsletter</a> are now available for reading.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-extra-large-font-size">\n<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/13/sotw22qa/">Check out the 2022 State of the Word Q&amp;A post</a>, which answers submitted questions that Matt could not address at the live event.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/01/11/fse-program-testing-call-20-find-your-style/">Join the latest FSE Program testing call</a> to help strengthen the upcoming WordPress site editing experience. Leave your feedback by February 1, 2023.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The WordPress Developer Blog is <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/12/can-you-help-with-topics-for-the-wordpress-developer-blog/">gathering ideas for content topics</a>.</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>Have thoughts for improving the Five for the Future contributor experience? <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/09/request-for-feedback-how-can-we-improve-the-five-for-the-future-contributor-journey/">This post calls for ideas</a> on how this initiative can better support the project and the people behind it.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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>Get ready for <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Asia 2023</a>! The first flagship WordCamp in Asia is happening on February 17-19, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand. <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/schedule/">Check out the schedule</a> to learn more about the sessions and speakers.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href="https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordPress Community Summit</a> and <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp US 2023</a> will take place in Maryland, USA, in August 2023. You can now <a href="https://us.wordcamp.org/2023/wcus-organizing-team/">apply to join the organizing team</a> and help bring the next WCUS to life.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Join #WPDiversity with a free online workshop on <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-own-your-expertise-start-speaking-at-wordpress-events-apac-tickets-513455969627">How to Own Your Expertise &amp; Start Speaking at WordPress Events APAC</a>. The event will take place on January 28, 2023.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don’t miss these other upcoming WordCamps:\n<ul>\n<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1ea-1f1f8.png" alt="🇪🇸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <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" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <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" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <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>Would you like to be a speaker at WordCamp Europe 2023? <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2023/call-for-speakers/">Submit your application</a> by the first week of February.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" 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/laurlittle/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>laurlittle</a>, <a href=''https://profiles.wordpress.org/rmartinezduque/'' class=''mention''><span class=''mentions-prefix''>@</span>rmartinezduque</a>.</em></p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14191";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:57:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:49:"Letter from WordPress’ Executive Director, 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:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-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:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 16 Jan 2023 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:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"General";s: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=14180";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:127:"If Phases 1 and 2 had a "blocks everywhere" vision, think of Phase 3 with more of a “works with the way you work” vision. ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"Josepha";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5903:"\n<p>Last month at State of the Word, I shared some opening thoughts about &#8220;Why WordPress.&#8221; For me, this is an easy question, and the hardest part is knowing which lens to answer through. The reasons that a solopreneur will choose WordPress are different than the reasons a corporation would. And while artists and activists may have a similar vision for the world, their motivations change their reasons, too. That&#8217;s why I always focus on the philosophical parts of the answer because I know that I am speaking as an advocate for many types of WordPressers. I have a few other reasons, too, which you may not be aware of as you use our software every day.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why WordPress?</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, the Four Freedoms of Open Source. If you have already listened to State of the Word, you have heard my thoughts on the philosophical side of open source and the freedoms it provides. If you didn’t, then the tl;dr on that is that open source provides protections and freedoms to creators on the web that should be a given. There&#8217;s an extent to which the idea of owning your content and data online is a radical idea. So radical, even, that it is hard for folks to grasp what we mean when we say &#8220;free as in speech, not free as in beer.&#8221; Securing an open web for the future is, I believe, a net win for the world especially when contrasted to the walled gardens and proprietary systems that pit us all against one another with the purpose of gaining more data to sell.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A second reason is that WordPress entrepreneurs (those providing services, designing sites, and building applications) have proven that open source offers an ethical framework for conducting business. No one ever said that you cannot build a business using free and open source software. And I am regularly heartened by the way successful companies and freelancers make an effort to pay forward what they can. Not always for the sole benefit of WordPress, but often for the general benefit of folks learning how to be an entrepreneur in our ecosystem. Because despite our competitive streaks, at the end of the day, we know that ultimately we are the temporary caretakers of an ecosystem that has unlocked wealth and opportunity for people we may never meet but whose lives are made infinitely better because of us.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the final reason is that leaders in the WordPress community (team reps, component maintainers, and community builders) have shown that open source ideals can be applied to how we work with one another. As a community, we tend to approach solution gathering as an “us vs. the problem” exercise, which not only makes our solutions better and our community stronger. And our leaders—working as they are in a cross-cultural, globally-distributed project that guides or supports tens of thousands of people a year—have unparalleled generosity of spirit. Whether they are welcoming newcomers or putting out calls for last-minute volunteers, seeing the way that they collaborate every day gives me hope for our future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I have witnessed these three things work together over the years, one thing is clear to me: not only is open source an idea that can change our generation by being an antidote to proprietary systems and the data economy, open source methodologies represent a process that can change the way we approach our work and our businesses.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WordPress in 2023</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we prepare for the third phase of the Gutenberg project, we are putting on our backend developer hats and working on the APIs that power our workflows. Releases during Phase 3 will focus on the main elements of collaborative user workflows. If that doesn’t make sense, think of built-in real-time collaboration, commenting options in drafts, easier browsing of post revisions, and programmatic editorial and pre-launch checklists.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Phases 1 and 2 had a &#8220;blocks everywhere&#8221; vision, think of Phase 3 with more of a “works with the way you work” vision.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to this halfway milestone of starting work on Phase 3, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://wp20.wordpress.net/" target="_blank">WordPress also hits the milestone of turning 20 years old</a>. I keep thinking back to various milestones we&#8217;ve had (which you can read about in the second version of the Milestones book) and realized that almost my entire experience of full-time contributions to WordPress has been in the Gutenberg era.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I hear some of you already thinking incredulous thoughts so, come with me briefly.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a couple of different moments that folks point to as the beginning of the Gutenberg project. Some say it was at State of the Word 2013 when Matt dreamed of &#8220;a true WYSIWYG&#8221; editor for WordPress. Some say it was at State of the Word 2016 where we were encouraged to &#8220;learn Javascript deeply.&#8221; For many of us, it was at WordCamp Europe in 2017 when the Gutenberg demo first made its way on stage.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter when you first became aware of Gutenberg, I can confirm that it feels like a long time because it has been a long time. I can also confirm that it takes many pushes to knock over a refrigerator. For early adopters (both to the creation of Gutenberg and its use), hyper-focus on daily tasks makes it hard to get a concept of scale.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I encourage you this year to look out toward the horizon and up toward our guiding stars. We are now, as we ever were, securing the opportunity for those who come after us, because of the opportunity secured by those who came before us.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rather listen? <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/episode-47-letter-from-the-executive-director/">The abbreviated spoken letter is also available.</a> </em></p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14180";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:61:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\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:4:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:59:"WP Briefing: Episode 47: Letter from the Executive Director";s: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://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/episode-47-letter-from-the-executive-director/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 16 Jan 2023 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:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"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:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"wp-briefing";s: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=14175";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:114:"Hear from WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy on her vision for the open source project 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:9:"enclosure";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:3:"url";s:60:"https://wordpress.org/news/files/2023/01/WP-Briefing-047.mp3";s:6:"length";s:1:"0";s:4:"type";s: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:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8912:"\n<p>On episode forty-seven of the WordPress Briefing podcast, Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy shares her vision and current thinking for the WordPress open source project in 2023. <em>Rather read it? <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The full letter is also available</a>.</em></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/" data-type="URL" data-id="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">Show Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="http://make.WordPress.org/core">make.WordPress.org/core</a><br><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-2/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-2/">Join the 6.2 Release!</a><br><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/">Submit Topics for the Community Summit!</a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id="more-14175"></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 00:00:40]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last month at State of the Word, I shared some opening thoughts about why WordPress. For me, this is an easy question, and the hardest part is always knowing which lens to answer through. Though I always focus on the philosophical parts of the answer, I know that I often speak as an advocate for many types of WordPressers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as we prepare ourselves for the start of a new year, I have a few additional thoughts that I&#8217;d like to share with you, my WordPress community, to take into the year with you.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, the Four Freedoms. If you have already listened to State of the Word, you have heard my take on the philosophical side of open source and the freedoms it provides.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you didn&#8217;t, then the TL;DR on that is that open source provides protections and freedoms to creators on the web that I really think should just be a given. But there are a couple of other things about the Four Freedoms, and especially the way that WordPress does this kind of open source-y thing that I think are worth noting as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of those things is that WordPress entrepreneurs, those who are providing services or designing sites, building applications, they have proven that open source provides an ethical framework for conducting business. No one ever said that you aren&#8217;t allowed to build a business using free and open source software, and I am regularly heartened by the way that successful companies and freelancers make the effort to pay forward what they can.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:02]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not always for the sole benefit of WordPress, of course, but often for the general benefit of folks who are also learning how to be entrepreneurs or how to kind of navigate our ecosystem. And the other thing that I love about the Four Freedoms and the way that WordPress does it is that leaders in the WordPress community, no matter where they are leading from, have shown that open source ideals can be applied to the way we work with one another and show up for one another.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a community, we tend to approach solution gathering as an us-versus-the-problem exercise, which not only makes our solutions better, it also makes our community stronger.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I have witnessed all of these things work together over the years, one thing that is clear to me is this: not only is open source an idea that can change our generation by being an antidote to proprietary systems and the data economy, but open source methodologies represent a process that can change the way we approach our work and our businesses.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:01]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second big thing that I want to make sure you all take into the year with you is that we are preparing for the third phase of the Gutenberg project. We are putting our backend developer hats on and working on the APIs that power our workflows. That workflows phase will be complex. A little bit because APIs are dark magic that binds us together, but also because we&#8217;re going to get deep into the core of WordPress with that phase.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to have impactful work for future users of WordPress, though, this is the phase to get invested in. This phase will focus on the main elements of collaborative user workflows. If that doesn&#8217;t really make sense to you, I totally get it. Think of it this way, this phase will work on built-in real-time collaboration, commenting options in drafts, easier browsing of post revisions, and things like programmable editorial, pre-launch checklists.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So phases one and two of the Gutenberg project had a very ‘blocks everywhere’ sort of vision. And phase three and, arguably, phase four will have more of a ‘works with the way you work’ vision.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And my final thought for you all as we head into the year is this, there are a couple of different moments that folks point to as the beginning of the Gutenberg project. Some say it was State of the Word 2013, where Matt dreamed on stage of a true WYSIWYG editor for WordPress. Some say it was State of the Word 2016, where we were all encouraged to learn JavaScript deeply. For a lot of us though, it was at WordCamp Europe in 2018 when the Gutenberg feature plugin first made its way to the repo.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter when you first became aware of Gutenberg, I can confirm that it feels like it&#8217;s been a long time because it has been a long time. But I can also confirm that it takes many pushes to knock over a refrigerator.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>For early adopters, both to the creation of Gutenberg as well as its use, hyperfocus on daily tasks makes it really hard to get a concept of scale.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so I encourage everyone this year to look out toward the horizon a bit more and up toward our guiding stars a bit more as well. Because we are now, as we ever were, securing opportunity for those who come after us because of the opportunity that was secured for us by those who came before us.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:33]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>That brings us now to our small list of big things. It&#8217;s a very small list, but two pretty big things. The first thing on the list is that the WordPress 6.2 release is on its way. If you would like to get started contributing there, you can wander over to make.WordPress.org/core. You can volunteer to be part of the release squad. You can volunteer your time just as a regular contributor, someone who can test things &#8212; any of that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll put a link in the show notes. And the second thing that I wanted to remind you of is that today is the deadline to submit topics for the Community Summit that&#8217;s coming up in August. That comes up in the middle of August, like the 22nd and 23rd or something like that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll put a link to that in the show notes as well. If you already have chatted with a team rep about some things that you really want to make sure get discussed at the community summit, I think that we can all assume that your team rep has put that in. But if not, it never hurts to give it a second vote by putting a new submission into the form.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that, my friends, is your small list of big things. Thank you for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I&#8217;ll see you again in a couple of weeks.</p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14175";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:63:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n		\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:4:{s:0:"";a:6:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:43:"WordPress is Turning 20: Let’s Celebrate!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/wordpress-is-turning-20-lets-celebrate/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:38:49 +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:8:"category";a:3:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6:"Events";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"General";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:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:"WP20";s: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=14155";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:106:"2023 marks the 20th year of WordPress. Read on to learn about how WordPress is celebrating this milestone.";s: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:11:"Dan Soschin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1476:"\n<p>2023 marks the 20th year of WordPress. Where would we all be without WordPress? Just think of that! While many technologies, software stacks, and fashion trends have come and gone throughout the past two decades, WordPress has thrived. This is due to the fantastic work and contributions of the WordPress community, comprised of thousands of contributors; and millions of users who have embraced the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/">four freedoms of WordPress</a> and the mission to democratize publishing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let’s celebrate!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the beginning of 2023, leading up to the official anniversary date of WordPress’s launch (May 27, 2003), a number of different events will celebrate this important milestone, reflect on the journey, and look toward the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please join in!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next few months, be sure to check WordPress’s official social media accounts along with the <a href="https://wp20.wordpress.net/">official anniversary website</a> for updates on how you can be involved in this exciting celebration by contributing content, collecting cool anniversary swag, and much more. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the hashtag <strong>#WP20</strong> on social media so the community can follow along.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have something planned to celebrate that you would like to be considered for inclusion on the official website, please <a href="https://forms.gle/my1yknAJYZ4jFLb79">use this form to share the details</a>.</p>\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:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"14155";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:61:"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\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:4:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"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:"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: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:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"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:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"wp-briefing";s: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:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}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:115:"This episode of the WP Briefing features all the Josepha bloopers our little elves have stored away over the year. ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:9:"enclosure";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:3:"url";s:60:"https://wordpress.org/news/files/2022/12/WP-Briefing-046.mp3";s:6:"length";s:1:"0";s:4:"type";s: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:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9636:"\n<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/" data-type="URL" data-id="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. 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WordPress&#8217; Accessibility team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/17/meetup-com-accessibility-overlay-february-update/#respond">reports</a> that the company is following through with this undertaking and has completed an assessment with <a href="https://www.deque.com/">Deque</a>, a well-respected accessibility consultancy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The assessment identified 732 issues that need to be resolved, which Meetup.com plans to address through two phases. Approximately 40% of the issues are related to design and color contrast. These will be resolved in the first phase with the help of an external consultant who will guide Meetup.com&#8217;s engineers and staff to fix issues and ensure ongoing compliance. In the second phase, the company will tackle the remaining issues which center on web remediation. These include problems with the site&#8217;s component library and website components. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meetup.com serves approximately <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/meetup/technology">24 million visitors</a> every month in more than 190 countries. The WordPress project uses the platform for local meetups and educational events &#8211; both virtual and in-person. As a result of WordPress&#8217; diplomatic advocacy and Meetup.com&#8217;s reception to user feedback, the platform will soon provide a better experience for people with disabilities and those who use assistive technology.</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, 17 Feb 2023 22:57:57 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:69:"WPTavern: WordCamp London In Early Planning Stages for September 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=142125";s: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:80:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-london-in-early-planning-stages-for-september-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:2131:"<p>The organizers of WordCamp London are in the <a href="https://twitter.com/WordCampLondon/status/1626199074876624897">early planning stages</a> for an event that would take place in September 2023. It has been nearly four years since London hosted a WordCamp. The event was cancelled in 2020 and scheduling was not resumed until recently.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizers have created a <a href="https://wclondon.crowdsignal.net/delivering-wordcamp-london-2023-1a72">survey</a> that respondents can take anonymously in approximately 2-3 minutes. The questions were created to help them know how to shape the event. In 2019, <a href="https://london.wordcamp.org/2019/">WordCamp London brought in 768 attendees</a> and sessions were livestreamed for the first time. Organizers are asking how many people attendees would like to see at WordCamp London, with options ranging from fewer than 400 to more than 800. A few popular WordCamps in recent years have elected to keep a smaller number of spots available in order to better manage uncertainties and ensure a sold out event.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The survey also attempts to gauge potential attendees&#8217; preferences on the number of conference days, as well as interest in volunteering, organizing, sponsoring, or speaking at the event. There is an option at the end for respondents to leave their contact information to stay in the loop on opportunities to participate in and support the WordCamp.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many in Europe, and especially the UK, WordCamp London was their first WordCamp experience. Those interested to attend can <a href="https://london.wordcamp.org/2023/">sign up for updates</a> on the placeholder website, or follow the camp on <a href="https://twitter.com/WordCampLondon">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://connected.so/@WordCampLondon">Mastodon</a>. For those in the local area, the WordPress London Meetup has opened <a href="https://www.meetup.com/london-wordpress/events/291658618/">registration</a> for this month&#8217;s gathering at The Liberty Bounds. They plan to discuss WordCamp London and reconnect and will resume having speakers and pizza at future events. </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, 17 Feb 2023 21:41:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:82:"WordCamp Central: WooCommerce sponsors WordPress community events across the globe";s: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:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=3161236";s: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://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/02/woocommerce-sponsors-wordpress-community-events-worldwide/";s: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:1615:"<p>We’re very grateful to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/">WooCommerce</a> for&nbsp;<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/global-community-sponsors/">sponsoring WordPress community events all around the world</a>&nbsp;at the Bronze level again in 2023! WooCommerce’s support helps make local community events (like WordPress meetup groups and WordCamps) better for WordPress enthusiasts and easier to organize for our wonderful group of hardworking volunteers.</p>\n\n\n\n<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/files/2019/03/Copy-of-woocommerce-logo-color-black@2x-2.png"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p>WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source eCommerce platform built on WordPress.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sell anything online with the flexibility and freedom of the world’s most popular CMS.</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce/stats/">4+ million active installations</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li>55+ million downloads</li>\n\n\n\n<li>450+ extensions to add and extend functionality</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you’re selling a few handcrafted items to a niche market, taking an existing business online, or going global with an enterprise-level eCommerce business WooCommerce gets you set up and selling fast, scaling securely as you grow.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your content is forever yours and customizable down to the button color. Plus you’re joining a supportive, <a href="https://woocommerce.com/meetups/">global community</a> of developers and store owners.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed and supported by a distributed team, WooCommerce is powered by Automattic, the creators of Jetpack and WordPress.com.</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, 17 Feb 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:6:"Isotta";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:111:"Post Status: Product People Arnas Donauskas, Web Hosting Product Owner at Hostinger  — Post Status Draft 141";s: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=147310";s: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:115:"https://poststatus.com/product-people-arnas-donauskas-web-hosting-product-owner-at-hostinger-post-status-draft-141/";s: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:40007:"<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">Arnas Donauskas, Web Hosting Product Owner at <a href="https://www.hostinger.com/">Hostinger</a>, joins Cory Miller to discuss his WordPress product. Arnas leveraged his experience in customer success and UX research to transition into owning a WordPress product. </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">26</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 and Arnas Donauskas, Web Hosting Product Owner at&nbsp; <a href="https://www.hostinger.com/">Hostinger</a>, talk about what it means to truly value customer obsession. This core value has shaped Arnas’ career path, from his roots in customer service to creating products to provide simple website restoration and security for principal vulnerabilities.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top Takeaways:</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Customer Obsession. </strong>Users are facing daily challenges that need real-time solutions. Think about their problems. Value their feedback. Sometimes clients are limited because we haven’t kept up with the speed of evolving technology. Approaching things from a user perspective to prioritize and build products creates optimal impact.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Removing Manual Work. </strong>Wherever possible, we are working to automate things to provide more easy buttons for clients. Automating things, creating single-click solutions, and providing the best examples and guidance to reduce users&#8217; steps to accomplish tasks.</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Possibilities with AI. </strong>Everyone is eager to see how AI will change the industry. Cory and Arnas discuss the potential opportunities AI creates to build even better products in the future.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container">\n<div class="is-layout-flex wp-container-4 wp-block-columns sponsor has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-background" id="StellarWP">\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column">\n<h3 class="StellarWP has-theme-palette-1-color has-text-color" id="Sponsor"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png" alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" /> Sponsor: <span><a href="https://poststat.us/elementor" rel="sponsored nofollow">Elementor</a></span></h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elementor </strong>enables web creators to build professional, pixel-perfect websites with an intuitive visual builder. Quickly create amazing websites for your clients or your business with complete control over every piece, without writing a single line of code. Join <a href="https://elementor.com/community/">a vast community of web creators</a> from all around the world who deliver exceptional websites using Elementor.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top"><div class="wp-block-image elementor-logo">\n<img src="https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Elementor-Logo-Symbol-Blue-150x150.png" alt="Elementor" class="wp-image-104033" width="150" height="150" title="Elementor Logo" />Elementor</div></div>\n</div>\n</div></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://twitter.com/Hostinger">Hostinger</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://www.hostinger.com/">Hostinger Website</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://ithemes.com/backupbuddy/">Backup Buddy</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/">Chat GPT</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/">Cloudflare</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>Arnas Donauskas (Web Hosting Product Owner at&nbsp; <a href="https://twitter.com/Hostinger">Hostinger</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] Welcome to Post Status Draft. We&#8217;ve got another series in our product people interviews and I have a new friend named Anis from, uh, hosting her. We&#8217;ve been talking about Lithuania, where hosting is based and his beautiful full country. And tell him that I can&#8217;t wait to visit sometime. But welcome to the post draft podcast artist.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Hi Corey, and thanks for inviting me. Uh, it&#8217;s been a pleasure being in this, you know, uh, uh, podcast and, uh, yeah. Uh, let&#8217;s get started on that one. Right. Okay.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Um, so could you tell me what you do at hosting?&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, yeah, of course. So, uh, right now at hosting here, I&#8217;m a web hosting product owner. And, uh, yeah, this is the current troller I&#8217;m, uh, going with and I did had some previous roles in hosting her as well. And yeah, I, a short journey perhaps, uh, what I did [00:01:00] at, at hosting.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah. Yeah. Would you, would you tell me about, oh, well, let me ask you one question first. Yeah. Yeah. So when you say web product owner, that obviously, I&#8217;m sorry, web hosting product owner? Yeah, yeah, yeah.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>That, that includes WordPress. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. If there&#8217;s more that you do in that role, or is it concentrated on WordPress?&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, so WordPress is only a part of what we do. Mm-hmm. , uh, but we cover everything that involves hosting, uh, all of the features of the hosting. Uh, basically whatever you have to do on hosting, this is our responsibility to manage it, um, develop it.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, Any new features, perhaps, uh, clients feedback. Uh, clients want something new and uh, they find it really awesome to use it. Or perhaps clients face some kind of an issue with hosting and we see trouble over there and we want to assist clients. Um, this is our job, you know, to make it, uh, happen and deliver it to them.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Awesome. [00:02:00] Well, okay, before I get into WordPress, I&#8217;m, we&#8217;re gonna geek out on WordPress and the WordPress product at Hosting Gear, but tell me your story. Where, how did you get here? You just mentioned you had been in a couple roles before the web hosting product owner at Hosting Gear. So how, how&#8217;d you get started in this and, and end up as the, uh, today as the product owner?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, yeah, of course. So everything started almost three years back. Uh, next month it, it&#8217;ll be my three years anniversary. And, uh, I&#8217;ve started as a customer success specialist. I worked there for over a year and, uh, yeah, over the journey in the Success Special Specialist role, I noticed that I had, uh, Um, let&#8217;s say I liked working towards website issues that clients came to us and they delivered their problems.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, uh, over time I got, you know, I naturally noticed that they are way more, uh, WordPress clients compared [00:03:00] to other platforms. And, uh, only later on in my future also understand by looking at the data directly, what&#8217;s the actual difference in there? Cuz I didn&#8217;t, you know, read something online in that time and, I over time board press, I guess, grew on me in the success, uh, specialist role.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, I did more digging in, you know, the plugins, what are the actual critical errors mean and how we can, you know, help clients fixing on them. And, uh, yeah, so I did that role, uh, for over a year and then I got an a job promotion opportunity. To be a UX researcher. What I did in that role is found out what our, what issues our clients had, uh, where they struggled using our services as a hosting provider, including the control panel they used every day, and the [00:04:00] services in general.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps their site speed is slow and we have to find out what exactly their clients know dealing. And work on that. So yeah, as a UX researcher, that was my main role. And if we happen to, you know, design some something new, I would be that guy who&#8217;s telling, okay, in here we must have this, this, this.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because our clients face the issues here daily and we want to address that part and, you know, make that happen and solve that. And after, you know, everything, we measured the numbers, how it helped for our users, perhaps we. Missed something releasing here or, uh, we should update something here. And yeah, we worked on that as well.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, uh, after the UX research role, I got offered a role as a product associate. Uh, so in for me, product associate is like a, a starter role of product owner, uh, [00:05:00] because you. Learning things that you are gonna do as a product owner. So they are prioritizing issues. Uh, for, uh, for developers, what we&#8217;re gonna work on, what is the most important things for our client to get shipped as fast as possible.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And everything is based on our client&#8217;s needs, what they face daily. Uh, Know, seeing the bigger picture, checking online trends, what is happening in the industry? What is happening in the, the WordPress world? Uh, if something happens, uh, like let&#8217;s say, uh, a random example, new AI drops that generates WordPress websites automatically, why we still don&#8217;t have it?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s blocking us to delivering this to our clients? And uh, and uh, yeah, so when I worked in that role and gathered my experience as a product associate, I was, uh, offered to work as a product owner of web hosting that which includes WordPress and, [00:06:00] uh, yeah, working on the delivering features to our clients that, uh, means them the most, uh, that, uh, automates, uh, you know, Painful manual areas of set, setting up things for the website and yeah, in general, on the web, on the hosting platform, I see it in the way that I want to help and automate things as much as possible for our clients so they wouldn&#8217;t have to deal with that struggle manually and doing everything by hand.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s see. From that perspective,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I think that&#8217;s the ideal, you know, if I could create an ideal path to being a product owner. It&#8217;s that you spent your first career in customer success seen firsthand. That&#8217;s the cutting edge of any software or hosting business because, um, for the first eight months of my tenure starting ithe, I did cus I did all of the customer support and success for our, our company.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that gave [00:07:00] me a bird&#8217;s eye view. I mean, Really face-to-face view of the problems and what people were encountered when they&#8217;re trying to get something done. So that&#8217;s number one. I I love that that&#8217;s where you got your start, because you&#8217;re always gonna stay close and sensitive to the needs of the customer.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then second, you a you, you asked, I&#8217;m like, so I obsessed. Over the experience of a customer, what are other problems? And you found those often in the support. Anything that kind of hanged up, you&#8217;re like, that&#8217;s a problem that we can try to eliminate. And sometimes it&#8217;s software code and sometimes it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s that UX and UI part, part of that.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I love that background leading to be a product owner because I think those are. Key experiences that make a good product owner, like a part of the whole mix make, cuz you see firsthand what people are trying to do and that knowledge and experience comes in and it gets baked into how you lead your team.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I, I love that background. [00:08:00] I.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> One thing I could add is that throughout this, you know, past experience, what really also helped out, you know, the product knowledge, if we had to like, collaborate with the teams, the, the developers to give them the feeling, how the users see it and how they use it, it really, you know, assisted in that area as well.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah. And, and I know hosting from T to Dominica, your ceo, cmo, and different people on your team at work camp past couple months, um, When there&#8217;s people that say Customer obsession is our core value, but I hear it over and over authentically from everybody I talked to at Hozier and then knowing that the product owner came from that, like, you know,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> the best feedback always comes from the clients. That&#8217;s why, you know, uh, we do have, I regularly have, uh, uh, interviews with the clients. Uh, just hearing what they have to say about the product, uh, the better they like it or don&#8217;t [00:09:00] just, you know, uh, raw data from, directly from the user who tells it the best, what, what&#8217;s their experience with our services.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Okay. Thank you for that background. I like to tell the human side of the story of the people leading the products that we use out there. Um, and that&#8217;s what this series is all about. So that&#8217;s why I stick there and like, who&#8217;s the human behind leading the product? And thank you for sharing your journey there.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, okay, now let&#8217;s dig into product. Let&#8217;s Geek Adam product. So, I love that you saw like naturally in the form, like so many people were talking about WordPress and that kinda led to this. So that form helps formulate your experience. But tell me about the product that you&#8217;re leading now, um, at Hoer, um, related to WordPress.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, what things are you excited about that you&#8217;ve done? Shapes or your experience and your team experience, and obviously the customers, but tell me some things that stick out a part of the.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Um, yeah, so [00:10:00] about the feature set that I&#8217;m really excited that we recently, uh, released would be, uh, one of the things that, uh, we directly bring to the clients is, uh, a simple website restoration.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, and it&#8217;s, uh, Basically, uh, pre what we&#8217;ve improved, uh, uh, right now, users, workers users will not have to select any files and database they have to restore. The only thing they have to select is data. Uh, what we remove, what we wanted to remove here is the struggle, selecting files and database separately.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And yeah, we just wanted, you know, uh, just select the date. If you, uh, remember, you know, the, the working one, no, if you don&#8217;t, no worries. You can just restore the, another one as we save quite a few of the, of the backups, uh, on our services. And yeah, all of the processes are fully automatic. After that, you just click restore and that, that&#8217;s that.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, um,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I, I think that&#8217;s, uh, before you go on, I think that is, is [00:11:00] really awesome that that&#8217;s the first one you listed because we&#8217;ve all been there where we break a site doing something or something&#8217;s, some event is happening in scrambling and, and I think we had a plugin call back buddy, so I know this subject really well.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s like, and I&#8217;ve been there where you, you break something and you just wanna roll back the change without having to go into all these. Processes and stuff. And then the facts of the web is something&#8217;s gonna happen. It&#8217;s the web, it&#8217;s tech, it&#8217;s something&#8217;s gonna happen. But being able to go to a date and time and restoring, I think is so critical.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s that classic un, you know, uh, command Z undo function. It&#8217;s like I can go back to my timeline and restore it.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Yeah, exactly. And, you know, uh, we want to, I always try to put, you know, myself in the client&#8217;s shoes, what I, I would have to do. And, you know, that, uh, I want to restore it as fast as possible.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you know, in the, in the brief moment when something happened to my website, I site tried to search it, the, [00:12:00] the root issue as fast as possible. If I can&#8217;t, I go restore the site and, uh, yeah. Uh, That in that moment, selecting correct files and database could, you know, be crucial. So why just don&#8217;t move that step and just allowing users to select database in that uh, date.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that&#8217;s all.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> We&#8217;ve all been there where we&#8217;ve, uh, installed a new plugin or upgraded plugin and it&#8217;s broken things and being able to have that easy undo button with their restore is so critical. So thank you for sharing number one. Cause I think that&#8217;s something I wanted to highlight. I know. Process.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And most of us that do web work with WordPress understand this too, is like something&#8217;s gonna happen where you&#8217;re gonna have to back it up. So, okay. Re restoration process. Uh, what&#8217;s, what&#8217;s another, uh,  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> another one is in a bit of difference, uh, area. It comes from, uh, security. It&#8217;s, it would be work principle vulnerabilities.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, At first we released only, uh, [00:13:00] vulnerabilities to WordPress plugins. Uh, basically what we would do is, uh, we. We tell clients when there are vulner vulnerabilities in any of their installed plugins on the, on the site. Uh, let&#8217;s say you have 10 plugins, we keep track of all of them, and if we notice everything, uh, is there a security issue we give you, uh, automated steps.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, either there is an update, uh, if there is a safe version, we tell you. 1.2 version is safe. You can update it. If we don&#8217;t have, you know, the safe version to recommend, we say, uh, this plugin is better be deleted cuz it may directly harm your website security and create, you know, a bag door or something like that to it.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, um, further we thought, We can&#8217;t only cover plugins, you know, when it comes to vulnerabilities of WordPress, we also have, you know, to include themes and the core versions. So this [00:14:00] was what, uh, included as well. So, uh, the same principle. Uh, we keep track, you know, on the, on the used themes. Uh, it could either be, you know, the active one or just sitting files over there.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, and of course, you know, the core files of the board press we give, you know, Suggestions to clients to either o update it, if there&#8217;s a, a say, versions or not. Yeah, so this was the, the feature that was like recently quite released and we, from the client&#8217;s perspective, we really saw the, you know, the, those tips that really helped clients and that they don&#8217;t need to worry about the security and checking for vulnerabilities themselves.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> See, I go, I bet you encountered. A hundred times in your job and your role as a customer success success operator because WordPress is safe. Uh, it&#8217;s continuing [00:15:00] to be ev vulnerabilities in, in, in everything that you see, uh, because it&#8217;s just part of being a citizen on the web. But that, uh, I bet you saw that and I bet that formulates the experience&#8217;s why you said that was number two because you just Two problems that I solved back in the day over and over.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wanna be able to restore something, something broke, and then, oh, there&#8217;s something coming in that you want to be able, or a part of it that you want to like, have some knowledge. So I think security is absolutely awesome and I love that. That&#8217;s first and second. You, you, you probably don&#8217;t know a lot.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s not about me, but you hit my hallmarks where I spent 10 years of my life doing so I love that. These two things are, are these two, two things part of the WordPress hosting packages you all do? Is it a separate thing?&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, everything comes included into the WordPress packages, you know, in the WordPress hosting that we offer.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. Uh, just, you know, the, the backups, uh, that I&#8217;ve firstly mentioned there are, you know, daily and a weekly. It depends on the hosting [00:16:00] plan, of course. Uh, but yeah, the restoration feature itself is included when you just purchased the plan itself.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Awesome. Okay, so we talked about. We&#8217;ve talked about restorations, vulnerabilities, and what, what&#8217;s the third that&#8217;s on your mind about the product?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Yeah. The third one is the one we just recently released and are currently working on it is the hosting your award press plugin. Uh, why it was Bruce released. We just have to be fair and understand that a lot of clients not always, you know, using hosting control panels continuously because a lot of users just know, you know, slash VP admin and just go inside their, uh, panel and do their stuff and we wanted, you know, still have the communication, let&#8217;s say in that side.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did the client inside the [00:17:00] word. And assist them if possible. Uh, so right now with the first iteration, uh, we focused on assisting client publishing their website and, uh, changing, you know, the essentials of the website, like uploading logo, editing description, and so on. It&#8217;s for, um, uh, let&#8217;s say fresh user in the WordPress who wants to know to have a simple blog website and.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still wants to do it on the WordPress and not, you know, the standalone builder, uh, let&#8217;s say Vics. And, uh, what we are working on is, uh, we. We do have quite, you know, big, uh, YouTube library of, uh, hosting your learning section and we want to include that section inside the, uh, hosting your plugin so users will be able, you know, to check quickly, uh, steps to.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>on [00:18:00] YouTube cuz you know, uh, there are people who are good at, uh, getting information through knowledge-based articles and there are people who prefer video material when they getting, you know, things done. Personally, I&#8217;m a video guy. Uh, I just have to be honest. If I see a knowledge-based article, I probably scroll to the bullet points where everything main is mentioned here.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it comes to video, yeah, I just watched it and it&#8217;s way easier to consume information that way. And yeah, so that&#8217;s another kind of interaction with the user. And we will provide, you know, the jumps to them. Knowledge-based, uh, article, uh, contacting, you know, support or assisting to contact the support.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there are further plans I would like, you know, to implement some custom settings to, to the plugin itself, where users are able to, uh, implement them on the website, uh, maintenance page, some caching options so users wouldn&#8217;t have to, you know, to find that information manually. So [00:19:00] it would be, you know, like a, a hot quick.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Um, when you think about building, continuing to build, refine, uh, and even improve the offering that you give your clients, um, who are types of customers that you all think about? Who, who is hosting your manage WordPress? Um, really kind of for,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> uh, sorry, could you repeat the, the first part of the question bit?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like, for me,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah. Who are, who are the, uh, like avatars or Oh, that you think of when you&#8217;re building these products? Like restore vulnerabilities? Yeah, the plugin. There&#8217;s somebody you&#8217;re thinking of, or a couple people, types of customers you&#8217;re thinking about that use this product. And can you, can you share a little bit about Yeah, yeah, yeah.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Sure. Of course. So, uh, it&#8217;ll be like, you know, small businesses, online, hustlers, uh, beginners at the. The [00:20:00] hosting business in general because like we know as a hosting, wanting, provide ability to make a website online for any everyone. Uh, so our, you know, uh, when we thinking of these features, our, we are thinking of the clients who are re relatively, relatively new in this business and they want, you know, help in all of this.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, that&#8217;s why we try. Trying to listen to what clients have to say when something releases out and if it&#8217;s, you know, difficult. Uh, there have been already some improvements on the restoration feature on the, I&#8217;m just some saying some examples on the website, automatic migrations where the users saw struggles and we worked on that.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we always think, thinking of the online hustler, uh, beginner. When this information is new for the client and they just want, you know, to have their blog small, uh, shop online and do their stuff.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I love that [00:21:00] because I think a lot of the WordPress market overall has gotten, um, beyond that, I, I don&#8217;t, there&#8217;s probably a better way to say that, but I, I remember the day when you can go find hosting and you had an idea and you could take WordPress and good hosting and create something that may or may not go anywhere.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when you say the hustlers, the the do it yourself first type, I love that because I&#8217;ve, I&#8217;m afraid. Some parts in our industry we&#8217;ve gotten away from the mention of WordPress is d Democratize Publishing to give people tools and Awesome. And so I love that you all, there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s. An awesome company out there offering that where, you know, I&#8217;m like a lot of people, I, I was looking at your plans and I go, when was the last time I saw a hundred sites that you could build, [00:22:00] you know, for every little. Quirky and sometimes dumb idea I have.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can start it and then see where it goes. And I love that with the plans that you offer and the work that you&#8217;re doing too. And then have the Easy Restore button kinda keeping me safe and you&#8217;re helping me use this, so I love that. That&#8217;s one of the avatars that you all focus on.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, yeah, like I understand that fact.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, when I first tried the WordPress myself, uh, it, there&#8217;s no lying. It can be scary, you know, seeing all the sidebar options, what to do, what to change, uh, and seeing online there&#8217;s a bunch of information about the WordPress, what could be edited and so on, so on, so on. Uh, so we don&#8217;t want. Provide the best examples, guidance to the users and, you know, remove manual work as much as possible.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So they would just, you know, do their thing and have their website online and slowly, you know, gather traffic to their whatever project it [00:23:00] is.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Awesome. Okay, so we talked a little bit about the product and some of the features that you&#8217;re very proud of, you and your team. Um, we&#8217;ve talked about some of the fits for how hosting, hosting can fit into whatever you&#8217;re kind of building.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, I wanna get, as a product owner, someone that has a lot of experience with WordPress and the web, um, what are you excited about in the future, um, with what you&#8217;re.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, you know, like talking from the future perspective plans and Yeah. You know, the releases, the features.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> If, if you want to, or, you know, I&#8217;d love to get your take also on just the web, where the web&#8217;s going, where WordPress is going. What&#8217;s exciting, just looking out on the landscape of this. Amazing software that turns 20 years old.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can&#8217;t believe that. 20 years old this year. Um, you know what you&#8217;re seeing on the web, we&#8217;ve got new things coming up all the time. Like you were talking about automation, AI stuff. These things are just [00:24:00] going insane and accelerating. And is there anything from that perspective you see that gets you excited about working on the web?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Yeah. Yeah, so I can definitely talk about AI stuff. Uh, that, yeah, I find really intriguing and I would just think how awesome it would be. Uh, because, uh, I recently saw one of the website that, uh, Uh, they create webs, WordPress website based with ai, but it wasn&#8217;t exactly what I was looking for, and I just imagined if I would describe what I would do on my, uh, WordPress website directly.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s say I am a dog, I&#8217;m a animals photographer, and it&#8217;ll be my blog about. And I just, you know, uh, just give a description about my website and I would get like, you know, pre-built all of the content with some dummy images that could just be replaced with my own photography stuff. I just think from the perspective how it would [00:25:00] shorten the journey for the client on building the website.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, because, um, if you want, you know, to build neat website, You still have to install some plugins and, uh, you know, make changes in, let&#8217;s say builder or even the gut, Gutenberg blog builder. You still have to make changes, but if everything would come pre-made for you and all of the things, it&#8217;s si like, it&#8217;s similar to demo content when you imported the website because everything gets important.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I want to, you know, skip. Skip that step where just I have to describe what I want to have in a website and bam, in five minutes it&#8217;ll just, uh, generated and I just change my pictures to whatever I photograph.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I think there&#8217;s so many, um, opportunities that a AI presents for WordPress in particular. And um, that&#8217;s [00:26:00] another thought I was like, oh. Um, the technology&#8217;s innovating and going so well. It&#8217;s like I saw somebody, uh, tweet, they use chat g p t for, to build a WordPress plugin, and you&#8217;re like, okay. If you understand that language, then they can do a lot of the heavy lifting AI part, but it&#8217;s like maybe the AI&#8217;s asking you, what do you want?  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you wanting to sell something on it? You know? Okay. What kind of thing you&#8217;re trying to sell. The idea of that they can go out there and say, here are three options that would do that. Um, is pretty, pretty incredible. And, you know, I like to tinker on, on WordPress websites. Um, but it&#8217;d be nice just to go like, have a prompt, someone asking you something, asking you what are you trying to do, and lead you through that process with good options.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Exactly. Imagine if you would, after our conversation, we would have a built workplace website that it&#8217;s not fully ready to go online. Yeah, yeah. Like conversation and that&#8217;s all. [00:27:00] So the conversation with AI and yeah, I have my website online.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> The new website builder be ai. And I think the answer is yes.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>How? How soon? We&#8217;ll see. That would be interesting. Yeah. But I, I continue to have these conversations with people around the WordPress business of WordPress ecosystem because I think there&#8217;s so much potential here and it just takes bright minds like yourself to think of. Oh, we could do this. WS Forums, for instance, has worked on some open AI integrations.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Jonas over at Webhooks has done a tutorial and integration and, uh, I wanna see more of that because you&#8217;ve seen this, you know, as you&#8217;ve been working on the web and doing all these things, you&#8217;ve seen, like, there&#8217;s problems that people, it takes. It&#8217;s just time consuming. And if we can take some of that stuff away, we help them get to their goal and their dream faster and better.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Hmm. Yeah, that&#8217;s, Definitely, uh, I found what I can say, like on hosting the ai, we have a logo maker that&#8217;s, you know, AI powered. So [00:28:00] personally I need a simple logo for something and that&#8217;s, you know, in a way unique. I just use the, the, the, the AI generator of logos and that&#8217;s helps.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> I have to check that out.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll have to put that in. Show notes, the logo generated to test test it out. Yeah. Nicole, well, anything else you wanna share about what you&#8217;re doing? Uh, any other thoughts you have on the web? I wanna make sure we get the chance to hear from you, someone that leads the WordPress product in particular, uh, at hosting your, um,&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Oh yeah.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The, the thing that we are also working on that will affect our WordPress users as well, uh, it&#8217;s already in our public word, uh, roadmap, is that we will soon be releasing our c D n. So, you know, it&#8217;s, uh, From the public roadmap, we receive quite a lot of, you know, requests from the clients that Yeah, yeah.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s really crucial for us to have this and we understand it. [00:29:00] Uh, because then again, if we want, you know, to give clients a seamless experience, uh, it&#8217;s part of it. Cuz you know, if client wants to use CloudFlare as a a CDN provider, they would have to go over there, you know, make the setup process happen.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with the in-house, we remove that step as well. So, uh, yeah, uh, this one is coming up on the way and I&#8217;m really excited to see how it will help our clients in the website per, uh, performance and, and the boost of it.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Well then you&#8217;ve covered the trifecta here. You&#8217;ve got, uh, safety and security, you know, being able to restore and watch out for vulnerabilities.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then you&#8217;ve got speed and speed&#8217;s always sexy to everyone because Yeah. Yeah. Faster. The better it rank, the better the customer experience. So that, that&#8217;s pretty cool.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, on the speed note, I could add another thing, uh, that&#8217;s still requires some. Deeper, uh, refinement, but what I [00:30:00] want to offer for the clients is automatic website optimizations.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mm-hmm. Uh, why it requires a, a bit deeper refinement because we want to, you know, to refine to the way that it will not break a website. Uh, because we know that if we automatically, you know, use some ca uh, plugin to go maximum aggressive, uh, with the settings, it could create, uh, you know, break something in the website because it was just so aggressive on optimizing it.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we want to find that gold spot for the client where he pushes a single click and the content of the website gets optimized and it does, you know. Loads without issues.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Love it. That&#8217;s awesome. Uh, Anas, uh, would you tell us how we can find more about you and then also your, your work at hosting?&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Um, yeah.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we do have a public roadmap that you [00:31:00] can access as a, uh, user. It&#8217;s, uh, simply, uh, roadmap dot ho hosting your.com. And all of there, uh, you will be able to see all of the release stuff, all of the upcoming stuff, and you as a client can, you know, express your, uh, opinion on here. And also you can submit an idea.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>So th that idea would be checked by me and we would, you know, include it into the backlog since you know, the clients, uh, want to see that happen.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> This is excellent. I love when a software company,um, a hosting company puts this in front. It&#8217;s like, this is what we&#8217;re working on, this is what we&#8217;re doing. It shows real leadership and I love this.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m looking through here and this is awesome. Well, ARN, thank you so much for your time today and, uh, I, I appreciate hearing your story and what you&#8217;re doing at Host hosting your Please keep up the good.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arnas Donauskas:</strong> Uh, thanks Corey for inviting. Uh, it&#8217;s been a [00:32:00] pleasure. And yeah, if anything, I&#8217;m here. Awesome.&nbsp;  </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> All right.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks everybody for listening in to post status draft. This is another, uh, interview in our series called Product People to help you see the hu here and see and hear the humans behind the, the best WordPress products out there. So we&#8217;ve been talking with Arnas, web hosting product owner at Host.</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:"Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:07:48 +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:11:"Cory Miller";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:70:"WPTavern: Industry-Wide Tech Layoffs Impacting WordPress Professionals";s: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=142074";s: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/industry-wide-tech-layoffs-impacting-wordpress-professionals";s: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:6690:"<p>Most WordPress professionals managed to escape 2022&#8217;s round of tech layoffs, which primarily affected venture capital-funded startups and larger companies that had overhired during the economic upswing that came with pandemic precautions being lifted in many places. Mass layoffs hit Meta, Peleton, Stripe, Carvana, and more during the last half of 2022.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tech layoffs have continued relentlessly in 2023, with major players like PayPal, Spotify, Google, Microsoft, Coinbase, Salesforce, and Amazon cutting tens of thousands of workers in January. This round of layoffs seems more brutal than the last, as it hits more close to home for WordPress professionals.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://layoffs.fyi/">Layoffs.fyi</a>, a layoffs tracking website, has logged 376 tech companies with  total of 107,930 employees laid off. Both the number of companies and number of employees laid off in January were the highest they have been over the past year.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, GoDaddy <a href="https://aboutus.godaddy.net/newsroom/press-releases/press-release-details/2023/A-message-from-GoDaddy-CEO-Aman-Bhutani/default.aspx">announced</a> it will be reducing the size of its global team by about 8% (approximately 530 employees), with cuts that hit teams working on WordPress and WooCommerce hosting products. </p>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Good Morning everyone <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60a.png" alt="😊" class="wp-smiley" /> I’m sure most have heard by now about the GoDaddy layoffs. I was part of the 8% and although it hurts leaving such a wonderful team I know greater opportunities are out there for me. <br />If you know of any open roles please let me know, thanks <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1faf6-1f3fe.png" alt="🫶🏾" class="wp-smiley" /></p>&mdash; Juniemarie (@GoGinaMarie) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoGinaMarie/status/1623707237398024195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Despite increasingly challenging macroeconomic conditions, we made progress on our 2022 strategic initiatives and continued our efforts to manage costs effectively,&#8221; GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani. &#8220;The discipline we embraced was important but, unfortunately, it was not sufficient to avoid the impacts of slower growth in a prolonged, uncertain macroeconomic environment.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The layoffs came as a surprise to GoDaddy employees, after they had been assured the company would not be cutting jobs.  A few days after employees were let go, the company <a href="https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/GODADDY-INC-21452893/news/GoDaddy-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2022-Results-42986717/">reported significant growth</a> in its last earnings call, with a total revenue of $4.1 billion in 2022, up 7.2% year-over-year, and 8.4% on a constant currency basis.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A former GoDaddy employee, who was impacted by the layoffs and wishes to remain anonymous, said &#8220;employees and their managers were blindsided.&#8221; They were offered approximately three months of severance pay plus two weeks severance per year of tenure.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The severance package was average at best &#8211; a few months of runway in exchange for releasing GoDaddy from all liability,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the minimum requirement to get people to sign legal releases. Items such as stock that wasn&#8217;t fully vested must be forfeited.&#8221; </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The source reported that the employees who were laid off were cherry-picked from different teams. Despite GoDaddy&#8217;s heavy investments into WordPress and recent acquisitions of the Skyverge and Pagely brands, the company elected to downsize many who were active in its WordPress efforts.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I’m seeing lots of WordPress-related product/marketing folks getting cut,&#8221; the source said. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>DigitalOcean, which acquired managed hosting company Cloudways for $350 million in cash last year, told staff it is <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/15/digitalocean_layoffs/">laying off 11 percent of its workforce</a>, approximately 200 employees. The Register reports that 100 employees were immediately let go and another 100 will follow. The cuts include members of the company&#8217;s content team, causing <a href="https://twitter.com/bphogan/status/1625875775458095108">concern about the future of the company&#8217;s documentation</a> resources.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Larger tech companies are not the only ones reducing their workforces. The economic conditions behind these cuts are also affecting smaller organizations like XWP, a WordPress agency that <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=xwp%20layoffs&origin=GLOBAL_SEARCH_HEADER&sid=Ktc">laid off employees</a> two months ago. <a href="https://humanmade.com/">Human Made</a>, an agency that builds WordPress sites and products for enterprise customers, has also been affected. The company recently announced a <a href="https://xn--tm-cka.com/redundancies-at-human-made/">round of redundancies</a> for the first time in its history. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This has been a tough few weeks, particularly for those leaving who now face an uncertain future,&#8221; Human Made CEO and co-founder Tom Willmot said. &#8220;It’s also been tough for the rest of company, this is not [a] situation we wanted to be in and even with the wider economic headwinds the industry is facing, there are also important lessons for us to learn.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of its commitment to transparency, Human Made also published the details of its redundancy support package, which includes a minimum notice period of four weeks plus one week for each year past two, and two weeks pay on top of notice, among other benefits.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress product companies are stepping up to help people find new work. <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesTryon/status/1626282532193853441">Easily Amused</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/fclaussen/status/1623729840468762624">Trew Knowledge</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ryandonsullivan/status/1623478875895234563">SiteCare</a>, and other companies across Twitter, Mastodon, and LinkedIn have responded to posts with links to open positions. Michelle Frechette, Director of Community Engagement at StellarWP, publishes a weekly thread with available jobs from around the WordPress community. Her most <a href="https://twitter.com/michelleames/status/1623729865970049025">recent thread</a> from last week includes information on 10 companies that are currently hiring.</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, 17 Feb 2023 01:22:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:72:"WordCamp Central: Bluehost supports WordPress community events worldwide";s: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:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=3161235";s: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:99:"https://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/02/bluehost-supports-wordpress-community-events-worldwide-3/";s: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:928:"<p>We can’t thank <a href="https://www.bluehost.com/">Bluehost</a> enough for their continued support as a sponsor for the <a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/sponsor-multiple-wordcamps/">global WordPress community</a>! Their support of WordPress community events around the globe at our Gold level!</p>\n\n\n\n<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/files/2019/02/Bluehost-Transparent_HighRes.png"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.bluehost.com/">Bluehost</a> has been a WordPress partner since 2005 and powers over 1 million WordPress sites worldwide. Their objective is to help customers, whether novice or pro, create a thriving online presence at an affordable price. With a team of in-house tech experts available 24/7, Bluehost dedicates time and resources to providing the best support and services in the industry. Join millions of other site owners and see what Bluehost can do for you and your online presence.</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, 16 Feb 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:6:"Isotta";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:49:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 11.1.0 Maintenance Release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=328434";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"https://buddypress.org/2023/02/buddypress-11-1-0-maintenance-release/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:985:"<p>Immediately available is&nbsp;<a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.11.1.0.zip">BuddyPress 11.1.0</a>. This maintenance release fixes 3 bugs. For details on the changes, please read the&nbsp;<a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-11-1-0/">11.1.0 release notes</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Update to BuddyPress 11.1.0 today in your WordPress Dashboard, or by&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">downloading from the WordPress.org plugin repository</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="many-thanks-to-11-1-0-contributors">Many thanks to 11.1.0 contributors&nbsp;<span class="dashicons dashicons-heart"></span></h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/1benk1">1benk1</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webmasterfreya">webmasterfreya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/casper99">casper99</a> &amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">imath</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, 16 Feb 2023 06:39:20 +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:39:"HeroPress: Alice, Robert, and WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=5222";s: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:126:"https://heropress.com/essays/alice-robert-and-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alice-robert-and-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:13823:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/021323-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: The thing that continues to allow me to just let go, to just be what I feel is my most authentic self, is WordPress." />Here is Mark-Andrew reading his own story aloud.\n\n\n\n<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_dd69cd-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Prologue &#8211; WordPress</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice and Robert are my father’s parents. They never knew what WordPress was. My grandfather’s technical sophistication ended in turning on the screen of the desktop my father had purchased for him years ago. But as they crossed into their 90s, WordPress would come to be instrumental in their lives and mine.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress found me in 2009. A good friend said I needed to learn this new thing that could “change our lives&#8221;. Their partner was using it as a Virtual Assistant…and she worked from home full time!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology interested me from an early age. I was inspired by the works of Aldous Huxley, the Beatniks, and Magick, as well as the science fiction of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick. The moment I was able to install WordPress and create a functional website in five minutes without any coding knowledge, it felt like a whole new world had opened up and we now had the power to shape it how we wanted.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That same week, I built my first WordPress site for someone else. </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>Like a friend who can&#8217;t help but show off their newest card trick, I was eager to demonstrate my &#8220;website-building skills&#8221; to all my friends and family. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It was through this process that I gained experience and began to appreciate the connection between our passions and having the ability to pursue them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also saw the websites as a canvas on which I could create art. My previous high water mark as a child was a slanted stick figure that when I showed my grandmother, the look of horror on her face even as she said, “what a wonderful artist!&#8221;, will always stick with me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I continued to build WordPress sites in my free time for anyone who would take one from me but didn’t have the time, the resources, or the skills.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>My career at the time was in Sports Medicine. This involved finding tools to manage training staff, athletes, and facilities. I came up against technology that we couldn’t afford or didn’t allow us the flexibility needed to control our businesses and our client’s health outcomes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result in 2011, I began my first serious WordPress project when I was head of the training and rehabilitation departments for the Gold’s Gym locations in Seattle proper. The ownership group owned all seven facilities in the city. I worked out of the main gym in Kirkland, WA, where the executives who ran the Seattle tech companies, like Google and Amazon, would go back to after their office hours ended.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As gyms seldom have tech departments, and ours were no different, I began learning WordPress as a serious designer, if not a developer, to solve problems we were encountering. The initial goal was to add training staff to the company website. That progressed into integrating SaaS products that would help our trainers track and share information with their clients. Finally, it involved switching over all the ownership group’s sites to WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I put together a multi-site network (thank you WordPress 3.0 <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64c.png" alt="🙌" class="wp-smiley" />) for all seven gyms that they could more easily manage and was more customizable while reducing their cost by $550 per location each month by abandoning the gym-specific website hosting previously used.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything went off without a hitch, luckily for everyone! The staff and the membership all loved the new sites! </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>The ease with which they could manage their memberships, book sessions, and keep engaged with the community when they weren’t at the gym were all huge positives for the business and the members.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff who trained clients were also ecstatic! The Kirkland Gold&#8217;s Gym is home to high-level athletes, such as professional MMA fighters, Olympic athletes, and bodybuilders. The ease of using WordPress to add users and manage our client’s progress increased the effectiveness of what we were doing and our ability to market our results.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I took from that experience was the reinforcement of my belief that in an ever more connected world, WordPress, open source, and the ethos behind it all were a means to achieve almost any end. It was also a means achievable by anyone, regardless of class, gender, or skin color.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_c3be3c-51 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">My grandparents &#8211; Alice and Robert</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after in late 2011, I returned to my hometown in the state of Massachusetts. I went back to New England for various reasons, one of the largest was my grandparents&#8217; need for more physical support.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent the next 6 years in Massachusetts. As my grandparent’s health continued to deteriorate, Alice&#8217;s from leukemia and Robert&#8217;s from dementia, I took jobs that paid less but allowed me more time to be there for them. I went from running a friend’s gym to running the training department, to being a trainer, to leaving sports medicine behind completely as the commitments didn’t work anymore.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I worked various jobs for friends who knew my situation and offered as much leniency as they could. One friend owned McLaughlin’s gas station at the bottom of my grandparent’s street, which had a perfect view of their front yard.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I got paid less than minimum wage to sit, talk to people when they came in, pump gas, put air in tires, and be a buffer so the mechanics could get their work done. What I gave up in income, however, I more than made up for in the flexibility of the schedule.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>There was often a need for me to leave the gas station immediately after a rueful call from one of my grandparents. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The time between the phone call and unlocking their front after sprinting up the street was usually around 90 seconds or fewer.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the needs were comical to everyone involved! The most frequent was unlocking the cellar door to let someone out stuck downstairs. Sometimes, that was my grandfather, who had gone down and shut the door behind him. Usually, it was my grandmother. My grandfather would forget after a minute that she had gone into the cellar, and if he saw the door ajar while sneaking a cookie out of the cookie jar because my grandmother was away, he would close the door and then go back to his rocking chair in the other room.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They began taking the phone with them everywhere they went in the house. Each time they would get locked in the basement I would hustle home, let them out, and we’d all have a good laugh about how ridiculous the world was!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything completely changed when my grandparents were in a car accident. My grandfather got confused driving about 50 feet back across the street, returning from taking my grandmother to the bank, as she could no longer walk there. They were both banged up in the crash, my grandmother severely.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the rehab facility after discharge from the hospital the doctors determined my grandparents couldn&#8217;t go back to their home unless they had full-time care. Our family decided I would quit my gas station job and stay at the house with my grandfather until my grandmother returned, by then having put in place professional nursing services for them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The week before my grandfather came home, I’d set up a WordPress website on Pressable hosting called &#8220;Unofficial Alan Moore&#8221;. I’ve been a fan of darker and offbeat comics and art since I could remember and have been supporting Alan Moore, and the global Arts Lab Project of Northampton, UK, for years via Kickstarter and fundraising efforts. I viewed my website as a great place to share the good people, fantastic art, and all these things that filled me with joy while I would be housebound.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But support for my grandparents never came to fruition. </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>When my grandmother returned and the bills increased, I turned to the only resource I could take advantage of at that moment, my WordPress website.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I changed the name of my fan site, Unofficial Alan Moore, to Emporium Purgatorio. This was a nod to Alan Moore’s and Kevin O’Neill’s eight-part series, Cinema Purgatorio. I installed WooCommerce, then opened an eBay store to gain traction and find inventory for my new business venture. I began purchasing rare and hard-to-find original comics and art at below-market rates. I would then resell or barter them, but instead of maximizing profits I maximized openness and honesty for the art.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This, coupled with my lifetime support and connections with the fantastic artists and writers still creating the works, led me to become the sole US distributor for many Indie projects coming out of the UK.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next two years, I used only WordPress, WooCommerce, Pressable, and Jetpack, to go from my first $50 inventory purchase to selling single comic pages for thousands of dollars, the 2nd largest collection of rare Alan Moore comics in the world, and a global Arts Lab Community that is still thriving today.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Time must continue, though, and it did for my grandfather. After his passing I remained in the house to care for my grandmother. And I&#8217;ve never known as deep sorrow as the conversations she and I would have about regrets in life.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What still strikes me is that they were all about adventures not taken, not mistakes she had made. She encouraged me to follow my joy. </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>When I told her I felt my joy would be to put a tent in a backpack and skateboard across the country, she said, &#8220;remember, Mark-Andrew, everything always works out when you&#8217;re doing things for the right reasons&#8221;. And I have remembered.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Her passing is another singular story. This story ends with our house empty and me determined to remember what my grandmother said. It ends with a belief built on experience that with WordPress, and the community that continues to uplift it, we can make the world better…even if it&#8217;s just for one person.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_5e46ef-bf wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Epilogue</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I purchased an ultralight tent and quilt, paired what little belongings I had down to a 30L backpack that weighs 6 1/2 lb with everything I own in the world in it. I made one last stop at my local skate shop, where I&#8217;d been going for 30 years, to say goodbye and pick up my new skateboard setup.</p>\n\n\n\n\n<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_20190529_144811-scaled.jpg"><img /></a>The last of my worldly goods.\n\n\n\n<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_20190603_171431.jpg"><img /></a>Everything I owned.\n\n\n\n\n<p></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning, the familiar creak of the front door as I locked it one last time almost overwhelmed me. </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>But I took a few deep breaths, put the keys in the mailbox for the realtor, and pushed away down the street towards the west coast 3,300 miles away.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That was years ago now. I&#8217;ve been building WordPress websites and hosting them for good humans at no cost, using just my mobile phone, ever since. *Yes, absolutely zero. I don&#8217;t charge for my time, I don&#8217;t charge for hosting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the skateboard is always in my hand or under my feet, and most of the community that knows me by name are skateboarders themselves, what’s allowed me to continue to push wherever I wanted to go, whenever I wanted to go, is WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don’t know the number of lives I may have affected. Most of those I’ve built sites for or supported, I don’t know where they are today. Almost all moved on as their businesses and their ideas grew. They take over the work themselves, or hire teams, for what comes next.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do know every single person I&#8217;ve introduced to WordPress has told me they wish they had known about this sooner. They were better off after being introduced to WordPress, and what’s possible when you take control of your own destiny.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t keep track of pretty much anything in life, except the people in front of me and any project I&#8217;m undertaking at that moment. I&#8217;ve forgotten most of the places I&#8217;ve been, and most of the things I&#8217;ve seen. But I feel that is as it should be. I feel fulfilled and ecstatic almost every moment.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the thing that continues to allow me to just let go, to just be what I feel is my most authentic self, is WordPress. So, thank you. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2764.png" alt="❤" class="wp-smiley" /></p>\n\n\n\n<p>.</p>\n<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/alice-robert-and-wordpress/">Alice, Robert, and WordPress</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:00:14 +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:21:"Mark-Andrew Nordstrom";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:80:"WordCamp Central: Thanks to Automattic for sponsoring community events worldwide";s: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:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=3161241";s: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:105:"https://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/02/thanks-to-automattic-for-sponsoring-community-events-worldwide/";s: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:2766:"<p>We couldn’t be happier to welcome <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://automattic.com/" target="_blank">Automattic</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/sponsor-multiple-wordcamps/">WordPress global community sponsorship program</a>&nbsp;in 2023! They’re sponsoring at the Gold level in all regions, supporting official WordPress community events across the globe.</p>\n\n\n\n<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/files/2023/02/automattic-logotype-color.png"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p>At <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://automattic.com/about/" target="_blank">Automattic</a>, <em>we are</em>&nbsp;passionate about making&nbsp;<em>the&nbsp;web</em>&nbsp;a better&nbsp;place.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are the people behind&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.com/">WordPress.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://woocommerce.com/">WooCommerce</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://jetpack.com/">Jetpack</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://wpvip.com/">WordPress VIP</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://simplenote.com/">Simplenote</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://longreads.com/">Longreads</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://wpscan.com/">WPScan</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.gravatar.com/">Gravatar</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://crowdsignal.com/">Crowdsignal</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://cloudup.com/">Cloudup</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://dayoneapp.com/">Day One</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pocketcasts.com/">Pocket Casts</a>, and more. We believe in making the web a better place.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://distributed.blog/">We’re a distributed company</a>&nbsp;with 2,007 Automatticians in 97 countries speaking 123 different languages. We’re committed to&nbsp;<a href="https://automattic.com/diversity-and-inclusion/">diversity, equity, and inclusion</a>, and our common goal is to democratize publishing and commerce so that anyone with a story can tell it, and anyone with a product can sell it, regardless of income, gender, politics, language, or where they live in the world.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://github.com/Automattic">We believe in Open Source</a>&nbsp;and the vast majority of our work is available under the GPL.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We strive to live by the&nbsp;<a href="https://automattic.com/creed/">Automattic Creed</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Automattic is a&nbsp;<a href="https://mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/automattic-inc/">Most Loved Company</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/">Disability Confident Committed</a>. (Here’s&nbsp;<a href="https://happinessengineer.blog/2022/09/08/happiness-for-everyone-working-with-a-disability-at-automattic/">what that might mean for you</a>.) Come&nbsp;<a href="https://automattic.com/work-with-us/">work with us</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, 15 Feb 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:6:"Isotta";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:71:"WPTavern: #63 – Paul Halfpenny on Adding Personalisation 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=142031";s: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:85:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/63-paul-halfpenny-on-adding-personalisation-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:46722:"Transcript<div>\n<p>[00:00:00] Nathan Wrigley: 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, making your WordPress websites personal to each visitor.</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 go 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 show, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you all your idea featured. Head over 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 Paul Halfpenny. Paul is the CTO at Filter, a remote first digital agency that specializes in open source tech, such as WordPress, Laravel, React, React Native and Ionic, with enterprise clients. He&#8217;s been a speaker at WordCamp Europe and has an interest in making websites a more personal experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Website personalization is the idea of amending content served by your website to match the conditions of your current users. It might be that you want to show, or hide, content to people during certain times of the year. Perhaps it would be helpful to translate content if the user comes from a specific locale. Or maybe you would like to offer a product based upon pages that a user has previously visited, or items that they have bought.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this falls under the umbrella of personalization. And it&#8217;s an area that Paul thinks is going to be more important in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast, we talk about what techniques you can use to offer up personalized content. That could be WordPress plugins or options within blocks, but there&#8217;s also more complex setups with a whole range of &#8216;at the edge&#8217; technologies.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We chat about what kind of information you might want to amend on your website and whether it&#8217;s possible to do too much, and risk users feeling that they&#8217;re being tracked wherever they go online.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can website owners and users benefit from these techniques, and can this be sold as a service to clients in the same way that you might offer SEO or website optimization?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end, we talk about whether or not aspects of personalization should be added into WordPress Core. Have SaaS services, which bake this into their platforms, heralded in an era in which personalization is expected by the majority of clients.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s an interesting chat with many insights and tips. And so if you&#8217;re looking to explore this further, this episode is for you.</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 forward slash podcast. Where you&#8217;ll find all of the other episodes as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so without further delay, I bring you Paul Halfpenny.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Paul Halfpenny. Hello Paul.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:03] Paul Halfpenny: Hello, how are you doing?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:05] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah. Good. Thank you. Very nice to have you on the podcast today. Paul&#8217;s going to be talking to us about personalization in WordPress, which is a topic, at least on this podcast, we have never touched upon. So this will be a really interesting and novel episode.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we begin Paul, every episode I get the guests just to give us a bit of orientation, tell us who they are, where they work, how long they&#8217;ve been working with WordPress, and all of those kind of things. So, although it&#8217;s a very generic question, can we begin there? Tell us about yourself Paul.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:33] Paul Halfpenny: I&#8217;m Paul. I&#8217;m the CTO at Filter. We&#8217;re a remote first digital agency. We&#8217;re based in the UK, and we specialize in open source tech such as WordPress, Laravel, React, React Native. We&#8217;ve been working on WordPress since about 2012. We&#8217;ve done that for a number of different clients that we&#8217;ve worked with over that time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some small, some large, some we&#8217;re not really even allowed to mention. And we&#8217;re a WordPress VIP partner agency. We&#8217;re an Altis partner agency, WooCommerce partner agency as well. My co-founder and I, Ollie set up Filter just to try and be a little bit different to normal agencies. So we try and ensure that we have regular hours during the week, so nine til five thirty. We try not to work evenings and weekends, wherever possible. We are family friendly, so we try and be as flexible as possible with everybody in hope that we create a nice environment for everybody to work in.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:05:31] Nathan Wrigley: Oh, really nice. Thank you very much for telling us all that. That&#8217;s great. The subject for today is personalization. Now, in the real world, we probably have a great understanding of what that means. We like things to be personalized. But we may not understand what it means in the context of websites and WordPress websites in particular.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So do you mind just spending a few minutes broadly, give us the 10,000 mile high overview of what you mean by personalization in websites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:05:59] Paul Halfpenny: Yeah, so I think personalization is the process of knowing what the needs and preferences and interests of your customers or your site visitors are. So you can serve them what they&#8217;re looking for. So that&#8217;s going to allow you to give them more relevant communications. That&#8217;s going to perhaps improve their experience of going onto a website or an app that you develop.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it&#8217;s about creating that kind of smart content for your audience. So you are going to use items such as perhaps their location, their demographics, maybe what device they&#8217;re using, maybe where they&#8217;ve come from, maybe the language that they speak, to show them content that&#8217;s relevant to them. So for instance, if you are running a promotion on Facebook, and you&#8217;re directing people to your website.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might want to show visitors from that campaign an offer that you don&#8217;t send to anybody else. So you might check where they&#8217;ve come from, check the referrer, and then you might show some content on the website that gives them a promotional code that they can use in your shop, for instance. So it&#8217;s really about ensuring that you are trying to ensure that each of your users has an experience that&#8217;s relevant and contextual to them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:19] Nathan Wrigley: I guess it&#8217;s a fairly new idea, and by that I don&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s within the last year or so, but it&#8217;s not something that is as old as the hills in terms of web technology. You know, if you go back a decade or more, this was possibly beginning with some of the bigger platforms. I imagine Google were making forays into trying to figure out what your search results should look like. But in terms of WordPress websites, this feels like the beginning of that journey. Am I right in that or has this been going on for a while?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:51] Paul Halfpenny: So personalization, I think, at an enterprise level has been around for a while. The really obvious answer is Amazon. So Amazon has been tracking your user behavior on their site, and they know which products to show you. So particularly in e-commerce, it&#8217;s a really big focus. And I think over the last decade, I would say, that&#8217;s translated itself into being, not just something that&#8217;s in custom platforms that bigger companies develop for themselves, but in proprietary content management systems like Sitecore or Optimizely, which have personalization baked into their core, and allow site editors to manage that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we have only really seen it become of interest and becoming more popular in WordPress over the last couple of years. Yeah, it&#8217;s kind of more recent in WordPress, but it&#8217;s been around for a while. And I think even if I think back to my first agency job, which was in around 2003, I think 2002, we were talking to people that were selling email personalization. They would send a trigger campaign and then based on a response they would send out another type of campaign. So personalization is just becoming more standardized.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:09:06] Nathan Wrigley: Thank you. That&#8217;s really interesting context. There&#8217;s a couple of words that you use there, which I think might be worth drilling down into. The first one was, well, you may have said no or knowing, but you said something along the lines of, knowing more about the user, but also you then, a little bit later possibly, substituted that word for tracking.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the two are very different, I guess. And in the example that you used of Amazon, I&#8217;m guessing the majority of what they know is based upon you being logged into their platform and performing actions. So, as an example, I&#8217;ve logged in and I demonstrate a desire to buy, I don&#8217;t know, a trampoline, and all of a sudden that&#8217;s bound to my account.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas it could be also trying to discover things when nobody is logged in. It&#8217;s just a visitor to the website. So you mentioned geography. So I&#8217;m coming, I&#8217;ve got an IP address, which appears to come from France say, and that can serve up different kind of content. So I guess it&#8217;s interesting to get into that conversation about is there a difference between knowing and tracking, and also the state, whether we&#8217;re logged in or not logged in. Whether any of that is important.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:10:17] Paul Halfpenny: Obviously, when you are logged in, you get a lot more information about that user. So you can tie it to a particular user profile. You can match it to what they did last time they came back to the site. If they&#8217;re not logged in, you can only track them as long as a cookie might be stored in their browser, for instance, and if they clear their browser cookies you&#8217;re not going to be able to remember or retain that information for the future. So logging in gives you certain benefits.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We try and split it down into simple and complex personalization. So simple is the idea that you just show basic content to nudge them in the right direction. So you might be using their location. To say okay, you&#8217;re coming from France, I&#8217;m going to show you this particular content. Or you might understand where they&#8217;re coming from and you don&#8217;t require them to be logged in to give them that level of personalization.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think a really good example of simple personalization is the ability to use date-based controls to show somebody different opening times during a holiday period. So, for instance, you might want to show a different block of content to somebody on the 20th of December that shows them when you are open for Christmas, and then you want to remove that block and you are just using simple controls to be able to do that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more complex type of personalization is where you are actually tracking that data. And there&#8217;s a couple of ways to do that. So, you can obviously get people to log in and you can score their behavior on your website. So that might be when somebody goes to a particular page, you might decide to attribute a particular value to that page. So if they go to the homepage, you might give them a one, and if they go to the sales page, you might give them a five. And then if you go to a pricing page, you might give them another couple of points as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in the background you can then associate some rules and go, well, if they hit this particular score, we are going to show them a particular piece of content. So you are tracking them around the website and you are understanding what they&#8217;re doing. And obviously you&#8217;ve got your user data there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that&#8217;s all using what we call first party data. So first party data is the data that you take on your site that your customers have agreed to give to you. I think in the wider industry, there&#8217;s a, particularly at the enterprise level, there&#8217;s a lot of large companies using platforms called CDPs, and that acronym stands for customer data platforms.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And customer data platforms are a way of ingesting content from lots of different third party sources. So you might bring in data from Facebook and you might bring in data from AdWords, and you might bring in data from email, for instance, if you&#8217;ve got an email database. And the customer data platform will allow you to stitch all of that data together to provide more 360 holistic view of what you are doing across the internet.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it&#8217;s looking at all these data points and it&#8217;s matching you across all these different accounts. And then based on that, you can take different decisions in marketing automation to personalize an omni channel campaign where you are perhaps tracking what they&#8217;re doing on Facebook and then showing them something else on the website based on what you know they&#8217;ve done on Facebook previously. That sounds a little bit scary. That&#8217;s the kind of world that we are living in right now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:13:33] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, I guess elements of it could sound scary, couldn&#8217;t they, depending on how far you take it and where the data ends up. But in the scenario that we may get in depth in today, if everything is just holed up in WordPress, I guess that&#8217;s maybe a different discussion.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m interested to know how you would implement this, because a lot of the things that you described there, on the face of it, seem fairly complicated. It also seems that there is no limit to how complicated you could make it. So you could have condition, upon condition, upon condition. You really could go down the rabbit hole. So my first question is, is there a sort of seesaw here? Is there a, you have to weigh up what the benefit is as against the time it takes to put all these things together.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because I&#8217;m sure as developers of websites, we&#8217;ve all been down that rabbit hole before. You put a ton of time into something which it turns out was absolutely pointless. Nobody looked at it or nobody interacted with it in the way that you were imagining. And so there&#8217;s that trade off. But also what kind of interface are we dealing with here? I&#8217;m guessing this is the domain of plugins. How do we build these, kind of, if then statements to make all of this happen?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:14:42] Paul Halfpenny: The idea that it&#8217;s quite complicated is true. So it can become as complex as you allow it to really. I think over the past decade or so, what we&#8217;ve seen is that when people have bought enterprise content management systems that have personalization tools baked in. They haven&#8217;t actually been able to get the full value out of those tools in all situations. Because they would very often need to bring in a team or fund a team to allow you to do that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that can take multiple years, if you have complex requirements. And it costs a lot of money to do that. I think WordPress is a great example of going at it a different way. So within WordPress, there&#8217;s a number of different plugins out there that allow you to add personalization to your website very simply and easily.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And a lot of those are also leveraging the benefits of Gutenberg as well. So, one that I&#8217;d really like to pick out is Block Visibility by Nick Diego, who&#8217;s a, I think is still a developer advocate at WP Engine. And that&#8217;s a, that&#8217;s a great plugin for being able to decide whether to show or hide block of content based on some custom rules.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s others out there. IfSo&#8217;s quite a popular plugin that allows you to do that as well. But it also allows you to create audience segments and add conditional CSS where you need to. There&#8217;s plugins such as LogicHop. That has a pretty comprehensive rule set.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And Human Made, as part of their Altis platform, they&#8217;ve been building something called Experience Blocks more for the enterprise set, I would say. Where they are taking that data offsite and then allowing you to use pretty enterprise analytics to see, to do AB testing and to personalize content as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s also ways to do it at the hosting platforms as well. So we call this personalization at the edge. So rather than putting a plugin into your site, which might slow your site down, or you might have too many complex rules, hosts such as Pantheon and WP Engine have options to allow you to vary the content that&#8217;s being sent back from the CDN or the cache layer. So it doesn&#8217;t actually hit your WordPress site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, Pantheon, have a PHP library that allows you to do that. WP Engine allow you to segment your user content using a vary response header. So you can say, well, for this group of users, I&#8217;m going to segment this group of users, this type of user, and then show them this content. But it doesn&#8217;t actually hit WordPress. It&#8217;s a cached version of that page that hits that particular segment.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:16] Nathan Wrigley: It sounds from what you&#8217;re saying that the WordPress plugin route, so you mentioned Block Visibility, Logic Hop. You also mentioned IfSo, and there&#8217;s probably some others. It sounds like they maybe are the domain for people who are just sort of dabbling in this. They might not be experienced, they might not be developers, but it sounds like when you go to the edge scenario, the WP Engines and Pantheons and what have you, you really need to be an expert at this or at least be committed to becoming an expert in it. Is that a fair appraisal or have I misunderstood?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:49] Paul Halfpenny: I think that&#8217;s relatively fair. I think certainly doing it at the edge is probably slightly harder. I think the benefits of doing it with a plugin such as the ones that we mentioned, allow you a more point and click interface within WordPress itself, within the WordPress admin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And actually they&#8217;re as comprehensive, if not more comprehensive than other methods. I think the important thing is, is ensuring that they&#8217;re associated with Gutenberg or Elementor, and you can do that within those page builders as well, or block builders or whatever we&#8217;re calling them these days.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that it&#8217;s a relatively smooth and easy process for people to use. I think for me, the key is always about ease of use. So, when we look at the kind of CMSs that we&#8217;ve used over the past 10 and 20 years, I know that the best reaction we get from our clients is when we show them WordPress as a contact management system. Because it will be, oh, thank goodness, that seems easy to use. I can cope with that. I don&#8217;t really have the time to go on a five day course to learn how to use this CMS, because I&#8217;m not using it every day. I&#8217;m using it once a week to post some content. And so WordPress really works for that, which is why we, you know, that is our CMS of choice these days, because we know how well it works.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I think Gutenberg&#8217;s a massive step forward with that as well in terms of having a WYSIWYG editor, having the ability to drag and drop blocks onto the screen. And I know things aren&#8217;t absolutely a hundred percent perfect right now, and I know there&#8217;s still challenges, and I know there&#8217;s still things to improve upon. But actually that&#8217;s a great interface for clients and the best personalization tools allow you to quickly and easily decide which blocks to show on a screen to which particular users?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:19:37] Nathan Wrigley: Okay, in terms of performance of a website, that is something which is more and more, especially from the Google side of things. It feels like Google are really making performance and speed and all of the metrics that they&#8217;ve got for how quickly page loads and all of that. That&#8217;s very important and obviously any website that wants to do well needs to be found in a search engine.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I&#8217;m wondering if the WordPress plugin route is going to make that more difficult. So as an example, if we get really carried away and on our homepage of our website we have multiple different areas of personalization. It&#8217;s three days to Christmas and so we&#8217;ve put different images all over the webpage. We&#8217;re telling people that oh, hi, welcome visitor from France, or whatever it may be.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get the picture, we&#8217;re just adding in all of this stuff. And every single time we add in something, we&#8217;re adding complexity. And although the example I&#8217;ve given is ridiculous. Still, I&#8217;m sure that certain queries, certain things that you are asking are going to have an impact. So we&#8217;ll just speak about that for a minute.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:42] Paul Halfpenny: Valid question. So I think it&#8217;s really important to remember that not every WordPress site runs like on a blazing fast hosting platform, and can cope with complex queries. A lot of WordPress sites run on shared platforms, they run with limited resources. And if you do add too much complexity to what you are trying to achieve, it might impact on your site speed. And obviously as you add that complexity and you add WordPress to be doing more, particularly in the database on every single request that you&#8217;re sending it back, that prevents it from being cached.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we did some work on this in terms of personalization, we built our own plugin, WP-DXP. We actually used a web component on the front end that communicates with the backend via the REST API, and that returns the data in some json. So it&#8217;s a lighter touch way of being able to add that personalization into the page, without having as much impact on the front end.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I think it&#8217;s really important, I think there&#8217;s a limit to how much personalization you should put in place. So we&#8217;ve talked quite a lot internally about how we can use AI to personalize websites. The jury&#8217;s kind of still out on that actually, because we are not sure that you need the ability to show absolutely different content to absolutely every different visitor that&#8217;s coming.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actually, what you should be doing is just chopping up your users into different types of audience segments, and then basing it on that. And you perhaps don&#8217;t need more than a couple of audience segments for a simple site. I think if you are doing something really complex and actually you really need high levels of personalization, then it might be that you&#8217;re running a headless site anyway, and you&#8217;re using APIs to deliver the content rather than sending it back to the server and doing it that way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:22:36] Nathan Wrigley: I guess like anything else, if you have an infinite amount of resources to throw at it, that could be time, development cost, or indeed just money on infrastructure to actually host the site. More or less all of this is going to be in purview, but the more meager your resources are, probably the lighter a touch you should have with all of this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:22:56] Paul Halfpenny: Yeah, and I think, if you&#8217;re just running a personal site or you are running a brochureware site for maybe a shop or a restaurant or a bricks and mortar store of some kind. You probably won&#8217;t have high level needs for personalization. You might have the example that I talked about earlier in that you want to show different opening hours. So you might use a date based request, or you might want to show a promotion to certain kinds of people at certain times of year. But you probably won&#8217;t be using scoring across the site to understand their behavior as they go around your website. That&#8217;s probably not an issue for you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas if you&#8217;re running a publishing site, and you are developing news or content on a regular basis, then you might well need to do that. But then you&#8217;d expect that your resources will be higher and you will be able to have a dedicated server or a different kind of hosting platform that allows you some more resources to do that, to implement that complexity.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:50] Nathan Wrigley: I guess your imagination is the limit really here, isn&#8217;t it? You could do whatever you like. And I think examples like social media platforms, you may have an opinion about whether these are good for society or not, but social media platforms are examples of serving up personalized content.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>My Facebook feed is nothing like yours. The same would be true for when I go to Twitter. It&#8217;s giving me content based upon a whole slew of data that it&#8217;s got. And it&#8217;s really compelling. I come back and I come back and I come back and even sometimes I tell myself I shouldn&#8217;t come back. I keep coming back. And it really is the personal touch.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you can find aspects of that. Now, I imagine very few people are actually trying to build a social network. But just the idea that you could serve up something and learn over time that that one little thing is impactful. The position of something, the color of something, where it is on the page or whatever it may be. It&#8217;s definitely worth exploring because we know we are influenced by these things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:24:53] Paul Halfpenny: I always come at it as a, we want to help users to find the answers. So that&#8217;s where personalization works for us. It&#8217;s trying to recognize who they are, what their interests are, where they&#8217;re coming from. Nobody&#8217;s on the same journey. Everybody will land on your website on a different page. And it&#8217;s about trying to work out, if they haven&#8217;t logged in, who are they? Or if they have logged in, you know who they are. Perhaps you&#8217;ve got a little bit of history about them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then trying to provide them with the answer that they need so they can carry on with their day. What people don&#8217;t want to do is come to a website and click around for ages, trying to find the information that they want and then get disappointed and go away.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For me, we should be trying to ensure that people get the information that they need as quickly as possible and have a satisfying experience. It&#8217;s almost the same as for an e-commerce shop. What you want to do is, you know you probably want to buy this thing, you want to get there, you want to find that item, you want to purchase it as quickly as possible, and then you want to carry on with your day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody wants to sit on the internet all day trying to find information. I do think you&#8217;re right about the depths of personalization that social media have gone to, and how there is a danger there of. perhaps unintentional bias. So obviously when you&#8217;re personalizing at that level and that scale, you&#8217;re putting everything into machine learning.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you&#8217;re taking what people have done on the site before. You&#8217;re sticking that in some kind of data lake or big platform on the backend. And then you&#8217;re using machine learning to look for patterns so you can go, right, okay, next time this happens, show this to this person, because a hundred people, other people did this as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you end up having those biases and potentially putting people into echo chambers that mean that they don&#8217;t see the outliers. They kind of get trapped, in seeing the same information, and that&#8217;s not really helpful. I always talk about my Apple music station. I have Paul Halfpenny station on Apple Music and for some reason, well, it brings up a lot of Depeche Mode to begin with. And that&#8217;s a good thing for me, but it very often brings up a specific Manic Street Preachers track, and I love the Manic Street Preachers, more they&#8217;re early stuff.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But because this track keeps on playing, I assume it thinks that I really like that track. And then it keeps on playing it to me again. I&#8217;m kind of stuck in that cul-de-sac around that track right now. I think trying to use personalization to help people find answers is not necessarily to put them into a specific hole and go right, we know this is who you are, this is exactly what you want. It&#8217;s creating some openness, allowing them to see answers that they might not be expecting sometimes, not always providing everything to what they&#8217;ve done before, is where we should be heading.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:27:32] Nathan Wrigley: it sounds analogous to me, going to the supermarket with my shopping list and more or less entering a shopping experience where on the first aisle is everything I want. I have to walk 10 meters into the shop, and my trolley&#8217;s now full, my list of shopping items has been ticked off.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, I&#8217;ve just achieved what I want to do, and then I walk out the shop and get on with my day. So it&#8217;s a bit more like that. It&#8217;s trying to put things which are more helpful. I agree that the AI thing is something which, I don&#8217;t think at least WordPress and personalization, were probably not quite there yet, certainly not on the scale of the major social networks. But yeah, just the idea of going into a supermarket. Having the list, but somehow being presented with a supermarket, which is just what I want. That does seem like a really laudable target.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:23] Paul Halfpenny: Yeah, Yeah I love the fact that you used a shopping list. I&#8217;m very strange, I think because I enjoy going to supermarkets. Slightly weird, whenever we visit another country, I like to go in the supermarket, and we were in America recently, and going to Walmart was probably the highlight of my trip.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to go and look around, but then, you know, I also like to be able to go to Sainsburys and go and get the three items that I need and get out of there pretty quickly so I can get back home for tea. So knowing where everything is, is really helpful.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:51] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, okay. I&#8217;m going to change my analogy in that case. So I walk into the supermarket and when I get to the toothpaste bit, there is only toothpaste, but there&#8217;s multiple brands of toothpaste. So it&#8217;s not like it&#8217;s only giving me one toothpaste, but it&#8217;s just sort of showing me, well, here&#8217;s all the toothpaste for you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s really interesting. I&#8217;ve experienced this in real time, in that I&#8217;ve been contacted by some developers who&#8217;ve demonstrated what their plugin can do. And I have to say it really caught me short. I was a bit blown away by what the page was showing me. It wasn&#8217;t scary. It was quite entertaining and engaging, and I guess you just have to draw a line for yourself. How much work do you want to put into it? How much weirdness do you want to put into it? And by that I mean, how much stuff are you going to show back to the user, which makes them check themselves and say, hang on a minute, how do they know I&#8217;m in France? That&#8217;s weird. Those kind of things. I guess you&#8217;ve just got to figure that piece of the jigsaw out.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:29:44] Paul Halfpenny: I think there&#8217;s something there for everyone. That&#8217;s the really important point. Personalization&#8217;s not just for enterprise. It&#8217;s not just for your Amazons. It is for your small sites, it is for your medium size sites, and it is for your enterprise sites as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s just the complexity grows as your business grows. But I think that there is something there for everybody. You could name any kind of business and you would probably be able to go, well actually, why don&#8217;t you personalize in this way for that kind of person? Or, you&#8217;re coming from here, you would show them a different message. It&#8217;s really useful to think in those terms.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:30:19] Nathan Wrigley: In the same way that 15 years ago there was no SEO career, there was if you worked at Google, but if you were an SEO trying to figure out how to best present your web property, that career probably didn&#8217;t really exist, and now it does. I&#8217;m wondering if personalization might well go in the same direction, you know, if you were to become an expert at this, knowledge of all the different plugins, knowledge of all the different platforms, if it&#8217;s a career path that you could possibly develop? Because it is quite a specialist skill, and especially when you described the Cloudflare and the Pantheons and the edge cases for all of that. If the technical barrier is so big that people may want this, but they also haven&#8217;t got the time to implement it, and so they would purchase in that skill.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:31:06] Paul Halfpenny: Yeah, I think there is an opportunity there to do that. I think people don&#8217;t always see the return on investment. Perhaps they struggle to go, well, actually, if I make this change, what was my ROI to do that, and therefore what&#8217;s the cost benefit analysis of doing it? But if you look at most big companies right now, they&#8217;ll all have a CRM team or a digital team that is focused on this type of activity.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you go to any e-commerce provider or website online, there are people whose job it is to improve conversion, that&#8217;s what they do. And personalization is a part of improving conversion. And it takes in a couple of different skillsets. So there is a skillset, certainly massively around UX. So what&#8217;s the user experience? As a user, if I come to this website, what do I expect to see? Where do I expect my users to go after they&#8217;ve landed on this page? And am I trying to get them to go and do this? Or am I trying to get them to go and do that? Can I show them this kind of content?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do I know about them that I can then provide them with some additional value whilst they&#8217;re on this website? Or how can I remove friction so that they can complete their journey more quickly? And there&#8217;s some design that&#8217;s required for how you might do that. So UI interface design. Analytics. So analytics is really important to understand what people are doing, where they&#8217;re tapping, what they&#8217;re clicking on, and what they&#8217;re doing on that site and what their life cycle is as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then putting the content in and making sure that the content is relevant and contextual for that particular situation. So just editing content on a site for different audiences might mean that you need to create different variations of that content that may be worded slightly differently as well. Whether that&#8217;s multilingual content, maybe it&#8217;s a different way of talking to a different type of customer. We all know that you&#8217;re probably not going to speak the same way to maybe a marketing manager that&#8217;s coming to your website, as you would do to a developer that&#8217;s coming to look for a job.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:33:06] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah. You mentioned ROI and what have you, and I wondered if a lot of that is built into these technologies, so, for example, in the case of the WordPress plugins, either yours or one of the other ones, whether you have that data inside of WordPress, or do you need to go and hook it up to other tools, some analytics tool or what have you?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, a simple AB test, can that be done in these platforms? And does it give you a, well 15 people clicked on the blue variation, but 28 clicked on the red variation. Do you get any of that feedback in here? Or are the WordPress tools simply a case of, look, here&#8217;s the technology to do it. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;ve got for you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:33:45] Paul Halfpenny: So some of the plugins offer those stats and can record it in your own database. And others will do it offsite. So I think Logic Hop is part of this AB testing. I might be wrong. will score your AB testing, on your own site. But I know that Altis uses enterprise analytics that will then it will determine what your potential size of your audience is for a particular segment so that you can apply some rules to that segment? It depends what you are trying to achieve. If you are just trying to show people, so you can do it in a couple different ways.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can obviously store the data in your own WordPress instance. Most people will probably use Google Analytics or Fathom Analytics, to understand where people might be tapping on buttons and maybe put an event in via Google Tag Manager so that it can register that tap or that click when the content is shown to them. That would be a really good way of doing it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, we come back to the problem that smaller sites are on, potentially on, shared hosting. They might have the resources. And if you are storing stats up in your database, how useful is that and how many resources you are using and is that slowing your site down?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:34:57] Nathan Wrigley: One final question just before we knock it on the head is, in terms of the availability for this in WordPress. At the minute, it&#8217;s very much the domain of plugins. So plugins in the traditional sense of the word, but also you&#8217;ve got things that work with the block editor as well. But my understanding is, forgive me if I&#8217;ve got this incorrect, my understanding is that you would like to see aspects of this creeping into WordPress Core?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if that&#8217;s true, I think it&#8217;s fair to say that you have a, an impression that most people, or a significant proportion users of WordPress would find this thing useful. It would be a great tool to have in. And you point to the fact that the commercial rivals, so Optimizely and Sitecore and so on, they have this built in as part of their core platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you want to just speak about that for a minute? Have I misrepresented you there, or would you like to see some of these tools, and I&#8217;m guessing you&#8217;re not imagining the full monty? Just a subset of simple things built into WordPress Core?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:36:00] Paul Halfpenny: I really do think it needs to be in Core. I use WordPress in a couple different ways. I use it for my personal site, for myself and my friends or other small companies that we just do pro bono work for. I use it in my agency life. So we work with mid-market and enterprise companies.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then I&#8217;ve seen how WordPress compares to other content management systems on the market. And I think as WordPress grows, I think this is a feature that kind of needs to be in there and that would be useful to most users. I see value in it from a, a number of different ways.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even something as simple as having the ability to show content or hide a block in Gutenberg based on if somebody&#8217;s logged in or not. That for me would be really useful, based on the device type they&#8217;re using, based on where they&#8217;re, what country they&#8217;re coming from. I don&#8217;t think it needs to be to the extent of putting AB testing in.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think all of that kind of functionality can be done via plugins to extend it. I think there&#8217;s adequate scope there if somebody wants to do more, that they could add some plugins to do that. But I do think as WordPress grows and changes over the next decade, I think that personalized user experience becomes even more important.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I think it&#8217;s better for users for WordPress if this stuff is handled and managed and added to Core, so that it&#8217;s there for everybody to use as they need it. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s terribly complex in terms of being able to create some rules to show some content or be able to show or hide a block.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I think there&#8217;s also something around working in enterprise that shows us that that is really needed for WordPress to compete as an enterprise platform. And I&#8217;m really aware that not everybody that&#8217;s listening to this or, you know, the majority of people that work with WordPress don&#8217;t work with Enterprise.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so it&#8217;s, it is not really relevant to them. But I think that that&#8217;s just what we see in the market and we see WordPress being adopted by enterprise. And it&#8217;s one of the things that clients ask us for. They ask us for loads of things. They say, have you got multilingual baked in? No, you need a plugin for that. And there&#8217;s a couple different ways to do that, but it&#8217;s coming in Gutenberg at some point in the future. And they go, well, have you got workflows? No, haven&#8217;t really got workflows. Has it got its own analytics system? Well, no, it hasn&#8217;t got its own analytic system.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then personalization is one of those other big features. So, we are interested in it because we work with WordPress. We like to be able to use WordPress in those situations rather than having to deliver on other platforms, which perhaps we don&#8217;t enjoy working with as much.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And also, we know clients don&#8217;t enjoy working with them as much. And actually we think there should be a really great alternative to those platforms. It is a personal view, you know, but I think that there&#8217;s a growing demand for it. And I think that with Gutenberg and the move to block based content, it becomes a lot easier. It wasn&#8217;t really possible in the old classic editor approach. You know, you could do it on the front end, but it&#8217;s very code heavy. But now it&#8217;s relatively simple to achieve.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:39:24] Nathan Wrigley: Paul, if somebody listening to this podcast shares your opinion there and wants to reach out and get in touch and continue this discussion, where would be the best place to do that? It&#8217;s up to you. It could be a Twitter handle or an email or whatever you like.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:39:39] Paul Halfpenny: Is anybody still on Twitter these days? I do wonder, like I scroll my Twitter feed now and there doesn&#8217;t seem to be as many people on there. Look, I would love people to get in touch because I just love talking about this stuff, right? So I think it&#8217;s really interesting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think the opinions are really interesting. filteragency.com is our agency website. paulhalfpenny.com is my personal website. You can email me, paul @ filteragency.com. You can find me on Twitter, with a terrible photo that makes me look much younger than I actually am, paulfhalfpenny, I think. To be honest, there aren&#8217;t too many Paul Halfpenny&#8217;s around, so, you know, typing it into Google tends to give some results. It&#8217;s quite fortunate, really.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:40:22] Nathan Wrigley: Paul Halfpenny. Thank you very much for chatting to me on the podcast today. I really appreciate it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:40:27] Paul Halfpenny: Thank you very much. It&#8217;s a pleasure to be invited on.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast today we have <a href="https://twitter.com/paulfhalfpenny">Paul Halfpenny</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul is the CTO at <a href="https://filter.agency/">Filter</a>, a remote-first digital agency that specialises in open-source tech such as WordPress, Laravel, React, React Native and Ionic with enterprise clients.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He’s been a speaker at WordCamp Europe and has an interest in making websites a more personal experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Website personalisation is the idea of amending content served by your website to match the conditions of your current users. It might be that you want to show (or hide) content to people during certain times of the year. Perhaps it would be helpful to translate content if the user comes from a specific locale. Or maybe you would like to offer a product based upon pages that a user had previously visited, or items that they have bought.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this falls under the umbrella of personalisation, and it’s an area that Paul thinks is going to be more important in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast we talk about what techniques you can use to offer up personalised content. That could be WordPress plugins or options within blocks, but there are also more complex setups with a whole range of ‘at the edge’ technologies.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We chat about what kind of information you might want to amend on your website, and whether it’s possible to do too much, and risk users feeling that they’re being tracked wherever they go online.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can website owners and users benefit from these techniques, and can this be sold as a service to clients in the same way that you might offer SEO or website optimisation?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end, we talk about whether or not aspects of personalisation should be added into WordPress Core. Have SaaS services which bake this into their platforms heralded in an era in which personalisation is expected by the majority of clients?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It’s an interesting chat with many insights and tips, and so if you’re looking to explore this subject further, this episode is for you.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links.</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://filter.agency/">Filter agency website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://wpvip.com/partners/">WordPress VIP partners</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.sitecore.com/">Sitecore</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.optimizely.com/">Optimizely</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-visibility/">Block Visibility plugin by Nick Diego</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.if-so.com/">If So plugin website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://logichop.com/">Logic Hop website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://www.altis-dxp.com/accelerate/experience-blocks/">Experience Blocks website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-dxp/">WP-DXP plugin</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://tagmanager.google.com/">Google Tag Manager</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://usefathom.com/">Fathom Analytics</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://twitter.com/paulfhalfpenny">Paul&#8217;s Twitter account</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, 15 Feb 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: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:107:"Post Status: WordPress 6.2 Beta 2 • Help Test • Theme Directory Redesign • Apply for Community Summit";s: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=147279";s: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:106:"https://poststatus.com/wordpress-6-2-beta-2-help-test-theme-directory-redesign-apply-for-community-summit/";s: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:14831:"<h2 id="h-this-week-at-wordpress-org-february-6-2023">This Week at WordPress.org (February 6, 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 Beta 2 is now available. Help test the latest features before the next release.  Apply now to attend Community Summit.  Take a look at the new Theme Directory redesign progress.  </p></div>\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<div id="kt-info-box_94d1bd-77" 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_arrowRightCircle"></span></div></div></div></div><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h2 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title">WP 6.2 Beta 2, Help Test, Themes Redesign</h2><p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text">β  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/14/wordpress-6-2-beta-2/">WordPress 6.2 Beta 2</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64b-1f3fe.png" alt="🙋🏾" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">Help Test WordPress 6.2</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f3a8.png" alt="🎨" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/02/10/theme-directory-redesign-update/">Theme Directory redesign update</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/270d-1f3fc.png" alt="✍🏼" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/">Apply to Attend the 2023 Community Summit</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/2023/02/episode-49-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-community-summit/">WP Briefing: Episode 49: Everything You Need to Know About the Community Summit!</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_8f6276-eb"><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-13 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/2023/02/14/wordcamp-asia-2023-contributor-day/">WordCamp Asia 2023 Contributor Day</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/13/discussion-refining-the-mentor-program/">Discussion: Refining the Mentor Program</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/11/recap-of-the-diverse-speaker-training-group-wpdiversity-amer-emea-on-february-8-2023/">Recap of the Diverse Speaker Training group (#WPDiversity) AMER/EMEA on February 8, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/2023-global-sponsors-announcement/">2023 Global Sponsors: Announcement</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/">Apply to Attend the 2023 Community Summit</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/06/community-booth-at-wordcamp-asia-2023/">Community Booth at WordCamp Asia 2023</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/2023/02/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-1-8-february/">What’s new in Gutenberg 15.1? (8 February)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/15/a-week-in-core-february-13-2023/">A Week in Core – February 13, 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id="h-wordpress-6-2">WordPress 6.2</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/14/wordpress-6-2-beta-2/">WordPress 6.2 Beta 2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/04/phase-2-finale/">Phase 2, Finale</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/03/hallway-hangout-performance-improvements-for-wordpress-6-2/">Hallway Hangout: Performance Improvements for WordPress 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/06/roadmap-to-6-2/">Roadmap to 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/18/bug-scrub-schedule-for-6-2/">Bug Scrub Schedule for 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/11/early-bug-scrub-schedule-for-wp-6-2/">Early bug scrub schedule for WP&nbsp;6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/17/wordpress-6-2-planning-roundup/">WordPress 6.2 Planning Roundup</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/2023/02/14/dev-chat-agenda-february-15-2023/">Dev Chat Agenda, February 15, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/13/editor-chat-agenda-february-15th-2023/">Editor Chat Agenda: February 15th, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/09/dev-chat-summary-february-8-2023/">Dev Chat, Summary, February 8, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/09/editor-chat-summary-february-8th-2023/">Editor chat summary: February 8th, 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id="h-developer-blog">Developer Blog</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/02/whats-new-for-developers-february-2023/">What’s new for developers? (February 2023)</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/2023/02/10/agenda-for-docs-team-bi-weekly-meeting-february-21-2023/">Agenda for Docs Team bi-weekly meeting February 21, 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/2023/02/14/notes-global-marketing-team-meeting-7-february-2023/">Notes: Global Marketing Team meeting, 7 February 2023</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/2023/02/10/theme-directory-redesign-update/">Theme Directory redesign update</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/2023/02/08/openverse-org-is-live/">Openverse.org is live</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/2023/02/14/performance-chat-summary-14-february-2023/">Performance Chat Summary: 14 February 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column">\n<h2 id="h-polyglots">Polyglots</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2023/02/14/agenda-weekly-polyglots-chat-feb-15-2023-1300-utc/">Agenda: Weekly Polyglots Chat – Feb. 15, 2023 (13:00 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/2023/02/03/twitter-api-changes/">Twitter API Changes</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/2023/02/06/proposal-creating-a-wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program/">Proposal: Creating a WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/27/discussion-ending-the-eternal-september/">Discussion: Ending the Eternal September</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/2023/02/block-editor-live-in-most-forums/"></a><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/02/agenda-for-february-9th-support-meeting-2/">Agenda for February 9th Support Meeting</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/2023/02/14/fse-program-find-your-style-summary/">FSE Program Find Your Style Summary</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">Help Test WordPress 6.2</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/2023/02/13/meeting-agenda-for-february-14-2023/">Meeting Agenda for February 14, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/13/wordcamp-asia-2023-contributor-day/">WordCamp Asia 2023 Contributor Day</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/10/training-teams-new-onboarding-program-is-now-live/">Training Team’s new onboarding program is now live!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/08/video-conferencing-options-for-online-workshops/">Video conferencing options for Online Workshops</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/06/meeting-agenda-for-february-7-2023/">Meeting Agenda for February 7, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/06/training-team-2023-goals-setting/">Training Team 2023 Goals Setting</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=community-sharing-media-plugins">Community Sharing: Media Plugins</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-code-developer-ama-ask-me-anything">Let’s code: Developer AMA – Ask Me Anything</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=wp-dev-livestream-building-a-react-app-utilising-the-wp-rest-api">WP dev livestream: Building a React app utilising the WP REST API</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=come-join-the-wordpress-training-team-2">Come join the WordPress Training Team!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=come-join-the-wordpress-training-team">Come join the WordPress Training Team!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=what-is-learn-wordpress-timezone-2">What is Learn WordPress? (Timezone 2)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=%E7%94%BB%E5%83%8F%E3%81%AEseo%E5%AF%BE%E7%AD%96-%E3%80%9Cwordpress%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A7%E3%81%8D%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%80%9C-2">画像のSEO対策 〜WordPressでできること〜</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=%E7%94%BB%E5%83%8F%E3%81%AEseo%E5%AF%BE%E7%AD%96-%E3%80%9Cwordpress%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A7%E3%81%8D%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%80%9C">画像のSEO対策 〜WordPressでできること〜</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=what-is-learn-wordpress">What is Learn WordPress?</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/migrating-your-wordpress-website-to-a-different-host-and-domain/">Migrating your WordPress website to a different host and domain</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://www.php.net/archive/2023.php#2023-02-02-1">PHP 8.2.2 Released!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://www.php.net/archive/2023.php#2023-02-02-2">PHP 8.1.15 Released!</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&#8217; <a href="https://poststatus.com/news/week-in-review/">Week in Review</a> — covering the WP/Woo news plus significant writing and podcasts. It&#8217;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, 15 Feb 2023 07:08:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:64:"WPTavern: WordPress Unveils Commemorative 20th Anniversary Wapuu";s: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=142005";s: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:75:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-unveils-commemorative-20th-anniversary-wapuu";s: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:1940:"<p>The global WordPress community is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the software&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2003/05/wordpress-now-available/">first release</a> on May 27, 2023. Two decades ago, WordPress made its debut featuring Texturize, XHTML 1.1, manual excerpts, and a new admin interface. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>An <a href="https://wp20.wordpress.net/">official anniversary website</a> is publishing updates about how the community can get involved in the upcoming celebration plans. Organizers and participants will be using the #WP20 hashtag on social media to designate posts as related to the event. Community organizers hosting celebrations can have their events listed on the website by <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9lIkZ8GtXAt1ZL11K6G47iHkArt1L_o2oarLjzllbcShc0w/viewform">submitting them through a form</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the festivities, the project has released a set of commemorative logos, which were created in the style of the new WordPress.org design. The project has adopted a more vibrant blue color in recent days, allowing the original dusty blue to fade into history.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress is also releasing a new commemorative 20th anniversary wapuu. The mascot is festooned with a party hat and a balloon with the anniversary logo. It was created by WordPress contributor <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/triforcepower/">Emalina “Ema” DeRosia</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The artwork for the wapuu is available for anyone to <a href="https://wp20.wordpress.net/wp-content/uploads/WP20-Wapuu.zip">download</a> and use. It comes in multiple file types, including SVG, PDF, PNG, along with the Adobe Illustrator design file. WordPress&#8217; <a href="https://mercantile.wordpress.org/">swag store</a> is closed at the moment but is expected to reopen soon with limited edition 20th anniversary swag, and some items may feature the commemorative wapuu. </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, 15 Feb 2023 02:08:29 +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: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:120:"WPTavern: WordPress 6.2 Beta 2 Released with Fixes for 71 Issues and Important Performance Improvements for Block Themes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=142035";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:131:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-6-2-beta-2-released-with-fixes-for-71-issues-and-important-performance-improvements-for-block-themes";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3311:"<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/14/wordpress-6-2-beta-2/">WordPress 6.2 Beta 2</a> was released today and is now available for testing, one week after Beta 1. Testers can easily download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.2-beta2.zip">latest beta zip file</a> or install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin and set it to the “Bleeding edge” channel and the “Beta/RC Only” stream.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beta 2 includes fixes for ~71 issues since last week&#8217;s release, along with the most recent <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-15-1-adds-openverse-integration">Gutenberg plugin 15.1</a> release, which was not included in <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/">Beta 1</a>. Testers can check out the list of the most <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/commits/wp/6.2">recent commits to 6.2 on GitHub</a> and <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=accepted&status=closed&changetime=02%2F07%2F2023..02%2F14%2F2023&milestone=6.2&col=id&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&col=milestone&order=id">recent commits on Trac</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the most recent Performance Team meeting, WordPress core committer Felix Arntz highlighted <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/55318">an important fix for how lazy loading is handled in block themes</a>. WordPress 5.9 <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/52065">fixed a performance regression</a> where WordPress’ default of lazy loading all images was causing slower performance on the Largest Contentful Paint metric (LCP) metric. This resulted in <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-9-to-fix-lazy-loading-performance-regression-resulting-in-30-faster-page-loads-in-some-cases">30% faster page loads in some cases</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four months ago, it was discovered that block themes were having an issue with lazy loading where the previous fix was not working as expected.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;With the introduction of block themes, that logic was not functioning correctly, resulting in all featured images to be lazy-loaded, regardless of whether it was the LCP image or not,&#8221; Arntz said in the commit message.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Together with an update to the <code>core/post-featured-image</code> block included in <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/55079">[55079]</a>, this changeset fixes the logic to correctly handle featured images in block themes as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Additionally, in combination with an update to the <code>core/template-part</code> block from <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/55246">[55246]</a>, this changeset includes an enhancement which uses the benefits of block template parts to avoid lazy-loading images in the <code>header</code> block template part, making the lazy-loading heuristics even more accurate for sites using a block theme.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/55318">fix</a>, which is included in the 6.2 Beta 2 release, introduces enhanced logic to determine the LCP image in block themes and avoid lazy-loading it. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Provided everything stays on track, the official release is now just six weeks away, targeted for March 28, 2023.</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, 14 Feb 2023 22:20:29 +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: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:90:"WordCamp Central: GoDaddy joins the WordPress global community sponsorship program 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:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=3161230";s: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:115:"https://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/02/godaddy-joins-the-wordpress-global-community-sponsorship-program-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:3410:"<p>Please join us in welcoming <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/pro?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/sponsor-multiple-wordcamps/">2023 WordPress global community sponsorship program</a>! GoDaddy’s pledge to sponsor all official WordPress community events (WordCamps, Meetups, and more) all around the world provides support and stability to our hardworking crew of volunteer event organizers. Thanks for everything, GoDaddy!</p>\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-image">\n<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/files/2023/02/Copy-of-gd-logo-480x360-1.png"><img /></a></div>\n\n\n<p>At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.godaddy.com/pro?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy</a>, our&nbsp;mission&nbsp;is&nbsp;to empower&nbsp;a&nbsp;worldwide community of&nbsp;entrepreneurs&nbsp;by giving them all the help and tools they need to grow online&nbsp;— including a simpler, safer WordPress experience.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We champion&nbsp;our&nbsp;Makers of the Web&nbsp;by delivering&nbsp;a suite of WordPress solutions that enable fast and easy setup and then&nbsp;enables users&nbsp;to&nbsp;harness all the power of the world’s most popular CMS.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://community.godaddy.com/s/group/0F93t000000I7EfCAK/godaddy-pro?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy Pro Community</a> was built by and for website designers and developers.&nbsp;Whether you’re new to web design or growing your existing business, you’ll find free tools, products, education, and expert support to help you more efficiently create and maintain beautiful sites — and wow clients.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We provide a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.godaddy.com/hosting/wordpress-hosting?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">Managed WordPress experience</a> that is as easy as it is effective. The latest version of WordPress comes pre-installed with exclusive themes, plugins, and tools to get you up and running quickly, with automated backups, updates, and malware removal so our Pros can spend less time on monotonous maintenance, and more time building their businesses.GoDaddy Pro works tirelessly to foster an active, nurturing community, with initiatives including the sponsorship of WordCamps globally, weekly <a href="https://events.godaddy.com/godaddy-pro-online?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy Pro Meetups</a>, our free <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/pro/academy?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy Pro Academy</a> courses, and our <a href="https://community.godaddy.com/s/group/0F93t000000I7EfCAK/godaddy-pro?utm_source=wcglobal_2023_sponsorship&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=en-us_events_prg_awa_partners_part_wcsponsordesc_001">GoDaddy Pro Discussions Group</a>. We’re proud to be a partner of the WordPress community and look forward to witnessing all the individual greatness that our efforts help 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:"Tue, 14 Feb 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:6:"Isotta";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:77:"Do The Woo Community: Multi-tenant WooCommerce Sites with Wijnand van Leeuwen";s: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=74501";s: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:51:"https://dothewoo.io/multi-tenant-woocommerce-sites/";s: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:410:"<p>Wijnand van Leeuwen from WPCS.io joins Carl and Zach for a Woo DevChat about Multi-tenant sites, performance, hosting and more.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://dothewoo.io/multi-tenant-woocommerce-sites/">Multi-tenant WooCommerce Sites with Wijnand van Leeuwen</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, 14 Feb 2023 10:08:00 +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: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:64:"WPTavern: Watch WordCamp Asia 2023 via Livestream February 17-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=142007";s: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:75:"https://wptavern.com/watch-wordcamp-asia-2023-via-livestream-february-17-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3116:"<p>WordPress enthusiasts from around the world are beginning their journeys to attend the inaugural WordCamp Asia, which is happening in Bangkok, Thailand, February 17-19. Organizers are expecting 1,500 attendees at this new flagship event. For those who cannot attend in-person, there will be a livestream broadcasting the sessions from the conference days after Contributor Day, which kicks off on Day 1.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/schedule/livestream/">livestream schedule</a> shows dates and times in visitors&#8217; local timezones. Depending on where you are in the world, it may be tricky to catch some of the sessions but the event will also be recorded. Virtual attendees can favorite the sessions they are interested to watch and print or email them to keep track. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are topics for every experience level &#8211; from <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/starting-your-wordpress-blog-the-first-6-months/">starting a WordPress blog</a> to <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/advanced-performance-scalability-for-php-developers/">advanced performance and scalability for PHP developers</a>. Attendees can learn how to <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/start-your-subscription-business-with-no-code-saas-and-fse-full-site-editing/">start a subscription business with a no-code SaaS and FSE (Full Site Editing)</a>. Theme authors can learn <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/how-can-theme-developers-monetize-in-the-era-of-block-themes/">how to monetize in the era of block themes</a> and website owners can explore <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/take-your-wordpress-site-to-another-level-using-ai-translation/">using AI translation to translate their websites</a> to find a wider audience. WordCamp Asia will also feature a few sessions on careers, including <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/non-technical-career-options-in-the-wordpress-market/">non-technical careers in the WordPress market</a> and <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/career-detour-from-the-medical-field-to-wordpress/">career changes from the medical field to WordPress</a>. This is just a small sampling of the interesting topics that will be discussed at WordCamp Asia. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/ama-ask-matt-anything/">Matt Mullenweg will join for an AMA</a> on February 18, in Track 1, which will also be livestreamed to Tracks 2 and 3. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the event, organizers plan to announce the location of the next WordCamp Asia coming in 2024. <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nao/">Naoko Takano</a>, one of the organizers, joined the WP Tavern Jukebox podcast last week to discuss the organizing process and the importance of WordPress hosting its first flagship event in Asia. Check out the <a href="https://wptavern.com/podcast/62-naoko-takano-on-the-importance-of-the-first-wordcamp-asia">episode</a> for more perspective on the event, which has been in planning for years after getting cancelled and postponed multiple times due to the pandemic.</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, 13 Feb 2023 22:22:39 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"\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:100:"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 49: Everything You Need to Know About the Community Summit!";s: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=14404";s: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:101:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/episode-49-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-community-summit/";s: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:15541:"<p>Episode forty-nine of the WordPress Briefing explores the What, Why, and Who behind the upcoming Community Summit in National Harbor, DC, USA, August 22-23, 2023. Join Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy to learn the importance of the gathering to the WordPress project. </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">Show Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2019/06/17/observations-on-wordpress-contributor-team-structure/" target="_blank">Observations on WordPress Contributor Team Structure</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/" target="_blank">Apply to attend the 2023 Community Summit</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://communitysummit.wordcamp.org/2023/topic-submissions-for-2023-community-summit/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Topic Submissions for the 2023 Community Summit</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuckman&#8217;s Theory: Stages of Group Development</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_House_Rule" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chatham House Rules</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/02/06/proposal-creating-a-wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proposal for a project-wide mentorship program</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.openverse.org" rel="noreferrer noopener">Openverse.org</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/" target="_blank">6.2 Beta 1 is open for testing</a><br /><br /></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcript</h2>\n\n\n\n<span id="more-14404"></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.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:40]&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of episodes ago, I mentioned the Community Summit in the small list of big things. That&#8217;s coming up on August 22nd and 23rd, right before WordCamp US. And for some of you, that made complete sense, and the only thought in your mind was, wow, our last one was in 2017, how could so many years have passed since then? And since so many years have passed, today we&#8217;re gonna talk a bit about the Community Summit, what it is, where it came from, and why it&#8217;s so important for the WordPress project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:09]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, let&#8217;s talk about what exactly the Community Summit is. The Community Summit is a small event where folks from around the WordPress project and community come together to work through some of the most difficult topics the project currently faces, many of which are easier or at least less fraught when we can be face-to-face.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Community Summit is usually done in an “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference">unconference</a>” style, and when we were smaller, we left topic gathering and voting to the day of. That&#8217;s evolved a bit as our group of fearless contributors has grown over the years, and this year, we have been asking for topics ahead of time so that we can make sure we have the right folks in the room and are making the best use of everyone&#8217;s limited time.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to take a look at this event and think it&#8217;s like some fun exclusive thing with a who&#8217;s who of WordPress.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I assure you it&#8217;s a working event. Decisions are not finalized during the event, but since we try very hard to account for many, many viewpoints, it ends up being two days of hard discussions, contentious viewpoints, and problem definition at a level of complexity you don&#8217;t really see every day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing how hard this event is, you may be wondering why we put in that effort. There are a lot of reasons, but there are three that come to my mind immediately. So for starters, working across cultures is hard. Apart from the cultural differences, we tend to be aware of things like where we&#8217;re located or our lived experiences, things like that– working remotely or distributedly is a whole different set of skills than working in person. This helps remind everyone that we&#8217;re humans, that there are humans behind those comments and behind those messages in Slack. The second thing is that I&#8217;m a big supporter of Tuckman&#8217;s theory of group development.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t know what that is, you can look for it, we&#8217;ll put a link in the show notes, but it&#8217;s that forming, storming, norming, performing kind of concept of how groups come together. Because there are so many of us and our community has such a large footprint, there are little storms a-brewin all the time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some get really big, some stay small. But at some point, most of them have to be addressed. And this is a space that is specifically designed to help us do that. Which brings us to the third reason that we do it. This event uses something called the Chatham House Rule, which creates a kind of temporal psychological safety.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right. Psychological safety, if you&#8217;re a leader, you know that that&#8217;s something that is built over time and requires a lot of trust and a lot of conversations with people that you&#8217;re working with, and we can&#8217;t quite do that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so Chatham House Rule builds an environment that helps create that suddenly in the moment and requires, you know, some, some faith in one another.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But basically, no one can be quoted about what they said in those conversations. No one&#8217;s examples can be attributed to them. But the conversations can be summarized and published, which we do on the Community Summit website. And then, we publish those for our collective knowledge over time. This lets folks who are attending advocate for themselves and others fully without worrying over whether they&#8217;re gonna be taken out of context later.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally, one of the biggest questions we get ahead of any Community Summit is why it is by invitation only. The most commonly cited reasons for keeping this small and invite only have everything to do with logistics and leadership. You want it to be large enough to have good representation but small enough to have high-quality interactions. It&#8217;s just a really narrow Goldilocks moment, if you will.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that reason doesn&#8217;t necessarily address the need for invitations rather than letting it be first come, first served. The reason for that is more of a philosophical one and requires you to go on a mini historical journey with me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This also has changed a bit over the years. The first ever Community Summit, way back in 2012, was before my time, but if I recall my history correctly, it was truly by invitation only. The summit after that included a closed nomination process. The next included a team nomination process, and then the last two, 2017 and 2023, have included open nominations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, even in the nomination era of Community Summit organizing, there is still a selection process. The organizers review the list of suggested attendees and check for the same types of things we expect major WordCamp organizers to look for in their speaker selection.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things like which teams they contribute to, what communities they advocate for, and how long they&#8217;ve been a member of the community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then they adjust for balance. In addition to those things, there are also four types of voices that we always want represented at our Community Summit. So first is leading voices, people who are already in the community and kind of are helping us to make decisions. I am considered one of those leading voices; I have put in my application to be included in the Community Summit. Really hope we select me.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second one is future leading voices. Specifically, those are people who are active in the community already and are showing a lot of promise, either because they really understand the values that the WordPress open source project is putting forward or understand the basic processes of communicating and guiding people in such a complex ecosystem as the WordPress project represents. Or because they have said quite plainly they are interested in helping us to make sure that the WordPress project is able to move and continue to create and continue to support democratizing publishing.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:07:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it&#8217;s a little bit potentially folks who are self-selecting for that. People who already are showing that they are doing that either in WordPress or in their local communities. That&#8217;s one of the types of voices we want to include. A third one that we want to include all the time is voices we need, so voices that we need to hear. People that specifically we are building WordPress for, people that have indicated to us that the CMS is not necessarily perfect for some of the use cases that they run into regularly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the people and users and community organizers that can and are able to advocate for the types of user interactions, the types of community interactions that we absolutely want to be able to see.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:08:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so that&#8217;s a third group of voices that we want to make sure we have represented.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then the fourth and final group that we always want to have represented is a group that I call voices we miss. And so those are the people that we want to be able to hear more from in our project that we don&#8217;t necessarily either have a good group of representative voices for, so it&#8217;s hard to hear them, or that we know are probably users of the CMS or they are attending events, they are somehow involved in the WordPress project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we don&#8217;t necessarily have any way to have accounted for them while we were building solutions way back in 2012 or 2006 when things were being built for us. And so those are the four groups of people, the four types of voices that I absolutely want to have represented at our Community Summit.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:09:00]</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I ask organizers to go through this incredibly complicated selection process because we want not simply a microcosm of the WordPress community as we see it today and hope to see it in the future but also an equitably voiced forum during that critical problem definition phase.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So TLDL. For, listen?! T L D Real Listen. Although if you didn&#8217;t make it through that, you definitely are not getting to this point. So a TLDR for folks who skimmed the transcript and got here, I guess we keep this invitation structure because we want to account for voices we don&#8217;t hear every day in the WordPress project. Not because we don&#8217;t value them but because we already hear them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:09:44]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now that brings us to our small list of big things. This week it&#8217;s actually kind of a big list of big things, but you know, there it is.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:10:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first. The applications for the Community Summit are now open. Those are the applications to attend. It&#8217;s pretty short. I filled mine out this morning and it&#8217;s three questions about who you are and your username on wordpress.org, and then three questions about the topics you are most interested in and the experience that you have in those conversations so far.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. It took me, like, I think, 90 seconds. Like, a full minute and a half. So head on over there. We have a link in the show notes, but also, you&#8217;ll be able to find it in newsletters across the entire WordPress media ecosystem. I am pretty sure about that.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing is that there is a proposal out for a project-wide mentorship program.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a huge potential win for us. It is aiming to fix some of our broken ladders. If you&#8217;re not familiar with my Broken Ladder Theory of the WordPress project, I&#8217;ll try to remember to find a link to that post and put that in the show notes.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:11:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Number three is that Openverse moved. I shared this last week that happened last week. They didn&#8217;t move very far, though. They have a new URL, you can find them at openverse.org. It&#8217;s the same team. It&#8217;s the same product. It&#8217;s the same group of excellent openly-licensed images and media that you have come to expect. It just has its own standalone URL now. Huge kudos to the contributors who got that done.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another thing that happened last week is that WordPress 6.2 has moved into its beta phase, and so now is the time to get out there and test.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There also was an excellent, excellent write-up about how to test any given release. And I think it also includes how to file a good bug. And so we&#8217;ll send all of those things into the show notes. They&#8217;ll be easy to find. Get out there and do your testing.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And number five, longest, small list of big things in recent history.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:12:00]&nbsp;</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>I got some interest on [a] women, and non-binary led release for 2023, and so since there was some interest shown for that, it is hereby verbally confirmed. Keep an eye out on make.wordpress.org for more information about what that process is gonna look like and how to volunteer your time for that if that is something that calls to you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Woo. And that, my friends, is your small list of big things, your big list of big things. Thanks for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I&#8217;ll see you again in a couple of weeks.</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, 13 Feb 2023 17:01:27 +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: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:80:"WordCamp Central: Thanks to Weglot for supporting the global WordPress community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=3161226";s: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://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/02/weglot-supports-the-global-wordpress-community/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1793:"<p>Many thanks to&nbsp;Weglot&nbsp;for their support of the&nbsp;<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/sponsor-multiple-wordcamps/">WordPress global community sponsorship program</a>&nbsp;at the Gold level! The sponsorship that <a href="https://weglot.com/integrations/wordpress-translation-plugin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weglot</a> and other global sponsors provide to WordPress community events is truly invaluable. Weglot has been part of this program since 2022, and we couldn’t be more grateful!</p>\n\n\n\n<a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/files/2022/02/weglot-logo.png"><img /></a>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://weglot.com/integrations/wordpress-translation-plugin/">Weglot</a> is a WordPress multilingual plugin to translate and display your website in multiple languages. It provides a fast first layer of automated translation which you can easily edit yourself or by adding teammates, or collaborate with pro-translators through the Weglot dashboard. Trusted by more than 60,000 website owners and developers and with a 5-star rating on the WordPress directory (1000+ reviews) &#8211; you can have a multilingual website up and running in minutes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key benefits include:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Simple and quick set-up</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multilingual SEO best practices (translated URLs &amp; metadata)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compatibility with any Themes and Plugins (incl. WooCommerce)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automatic and human translations</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A unique dashboard with an &#8216;in context editor&#8217;, easily edit translations &amp; invite teammates to collaborate on projects</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expert support: a fully dedicated technical support team at your disposal</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more at <a href="https://weglot.com/integrations/wordpress-translation-plugin/">Weglot</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, 13 Feb 2023 06:30:08 +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:6:"Isotta";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:69:"WPTavern: WooCommerce to Launch WC Blocks Extensibility Monthly Chat";s: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=141871";s: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/woocommerce-to-launch-wc-blocks-extensibility-monthly-chat";s: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:1777:"<p>WooCommerce is calling on its developer community to <a href="https://developer.woocommerce.com/2023/01/30/announcing-wc-blocks-extensibility-monthly-chat/?utm_content=buffer61fff&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=buffer">join a new monthly chat</a> focused on WooCommerce block extensibility. The chat is being run as a three-month pilot program with different topics each month. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;During these sessions, we want developers to actively shape the future of WC Blocks by hearing what developers’ integrations need from us to be successful and get feedback on existing extensibility points,&#8221; WooCommerce developer advocate Stephanie Pi said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to have the right engineers available for the sessions while testing out the format, the first three months will focus on the Cart and Checkout blocks. WooCommerce developers have recently been attempting to <a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-seeks-to-improve-cart-and-checkout-blocks-performance#comment-436476">solicit feedback on Cart and Checkout block performance</a> on GitHub, though few have weighed in on the topic so far. This monthly chat may provide a more casual way to get extensibility issues on the WooCommerce team&#8217;s radar.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first session will be held in the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://woocommercecommunity.slack.com/archives/C1KAZ91E3" target="_blank">#developers</a> channel on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://woocommerce.com/community-slack/" target="_blank">WooCommerce Community Slack</a> on Monday, February 13, at 1600 UTC. At the end of the pilot program, WooCommerce will evaluate whether it&#8217;s a good use of the community&#8217;s time and if the monthly chats should be continued.</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, 11 Feb 2023 04:22:52 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:51:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 15.1 Adds Openverse Integration";s: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=141846";s: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/gutenberg-15-1-adds-openverse-integration";s: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:3928:"<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january-2/">Gutenberg 15.1</a> was released this week with Openverse integration in the Media tab. The Openverse library of openly licensed and public domain works has also moved to <a href="https://openverse.org/">its own website</a> with an updated design. It contains more than 600 million free-to-use images and audio files that are now available inside WordPress&#8217; editor:</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Clicking on an Openverse image will instantly insert it as an Image block with the proper attribution and license automatically added to the caption. The experience is so much faster than downloading from the Openverse website and then uploading to the Media Library.</p>\n\n\n\n<img src="https://cdn.stocksnap.io/img-thumbs/960w/Y8CKB0O8C2.jpg" alt="" />&#8220;<a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/stars-galaxy-Y8CKB0O8C2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stars Galaxy</a>&#8221; by <a href="https://stocksnap.io/author/17101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greg Rakozy</a>/ <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC0 1.0</a>\n\n\n\n<p class="ticss-9da20087">Another major highlight in 15.1 is the ability to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46571">add custom CSS on a per-block basis</a>. This can be done through the Global Styles menu in the Site Editor. For each block you can add your own CSS to customize the block appearance by scrolling to the bottom of the panel to the &#8220;Additional Block CSS&#8221; button. These CSS edits will be applied to all instances of the block on the site.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Gutenberg 15.1 also introduces <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46502">support for shadow presets</a> in Global Styles, with four defaults available (Natural, Crisp, Sharp, and Softy), and the ability for theme authors to add custom presets via ‘theme.json’.  The announcement post included a video that demonstrates the new UI:</p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>In 15.1 Navigation has been added to the browse mode sidebar in the Site Editor, so users can quickly access their menus and menu items, rearrange them via drag and drop, or navigate the links.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This release makes some <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/47430">changes to the &#8220;paste styles&#8221; feature</a> that was introduced in <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-15-0-introduces-sticky-position-block-support-adds-paste-styles-option">version 15.0</a>. The Options menu in the block toolbar now displays both &#8220;Copy styles&#8221; and &#8220;Paste Styles&#8221; to make it easier to understand how to use the feature, as it previously was unclear with just the &#8220;Copy Styles&#8221; option available.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Gutenberg 15.2 <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/47182">improves the Site Editor loading state</a> for better initialization. This is an important update for making the Site Editor ready to come out of Beta. It&#8217;s not a complete solution but makes it a bit more polished with the following changes, as outlined by Riad Benguella in the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/47182">PR</a>:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A CanvasSpinner that can be used in components that have a &#8220;ready&#8221; state. So instead of rendering an empty white page, the spinner is rendered when these components are not ready.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Makes sure the iframe has a &#8220;white&#8221; background by default to avoids too much background color switches during initialization.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are just a few of the highlights. Check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january-2/">15.1 release post</a> for the full list of enhancements, bug fixes, performance improvements, and tooling changes.</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, 10 Feb 2023 22:56:40 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:21;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"\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:"Do The Woo Community: Blocks, Themes and Page Builders with 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:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=74479";s: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://dothewoo.io/blocks-themes-and-page-builders-with-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:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:423:"<p>Recently I had a run in with blocks, the editor, themes and page builders., when rebranding BobWP.com. We chat about that.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://dothewoo.io/blocks-themes-and-page-builders-with-nathan-wrigley/">Blocks, Themes and Page Builders with Nathan Wrigley</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, 10 Feb 2023 09:07:00 +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: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:85:"Post Status: Product People with Vova Feldman of Freemius  — Post Status Draft 140";s: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=147156";s: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:90:"https://poststatus.com/product-people-with-vova-feldman-of-freemius-post-status-draft-140/";s: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:59854:"<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">In this episode, <a href="https://twitter.com/vovafeldman">Vova Feldman</a> of <a href="http://freemius">Freemius</a> joins Cory Miller to discuss the need for developers to prioritize products over infrastructure, the state of WordPress, and goals for providing a better user experience for customers. </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">26</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>Learn from the owner of <a href="http://freemius">Freemius</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/vovafeldman">Vova Feldman</a>, as he talks with&nbsp; Cory Miller about the opportunities for indie developers, how to best bring products into the industry, the importance of community, and more.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top Takeaways:</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Living in an Open Source Ecosystem. </strong>Developers don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With such a large ecosystem of products, finding a secret niche spot to develop your product isn’t always the best or even attainable solution. Doing something better than the next company is sometimes all it takes for great success.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The David and Goliath Struggle. </strong>It’s obvious that there has always been and will continue to be an unbalanced level of success between independent WordPress product owners and large companies. But that’s not to say there isn’t room for everyone; there is. An independent startup can move much faster into achieving short-term goals and growth than large-scale established companies can with a heavier workload and slower forward movement.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Valuing Community Over All Else. </strong>The WordPress community is what drives the future of WordPress. It’s not so much all the great new things the system offers but the people behind the process. Taking that same thought into your business, making people the center of your solutions, is an undeniable way to create a business that is surrounded by community.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Removing Language Barriers. </strong>Creating website language translation is becoming more of a priority. It ties in with the need for developing a better user experience for your customers. Your community needs a specialized way to interact with your products and site. That’s one main task Vova’s team is tackling for their customers this year</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container">\n<div class="is-layout-flex wp-container-20 wp-block-columns sponsor has-theme-palette-8-background-color has-background" id="StellarWP">\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column">\n<h3 class="StellarWP has-theme-palette-1-color has-text-color" id="Sponsor"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png" alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" /> Sponsor: <span><a href="https://poststat.us/elementor" rel="sponsored nofollow">Elementor</a></span></h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elementor </strong>enables web creators to build professional, pixel-perfect websites with an intuitive visual builder. Quickly create amazing websites for your clients or your business with complete control over every piece, without writing a single line of code. Join <a href="https://elementor.com/community/">a vast community of web creators</a> from all around the world who deliver exceptional websites using Elementor.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top"><div class="wp-block-image elementor-logo">\n<img src="https://cdn.poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Elementor-Logo-Symbol-Blue-150x150.png" alt="Elementor" class="wp-image-104033" width="150" height="150" title="Elementor Logo" />Elementor</div></div>\n</div>\n</div></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://freemius.com/">Freemius</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://ithemes.com/">iThemes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://elementor.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=6487935276&utm_term=elementor&gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6qYD-cCG8rlI6kGvOjh4HNqbY7YK7PshpiK1nnS4VyLHEtkaadENbRoCtuQQAvD_BwE">Elementor</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://woocommerce.com/">WooCommerce</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://yoast.com/">Yoast</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://il.linkedin.com/in/vovafeldman">Vova Feldman on Linkedin&nbsp;</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Asia</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/vovafeldman">Vova Feldman</a> (Founder &amp; CEO, <a href="https://twitter.com/Freemius">Freemius</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 another Post Status draft episode. And this is, uh, another interview and story in our agency journey series. Um, I&#8217;ve got Brad, who&#8217;s been a member of Post Status for a long time that leads, uh, Allie Interactive. Um, but we&#8217;re gonna. Talk about his story in just a little bit. But, um, you know, I&#8217;m always interested in these stories because how you got there, where you were.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then we&#8217;re gonna talk a little bit about WordPress in the future. And, um, but Brad, thanks again for, um, being, taking some time to share your story and journey. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your, your origin story with WordPress?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Yeah. Thanks Corey. Thank you for, for having me on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, yeah, I started with WordPress around about, I wanna say 2008, 2009. Uh, I spent, I spent my entire career [00:01:00] working in publishing technology up to this point, and, uh, I started at. Forbes Magazine, uh, in right around 2001. Uh, I eventually worked for forbes.com and, you know, towards the, the end of my tenure there, we were getting into launching some blogs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, I thought this WordPress platform looked pretty cool. Uh, I believe version three had just come out and, and, and it was starting to look, you know, a little more. Enterprise technology. Uh, you know, up to that point, you know, I think Droople was probably even Jula, I hate to say, was, was, uh, you know, an, an early, uh, adopter in the early, had some early adoption in the enterprise market, but WordPress was really picking up.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I liked the, I liked the technology behind it. I liked the interface a lot better than either of those platforms and, you know, just really on my own, took over a, a spare server and started to build out some blogs. Um, I, I had finally left the company in, in [00:02:00] 2010, but, Shortly after I left, WordPress actually took over, you know, their entire c m s at least for, for a period of time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, you know, it, it was good to see, um, WordPress start to get some, some enterprise adoption, uh, in that, in that market. Um, you know, and, and still at that phase, you know, WordPress was still. You know, I, I would say more uncommon than common, you know, for, for usage and enterprise publishing. You know, fast forward to, um, you know, 2010, I, I had taken over as CTO of a, of a small media company and we had a need to build out a couple of foreign language sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, we had actually chosen Droople at that time, uh, not WordPress and. My COO at the time, um, had previously worked at the New York Observer, um, with a couple of folks, uh, Austin Smith and, and Matt Johnson, uh, who had just founded a, a very small [00:03:00] agency, uh, of three people called Ali. And, uh, I, I became acquainted with them.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, hired them to build, build those two sites for us. So I actually became one of Ali&#8217;s first clients, uh, before I even worked here, uh, which, which was pretty cool. Um, stayed in touch with them. Uh, and then, uh, 2012 when I was, uh, c t o of a, a small startup, um, which, Wasn&#8217;t, wasn&#8217;t the best job I&#8217;ve ever had.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s say, uh, I won&#8217;t name the company. Um, but Ali was just starting to really, um, grow at that time. Uh, they were about to land, uh, their first set of really big enterprise clients, uh, a couple of which we still work with to this day. They&#8217;re also getting more into WordPress because, you know, the, the market really seemed to be starting to head in that direction, at least for open source enterprise publishing technology.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had built up a lot of WordPress knowledge at the startup that I was working at. You know, we had, we had stayed in touch over the, the last couple of [00:04:00] years and. Uh, I, I decided to join them and there were, I think, six of us at that point. And, you know, later, um, you know, shortly thereafter became, uh, the, the third partner in the business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve added a, uh, several others since, but, uh, you know, we&#8217;ve grown to a team of 70 people since then. So there&#8217;s a lot that happened in between. But, you know, it, it was an interesting journey to, to get to, you know, where I am today. Um, you know, as CEO of the. </p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Okay. Well, you kinda shared some of that snippet of your journey related to Allie.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, what does Allie do in WordPress in the world? Like who, who are your kind of focused clients? Um, what are the kind of types of work you do related to WordPress?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Yeah. When, when Austin and Matt, you know, originally founded the company, um, what was great is that you. I think the three of us always shared a common vision for, for what we wanted it to [00:05:00] be.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and, and really a common interest in, in the types of clients that we wanna work with. You know, the. The worldview that the company was, was founded with wa was with the, the First Amendment as the, the company&#8217;s North Star. Uh, you know, a strong belief in freedom of the press, um, and, and really helping, you know, it sounds very bold, the helping civilization bridge the divide from, you know, pre to post internet free speech.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, so the, the partners in the agency have always staunchly supported publishing and, and as a result, you know, we have only ever worked with publishers. Uh, you know, we started with. A lot of expertise in, specifically in news media. Um, you know, Austin and Matt had experience working for companies like the New York Observer, um, New York Times Slate.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, I, I had worked at Forbes and a couple other media companies, so, you know, we, we had a lot of experience there, but, You know, it, [00:06:00] it became clear that there were, you know, others who really fit that, that definition as publishers that were also important and interesting for us to work with. So, you know, early on, one of our first big clients was, was the Kaiser Family Foundation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and since then we&#8217;ve worked with a lot of other nonprofit publishers, you know, who have, you know, just as an, an important mission supporting their communities as our news media clients do supporting free. Um, you know, and we&#8217;ve worked with some book publishers and, and cultural institutions as well, but, you know, allie&#8217;s like never gonna build an an eCommerce site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re, you know, not gonna get into, you know, other areas of, of, you know, WordPress development and design. Uh, it, it&#8217;s always been focused on publishers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> That&#8217;s cool, especially with your background, uh, in publishing. Um, Forbes, obviously everybody knows Forbes. Um, and one of the strengths I&#8217;ve seen of WordPress, obviously it&#8217;s democratized publishing, so that that lines, and I love the, [00:07:00] the focus on the First Amendment, and the free speech part of that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s, that&#8217;s excellent. So with a lot of these publishers as being kind of a default client of what you all focus. Um, what&#8217;s the type of work, can you, and, and I know there&#8217;s clients you might not be able to talk about, so I, I totally respect that, but what&#8217;s the type of work you&#8217;re doing for some of these clients?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it rebuilds, is it park maintenance? Is it responding to a news team or a room or something like that?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Yeah. You know, and, and I think that that&#8217;s part of the, You know, evolution of the company that I sort of glossed over between about 2012 and now. Um, when, when I started you, you know, Allie originally, um, the folks that started it myself and, and, uh, and Austin and Matt and, you know, we, we, everyone that started the company and was there in the early days were, we&#8217;re all developers and, you know, we all had experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, you know, as programmers, you know, I wrote code for. [00:08:00] Pretty much until about five years ago, um, you know, full-time. Uh, and you know, so that&#8217;s where we started. You know, we partnered with, uh, large organizations to build out, you know, solid publishing technology, infrastructure, you know, with the caveat that we understood publishing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had. Worked with folks in newsrooms. So, you know, although at that time we weren&#8217;t doing actual, like web design, we understood how to design a CMS that was efficient and, and that took the experience of the editors, you know, into account. Because, you know, very often, you know, I, I, I saw it in my, in my own career for many years, folks would build things for, you know, for editors to use, folks who.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often on a deadline trying to get a story out quickly. And the interface would be clunky, it would be slow, it would be inefficient, you know, too many clicks, too many steps, not intuitive. Um, so that part of what [00:09:00] we do was there from the beginning. Um, but early on we were working with, you know, primarily outside designers to, to actually, you know, create the designs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a couple of agencies that we used to partner with, you know, relatively frequently. It became clear to us like round about 2014, uh, that, that, that was a pretty inefficient way to work. And, and so about eight, no, now, now nine years ago, we started our own design practice internally and, and now really, you know, we, we&#8217;ve become truly a, a full service agency from strategy to design to, to development it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s just so much more, much more of an efficient experience for the folks that we work with to have, you know, A single team under one roof that has all the skills end to end to, you know, thoughtfully think through what we should be building for them. Because, you know, we&#8217;re not just implementing code and design and products.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re helping to transform their business. You know, like especially on for r and D&#8217;s media [00:10:00] clients, you know, creating. A product that generates sustainable revenue for them is very important. Um, and, and the only way that we could do that effectively was to bring everything under, under one roof. Um, . You know, one of the other things that we always saw, you know, in, in working with an outside design firm is you always had this, this dreaded handoff, you know, of, of the design from one agency, um, to the other, you know, to us for implementation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, you know, back then it was, you know, Photoshop files. Eventually it became, Envision and then Figma. Um, but, you know, regardless, you know, developers who weren&#8217;t necessarily in the room when the product was being conceived are now being forced to interpret it. And certainly, um, you know, especially once, you know, responsive design became a thing, you know, we all, we all take it for granted now, but.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, not every breakpoint situation, you know, potential flow of text around embeds and images was, was thought about. And a [00:11:00] lot&#8217;s left up to interpretation. But, you know, by having developers and designers on a single team, you know, we are able to do a lot more design and browser. You know, we can create a Desi, uh, a style guide and immediately go to code and, and we know that the product works earlier on and, and it really saves our clients a lot of time and money and hassle.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, really we&#8217;re not, we don&#8217;t wanna waste people&#8217;s time, you know, doing things that can be done in a better way. If we wanna spend our time, most of our time, you know, thoughtfully thinking through, you know, what is the best product that we can build for them that&#8217;s gonna meet their goals.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Well, I asked the question cuz I know, um, you all recently posted a job on post status for, I think it was senior WordPress developer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I&#8217;m curious what a senior WordPress developer at Alley, you know, does like, what&#8217;s their week or day look like? You know, coming in, working with these, like, I, I was just going to your website and I was like, New York Post National Science [00:12:00] Foundation, um, of course the Kaiser Foundation and. That&#8217;s exciting to me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m, my background is as being a journalist, but I, these are name brand, very well known, huge organizations doing really good work in the world. And I wor and I wonder like, how does that connect down to that WordPress developer at Ali doing work on like a weekly basis because, um, I come from the product side and always, you know, some people prefer the product side, but there&#8217;s a, there&#8217;s a potential.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monotony. Okay. I&#8217;m just doing these things with client work and some of these clients, I&#8217;m like, oh, there&#8217;s gotta be something new pushing the envelope every day. Uh, publishing is changing, web is changing, and all that. So what does a, a typical week in a WordPress developer&#8217;s life look like at Ali?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Yeah, it, it, it&#8217;s certainly, I mean, it&#8217;s certainly interesting, you know, for for sure, you know, every, every team has, uh, [00:13:00] typically a, a mix of one or more clients that they&#8217;re, they&#8217;re supporting and in the long term, you know, we.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Really value having long-term relationship with, with our clients now, I would say the, the vast majority of work that we do after we build something, we end up, you know, working with that client for months or years afterwards. I think our longest client relationship is probably hitting 11 years this year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, which is, which, which is pretty crazy to me. It&#8217;s, um, it&#8217;s a, it&#8217;s a long time. All, all of our teams, uh, in general are, are dedicated Scrum teams that work with, you know, a client or a particular, you know, set of clients. Uh, so our, our developers. You know, tend to say working on, on the same teams, you know, month over month, even, you know, even year over year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and, you know, they are working with, uh, you know, a product manager, a scrub master, um, you know, a designer if, if they&#8217;re working on a team that&#8217;s, that&#8217;s in the midst of a design [00:14:00] project. So, you know, they are, they&#8217;re part of a team that&#8217;s that&#8217;s trying to. You know, come up with Yeah. Ongoing solutions for, you know, whatever business problems our, our clients are trying to solve.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and yeah, in the case of something like the New York Post, you know, where, which you mentioned, um, it&#8217;s not even just implementing product, you know, that&#8217;s really interesting work for, um, the developers working on that project because we&#8217;re. Often pushing the bounds of, of WordPress and WordPress, VIP and, and you know, what those particular platforms can do to serve WordPress at scale.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, we&#8217;re, we&#8217;re talking about, you know, hundreds of millions of people that are, that are trying to access a WordPress site. Um, you know, which is pretty amazing when you try to, when you think about where. You know, WordPress came from, its, its origin 20 years ago. Um, you know, the sites we built are probably serving collectively billions of page views a month.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, um, so, you know, WordPress has really, you know, hit that, hit that true enterprise scale. Um, [00:15:00] which is probably something more we can, we can, we can talk about later. Um, but yeah, the, the average developer that you know is, is working at Ali is, is solving, uh, Really interesting, complex problems. Um, but also they&#8217;re, they&#8217;re serving Ali&#8217;s mission.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, they&#8217;re, they&#8217;re supporting publishers, you know, they&#8217;re not just, um, writing code for the sake of writing code. They&#8217;re writing code that&#8217;s helping, you know, keep the world informed or, or helping communities, uh, you know, beyond, you know, what they&#8217;re doing. You know, just, just day to day working at Ali.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah. I love that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Any, any way you&#8217;re able to combine making meaning. With money, profits and perfect, uh, purpose. I, I love that. And serving that, hiring good with, while getting paid, you know, to do and solve problems every day. So. Okay. I&#8217;m curious, you have an extensive background with publishing and this is a little bit off my normal scope, but I want to go where, where you know people are [00:16:00] and get your feedback and vision and thoughts publishing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I go back to the actual print. I remember my first job. I was like in awe, seeing this big printing press, you know, go around and something came out the other side and then, um, I would drive home and by the time I got home that paper would be on my doorstep. Internet revolution, all that revolutionized all that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you&#8217;ve seen so much with publishing. I&#8217;m curious, you know, the web just continues to acceler. With and, and technology accelerates. What are you seeing with publishing? How has that evolved in your, you know, in your career? What are you seeing in the future for it? We&#8217;ve got, like I just saw medium. Um, embraced Macedon, which we&#8217;ve talked about on this podcast, uh, the fed averse and all that. And, you know, again, the, the headline is another billionaire buys a [00:17:00] big social network, and, but I&#8217;ve seen this trend. I love publishing, I love publishing with WordPress. I, I just wanna ask the general question. What are you seeing now? What are you seeing in the future for publishing on the.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Yeah, I mean, I, gosh, like this, this could be an entire podcast episode, but it, it should be, you know, . What, what I will say is that when I started working full-time in publishing, um, you know, 20 years ago and, and I had been. You know, aware of the publishing technology world. Prior to that, my, I actually got into this business because my, my uncle actually helped design the first, uh, electronic publishing system at Time Magazine in the seventies.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s really like comical to me to look at the, I have, I solved the Frame Blueprint, um, believe it or not, . Oh yeah.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> That&#8217;s awesome.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> It had, it had a massive array of two, 300 megabyte hard drives that, that [00:18:00] pub powered the entire system. Anyway, what What was comical to me about it was that they were all dumb terminals that ran off a central server, and then we went into this whole desktop publishing revolution.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone had this whole end-to-end suite of. You know, very complicated, expensive applications, um, on their desktop computers. And now we&#8217;re doing everything in web browsers, connecting to a server. So we actually had it figured out like 50 years ago, and then we kind of straight away for, from a bit, and then we came back to it, which is, which is amusing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but, you know, the, the, the bigger, the bigger thing to me about the transition from. Print to web and, and where we are today is, you know, like 20 years ago when I was first getting into this and we were starting to, you know, really see, um, uh, proliferation of publishers, you know, launching more, you know, full featured websites that, you know, weren&#8217;t just, you know, a few articles thrown up here and there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like they might have been in the late ni in the [00:19:00] mid to late nineties for the very early adopters. And they were, they were full-fledged products with unique content of their own. But I think that a lot of publishers, and, and I have some, some stories that I, that I can&#8217;t share, but I, but I know certainly details about how certain publishers thought about things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but there was a prevailing sentiment that the websites then were an experiment, you know, or, or even, uh, you know, a toy, they, they. Viewed as being necessarily, you know, the, a real publication, the way that the, the newspaper or the magazine or whatever it is, was, um, so they were free and, and we set this, this expectation very early on that websites were, were free. You would just go and read them and, you know, there were a few that had a paywall, but, um, you know, charging for content online back then was also super hard [00:20:00] because the payment technology stunk. Um, people, you know, weren&#8217;t. Quite used to, to buying things online yet like they are now, you know, eBay, Amazon sure they existed, but it&#8217;s not like it is today.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, you know, the, the payment systems that were available, you know, had a fair degree of friction to them. Um, you didn&#8217;t necessarily have the consumer market for it. The, the publishers themselves, especially, you know, folks like at the, at the C-suite level, didn&#8217;t really view them as being a primary business driver yet.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then, you know, then, then of course things changed. Everything moved online. Um, you know, throughout the mid two thousands, you know, we just started to shovel ads onto the sites and we were getting loads of traffic and making tons of money for advertisers. And then, you know, advertisers started to get savvy about things like viewability and click through rates, and it&#8217;s like, oh wow.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, real human beings probably aren&#8217;t seeing about 80 or 90% of these [00:21:00] ads. And then, You know, that whole market just cratered and you know, so now you&#8217;re left with this dilemma where most of the traffic to your publication is now online. People want to consume content that way, and it gets hard to start to shift the mindset that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, to, to that you should be paying for this content. Um, and, you know, you can still make money on advertising, but it takes a tremendous amount of volume. Um, or it takes an extremely niche market. Um, you know, for example, Um, you know, a site like the Points Guy Travel site, you know, they make a ton of money on, on, on credit card referrals, which are really high, um, you know, high value things that, that, that, that those companies are going to pay for.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, you know, those examples are few and far between and you&#8217;re, and you&#8217;re left with this, you know, this middle ground where. You know, publishers aren&#8217;t getting the subscription revenue from the websites that they need to get. They&#8217;re not getting the ad [00:22:00] revenue they need to get, and they&#8217;re having dwindling print subscriptions.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, so, you know, how do all of these important organizations that are keeping the world informed, you know, continue to exist? And, and that&#8217;s an ongoing challenge that, you know, we are trying. To help our clients work through. And, and there&#8217;s really no, you know, one size fits all solution for, for everyone.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, you know, during the, during 2020, during, in 2021, during the pandemic, when. Us, like a lot of folks had a, had a little downturn in business, we had some availability. Um, you know, that&#8217;s why we started working on our lead platform, um, L E D E for all you publishing nerds out there. Um, and you know, that was specifically geared towards.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Startup, subscription driven publications, you know, to help create the next generation of, of sustainable journalism. You know, everyone on the platform, you know, has, has paywall content. They charge a subscription fee. [00:23:00] Um, and, and we&#8217;re helping them, you know, build out those communities to, to, you know, create, you know, really the next generation of publishers because without things like that, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s really hard for them to get off the ground.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You. If you have funding for a startup publication, you, it&#8217;s probably pretty limited, and you shouldn&#8217;t be spending it on technology. You should be spending it on hiring writers and, and, and, you know, enabling those people to go out and, and, and do their jobs and, you know, you know, create great content. So, um, it just, you know, anyway, it&#8217;s a challenge, but, but I think that we all really screwed up back in the.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, in the early two thousands when, you know, we didn&#8217;t set the expectation that, you know, you have to pay for this. Did you pay for your newspaper before that? Did you pay for your magazine? Of course you did. . Yep. You know, maybe you&#8217;d, maybe you&#8217;d read it for free if you had found it on the train or you were sitting at the dentist&#8217;s office, but you know, if you wanted that, that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Content for yourself in the comfort of your own home. You paid your [00:24:00] subscription fee. So yeah. Um, there, there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s a big reset that&#8217;s going on now and, and, and, you know, and you know, uh, we want to be here to help our clients, you know, think through that, work through that, and, and, you know, use our experience to, you know, hopefully guide them in the right direction.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, there&#8217;s</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> too many outlets. I think quite a bit about that, that seem to have. A big transition. This is why I got outta the newspaper. So it&#8217;s like they weren&#8217;t embracing technology. It&#8217;s like you said, they set a wrong expectation from the beginning. It&#8217;s like, how do you preserve that? And the two I think of are Washington Post in the New York Times, the, the Gray lady, I think she&#8217;s still called, um, iconic journalist.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, organizations, um, and I see the New York I, I&#8217;ve watched The New York Times, obviously I use Word all every day, but I go, you know, it seems like they had some good traction with digital subscriptions and, and things like that. And so I love that cuz [00:25:00] there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s such a part of this fourth estate that it, that we need as a society.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality journalism, sharing, like you said, inform the world of what&#8217;s going on. Uh, and it&#8217;s sad because I&#8217;ve seen what used to be local. Like, the newspapers I worked for were local, city based, you know, small compared to the one we just talked about. And, um, there&#8217;s a vital need that they played in the community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now contrast that too. So what do you think? Are you seeing trends and things? Obviously you, I, I looked up lead here and I love the name by the way. Um, lead. So trying to help them build community. So that&#8217;s another part of some of the things we&#8217;re seeing in publishing. It&#8217;s not just inform. It&#8217;s, I mean, post status is a very microcosm of this is like, we do news, I guess we do content.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but really we&#8217;re a community. Um, and, and I&#8217;ve seen that with business, how we&#8217;ve added community into business. We did this at I [00:26:00] themes, uh, now with post status is going okay. I don&#8217;t, we get labeled as a news outlet, but I go, we&#8217;re we&#8217;re community, we&#8217;re, we&#8217;re relational. Um, what are some of those things you&#8217;re seeing with, uh, within the publishing organizations you all work with?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building that community. You see, uh, authors and writers building their own community, like Twitter instantly goes, okay, you can&#8217;t see ESPN or any of the big things. You see the little, here&#8217;s the anchor or writer or whatever it is talking, and there&#8217;s a Twitter byline. They&#8217;ve cultivated their own kind of followings and things like that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what are you seeing with those kind of trends related to lead, uh, lead in the work that you all do with your clients?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong>  Yeah, with on, on Leads specifically, you know, I obviously, you know, you could, you know, from an economic standpoint, you could gauge the success of the community through the number of subscriptions they get.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, obviously if people wanna pay you money, they wanna be part of, you know, what, what you have going on. But, um, one of, one of the most interesting things I see [00:27:00] within, within Lead is with, with Defector, which is probably the, you know, one of the largest sites we run on the platform, and you know, how.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>How many websites do you go to that actually have a decent comment section under their articles? Um, you know, not, not many. Uh, you know, in fact, some of our clients have started to only selectively enable comments or disable them entirely because there just wasn&#8217;t productive. . And you know, pretty much every defector article that that gets written has dozens of comments.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like, not only do the people wanna read the articles, they wanna discuss them with each other, with the other folks that are, that are reading the site. And they&#8217;re actually like, really funny and interesting, you know, like arguments and comments and, and um, you know, discussions around the topics at hand that go back and.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, to me, I would gauge that as being a success over, over anything else. I, I&#8217;m, I&#8217;m part of that community as well. I mean, I&#8217;m probably a little biased. I was a big fan of Deadspin, [00:28:00] um, back in the day. But, you know, I think what you said, Um, before when you were introducing, that was also really interesting, which is the, the, the topic of local news.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think local news is, is been affected by this shift. You know, more than anyone, you know, if the Washington Post and the New York Times, you know, decide to start, you know, charging a subscription fee, which of course they both did, you know, um, many years ago. Yeah, with their scale, it&#8217;s easier to maintain some degree of profitability and they have profits coming from, from other areas as well.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not just their, their online subscription revenue, um, you know, cuz they&#8217;re, they&#8217;re catering to a national audience. The New York Times is, and the, and the Washington Post are. New York City and Washington DC papers in, in name only, you know, they, they certainly have a, both have a metro beat, which, which covers the local area, but the majority of the content appears to a national, even a global audience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, they&#8217;re, they&#8217;re just dealing with a different scale. Um, [00:29:00] you know, there are so many local news deserts that have developed over the last decade across the country where, Um, you know, the local paper is just gone, or, you know, there were three local papers, even in major metropolitan areas. Now there&#8217;s one local paper, um, and, and you don&#8217;t have any, you know, dissenting opinions and you don&#8217;t have enough coverage to, to reach every community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and that news is just disappearing, you know? No, no one&#8217;s covering it. Um, you know, with, with folks. Buying print subscriptions with, you know, not even having the scale to, to, to generate any online revenue. Um, you know, it&#8217;s really hard. So they end up getting. A lot of them that do still exist end up getting, you know, slurped up by one of the, the major conglomerates that&#8217;s purchasing lots of local news organizations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, and even then you, you, you&#8217;re seeing their operations get gutted in favor of centralizing, you know, copy editing and, and, and lots of other services. [00:30:00] So, , you know, the actual folks that are on the ground covering things are really limited and, you know, there are stories that are slipping through the cracks.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, I mean, I mean, look at, look at, I live in New York City, right? I mean, and, and the New York City metropolitan area is a huge market. We have multiple papers. And you know, something like the George Santos story, which was definitely covered by a local media organization, you know, slips through the cracks to the point where, you know, someone was elected.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stevie had lied about some things, . So it, it&#8217;s really just, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s quite remarkable that even in a, even in a market like, you know, New York City, um, something like that can happen these days. So, um, you know, I think we, we really, we, we have a lot of questions we have to answer and I, and I don&#8217;t have all of them today.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, yeah. You know, but certainly it, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s a, it&#8217;s a goal of mine to help, you know, help help us, help our client organizations work, work through these challenges. Yep.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> So thank you for that. Cause I just wanna get perspectives, um, cuz this is, the [00:31:00] publishing is central to WordPress and, you know, switching, uh, uh, an area here for a second.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I just wanna get your quick thoughts on this and then we&#8217;ll move on to WordPress on the enterprise, but, You know, my story with WordPress is I started my first WordPress blog in 2006, not really to anything I&#8217;m doing today, but it, it enabled me, empowered me to be able to publish and that that was an incredible experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clicking publish on my first WordPress site. and there&#8217;s this trend that I see and I go, yeah, we called them bloggers back then, but the creator economy, and I&#8217;m just kinda, I know this isn&#8217;t your bread and butter, but it is in a bigger category that you all serve at a high, high level. Um, but the creator economy, the ability to someone to go on an Instagram, create content, engage a kind of followers slash community, and I.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>opportunity with WordPress two. Um, my wife looks at Instagram quite a bit. That&#8217;s kind of [00:32:00] her default entertainment channel. And one day she was like, just look. Cuz I was like, ah, I don&#8217;t have time. I, I don&#8217;t want to get, I&#8217;ll go down that rabbit patrol. But I started looking at some of the people that created content and go, they&#8217;ve got massive followings.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then you go business model creator economy. And I think WordPress is positioned there to go, how do you monetize it? Same problem we have on the big scale publishers. We talked about how do we find a sustain. Business model for that classic journalism, local news, news in general, but then for the creator economy, I&#8217;m curious your thoughts on that, what you&#8217;re seeing, what you hope for, uh, in that, I ha have the ability now to create or press blog or Twitter account or a Instagram or whatever that is, and become a de facto one person publishing company and myself.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What, what are you seeing for that? Do you pay attention to that? What are you curious about seeing</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> for. Yeah, and there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s a lot there. Um, you know, for, for WordPress itself, [00:33:00] you know, you, you essentially have, you know, two creator economies. You have those that are creating the software and those that are creating the content.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it&#8217;s actually a, you know, a, a a really a double pronged creator economy, um, within the WordPress world itself. You know, for, for something like. You know, TikTok or Instagram or, or you know, Twitter, um, you know, as probably less so, you know, Twitter to a degree. Cuz I feel like, you know, primarily folks are, you know, following people that they&#8217;ve chosen to follow.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and if they&#8217;re getting exposed to other accounts, it&#8217;s usually through retweets, you know, um, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s a little less algorithmic than I would say, you know, especially TikTok, which is entirely algorithmic. . But, but the point is, you know, those are little, little snippets of information. Um, you know, there&#8217;s, there&#8217;s a lot of discovery, um, that&#8217;s inherent to that.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, you, you end up finding [00:34:00] people to follow through others that you&#8217;re following through, through algorithmic recommendations depending on, on the platform. Um, and, you know, they&#8217;re little. Snippets of entertainment, you know, that don&#8217;t require a ton of engagement. You know, your, your average engagement there is, is measured in seconds, not minutes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it&#8217;s really just an endless stream of stuff that&#8217;s, that&#8217;s triggering your dopamine receptors, and, and, mm-hmm. , um, you know, making you entertained and abused. And look, there are creators that are creating like some really. Interesting, thoughtful, you know, content, whether it&#8217;s, you know, stuff that is pertinent to my industry, um, you know, historical content stuff that&#8217;s, you know, extremely socially aware.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, there&#8217;s a lot of stuff that you can get exposed to on this, on those platforms that&#8217;s, um, meaningful and interesting. And there&#8217;s a lot that&#8217;s just, you know, purely entertainment. It doesn&#8217;t have a lot of depth to it, but it makes you laugh or, you know, whatever. You [00:35:00] know, WordPress, I mean WordPress is a platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a tool. Um, it lets people create a different type of content. Um, you know, typically, typically written content, uh, which requires a longer engagement time. And of course there are plenty of people who would rather, you know, engaged with, with a creator, um, you know, through written content, um, that has more depth to it, you know, that that takes longer to read and digest.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re certainly gonna. You know, probably retain something better and get something more, you know, rich and meaningful out, out of that type of engagement. Um, but, you know, it&#8217;s, but again, WordPress is an open source distributed platform. It&#8217;s not just like Instagram or, or TikTok or Twitter, which has an app that you install on your phone and everyone&#8217;s using the same app.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, a word WordPress sites are hosted across the internet in, in a million different places. , you know, and, and there are certainly some big, um, consolidated hosting platforms like wordpress.com, but, [00:36:00] um, you know, you&#8217;re not, it&#8217;s not like every WordPress creator in the world is being merged into this like, you know, central funnel where it&#8217;s just piped into, you know, a single place that everyone&#8217;s engaging with those creators.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I think it&#8217;s a lot more challenging for, for the WordPress creator in general to find their market. You know, some of them will, can leverage those other platforms, you know, to bring them back to their blog and or, you know, to their site to continue to engage with them. But, um, you know, it&#8217;s not like we&#8217;re all collaborating together and, and feeding into an algorithm in, in the creator economy of WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, it&#8217;s an entirely different beast. Um, you know, I would say that the. WordPress software creators, those that are building plugins through the, you know, wordpress.org, you know, plugin directory. Prob probably have something closer to that than, than the creators who actually created the content. Do you know, just by virtue of using WordPress, of course, right?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cory Miller: Yeah, yeah. The repo is the central [00:37:00] community in a sense, in a way to launch a market, for sure. Okay. Thank you for that. I wanted to, I wanted to segue for a moment cuz I th this is a topic I think we continue to be talking about in the WordPress ecosystem, um, because it&#8217;s how I got started in millions and millions of other people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, being able to click publish on your dream, use the software to do something cool and build a business, whether it&#8217;s like you said, the software or the content. Okay. Next topic real quick as we kind of wind down. I want to ask about is what you&#8217;re seeing on WordPress and the enterprise.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Um, again, again, a topic suitable for an entire podcast episode, maybe even a podcast series, you know?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I agree. Well, I mean, look, word, word Press has been, You know, enterprise software now for, you know, I would say at least 10 years, probably a little bit longer than that. Um, you know, to me the real dividing line was when [00:38:00] WordPress b i p spun up, you know, that that was when, uh, I start, started to see the really big sites came on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s when we, that&#8217;s when we started to really, you know, work on the really big sites. You know, our, our first, our first enterprise WordPress launches were the Kaiser Family Foundation and New York Post on, on a very early version of, of, you know, WordPress VIP, um, And you know, back then it was, um, you know, there, there were, those were, they were the early adopters.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were the ones that saw the, not just the value of WordPress software, but the value of using open source in the enterprise. You know, the having real control over, uh, , um, their software, you know, the, the, the software behind the site was portable. If they decided they didn&#8217;t like their hosting company, they, they could move, they could change anything that they wanted.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but the thing that they were starting with WordPress was already pretty good out of the box. So, you know, that was actually pretty minimal. Um, You know, then, you know, a [00:39:00] few years later you had the really, the next big group of, of publishers that we worked with that, um, you know, saw the early adopters were having success.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They wanted to be on board. Um, you know, now, uh, I&#8217;m seeing a lot of competition in the market for. You know, from other platforms, um, platforms that are closed source, um, that are, you know, in the long term, more expensive in, in cost of ownership. Um, but you know, the challenge when I&#8217;m talking to, you know, a, a potential client about a project, you know, whether it&#8217;s a nonprofit or a media publisher, it doesn&#8217;t matter. It ends up being a, a similar conversation. Um, you know, I&#8217;m not ever competing against another WordPress agency. I&#8217;m almost always competing against another platform. And, you know, that, and, and it could be something like Arc, bright Spot, um, you know, and even I even see, you know, rebel Mouse every now and then, [00:40:00] um, in, in those sorts of things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But like the difference between WordPress. Pretty much any other platform is it, you know, not everything is, is included out of the box. Um, you know, with many other platforms you&#8217;re seeing, you know, A A C M S that has analytics included, um, you know, probably more, uh, workflow tools for a large newsroom. Um, especially in, you know, in the case of arc, um, you know, video tools.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, You know, uh, lots of, lots of other integrations that you know, you, which WordPress is perfectly capable of handling. You know, there are excellent enter enterprise plugins that connect to pretty much any advertising analytics video provider. Um, you know, uh, third, you know, third party authentication provider.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take, take your pick of like what enterprise software, you know, you need to integrate with WordPress. Um, there, there&#8217;s probably a plugin for it and. It&#8217;s probably [00:41:00] an enterprise plugin and it probably works really well and gets you, you know, 90% of the way to, to where you need to go. Um, and you know, to me more importantly, You know, you have a choice.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like, you know, if you, if you buy an off, if you, if you sign up with a large, you know, platform that does everything, all in one, um, and you don&#8217;t like their video solution, you&#8217;re stuck. Um, you know, you don&#8217;t have the choice of switching from, you know, Brightcove, the JW player. You know, if, if you think that, that, you know, it meets the needs of your product better, you, you don&#8217;t have that option.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where the problem, you know, comes into play is, you know, when you get to the point of, you know, negotiating business terms and sending a proposal and talking to people in the, you know, in, in procurement, you know, who&#8217;re trying to compare apples to apples to make the, the best decision for their organization.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they have, you know, platforms A and B that have all these things built in. Um, you know, this is, this is a [00:42:00] startup cost, this is the monthly fee, and that&#8217;s it. And although WordPress, you know, you&#8217;re getting all the software for free, um, you know, you&#8217;re probably going to hire someone like us to at least help with the initial build and, and, you know, do some integration work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, you, you have to pick your hosting provider. Um, so, and then there&#8217;s gonna be an, a monthly cost for that, you know, maybe a startup cost for, for us, and then maybe a monthly cost for us. In the end result, you know, it&#8217;s not gonna take probably any longer to migrate all your content and get set up with WordPress, um, you know, through that method than than signing up for one of these other platforms.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re gonna have a better experience because you know, you have so much more optionality and. Where you host, who you work with and, and what you integrate with. Um, you&#8217;re not paying any licensing fees. You know, you&#8217;re not beholden to a single provider and their business model and their pricing model, um, to run the most critical aspect of your [00:43:00] business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, you can control all of that on your own, but that moment when you&#8217;re making the decision. and comparing it for some, for some of the folks that we talked to, I think that it does, it does seem more complex, um, because it sounds like there&#8217;s more work to do. Um, there are more choices to make, um, you know, versus just deciding and picking, you know, one thing versus the other.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, and I think that that&#8217;s a challenge, you know, in, in the, in the enterprise market, which is like, That initial, you know, quote unquote out of the box demo of, of enterprise WordPress, um, you know, isn&#8217;t necessarily as, as well formed as it is for, for some of its competitors. Um, you know, for folks that really understand the.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefits of open source folks that, especially that have used the WordPress before. Um, it, it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s not a challenge, but, you know, for, for, for organizations that are coming into this really, [00:44:00] um, you know, cold maybe from a proprietary platform trying to make that, that decision, I think it can be, it can be somewhat confusing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, so the, I mean, I think that&#8217;s, that&#8217;s one of the, the big challenges that I think, you know, enterprise WordPress faces, but, You know, how do you solve it? You know, I think that&#8217;s, that&#8217;s the hard part because solving for that would mean, you know, being a bit more, um, being a bit more opinionated about, you know, things that are included in, in WordPress or, you know, for one of the big enterprise hosting platforms to, to pick a direction, um, and, and build bundle more stuff into the platform.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that all of a sudden, you know, immediately, immediately becomes the antithesis of open. Um, so there&#8217;s a middle ground there somewhere. I, I don&#8217;t think that we found it yet. Um, and, and, and also if you read some of the stuff that, like, you know, Tom from Human Made and, and Magda from decode have written, you know, and, and talked about your podcast recently, um, you know, [00:45:00] It&#8217;s, it&#8217;s very much related to, you know, how we are all solving the, the same problems, you know, in different ways across all of our organizations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, hell, even in the early days of Guten Gutenberg, um, you know, years ago until we standardized, I saw different teams with an alley solving things in different ways. So, um, you know, there. There&#8217;s something to it because, you know, at least for increased collaboration, I think, you know, within our, within our enterprise community, because.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s to all of our benefit, I think that enterprise WordPress continues to succeed and thrive. Um, not just because, you know, I want my company to exist and, and to make money, but, um, if not us, then, then who? Because the, the other options that I see enterprise publishers going to are you. Big closed source platforms and, and that&#8217;s not something that I [00:46:00] believe in.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, I, I, I don&#8217;t think you should have to pay for software. If you&#8217;re spending money, you should be hiring people to write content, or you should be paying people, you know, to build the really custom aspects of your product that differentiate you, the things that make your business sustainable. The other stuff should be free, you know, and, and open source software is great.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know, it, it&#8217;s foundational to what the internet is so, . Um, yeah, I really hope absolutely that we can all get together and find a path forward.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> Yeah, that&#8217;s one of the reasons I created our, um, enterprise leaders group on post Slack, is I think the conversation needs to be had on multiple levels within the ecosystem.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, but I, I&#8217;ve not. Personally been in enterprise work, ever have friends members, uh, that do this, and I go, I love work. What I hear WordPress is doing on that level, you, you know, from all the media organizations you represent. For instance, at Ali, I go, that&#8217;s [00:47:00] cool because when in my daily, I go out and like, what do you doing?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I kind work around WordPress. What&#8217;s WordPress? Okay. But I go, it&#8217;s powering this percentage of the web, or you know, it&#8217;s the dominant thing on the web, uh, for publishing. Um, but also I get to hit those highlights. You&#8217;ve probably been on a WordPress hat and didn&#8217;t necessarily know it. These cool organizations are doing, using this open source tool and continuing to, I think it&#8217;s healthy for the open web to continue to fly the banner of freedom.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uh, that open source and WordPress in particular, um, champion and to keep that going. I think it&#8217;s healthy for us as a a planet society business ecosystem. It, it seems like it&#8217;s all. Gonna be better when you have these great options, one of which is WordPress. Well, thank you Brad for, um, sharing the story, snippets of your join journey, the things that you&#8217;re doing [00:48:00] with WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s all inspiring, and I know it&#8217;ll inspire the members here and those that are looking at click and publish with WordPress or using it in some way, shape, or form. Um, where can we find more about you?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Of course. Yeah. If, if you want to, you know, learn more about Ali, uh, if you want to apply to work at Allie, we are still hiring developers currently and, and occasionally other positions.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Um, just check out ali.com, uh, a l l e y.com. So nice and straightforward and uh, yeah, yeah, I&#8217;d be happy to chat with, you know, anybody else is interested in learning more about us. And your</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cory Miller:</strong> inward and post Slack, so well, thanks again Brad, so much for taking the time. Love what you&#8217;re doing, keep it up, and thanks for being a part of Post</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bradford Campeau-Laurion:</strong> Status.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, thanks for having me, Corey. I appreciate it.</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, 09 Feb 2023 23:23:25 +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:11:"Cory Miller";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:66:"WPTavern: WordPress.com Is Testing AI-Generated Images and Content";s: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=141772";s: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:77:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-com-is-testing-ai-generated-images-and-content";s: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:3992:"<p>WordPress.com is currently testing two new blocks for generating images and paragraph content using AI. The blocks, which are currently labeled as experimental, were first spotted by Jen T of <a href="https://wpcommaven.com/">WPcomMaven</a> who published a few examples on her blog this week. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress.com developed the blocks through a partnership with OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT and DALL·E. Automattic engineer Artur Piszek gave a quick overview of the experimental blocks in a <a href="https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/jetpack-ai/">post</a> on the WordPress.com support forums, calling the new feature &#8220;Jetpack AI – your writing assistant on WordPress.com.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I took both blocks for a test drive, starting with the image generator. Users put in a prompt in a simple UI and the block generates four images, which can be expanded before selection. Here are a few examples: </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>I was not terribly impressed with the images, which every time seemed blurry and ill-conceived. Some of them bore an almost cruel likeness to the prompts, with living creatures and humans faring poorly compared to images of inanimate objects. The faces are almost always distorted with what appears to be bits of flesh melting off. Unless a user is unusually skilled in crafting the prompts, they may struggle to get any useful images.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The AI-generated paragraphs are a somewhat better experience but need more flexibility. The block will automatically generate new paragraphs based on your existing content. It does a decent job, but it would be more useful if you could start from a blank page and feed it a prompt instead, as one of the main benefits of using AI for generating content is that it can offer a starting place from which the writer can improve. </p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The content can be further edited by transforming the block into a paragraph. This isn&#8217;t easy to discover and would need to be emphasized better in the UI.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We were considering making the block outright editable, and I see that we may need to create a more intuitive editing experience,&#8221; Piszek said after reviewing feedback from users in the forum.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When using this experimental paragraph-generating block, users may want to familiarize themselves with how AI-generated content can impact their search rankings. Google recently published <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/02/google-search-and-ai-content">guidance</a> stating it will reward high-quality content however it is produced but cautions that &#8220;those seeking success in Google Search should be looking to produce original, high-quality, people-first content demonstrating qualities E-E-A-T (expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness).&#8221; This is not always possible when using automation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress.com&#8217;s AI-generated content blocks are in the earliest stages of testing and are not guaranteed to be publicly launched or make it into Jetpack. With some refinements, the blocks could prove useful but will more than likely only be available to paying customers, as the costs of AI-generated processing resources can stack up fairly quickly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;AI models and tools are a bit unpredictable,&#8221; Piszek said. &#8220;We want to be mindful of how those tools behave, what impact they have on your creativity, and how we can make them support you.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At the same time, we are still learning and adapting, so please keep in mind that these features can change or disappear anytime.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Once we announce them, they are most likely be paid extra (on top of existing plans) depending on how much we have to pay OpenAI for their services.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress.com users who test the experimental blocks are encouraged to leave their feedback in the announcement <a href="https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/jetpack-ai/">thread</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, 09 Feb 2023 23:03:39 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"\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:71:"Do The Woo Community: WordCamp Asia 2023 Builder Tips from the Speakers";s: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=74465";s: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:52:"https://dothewoo.io/wordcamp-asia-2023-builder-tips/";s: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:377:"<p>As tradition with the flagship WordCamps, here is a collection of tips from WordCamp Asia speakers.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://dothewoo.io/wordcamp-asia-2023-builder-tips/">WordCamp Asia 2023 Builder Tips from the Speakers</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, 09 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +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: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: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:117:"WPTavern: Twitter Outage Uncovers More Details on Upcoming API Access Changes, Giving the Fediverse a Shot in the Arm";s: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=141774";s: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:127:"https://wptavern.com/twitter-outage-uncovers-more-details-on-upcoming-api-access-changes-giving-the-fediverse-a-shot-in-the-arm";s: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:3976:"<p>Twitter experienced a major outage today <a href="https://downdetector.ca/status/twitter/">lasting several hours</a>, which left most users unable to tweet or send private messages to each other. Some reported receiving error messages telling them they were “over the daily limit for sending tweets.”</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twitter&#8217;s development team took the opportunity to update users on the upcoming changes to API access, which it appears the team was working on before CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/kyliebytes/status/1623458872106311680">advised</a> them to pause &#8220;in favor of maximizing system stability and robustness, especially with the Super Bowl coming up.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have been busy with some updates to the Twitter API so you can continue to build and innovate with us. <br /><br />We’re excited to announce an extension of the current free Twitter API access through February 13. Here’s what we’re shipping then <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f9f5.png" alt="🧵" class="wp-smiley" /></p>&mdash; Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterDev/status/1623467615539859456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Twitter Dev account announced that after February 13, free access users will be limited to 1,500 tweets per month:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>We have been busy with some updates to the Twitter API so you can continue to build and innovate with us. We’re excited to announce an extension of the current free Twitter API access through February 13. Here’s what we’re shipping then:</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paid basic access that offers low level of API usage, and access to Ads API for a $100 monthly fee.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new form of free access will be introduced as this is extremely important to our ecosystem – limited to Tweet creation of up to 1,500 Tweets per month for a single authenticated user token, including Login with Twitter.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also on February 13, we will deprecate the Premium API. If you’re subscribed to Premium, you can apply for Enterprise to continue using these endpoints.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a new chapter for the Twitter API to increase quality, reduce spam, and enable a thriving ecosystem. We appreciate your patience as we implement these changes and we can’t wait to see what you build next! Stay tuned for more information on continued Twitter API access.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>With no more third-party clients, Twitter has severely diminished its resilience during outages like these. Many users were driven to platforms like Mastodon to speculate about the reasons for Twitter breaking. Cloudflare also found some lucky timing today in <a href="https://blog.cloudflare.com/welcome-to-wildebeest-the-fediverse-on-cloudflare/">launching Wildebeest</a>, an AcitivityPub and Mastodon-compatible server that enables anyone to operate their Fediverse server and identity on their domain with minimal setup and without needing to keep up the infrastructure.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who are looking to get started on Mastodon as the result of Twitter&#8217;s recent outage, WordPress developer Daniel Auener curates and maintains <a href="https://wp-community-on-mastodon.wptoots.social/">a list of WordPress community members&#8217; Mastodon accounts</a> that anyone can follow by downloading a CSV file and importing it into Mastodon.</p>\n\n\n\n<img />\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://wp-community-on-mastodon.wptoots.social/">list</a> includes all accounts, where the account owner has at least one community badge on their WordPress.org profile page. Auener has also published a <a href="https://www.danielauener.com/the-wordpressers-guide-to-the-fediverse/">WordPress guide to the Fediverse</a> with helpful information on finding an instance, following hashtags, and engaging with the WordPress community.</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, 09 Feb 2023 03:42:06 +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: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:80:"WPTavern: WP Community Collective Names Alex Stine as First Accessibility Fellow";s: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=141760";s: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:91:"https://wptavern.com/wp-community-collective-names-alex-stine-as-first-accessibility-fellow";s: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:2622:"<img />WordPress Accessibility contributor Alex Stine &#8211; photo credit: The WP Community Collective\n\n\n\n<p>The WP Community Collective (WPCC), a newly formed nonprofit organization dedicated to funding individual WordPress contributors and community-led initiatives, has <a href="https://www.thewpcommunitycollective.com/2023/02/07/press-release-the-wp-community-collective-announces-first-accessibility-fellow/">announced</a> its first Accessibility Fellow. Alex Stine, a fully blind individual contributor who has been working with the WordPress Accessibility team since 2016, is the first recipient of the fellowship.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WPCC is managing its finances transparently on <a href="https://opencollective.com/thewpcc">Open Collective</a>. The fellowship has yet to be fully funded. Just $645.63 USD of $15,000 (4%) has been raised for the Accessibility Fellowship, although individual memberships are at $3,589.75 USD of the organization&#8217;s $20,000 goal. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve set up a few different ways folks can support the WPCC,&#8221; co-founder Sé Reed said. &#8220;We&#8217;re just launching our fundraising campaign for the Accessibility Fellowship now. So far, most of our contributors have opted to support us as members, with a recurring membership pledge.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Monthly membership funds go to our general fund, which will primarily be used to support our fellowships and projects. As of today, we&#8217;ve raised slightly more than $4k, with $3,600 of that reserved for the Accessibility Fellowship.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The organization is currently in the process of finalizing sponsorships from a few large companies and is building out a corporate sponsorship program and a small business sponsorship program.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We can&#8217;t discuss anything yet as we&#8217;re still working out the details, but there is a lot happening that we hope to announce soon,&#8221; Reed said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the Accessibility fellowship is funded, Stine will continue his work with WordPress&#8217; Accessibility Team and will serve as the Team Rep, while continuing his private work as a consultant and an engineer at Waystar.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I am excited to have the opportunity to give back to the project that provided me with my start in the technology field,&#8221; Stine said. &#8220;I could not continue to give back at my current capacity without this generous program. I will help ensure WordPress becomes more accessible, and I will fight to have the community as a whole adopt new principles that will ensure accessibility is the first thought, never the last.”</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, 08 Feb 2023 20:47:37 +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: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:117:"Post Status: WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 • Phase 2 Finale • Creating a Mentorship Program • Apply for Community Summit";s: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=147107";s: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:116:"https://poststatus.com/wordpress-6-2-beta-1-phase-2-finale-creating-a-mentorship-program-apply-for-community-summit/";s: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:17154:"<h2 id="h-this-week-at-wordpress-org-february-6-2023">This Week at WordPress.org (February 6, 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 Beta 1 is out now and you can help test it before final release on March 28. With that comes the end of Gutenberg Phase 2. WordPress considers a mentorship program focused on onboarding and assisting contributors.  </p></div>\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>\n\n\n\n<div id="kt-info-box_94d1bd-77" 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_rocket"></span></div></div></div></div><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h2 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title">WP 6.2, Phase 2 Finale,  and Mentorships</h2><p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f680.png" alt="🚀" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/">WordPress 6.2 Beta 1</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64b-1f3ff-200d-2642-fe0f.png" alt="🙋🏿‍♂️" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">Help Test WordPress 6.2</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f6aa.png" alt="🚪" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/04/phase-2-finale/">Phase 2, Finale</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f469-1f3fb-200d-1f3eb.png" alt="👩🏻‍🏫" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/02/06/proposal-creating-a-wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program/">Proposal: Creating a WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program</a><br /><br /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64b-1f3fc-200d-2640-fe0f.png" alt="🙋🏼‍♀️" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/">Apply to Attend the 2023 Community Summit</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/2023/01/the-month-in-wordpress-december-2022/">The Month in WordPress – December 2022</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_8f6276-eb"><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-29 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/2023/02/06/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-february-3-2023/">Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: February 3, 2023</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/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/">Apply to Attend the 2023 Community Summit</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/06/community-booth-at-wordcamp-asia-2023/">Community Booth at WordCamp Asia 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/03/update-apac-meetup-reactivation-project/">Update: APAC Meetup Reactivation Project</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/2023/02/07/developer-hours-is-returning/">Developer Hours is returning</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/07/performance-team-meeting-summary-31-january-2023-2/">Performance Chat Summary: 7 February 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/07/a-week-in-core-february-6-2023/">A Week in Core – February 6, 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id="h-wordpress-6-2">WordPress 6.2</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/04/phase-2-finale/">Phase 2, Finale</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/03/hallway-hangout-performance-improvements-for-wordpress-6-2/">Hallway Hangout: Performance Improvements for WordPress 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/06/roadmap-to-6-2/">Roadmap to 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/18/bug-scrub-schedule-for-6-2/">Bug Scrub Schedule for 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/11/early-bug-scrub-schedule-for-wp-6-2/">Early bug scrub schedule for WP&nbsp;6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/17/wordpress-6-2-planning-roundup/">WordPress 6.2 Planning Roundup</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/2023/02/06/editor-chat-agenda-february-8-2023/">Editor Chat Agenda: February 8, 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/06/editor-chat-summary-february-1st-2023/">Editor chat summary: February 1st, 2023</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id="h-developer-blog">Developer Blog</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/02/creating-custom-block-styles-in-wordpress-themes/">Creating custom block styles in WordPress themes</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/2023/01/30/design-share-jan-16-jan-27/">Design Share: Jan 16-Jan 27</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/2023/02/07/agenda-for-docs-team-bi-weekly-meeting-february-7-2023/">Agenda for Docs Team bi-weekly 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href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/01/25/a-meta-subproject-for-evaluating-matrix/">A Meta subproject for evaluating Matrix</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/2023/01/24/call-for-testing-wordpress-for-ios-21-6/">Call for Testing: WordPress for iOS 21.6</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/02/08/mobile-team-update-february-8th-2/">Mobile Team Update – February 8th</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/2023/02/07/community-meeting-recap-07-february-2023/">Community Meeting Recap (07 February 2023)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2023/02/03/openverse-is-moving/">Openverse is Moving!</a></li>\n</ul>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class="is-layout-flow wp-block-column">\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/2023/02/07/performance-chat-agenda-07-february-2023/">Performance Chat Agenda: 7 February 2023</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/performance/2023/02/01/core-performance-team-rep-updates/">Core Performance Team Rep Updates</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/2023/02/07/agenda-weekly-polyglots-chat-february-08-2023-0700-utc/">Agenda: Weekly Polyglots Chat – February 08, 2023 (07:00 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/2023/02/03/twitter-api-changes/">Twitter API Changes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/02/08/plugin-review-team-6-feb-2023/">Plugin Review Team: 6 Feb 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/2023/02/06/proposal-creating-a-wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program/">Proposal: Creating a WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/01/27/discussion-ending-the-eternal-september/">Discussion: Ending the Eternal September</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/2023/02/block-editor-live-in-most-forums/">Block Editor Live in Most 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/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">Help Test WordPress 6.2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/02/06/test-team-update-6-february-2023/">Test Team Update: 6 February 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\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/01/24/brainstorm-wordcamp-asia-2023-contributor-day/">Brainstorm – WordCamp Asia 2023 Contributor Day</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/06/training-team-2023-goals-setting/">Training Team 2023 Goals Setting</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/03/proposal-training-faculty-developer-squad/">Proposal: Training Faculty Developer Squad</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/03/new-learn-wordpress-github-project-view-updates/">New Learn WordPress GitHub Project View Updates</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/02/02/training-team-values-exercise-recap/">Training Team Values Exercise Recap</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/02/06/whats-new-on-learnwp-in-january-2023/">What’s new on LearnWP in January 2023</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=how-to-create-a-video-tutorial-about-wordpress-using-free-computer-software">How to create a video tutorial about WordPress (using free computer software)</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=block-themes-and-wordpress-live-stream-8">Block Themes and WordPress: Live Stream</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=updating-a-blogs-design-informal-live-stream-part-2">Updating a blog’s design (Informal live stream) – Part 2</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=updating-a-blogs-design-informal-live-stream-part-1">Updating a blog’s design (Informal live stream) – Part 1</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=27874">Block Themes and WordPress: Live Stream</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=block-themes-and-wordpress-live-stream-7">Block Themes and WordPress: Live Stream</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=block-themes-and-wordpress-live-stream-6">Block Themes and WordPress: Live Stream</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=lets-code-wp-rest-api-custom-routes-and-endpoints">Let’s code: WP REST API – custom routes and endpoints</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/?meeting=27869">WP dev livestream: WP REST API – custom routes and endpoints</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/introduction-to-securely-developing-plugins/">Introduction to securely developing plugins</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/using-theme-json-with-classic-themes/">Using theme.json with classic&nbsp;themes</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/how-to-improve-seo-rankings/">How to improve SEO rankings</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/creating-custom-fields/">Creating Custom Fields</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/taking-advantage-of-query-loops/">Taking Advantage of Query Loops</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/tools-site-health/">Tools: Site Health</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/introduction-to-theme-json/">Introduction to theme.json</a></li>\n\n\n\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://www.php.net/archive/2023.php#2023-02-02-1">PHP 8.2.2 Released!</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://www.php.net/archive/2023.php#2023-02-02-2">PHP 8.1.15 Released!</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&#8217; <a href="https://poststatus.com/news/week-in-review/">Week in Review</a> — covering the WP/Woo news plus significant writing and podcasts. It&#8217;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, 08 Feb 2023 18:11:13 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:75:"WPTavern: #62 – Naoko Takano on the Importance of the First WordCamp Asia";s: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=141721";s: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/podcast/62-naoko-takano-on-the-importance-of-the-first-wordcamp-asia";s: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:31719:"Transcript<div>\n<p>[00:00:00] Nathan Wrigley: 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 the reasons why WordCamp Asia is such an important event.</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 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 jutebox and use the form there.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So on the podcast today we have Naoko Takano.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few days from now, from the 17th to the 19th of February 2023, to be precise, the first in-person WordCamp Asia will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. If you follow WordPress events closely, then I&#8217;m sure that you&#8217;ve seen the excitement mounting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naoko is on the podcast today to talk about this important event, how it came to be, and why it matters.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We start off getting some background on Naoko and her personal journey with WordPress. She&#8217;s currently sponsored full-time by Automattic to work with the wordpress.org community and polyglots teams.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversation then turns to the event itself. It&#8217;s sold out, but you can still take parts by watching the live streams of the three tracks that are running.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talk about the fact that, although this is the first in-person WordCamp Asia, it should not have been. WordCamp Asia was in the books for 2020. More or less everything was planned and prepared, and then Covid struck. The timing could not have been worse. It was heartbreaking. Naoko talks about the disappointment felt by the community, and how they&#8217;ve managed to maintain their commitment to making the event happen.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team that is putting on the current event, contains some people from the cancelled 2020 event, but there&#8217;s new members too, and they span many Asian countries. So there&#8217;s a real diversity in the organization.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end of the podcast, we get into the important question of why we need a WordCamp Asia. Naoko makes the point that the other flagship WordPress events are not that accessible for some people. This could be because of the difficulty in acquiring visas for the U.S. Or Europe, but also the costs of traveling to the event, and accommodation whilst there. It&#8217;s hoped that WordCamp Asia will provide a chance for a whole new audience to attend, in a location which is closer to home.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We wrap up with Naoko explaining how WordCamp Asia aims to differ from the other events through their vision of being welcoming, nurturing, and experimental.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re attending WordCamp Asia your in-person or online, this podcast will give you a new perspective on the event. And if you&#8217;re not planning on being there, maybe this episode will make you rethink.</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, 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 Naoko Takano.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Naoko Takano. Hello Naoko.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:20] Naoko Takano: Hello.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:21] Nathan Wrigley: Very nice to have you on the podcast today. We&#8217;re going to be talking today about a very exciting subject, a very new, an exciting event called WordCamp Asia. We&#8217;ll get onto why it&#8217;s not quite as new as it may seem a little bit later. But first Naoko, I wonder if you wouldn&#8217;t mind just giving us a little potted history about yourself, about your relationship with WordPress, your history with WordPress and WordPress events, and things like that. So it&#8217;s over to you. Introduce yourself please.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:04:51] Naoko Takano: Sure. I&#8217;m Naoko Takano based in Tokyo. I&#8217;ve been using WordPress for as long as WordPress has been around actually. So it&#8217;s been 20 years now. I started using WordPress as a personal blog platform, since I was living in the US and I wanted to have a place to write in Japanese, to communicate online. And then it, it&#8217;s a long story since then. I started building websites. Then became a front end engineer. Then became a freelancer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, I actually started organizing WordCamps in Japan, Tokyo. And then I met Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp in Japan. And since then, I got hired by Automattic as a support engineer. And then, since 2019, I am a community manager of WordPress.org. I&#8217;m a full-time sponsored volunteer for wordpress.org community and polyglots team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:05:49] Nathan Wrigley: You really do have a very long history with WordPress. Yeah. It&#8217;s very rare that I bump into somebody who has 20 years of WordPress under their belt. That&#8217;s most impressive. Well, thank you for joining us on the show today. We are here to talk about WordCamp Asia, which is going to be happening if all the stars align, and this podcast episode is published on the date I&#8217;m expecting it to be published.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will be just around the corner. It&#8217;ll be a matter of days, possibly just over a week before the event is coming around. There must be great excitement in your part of the world about it. Do you want to just lay out for us when and where it is. So just the nuts and the bolts of when it&#8217;s happening, where it is, and so on.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:31] Naoko Takano: Sure. So, the first WordCamp Asia will be happening in 2023. Is from 17th to 19th, February. It&#8217;s a three day event in Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:47] Nathan Wrigley: And it&#8217;s happening at the, now, forgive me if I get the name of this wrong. It&#8217;s the True Icon Hall. Is that the name of the venue?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:55] Naoko Takano: That&#8217;s correct. That&#8217;s correct.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:56] Nathan Wrigley: It&#8217;s a conference center in the middle of Bangkok.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:06:59] Naoko Takano: Yes. it&#8217;s a newly built conference hall. I think they were built in 2019, and it&#8217;s by the Chao Phraya River. And it&#8217;s part of the Icon Siam Complex and it&#8217;s very beautiful place even there in 2019.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:17] Nathan Wrigley: Excellent, excellent. Now, I think it&#8217;s probably important to say at this point that if you are not in possession of a ticket, no matter what we say, don&#8217;t make plans to go to WordCamp Asia. Because my understanding is that the full amount of tickets, I think it&#8217;s 1,500, have in fact sold out. Is that true?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:36] Naoko Takano: Yes, at the moment, we don&#8217;t have any plan for releasing any batch of tickets. You may be able to get refunded tickets that will be released as they come back. But unless one of the very lucky ones that will get these very few refunded tickets. We don&#8217;t have any plan on raising any big amount of tickets anymore.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:07:58] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, well that&#8217;s okay though because if you are keen to participate in WordCamp Asia and do not have a ticket and have no plans to attend. My understanding is, and you can confirm this I hope, is that the event itself will be live streamed, in the way that we&#8217;ve been used to over the last couple of years, is that in fact true?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:18] Naoko Takano: Yes. We have three tracks and all the tracks will be live streamed.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:08:22] Nathan Wrigley: Great. Even if you don&#8217;t possess a ticket, you&#8217;ll be able to get there. So we have WordCamp Europe, these great big, I&#8217;m going to say international events. I don&#8217;t know if there&#8217;s a correct terminology for these kind of flagship events. But we&#8217;ve got WordCamp Europe, we&#8217;ve got WordCamp US, and now into the mix we have WordCamp Asia.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So obviously the first event actually happening. But there is a sort of disappointing story behind this, because if you are following the WordPress news and you have been since 2019, you&#8217;ll know that the event, tragically, I&#8217;m going to use that word, had to be cancelled more or less at the last moment due to the Covid outbreak.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you want to get into that a little bit? Might be interesting to hear the story. It was, if memory serves, very much several weeks away, it was really, really close, and the whole thing got pulled. With hindsight, that was probably a very wise decision. But at the time, I remember community members who, as yet, we&#8217;re unable to grasp the scope of Covid because it really hadn&#8217;t gone anywhere yet.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was much gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes and people sort of saying, oh, what a shame. Just tell us from your perspective, because I know you were on the team for that. What was that disappointment like to suffer through?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:09:40] Naoko Takano: So, yes, WordCamp Asia 2020 was the first WordCamp that was cancelled due to Covid 19. And that was the end of February in 2020, that was supposed to happen. And, because I think it was probably the first event that was cancelled due to pandemic of any type of situation in the world, in the whole history of WorldCamps. And we just couldn&#8217;t believe that happened. We always believed WordCamp will be planned and it will happen, you know, when the day comes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it was such a loss to us. To me it was like losing someone by an accident. Just lost someone, you know, or something that was so sure. That you were looking forward to. It was very, very crushing for us. At the time we didn&#8217;t understand the amount of what&#8217;s coming. So, we actually rescheduled it for the same year and we did that twice. And then after that we didn&#8217;t say anything for sure about the upcoming schedule.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:10:47] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, incredibly disappointing. I actually do want to dwell on this for a little bit longer, if you don&#8217;t mind. Because if you&#8217;ve ever been to a WordCamp, maybe that&#8217;s in a city near you or one of the bigger ones, as we&#8217;ve just described, Europe or US. You&#8217;ll probably have understood the amount of organization that goes into it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not an event which comes up and is organized several weeks in advance. This is something that takes a lot of people, a very large amount of time to organize. There&#8217;s speakers, there&#8217;s venues, there&#8217;s sponsors, there&#8217;s meals, there&#8217;s accessibility. There&#8217;s a whole host of things going. And for the rest of us, it was simply a case of, oh, it&#8217;s been cancelled. Well that&#8217;s disappointing. Perhaps I&#8217;ve got to get a refund on my air travel, or perhaps I don&#8217;t have to do anything because I wasn&#8217;t attending anyway.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The point being that it was simply a question that it was cancelled. Whereas for you and the community that had gathered together to organize it, it must have been, like you said, crushing. And I&#8217;m just wondering how easy it was to get people back on board this time around. Or whether people left the WordCamp ecosystem and decided, I&#8217;m not getting involved with that again. How&#8217;s it been?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:12:05] Naoko Takano: So the bright side of things is that we became stronger team because of the challenges that we had to face. But situations changed for many people. You know, three years is a long time. So we did lose some people due to changing their situation or commitment level. They could promise after three years. But, we did have nice number of people who came back. I would say in the beginning of reunion, I would say probably like 80%. Everybody wanted to come back and do it again because we weren&#8217;t able to. So, yeah, it wasn&#8217;t like a disbanding of the whole community organizers, but we came back.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:12:47] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, that&#8217;s remarkable. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think about WordPress and the fact that this little piece of software, which began 20 years ago, which probably didn&#8217;t have any pretensions of growing to the size that it is now. Yeah, I have to pinch myself for the breadth and the depth, the amazing spread globally of the project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you&#8217;ve kindly written in the show notes a list of the countries that people have come from in order to assemble WordCamp Asia, this year, 2023. And I&#8217;m just going to read it out because it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s amazing. So we&#8217;ve got participants or volunteers, I should say, helping to organize from the following countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. I mean, that&#8217;s just remarkable. Very impressive.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:13:45] Naoko Takano: Yeah. I think it&#8217;s, that&#8217;s why we were so fascinated and amazed with this community. Because, I think there&#8217;s rare chance that you get to work with such a diverse group of people around the world, around Asia. And in itself organizing is interesting and learning experience and also community building experience, I think.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:14:08] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah. If I was to assist with the WordCamp US team, I&#8217;m guessing that a lot of them would come from the US and so broadly speaking, their backgrounds would be quite similar. And although Europe is perhaps a little bit more different from country to country. You know, if you go from the southern part of Europe to the northern part of Europe there are differences in the cultures. But they&#8217;re not tremendously different, shall we say.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas you&#8217;ve got from India to Pakistan, to the Philippines, to Taiwan and Thailand. That must be a really interesting collection of people, because, I would imagine that the countries that they come from are very different in very great respects.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:14:48] Naoko Takano: Yeah, we have different culture, different style of communication. Only, I think, small percentage of us speak English as native language, or day-to-day, everyday language. So there&#8217;s big barrier around communication style. But as I said, it&#8217;s also like an experience that you can&#8217;t get outside of this community, especially as a such tight group that you talk to every day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that&#8217;s the difference between other type of contribution in WordPress. WordCamp organization is very interesting in experience that we get to learn about each other very deeply.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:15:29] Nathan Wrigley: Can I ask how you do, do the organization? We&#8217;ll come into how long you&#8217;ve been preparing this event in a moment. But what are you using? I know that typically things like Slack may involved. But also are you, broadly speaking, communicating in English across the team? How is it working? So what tools are you using and what language have you tended to default to?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:15:52] Naoko Takano: Yeah, so the communication tool that we used the most is Slack. And we are on it, the same Slack, separate from Make WordPress. And then we use English. But there are channels that are used by local members. For example, we have a Japanese channel to do some chit chat or ask question in our language. And local team has Thai channel to communicate with each other. But the overall language is in English. And we use Zoom to have meetings. So it&#8217;s like work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>work If</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:16:25] Nathan Wrigley: I was somebody living in, let&#8217;s say, I don&#8217;t know, just to pick one off the list, Nepal, and my English was not sufficient, let&#8217;s say to carry out the tasks that may be needed by a volunteer. What happens there? Is there any encouragement or any, anything that can be done, or is it essentially you would need a modest amount of English in order to participate, in order to communicate with the team? Or could somebody from say Nepal, work with other Nepalese people speaking the language that they have, Nepali, I believe it is? I&#8217;m sorry for my ignorance there. Nepalese, I apologize. What do you do around all of that? If somebody doesn&#8217;t have the mastery of English, that might be needed to communicate over the whole project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:08] Naoko Takano: So we don&#8217;t require a mastery of English because that would be very hard barrier to participate. But we do select, we do vet organizers based on their community involvement, in their local community. And also some English is of course needed. But you don&#8217;t have to be able to speak fluently as long as they can communicate. While on Slack, you can use translation tool on your own. That&#8217;s okay. So as long as you can communicate on Slack, we would like to see active community organisers regardless of English fluency.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:17:46] Nathan Wrigley: I understand. Yeah, thank you. Okay, so it&#8217;s a silly question, but I&#8217;m going to ask it anyway. Why do we need a WordCamp Asia? We have lots of events. I&#8217;m imagining there&#8217;s lots of WordCamps spread throughout Asia. But at some point, WordCamp Europe came along and WordCamp US. Why did the community feel there was a need for that? And I&#8217;m really just offering you that question so that you can answer it. I don&#8217;t actually think, well, why do we need a WordCamp Asia? That&#8217;s not the intention of the question.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:18:18] Naoko Takano: Yeah, thanks for asking because I like to share why we are so enthusiastic about holding WordCamp Asia in person in Thailand. This might be little known, but there are very unique barriers to attending existing flagship events for residents in Asia. Like visa, obtaining visa to go to US it&#8217;s very, very hard for many people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some people Europe, it&#8217;s also not easy to travel in terms of cost and time. And then also for people attending online, watching streaming in real time. Time zone difference is very hard, both in US and Europe, to participate in real time. So we want to cater this event to Asian residents to have the same kind of experience that many of the organizers had experienced in WordCamp Europe, WordCamp US.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we want to bring this great feeling, great communication, connection to Asian community. So that they can easily attend in an affordable price.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:19:29] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, that&#8217;s interesting. The affordable thing speaks for itself, I suppose. But in terms of the visas, that&#8217;s a really interesting one. Obviously it&#8217;s completely outside of WordPress. It&#8217;s a political thing, but my understanding is that in some jurisdictions it is very difficult to get a visa, let&#8217;s say, for the United States.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so you are, really it&#8217;s an up hill struggle if you want to attend those events. And I&#8217;m expecting from what you&#8217;ve just said, that the relationship between Asian countries is more open. So as an example, a visitor coming to Thailand, I&#8217;m guessing there&#8217;s less barriers to actually applying for and successfully getting those visas.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:11] Naoko Takano: Yes, relatively speaking, especially Bangkok. We chose Bangkok as the first city, host city, mainly because visa accessibility and also flights from main Asian cities. So that&#8217;s into our consideration for sure.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:20:29] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, there&#8217;s lots of, amazing options in terms of flights, isn&#8217;t there? But also Bangkok itself is such a, an amazing and vibrant city and has absolutely heaps of accommodation options as well, doesn&#8217;t it? It&#8217;s a really good place to kick it off for WordCamp Asia. Speaking of kicking it off, how did it all get started?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, obviously there was the event which was destined to happen in 2020, so we&#8217;re going back before then. Were you part of the team? How did it actually all begin and how did you assemble this event? Because you can&#8217;t just suddenly announce, we&#8217;re going to do WordCamp Asia. There must be an awful lot of backwards and forwards, perhaps talking to people at Automattic and various other organizations to get it all started. Do you know about how it all began?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:21:12] Naoko Takano: Yes, so the direct event that led to WordCamp Asia application was the contributor day at WordCamp Bangkok 2019. I wasn&#8217;t attending actually, but a group of community organizers who had been traveling to go to different WordCamps outside of the country met in person and they decided to apply at that time. But the same, or some of the same, people had been traveling since, I would say 2014, 15 and going to each other&#8217;s countries or flagship events and making connections and becoming friends. And then from that kind of connection, this idea came around and it came to, came to happen, yes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:22:00] Nathan Wrigley: And so how much time and well, effort is harder to measure, but in terms of time, how long have you, you and the team, been working on this version of WordCamp Asia? So the 2023 one. How far back do we go before you decided, yep. A, we&#8217;re going to go for it, and B, it&#8217;s going to be in February, 2023. How much time have you been spending on this?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:22:23] Naoko Takano: So yeah, at the end of 2021, we reunited on a Zoom call and started talking about restarting this effort, because we always wanted to find the time to come back to Bangkok. By the time of spring 2022, we started actually working on the event organizing. And through 2022 we&#8217;ve worked and now it&#8217;s getting really close. We are very excited about it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:22:51] Nathan Wrigley: Nice. Now, in terms of the event itself, obviously the location is new and interesting for a whole selection of the audience, I imagine. Perhaps many of them have never been to Thailand in particular. Perhaps never been to Asia. We&#8217;ll wait and see how that all goes. So there&#8217;s obviously that, it&#8217;s going to be different because it&#8217;s in a, a new and interesting part of the world for these flagship events.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in terms of the event, from your perspective, what is the vision? What&#8217;s the thing that you talk to people about when you say, okay, this is going to be great, this is going to be new and different. What&#8217;s the vision that you are, you are letting everybody know about?</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:23:32] Naoko Takano: So yeah, as a WordCamp Asia organizing team, we didn&#8217;t want to make another event that&#8217;s just like WordCamp US or just like WordCamp Europe. That wasn&#8217;t our intention. We wanted to make a unique event. We have three visions that are welcoming, nurturing, and experimental.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we wanted to create an event that&#8217;s true to our culture, which is inclusive and diverse. And then also we wanted to have this event because we wanted to nurture the community in Asia. Not because we wanted to have this big event just because. We all came together because of WordCamps. We became friends and community builders because of other WordCamps. So we wanted this event to ignite more communities in Asia.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And also we wanted to do something different. So that&#8217;s the experimental part. And we want to do the first event in Asia that&#8217;s flagship. So we want to, while people with our creative activity, our design teams doing a great job. And I like to see how people feel when they come.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:24:44] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, it&#8217;s going to be really interesting seeing what people&#8217;s reactions are. You&#8217;ve got 1500 attendees. I don&#8217;t know exactly how many people are involved on the, the organizing side, but it will be, it&#8217;ll be interesting to see what the conversations are like in the hall. How is this different? What are we enjoying about it? As much for the location, Thailand and Bangkok and all of that. It&#8217;ll be really interesting to see what people&#8217;s discussions are. So the vision can be boiled down to three words. It&#8217;s going to be welcoming, it&#8217;s going to be nurturing, and it&#8217;s going to be experimental.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of, well sadly, getting back to Covid, which one doesn&#8217;t really want to, but it appears, certainly at this point in time, Covid has become part of the news cycle again. It felt, in my country at least anyway, that it had dropped off and it wasn&#8217;t being talked about. And more recently it is getting some more attention.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I&#8217;m just wondering if there&#8217;s anything that you need to disseminate in terms of masking or restrictions or vaccinations, anything like that, which Thailand may enforce, or indeed just your event is enforcing. Because that&#8217;s probably a very important component of people&#8217;s safety should they decide to attend in person.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:25:54] Naoko Takano: Yeah, this is a frequently asked question. And at the moment of this recording, we are not making masking or vaccination mandatory. So this is based on community teams guideline for WordCamps. If that changes we will change our guidelines accordingly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if Thailand requirement changes, we would have to abide by that. But at the moment we are not requiring masking or vaccination. They&#8217;re both recommended. And we will provide stickers for people who like to be respected. So we ask people to stay away or wear masks around people with those stickers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:26:32] Nathan Wrigley: Okay. So there&#8217;s going to be some symbol that you can wear, a sticker that you can have if you would wish to have a little bit of separation between you and other people. And the hope is people will notice those stickers and give you a, a wider birth than might normally be the case. Okay, that&#8217;s interesting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So given that your tickets have sold out. 1500 seats have been snapped up, bought, and hopefully they&#8217;ll all be filled during the event. Given all of that, and I know you won&#8217;t be able to tell me much about this, but I do want to ask anyway. Do you know if we are planning to have a WordCamp Asia 2024? I know it&#8217;s a bit early for that, but do you see that the community has rallied around and is beginning to talk about that? Because, you know, no sooner is one event finished than the other one needs to be announced. And in fact, in many of these flagship events the location of the next event is announced during the conference itself. So yeah, as much as you can say, but you may not be able to say much .</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:27:33] Naoko Takano: So yeah, in fact at the moment we have the call of host city for 2024 open. But by the time this is, we might not have it open. So we&#8217;ll be reviewing those applications and we are hoping we will be able to announce during, or the end of, the event. Yeah, just keep your excitement until we announce.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:27:56] Nathan Wrigley: So it sounds like if the call for venues has gone out, there&#8217;s definitely going to be one, but we don&#8217;t as yet, know where it is.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:05] Naoko Takano: Yes, we do have applications that came in. So, a city will be selected, yes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:11] Nathan Wrigley: So hopefully this will be a podcast that we get to repeat each year, and it will be the first of many. I really appreciate you chatting to us today Naoko about WordCamp Asia and about its first well, not that it should have been the first, but it&#8217;s first live, in-person, event. I hope it goes well. I really, really do.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for talking to us today. Just before I let you go, is there anything that I missed or is there something that you would like to have said that we didn&#8217;t say? That could be just telling people where the website address is, should they wish to have a look at that? It could be, I don&#8217;t know, a Twitter handle that you are keen to promote. Anything you like.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:28:50] Naoko Takano: Sure, our website is asia.wordcamp.org/2023. And just wish us the best of the luck because, we need a lot of it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:29:00] Nathan Wrigley: From my point of view, you have all of those wishes. I really hope it goes extremely well. I would wish you the greatest success. Hopefully in a couple of months time we&#8217;ll be able to chat about how successful it was.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naoko, thank you very much for chatting to me today. I really appreciate it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>[00:29:17] Naoko Takano: Thank you for having me.</p>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the podcast today, we have <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nao/">Naoko Takano</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few days from now, from the 17th to the 19th February 2023, to be precise, the first in-person <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Asia</a> will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. If you follow WordPress events closely, then I’m sure that you’ve seen the excitement mounting.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naoko is on the podcast today to talk about this important event; how it came to be and why it matters.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We start off getting some background on Naoko and her personal journey with WordPress. She’s currently sponsored full time by Automattic to work with the wordpress.org community and polyglots teams.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversation then turns to the event itself. It’s sold out, but you can still take part by watching the live streams of the three tracks that are running.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We talk about the fact that, although this is the first in-person WordCamp Asia, it should not have been. WordCamp Asia was in the books for 2020. More or less everything was planned and prepared, and then Covid struck. The timing could not have been worse, it was heartbreaking. Naoko talks about the disappointment felt by the community and how they’ve managed to maintain their commitment to making the event happen. The team that is putting on the current event contains some people from the cancelled 2020 event, but there&#8217;re new members too, and they span many Asian countries, so there’s a real diversity in the organisation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end of the podcast, we get into the important question of why we need a WordCamp Asia. Naoko makes the point that the other ‘flagship’ WordPress events are not that accessible for some people. This could be because of the difficulty in acquiring visas for the U.S. or Europe, but also the costs of travelling to the event and accommodation whilst there. It’s hoped that WordCamp Asia will provide a chance for a whole new audience to attend in a location which is closer to home.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We wrap up with Naoko explaining how WordCamp Asia aims to differ from other events through their vision of being welcoming, nurturing and experimental.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you’re attending WordCamp Asia in-person or online, this podcast will give you a new perspective on the event, and if you’re not planning on being there, maybe this episode will make you rethink.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links.</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Asia 2023 website</a></p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/location/">WordCamp Asia 2023 location</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, 08 Feb 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: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:72:"Gutenberg Times: Quick Tip: Creating a custom webpack configuration file";s: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=23317";s: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://gutenbergtimes.com/quick-tip-creating-a-custom-webpack-configuration-file/";s: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:4831:"<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n\n</div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VgK_Y9wAGXw">Ryan Welcher on YouTube Shorts. </a>&#8211; <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanwelchercodes/video/7195978911073717510">Also available on TikTok </a>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Ryan Welcher </strong>started a recording YouTube Shorts also available on TikTok.  Here is a transcript and code example of his first one. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@RyanWelcherCodes/">Subscribe to his YouTube channel </a>so you won&#8217;t miss any new streams or shorts. </em>For TikTokers, follow his account: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanwelchercodes">@ryanwelchercodes</a></p>\n\n\n\n<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />\n\n\n\n<p>There have been many times when I wanted to have my build process compile my blocks, but also add something custom, for example registering a slot fill or a block variation.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Configuring webpack can be difficult, but thankfully the WordPress scripts package makes customizing the build process pretty straightforward.</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 1:</strong> add a <code>webpack.config.js</code> file into the root directory of our plugin.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Step 2:</strong> require the <code>defaultConfig</code> that comes with the package.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Step 3:</strong> require the <code>getWebpackEntryPoints</code> function. This ensures that the scripts package can detect and compile our blocks.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Step 4:</strong> In the <code>module.exports</code> object,\n<ul>\n<li>add the <code>defaultConfig</code> using the spread operator.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add an <code>entry</code> object,&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>spread the results of <code>getWebpackEntryPoints</code>, and then&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>add any custom entry points as needed.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Code Example from the video </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example that adds a <code>variation-icon.js</code> file to the build process.</p>\n\n\n<pre class="wp-block-code"><div><code class="hljs language-javascript shcb-code-table shcb-line-numbers shcb-wrap-lines"><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-comment">// Import the original config from the @wordpress/scripts package.</span>\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> defaultConfig = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">''@wordpress/scripts/config/webpack.config''</span>);\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-comment">// Import the helper to find and generate the entry points in the src directory</span>\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { getWebpackEntryPoints } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">''@wordpress/scripts/utils/config''</span>);\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-comment">// Add any a new entry point by extending the webpack config.</span>\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span><span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = {\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>	...defaultConfig,\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>	<span class="hljs-attr">entry</span>: {\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>		...getWebpackEntryPoints(),\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>		<span class="hljs-string">''variation-icon''</span>: <span class="hljs-string">''./src/variation-icon.js''</span>,\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>	},\n</span></span><span class="shcb-loc"><span>};\n</span></span></code></div><small class="shcb-language" id="shcb-language-1"><span class="shcb-language__label">Code language:</span> <span class="shcb-language__name">JavaScript</span> <span class="shcb-language__paren">(</span><span class="shcb-language__slug">javascript</span><span class="shcb-language__paren">)</span></small></pre>\n\n\n<p class="has-text-align-right has-small-font-size"><em><a href="https://github.com/ryanwelcher/twitch/blob/trunk/plugins/gb-14-9-review/webpack.config.js">The code example is also available on GitHub</a></em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Resources to learn more</strong>: </h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/reference-guides/packages/packages-scripts/">@wordpress/scripts package reference</a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://webpack.js.org/concepts/entry-points/">Webpack Documentation: Entry Points</a> </li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/ryanwelchercodes">Ryan Welcher live streams on Twitch</a> every Thursday at 10:30 ET / 15:30 UTC. </li>\n\n\n\n<li>Previous streams recordings are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@RyanWelcherCodes/">available on YouTube </a></li>\n</ul>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 08 Feb 2023 10:50:46 +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:12:"Ryan Welcher";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:35:"HeroPress: I am built on WordPress.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=5174";s: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:120:"https://heropress.com/essays/i-am-built-on-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-am-built-on-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:9486:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/020723-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: WordPress has helped me find the best version of me." />\nHere is Samantha reading her own story aloud.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The first time I put my hands on a computer was in kindergarten. Once a week we’d go up to the top floor where no other regular classes were held. Inside, there were dozens of giant computers (a bit later, shiny new Macintosh Classics) in three long rows. We learned BASIC at 5 years old. We played Oregon Trail and Gertrude’s Secrets. I loved my computer class, and not just because it was always ice cold in the room. That was the only place I got to use computers for years.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>My great-grandmother, not really a fan of <em>anyone</em>, had always liked me. Around this time, she pulled me aside and told me, “Stick with the computers.” She was convinced that was the way to make money. I smiled and nodded. I don’t think she’d ever seen one in person.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>My dad took me to a store in Marine Park when I was in 6th grade. I walked around the store in awe of what was available — and the prices. He bought a Packard Bell computer that had fewer megahertz than our home phone — but it was glorious. I begged for a game not included in the bundle — Myst, which I’d seen my best friend’s mom play. I became glued to my computer. We didn’t even have the internet yet. I’d spend hours on Myst and then printing pictures and articles from Grolier’s Encyclopedia about stealth planes (don’t ask).&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_b899ae-51 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Getting Online</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time I was in high school, everyone had AOL. Using AOL Hometown web hosting to “expand” your profile was what all the cool kids did. We’d fill it with webrings, poor resolution photos, glittery animations, song lyrics — all a manifestation of our personalities.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>The “cool kid” Samantha wanted to be a writer. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When LiveJournal came on to the scene I started blogging and making online friends — but somehow it still didn’t feel like “my” space (zero pun intended). When I first heard about WordPress, I was jazzed about it. It felt like the grownup version of LiveJournal — and blew past AOL Hometown. But, nobody else I knew was using it. Of course there were others I didn’t know that were, but for me it felt special and unique because my little sphere of the world wasn’t catching on to the “new hotness” yet. It also felt more “me” than anything else I’d dabbled with. I have had <em>many</em> accounts over the years.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had taught myself basic HTML to edit my early “sites” and MySpace profile. I’d go through phases. I’d post religiously, hate my work, and then nuke the whole thing. I’d forget I had one for a while. I’d start all over and make something beautiful — only to fall out of love with it. What I didn’t realize is that I kept learning a valuable skill.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_f97dc7-19 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Finding My Path</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time I was in college, I had all but abandoned the creative bursts of poetry, prose, and short stories. I was going to major in psychology. That lasted as long as the guy who registered me for my first classes told me it would. I fell in love with English. I took as many courses as I could with the professors that encapsulated what I wanted to be — and created another WordPress blog.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This time I bought a domain, something no one I knew had done at the time. I did a bit of searching and figured out how to point CNAME records to A records. Now I had my own site, and I was going hard on content creation.&nbsp; I decided I wouldn’t just teach English. </p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>I’d be a poet, and people would come across my site and my words would change them, like the authors I had read changed me.&nbsp;</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And then eventually I deleted that too. Periodically I’d also get dumb ideas that I found very funny, buy a domain, and create a single-use site (I think my favorite was “GeraldoRiverasMustache.com” where the only thing on the page was a cropped picture of his mustache). Deleted. At one point, friends and I started a blog where we actually got to interview a couple of celebrities as part of a larger plan that didn’t come to fruition. Deleted.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I got certified to teach and began tutoring at another college, eventually getting a position as an adjunct lecturer. There, I also wanted to change people — and my students and I organized a small concert in Coney Island. I made a site, posted updates, and pictures after the event. Deleted.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_bde166-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Finding WordPress In The Wild</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I decided to leave teaching at some point and found a job at an online conference company. One of the requirements was knowing WordPress — lucky, lucky. I was hired. It wasn’t the bulk of the job. I was a glorified assistant that helped edit audio and video, help with online conferences, whatever was needed. But, since I knew WordPress, I could go in and update copy, change settings as needed, make new landing pages for events, and so on. Learning, still — not ever expecting to do more with it.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, I moved halfway across the country to live with my now-husband. We’d known each other for many years from a video game related social blogging site (not WordPress, but the UI was very similar so I was in my element). Now years later, I needed a job.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>I leveraged my experience with computers, education, and WordPress to get a job at a nonprofit. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When they migrated their outdated site — an incredibly long and problematic process — the person who was in charge of that was fired partway through. I was brought in to help. I took a look at the CMS and said to myself … “Is this just WordPress?” It pretty much was, with some membership management component. It was as intuitive and easy to navigate, so I was able to help.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of jobs (and blogs)&nbsp; later, I found myself miserable in the midst of a pandemic. Besides not having a creative outlet, my talent as an employee wasn’t really being fully utilized. It wore on me the longer I was there. I could be doing so much more. I threw myself into a digital marketing certification program — knowing all my work is always on computers, I’m comfortable with computers, and my last job was essentially marketing anyway. And then I found a job in WordPress hosting.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="kt-adv-heading_bb8cde-28 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Coming Home</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew WordPress. Not the dev side, but I could get a lot further than someone who’d never used it before. This was opening a new but familiar door. The certification course helped me learn more about what I wanted to do, but not nearly as much as working in WordPress hosting itself did.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I’m in content, so I get to read, research, and write about WordPress and adjacent topics. I’m going on two years in this position. I love working in the WordPress space. It’s far less stressful than any other job I’ve worked because it’s familiar and comfortable. Tech was the right space for my skills and my personality.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up on the internet, I didn’t think about how what I was learning would end up having such a profound impact on my day-to-day life. I was simply trying to fit in and, at times, one-up everyone else’s skills. I never thought the place I used to post crappy poetry would eventually pay my bills.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work I do doesn’t just help customers learn and become inspired — working in this space keeps me “updated.” For as many versions of WordPress there have been, there’s as many versions of Samantha. That malleability is innate to WordPress. You can reinvent yourself over and over, and their developers have only made that easier to accomplish over the years.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">\n<p>Now that I’ve found my comfort zone, something that would have been impossible had I never used WordPress — I’ve also addressed my creative zone again. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>My main WordPress site is a satire news blog that brings me joy even if it doesn’t have the traffic that The Onion gets. WordPress has more or less helped me find the best version of me, even if I’m named after Bewitched and not a famous jazz artist.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Topher put out the request for essays that depicted how WordPress made my life better, I knew he wasn’t going to get a couple of paragraphs from me. I’m still the same blogger that is going type up a Tolstoy and want to delete it. I won’t this time, but, I can also sum it up quickly. <strong><em>I</em></strong> was built on WordPress.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And yes, Great-grandma. I stuck with the computers.</p>\n<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/i-am-built-on-wordpress/">I am built on WordPress.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:00:12 +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:16:"Samantha Mueller";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:64:"WPTavern: WordPress Opens Applications for 2023 Community Summit";s: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=141745";s: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:75:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-opens-applications-for-2023-community-summit";s: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:2386:"<p>The WordPress open source project will be <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/#comment-30688">hosting a Community Summit</a> as part of WordCamp US this year. It will take place prior to the main conference on August 22-23, 2023, in National Harbor, Washington, DC. The invitation-only event will be the first summit in six years, since the last one was held in Paris, France in 2017.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past the Community Summit was created to provide an opportunity for contributors to have important discussions and open communication channels about their work and the future of the project. A few proposed topics include streamlining contributions to components of Gutenberg that are already part of WordPress core, the importance of performance, strengthening the contributor pipeline, improving cross-team communication, modernizing and simplifying WordPress settings pages, to name a few.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Our goal is to have a diverse and inclusive summit that provides a safe and encouraging space for our dedicated contributors to work on the WordPress project and the problems we encounter within it,&#8221; Automattic-sponsored Community Team contributor Julia Golomb said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We iterated this year by holding the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2022/12/08/suggest-topics-for-the-2023-wordpress-community-summit/" target="_blank">call for topics</a> before asking people to apply to participate. By identifying the topics that are relevant right now, we are positioned to build the invited participants list in a new way, mixing in the long-time contributors we need and including newer contributors who haven’t yet had the opportunity to contribute in this way in the past.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/02/08/apply-to-attend-the-2023-community-summit/#comment-30688">application to attend is open</a> to any contributor, regardless of how long they have been involved in the project. Golomb also said the event may include  a travel assistance program so that no selected attendee is left out due to financial reasons. Applicants will be selected on a rolling basis to ensure enough time for those who need visas to acquire them. Organizers are aiming to notify all applicants by the end of June 2023.</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, 08 Feb 2023 04:34:24 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:61:"WPTavern: WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 Released and Ready for Testing";s: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=141724";s: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://wptavern.com/wordpress-6-2-beta-1-released-and-ready-for-testing";s: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:3382:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/">WordPress 6.2 Beta 1</a> was released on time today, and can be tested by using the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin or <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.2-beta1.zip">downloaded</a> directly. In just seven weeks, the upcoming major release will roll in the last nine Gutenberg plugin releases, which account for 292 editor enhancements and 354 bug fixes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beta 1 announcement confirms that WordPress 6.2 will be <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-contributors-work-towards-removing-site-editor-beta-label-for-6-2-release">removing the Beta label from the Site Editor</a>. Although the remaining <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/39293">required items</a> for removal, namely a ticket for <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/35503">refining the Site Editor loading state</a>, remains open, Editor Triage co-lead Anne McCarthy confirmed that work has &#8220;quickly progressed over the last few weeks to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46467#issuecomment-1408522571" target="_blank">to get some items in place for 6.2</a> and to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/47612" target="_blank">start a new PR for improving the loading state further</a>,&#8221; beyond the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/47182" target="_blank">initial effort</a> from Gutenberg engineer Riad Benguella.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 6.2 contributors have published a detailed <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">testing guide</a>, with information on setting up a testing environment and key features to test with videos, screenshots, and information on what features should do and how they can be tested.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the major highlights in this release includes the new distraction-free mode, which offers a more focused writing experience that hides unnecessary interface elements from the editor. The testing guide demonstrates how it can be enabled and disabled.</p>\n\n\n\nvideo credit: <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">WordPress 6.2 Testing Guide</a>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 6.2 also makes major strides towards improving the Navigation experience, which has proven to be one of the more complicated problems to solve on the full-site editing journey. The testing guide offers a quick tour of the updated Navigation Block UI, which now contains an editable view in the block settings sidebar, along with inline editing for menu items.</p>\n\n\n\nvideo credit: <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">WordPress 6.2 Testing Guide</a>\n\n\n\n<p>A few other highlights of the upcoming 6.2 release include the completely revamped Site Editor interface, block settings with split controls for Styles and Settings, improved Pattern insertion, a new Style Book for previewing block styles, custom CSS for specific blocks, and Openverse integration with the WordPress media library.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following a few more beta releases, RC 1 is expected on March 7, and the final release is scheduled for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-2/">March 28, 2023</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, 07 Feb 2023 22:50:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:40:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 6.2 Beta 1";s: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=14375";s: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:56:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/02/wordpress-6-2-beta-1/";s: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:7796:"<p>WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing!</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This version of the WordPress software is under development.</strong> Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you should test Beta 1 on a test server and site.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can test WordPress 6.2 Beta 1 in three ways:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 1:</strong> Install and activate the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin (select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 2: </strong>Direct download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.2-beta1.zip">Beta 1 version (zip)</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option 3:</strong> Use the following WP-CLI command:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>wp core update --version=6.2-beta1</code></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current target for the final release is <strong>March 28, 2023</strong>, which is seven weeks away. Your help testing this version is vital to ensuring everything in this release is the best it can be.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get an overview of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-2/">6.2 release cycle</a>, and check the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/6-2/">6.2-related posts</a> in the coming weeks for further details.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How you can help: testing!</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute—whether you have experience or not. This <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2023/02/07/help-test-wordpress-6-2/">detailed guide</a> is a great place to start if you’ve never tested a beta release. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you build products for WordPress, you probably realize that the sooner you can test this release with your themes, plugins, and patterns, the easier it will be for you to offer a seamless experience to your users.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more about testing releases in general? You can follow along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">testing initiatives</a> that happen in Make Core. You can also join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-test/">#core-test channel</a> on the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/">Making WordPress Slack workspace</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you may have run into an issue, please report it to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">Alpha/Beta area</a> in the support forums. If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, you can <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">file one on WordPress Trac</a>. You can also check your issue against a list of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">known bugs</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interested in Gutenberg features? Find out what’s been included since WordPress 6.1 (the last major release of WordPress). You will find more details in the currently available <em>What’s new in Gutenberg</em> posts for  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january-2/">15.1</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-0-18-january/">15.0</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/01/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-9-4-january/">14.9</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-8-21-december/">14.8</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/12/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-7-7-december/">14.7</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-6-23-november/">14.6</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/11/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-5-9-november/">14.5</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/27/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-4-26-october/">14.4</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/13/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-3-12-october/">14.3</a>, and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/09/30/whats-new-in-gutenberg-14-2-28-september/">14.2</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>This release contains more than 292 enhancements and 354 bug fixes for the editor, including more than <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&milestone=6.2&group=component&max=500&col=id&col=summary&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&col=component&col=version&order=priority">195 tickets for the WordPress 6.2 core</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A major release for a major project milestone</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 6.2 is one of the last planned major releases of Phase 2 on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/">Gutenberg project’s roadmap</a>. The platform has come a long way in the past few years. The 6.2 release both celebrates that progress and looks toward a future of publishing that puts ever more powerful tools in your hands.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next stop: collaboration tools and more, in <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/01/letter-from-wordpress-executive-director-2022/">Phase 3</a>!</p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Notable highlights</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Want to know what’s new in WordPress version 6.2? Read on for a taste of what’s coming.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Beta label is gone—signaling that the Site Editor is stable and ready for anyone to explore, create, and experiment!</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distraction-free mode for a clear, focused writing experience.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new Site Editor interface shows you previews of your templates and Template Parts first, so you can choose exactly where you want to start editing.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scaled block settings with split controls organize your Styles and Settings options to easily find what you need—and clearly see everything a block can do.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Color-coded labels help you find your Template Parts and Reusable Blocks fast, everywhere you look: in the List View, the Block toolbar, even on the Canvas.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>An improved Navigation experience makes menus simple to create and manage—right from the block settings sidebar.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patterns are easier to find and insert—with even more categories to choose from like headers and footers!&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new Style Book offers one place to see all your Styles across every block, for a complete overview of your site’s design details.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Custom CSS support for specific blocks, or your whole site, for another level of control over how you want things to look.&nbsp;</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Openverse integration lets you pull free, openly-licensed media directly into your content as you work—along with a quicker way to insert media from your existing library.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Widgets become Template Parts when you switch from a Classic to a Block Theme—making the transition that much smoother.</li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Please note that the features in this list may change before the final release.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A haiku for 6.2</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Last of Phase 2 now<br />Let’s get the party started<br />WordPress turns 20</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thank you to the following contributors for collaborating on this post: </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marybaum/"><em>@marybaum</em></a><em> </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurlittle/"><em>@laurlittle</em></a><em> </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/"><em>@cbringmann</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/"><em>@webcommsat</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/"><em>@audrasjb</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/annezazu/"><em>@annezazu</em></a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/"><em>@bhp</em></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, 07 Feb 2023 19:32:46 +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:16:"Jonathan Pantani";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:85:"Do The Woo Community: From a Hackathon to Accepting Web3 Payments with Sebastian Pape";s: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=74428";s: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://dothewoo.io/from-a-hackathon-to-accepting-web3-payments/";s: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:411:"<p>From a hackathon to Web3 payments,   Sebastian has quite the story and some fantastic insights into crypto.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://dothewoo.io/from-a-hackathon-to-accepting-web3-payments/">From a Hackathon to Accepting Web3 Payments with Sebastian Pape</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, 07 Feb 2023 10:40:00 +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: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:113:"WPTavern: BuddyPress 12.0 to Focus on Merging BP Rewrites Into Core, Moving Legacy Widgets Into BP Classic 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=141704";s: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:123:"https://wptavern.com/buddypress-12-0-to-focus-on-merging-bp-rewrites-into-core-moving-legacy-widgets-into-bp-classic-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:3280:"<p>During the most recent BuddyPress development meeting, contributors <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2023/02/04/bp-dev-chat-summary-january-30-2023/">decided</a> to focus the upcoming 12.0 release on merging the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-rewrites/">BP Rewrites feature plugin</a> into core. This plugin is the result of a ten-year-old effort to migrate BuddyPress’ custom URI parser to use WordPress’ Rewrite API.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One year ago, <a href="https://wptavern.com/bp-rewrites-feature-plugin-now-in-beta">BP Rewrites went into beta</a>. It&#8217;s not certain how the change will interact with different plugins, so BP developers recommended it be tested for at least two major BuddyPress core releases before considering a merge. Early testers <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/bp-rewrites/">uncovered many incompatibilities</a> and conflicts with various BuddyPress features.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to move forward confidently with support for users who may experience plugin conflicts, BP Rewrites&#8217; maintainers have decided to create a new plugin that will provide backward compatibility. This new plugin will be called <a href="https://github.com/buddypress/bp-classic">BP Classic</a> and will also contain BuddyPress&#8217; legacy widgets, a change that BuddyPress core developer Mathieu Viet said &#8220;will be our first move towards progressively rebooting BuddyPress.&#8221; <a href="https://wptavern.com/buddypress-9-0-0-transforms-legacy-widgets-into-blocks">BP 9.0.0</a> (released July 2021) gave users the ability to transform legacy widgets into a block with two clicks. Moving these widgets out into BP Classic will be a significant step towards their eventual retirement.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href="https://github.com/buddypress/bp-attachments">BP Attachments</a> Add-on, a new component for managing BuddyPress attachments, is ready to move into beta testing. Viet has updated the plugin&#8217;s README file to include the features it will launch with in the plugin on WordPress.org:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Front-end and back-end Media library for all your members</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Administrators can moderate Members media from the back-end Media library</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Members can upload public or private media into their personal Media Library as well as organize them creating file directories, photo albums, movie or music playlists</li>\n\n\n\n<li>User media blocks for all your site&#8217;s content contributors</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Members can upload and attach public media to their activity updates (Needs the BP Activity component to be active)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Members can upload and attach private media to their private messages (Needs the BP Messages component to be active)</li>\n\n\n\n<li>All members public media can be browsed from the Community Media directory.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>(beta) A new avatar Upload UI<a href="https://github.com/buddypress/bp-attachments#future-features"></a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Future versions of the feature plugin will include a new cover image upload UI, and the ability to share media with friends and between group members.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>BuddyPress contributors anticipate bumping the required WordPress version to 5.8 in the 12.0 release. Beta 1 is planned for April 15, with the official release landing May 31.</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, 07 Feb 2023 03:50:23 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:58:"Do The Woo Community: New Sponsor Level: Community Friends";s: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=74417";s: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:56:"https://dothewoo.io/new-sponsor-level-community-friends/";s: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:391:"<p>If you are a business looking to brand yourself in the WooCommerce space, here is a new opportunity for you at Do the Woo.</p>\n<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://dothewoo.io/new-sponsor-level-community-friends/">New Sponsor Level: Community Friends</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, 06 Feb 2023 15:29:33 +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: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: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:55:"Gutenberg Times: Live Q &amp; A: Layout. Layout. Layout";s: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=23280";s: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:57:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/live-q-a-layout-layout-layout/";s: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:61904:"<p>Layouts are a fundamental part of how block themes work: Layout allows us to define the width of our post content, and arrange blocks horizontally or vertically, right or left aligned, inside container blocks. In terms of block styling, Layout is a complex feature because it affects child blocks in ways that go beyond CSS inheritance. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this show, Isabel Brison, Andrew Serong and Justin Tadlock discussed the opportunities and challenges of the Layout features for site builders, and answered questions from the audience. The transcript is posted below the shared resources.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Isabel Brison&#8217;s demo starts a 11:00 timestamp. </p>\n\n\n\n<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">\n<div class="toolbelt-video-wrapper"></div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/01/11/a-walk-through-of-layout-classes-in-wordpress-6-1/">A walk-through of layout classes in WordPress 6.1 </a></p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resources to learn more</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/34641"><em>Responsive blocks &amp; intrinsic web design</em></a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/33447"><em>Design Tools Overview</em></a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/30121">Fixed position header issue</a> in GitHub: </li>\n\n\n\n<li>The PR that implemented <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/46142">sticky position support:</a> </li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/47043">Issue for sticky position follow-up tasks: </a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/30121#issuecomment-1378124394">Screengrab of wrapping a header in a sticky group block: </a></li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22%5BFeature%5D+Layout%22">[Feature Layout]</a> label (all issues in the Gutenberg repo in GitHub that are currently flagged as being to do with the layout block support): </li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/44720">Tracking issue for layout follow-ups</a> (updated intermittently as there&#8217;s progress to share): <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/44720">https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/44720</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n\n\n<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>Transcript </strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: I know that people are coming in here already. We have a few participants here. Hi there, welcome to our 33rd Gutenberg Times Live Q&amp;A. My name is Birgit Pauli-Haack and I&#8217;m your host, curator of the Gutenberg Times and developer advocate for WordPress. It&#8217;s wonderful to have you all here. Happy New Year, welcome, and today&#8217;s show, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the layout features for site builders with the experts, the parents, so to speak, mom and dad of the layout features. And I&#8217;m extremely honored to have Isabel Brison, designer, developer, JavaScript engineer and core contributor on the show. Also Andrew Serong, also full-time developer, contributor to the Gutenberg Project, goes by the title Block Mechanic, and also sponsored by Automattic on the Open Source Project. And last but not least, Justin Tadlock, developer advocate, theme and plugin developer, member of the core team and former writer of the WP Tavern, now working for Automattic and prolific educator on the developer blog and Hallway Hangouts.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll do some proper introduction in just less than a minute. Just a few housekeeping notes. For those of you watching this on the YouTube livestream, use the chat box next to the video player to post your questions. And you can test it by letting us know where you&#8217;re watching from. The same goes for the Zoom place, but there are two places. One is the chat bubble for all your comments and your greetings and thoughts, and then the Q&amp;A section bubbles for your questions that we then answer in a bit. And please be kind, even if you disagree. This is a family-friendly endeavor. So, what&#8217;s the show about? Layout is a fundamental part of block themes. Layout features allow you to define the widths of your post content and the range blocks horizontally, vertically, right, left, and all sides in container blocks.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in terms of block styling, layout is a complex feature because it affects child blocks in ways that go beyond the CSS, cascading style sheets inheritance. It&#8217;s probably part of the complexity that leaves some users a bit confused on how to deal with the various layout features and how to combine sections to a good page layout, and how this all fits into the block theme building process on template parts and the theme JSON. Before we answer your question, what is a container block, and more, allow me to introduce our expert. Then Isabel will give us a demonstration of the various layout features. And by that time, we probably have an array of questions that we can then tackle here as a panel. Isabel, you have been working for Gutenberg Project for a few years now. Lately, you worked together with Andrew on the layout features. What other parts of Gutenberg did you work on before that, and how long have you been at Automattic?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Oh, yeah. Before this, I think the major thing that I worked on before layouts was the navigation block. That was over a year ago now. And a feature that actually didn&#8217;t make it, which was a navigation screen that was meant to replace the classic menu screen. And yeah, that unfortunately got canned. And before that, we had this whole push to try and get bits of block editing in place for classic themes. We also did the Block Widgets Editor, that was another one I worked on. And yeah, I sort of float around and try to tackle accessibility issues when I have a bit of time between the major projects too. That&#8217;s sort of a passion of mine, and there&#8217;s a lot to do in that regard, always.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Yeah, always. Yeah, that&#8217;s true. Yeah. Well, where you&#8217;re located and what do you do when you&#8217;re not working?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: I am in Sydney, Australia. And oh, I don&#8217;t think I answered the bit of the question about how long I&#8217;ve been at Automattic. I&#8217;ve been at Automattic for, it&#8217;s going to be four years this year. I joined mid-2019. It has been a while, but it feels like it has gone really quickly.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Well, but in Gutenberg years, it&#8217;s kind of three quarters. No, 80% of the Gutenberg development time, you have been part of it.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Yeah, it feels weird to think I joined kind of at the start of the thing, when it was already in core, but it hadn&#8217;t been in core for very long and so I&#8217;ve seen it grow and yeah, it kind of feels like my baby now. Like, oh.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Yeah. What do you do for fun when you&#8217;re not working on a computer, or how you get away from the computer?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Oh, all sorts of things. I get away art, gardening. I like to go outside. No actually, you shut the computer down and go outside and get fresh air. I do a lot of gardening. I like growing herbs and veggies. I like going for walks, healthy stuff. And yeah, no, I do a bit of artwork on the side too, those, all sorts of things.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Awesome. Yeah. Well, I&#8217;m so glad you&#8217;re here. Andrew, what have you been working on in Gutenberg and before you worked on the layout features, and what made you select the title of Block Mechanic?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Andrew Serong</em>: Ah, that&#8217;s a good question. Yes, I think I started contributing to Gutenberg more actively surrounding how to interact with patterns and block patterns. That kind of quickly led on to contributing to design tools, because to have really great patterns, you need to have a lot of flexibility in design tools. And then I naively picked up what I thought was going to be a really easy issue to implement, of adding gaps between child blocks. And I thought, &#8220;Oh, that won&#8217;t take too long.&#8221; And like a lot of things, the first prototype only took a couple of weeks or whatever to put up, but then very quickly when you start digging into it, it then turns out there&#8217;s a whole load of complexity to wrangle, and that was both exciting and also a really big challenge. And so I figured, &#8220;Oh look, I&#8217;ll just put up my hand and give this a shot.&#8221;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so then quickly found that there&#8217;s a difference between setting gaps on flex blocks versus things that have flown, and having vertical margins and things. Hopefully, we&#8217;ll get into that on the call, but it sort of led to picking the name Block Mechanic. My job title is officially JavaScript engineer, but engineering often sort of sounds a bit highfalutin or whatever, like you&#8217;re going to do big systems design and everything. But I think a lot of our job really is fixing the nuts and bolts and taking something apart and putting it back together. And so I don&#8217;t really consider myself an expert. I&#8217;m really more a generalist that is very keen to jump in and see if I can help move things forward. I kind of like a pragmatic title like that, personally.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Excellent, yeah. And where are you located?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Andrew Serong</em>: I&#8217;m also in Australia. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I lived in Melbourne, so Melbourne, Victoria, the second biggest city in Australia, but I just recently moved to the country about an hour and a half away. So, getting adjusted to a different quality of life, but it does make me very much appreciate working remotely because pretty much my whole life has changed, but work is exactly the same, which is really, really very nice.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Oh, I appreciate that. Yeah. Yeah. Good. Justin, and you have been in the same space for almost as long as WordPress has been in existence. Recently, you switched from writing for WP Tavern to working for Automattic as a full-time contributor. And recently, you wrote a few tutorials on the official WordPress developer blog, and just today, we published your post about the layouts. Yeah, do you want to briefly talk about what you are doing and where you&#8217;re from and what you do?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Justin Tadlock</em>: Yes. I&#8217;m a developer advocate with Automattic since last May. Now, I don&#8217;t know how to define what I do sometimes. I kind of bounce around, but mostly my goal is to teach, to carry other people along this WordPress journey as best I can. And I&#8217;m glad we have the developer blog up and running, even though it&#8217;s still in beta. I&#8217;m hoping to be a big contributor there and write about layouts and everything else WordPress related. I&#8217;m from Alabama, in the United States, that&#8217;s the Southeast region. And I live not in the city, but a little bit outside of the capital of my state.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: All right. Are you going to Wordcamp in Birmingham?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Justin Tadlock</em>: Somebody just asked me that today. Not as of right now, but I could be convinced to still go.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Okay. Yeah. Yeah, let&#8217;s start at the beginning. I&#8217;m thrilled you all three all agreed to come here and be part of this Q&amp;A. I&#8217;m really sorry, listener and watchers or viewers, yes, I saw that the chat is disabled, but somehow I tried every little button there and I can&#8217;t enable it without probably going into the settings of the webinar and stop it. Yeah, feel free to just put your chat in the Q&amp;A and we kind of sort it out. Sorry about that. All right, so container blocks are group blocks to answer that question, column blocks, button blocks, social link blocks, cover block. Yeah. And now as promised, Isabel, are you ready to start us off with a demo?&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Yeah. I&#8217;ll share my screen.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Excellent, yes.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Share screens.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Share the screen and I&#8217;ll try to figure things out with the chat thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison:</em> Okay. Can you see my screen?</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: Yes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: There should be a cat picture on it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Birgit Pauli-Haack</em>: There is. That&#8217;s a cute cat.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Isabel Brison</em>: Yeah, okay, that&#8217;s the correct screen. Right, so layouts are a feature that came in with site editing pretty much because in classic themes, you used to just the theme also used to just figure out the layout themselves, writing CSS to space blocks and create columns and things like that. But with site editing, we have to provide mechanisms, that is the block editor has to provide mechanisms that allow people to do that layout work themselves. This is what the feature is meant to do and I&#8217;m going to showcase it. If you see my screen, I have actually the post editor open because all of these features that can be used in the site editor can also be used in the post editor. And if you&#8217;re showcasing single blocks, I feel like it&#8217;s easier to showcase them in the post editor because it&#8217;s a simpler interface.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here we have a group block and you can see the outline here. This group, it has got a few blocks inside it. And if you go into the block settings, that&#8217;s actually not selected. So now I&#8217;ve selected my group block, and if you go into the sidebar where the block settings are, you&#8217;ll see that there is a tab called layout. And this has a bunch of controls. In the group block, you basically have two states where you can have the state. This most basic state of layout is it doesn&#8217;t do anything except provide a bit of spacing between each block. So, there&#8217;ll be a bit of a margin between each of the blocks inside the group. And then the further to that, the other, so it&#8217;s actually a different type of layout that you get when you toggle this toggle on is the same, a few spacing between the blocks, but you get content with two.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your theme defines a content width, that content width will be applied and the blocks will go no further than that particular width. Here, this is the theme. The theme, this is 2023, I should have said, that I&#8217;m doing the demo on, and the content with &#8230; You can see it in the site editor, if you go into the styles tab and into layout. This is global styles and in layout, here we can see that the default content width for this theme is 650 pixels. That&#8217;s the width that these blocks should be respecting when that content width inside the layout is toggled on. But these, the sort of vanilla and the content width aren&#8217;t the only kinds of layout that we have. And the group block is pretty handy to showcase different types because it actually works with all different types of layout.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might not realize that at first sight, but group block, roadblock and stack block are essentially all the same block. And you can actually toggle, so if you have a group in this up here at the top in the sidebar, you can actually toggle between the different types of block that group can be, so row, s