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";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16:"WordPress Planet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"language";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"en";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress Planet - http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"item";a:50:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:139:"HeroPress: Building Stability With WordPress – WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন";s:7:"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=2744";s:7:"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:140:"https://heropress.com/essays/building-stability-with-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-stability-with-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:9488:"<img width="960" height="480" src="https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/041719-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: Think what new you have done, and what new can be." /><p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#bangla">এই নিবন্ধটি বাংলায় পাওয়া যায়</a></p>
<p>This is the first time my real life story is going to be live for the people of the World. Till now I was living my life with my own surroundings, now it will be no more that much of hidden.</p>
<p>I am a very simple person from Kolkata, India. I started my career with IBM ACE i.e an IBM education wing, as a Technical Teacher. I used to teach my students several subjects like C,C++, Perl and PHP. Although I was teaching many subjects my focus was in PHP starting from 2003. In the early days of 2009 I came to know about WordPress. From the first few days I was struggling with the Administrative panel and other services.</p>
<p>In 2009 end I decided to step down from my job and started differently. I started development work and also continue teaching the students.</p>
<p>I was decided to develop the websites and web applications with the WordPress only, and I got the version called `Carmen` 2.9 which was a relief for me to handle the CMS. I got some help from my students and friends who were engaged in WordPress development at that time. They teach me how I can handle the WordPress more proficient way. I learnt how to develop WordPress themes, started developing the plugins.</p>
<h3>Working with WordPress</h3>
<p>I started developing the website using WordPress from 2010 onwards. Later on 2014 I started developing WordPress theme for the Themeforest Market place. I also started developing the plugins which helps my development process to run smoothly.</p>
<h3>How it changed My life</h3>
<p>My life started changing from 2010 when I started developing with WordPress. The instability of my life was changed into a stable life, which was beyond my expectation. I was living a good life with my family. What else I can expect from WordPress.</p>
<h3>What’s Different</h3>
<p>Apart from developing the Websites and other application, I started my research on how the development process can be more smoother and flexible. I started working on WP CLI to developing the automated process for WordPress. I developed a script that helps developers to install the WordPress flawlessly using WP CLI. My linux knowledge also helped me to write shell scripts. The script can be found in my account at github. I am also trying to get into the easy deployment process with CI/CD for the developers using Bitbucket Pipeline and AWS.</p>
<p>I slowly become an expert on the theme approval guidelines of Themeforest Market place. Apart from that I started writing blogs on the various topics related to WordPress. Achieved almost 3K reputation in StackOverflow. Developed Plugins in wordpress.org.</p>
<h3>WordPress.org</h3>
<p>Even though I was developed many plugins and theme I never thought of uploading that in wordpress.org. I start realizing that to help many more people in WordPress, wordpress.org will be a better place than StackOverflow.</p>
<h3>WordCamp Kolkata</h3>
<p>I joined Kolkata WordPress Community who was planning the WordCamp Kolkata, and thankfully they have selected me as a volunteer. Mr Subrata Sarkar( WordPress Core Contributor ) and the team who recognized me and give a huge responsibilities in WordCamp Kolkata 2019. It was again a tremendous experiences with WordPress. Since that was my first WordCamp I tried to fulfill my responsibilities. Become a Volunteer I learnt to be more polite and more decent to the people, make many more friends from different regions and countries.</p>
<h3>My Inspirations</h3>
<p>There are many people who inspired and helped me during my journey, its small tribute to them by mentioning a few : Abhik Goswami, Sneh Sagar Prajapati, Prabhas Chowdhury, Debobrata Debnath, Prosenjit Manna, Sk. Shamim Ullah, Soumit Pal, Subrata Sarkar.</p>
<h3>My Words</h3>
<p>Be polite to others. Be friendly to your Juniors and fellow developers. Try to teach them rather pointing to the mistakes. Attend Meetups. Contribute to the Community. Think what new you have done, and what new can be.</p>
<p>Stay healthy, stay fit with WordPress <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
<h2 id="bangla">WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন</h2>
<p>WordPress র সাথে পরিচয় ২০০৯ এর December এ, শুরু থেকেই ভালো লাগা. Website বা Plugin বানান দিযে কাজ শুরু করি ২০১০ এ. তারপর থেকে শুধু WordPress এই কাজ করে চলেছি . ২০০৯ এ যখ্ন চাকরি ছেড়ে শুধু development র কাজ শুরু করি সাথে পড়ানো ও চলতে থাকে. কিছু Friend আর Student দের help নিয়ে WordPress self learning চলতে থাকে .</p>
<p>২০১৪ সাল থেকে themefores এ theme বানান শুরু করি. ধীরে ধীরে আমি আমার সামনে চলার পথ খুজে পাই. আমি themeforest theme approve guideline expert হয়ে উঠি. আমি github এ আমার wpcli experiment করতে থাকি. Automation আমার main target হয়ে ওঠে.</p>
<p>Stackoverflow ছাড়াও wordpress.org তে plugin তৈরী করি.<br />
WordCamp Kolkata 2019 : এখানে volunteering অনেক নতুন মানুষের সাথে আলাপ হয়. বূঝতে পারি Community কে enjoy করতে, জানতে পারি কি করে community কে কি করে return করতে হয়.</p>
<p>আগামী দিনে আমি WordPress র popularity বারিয়ে যেতে চেষ্টা চালিয়ে যাব.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Building%20Stability%20With%20WordPress%20%2D%20WordPress%20%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%82%20%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%2C%20%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%20%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87%20%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%9C%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fbuilding-stability-with-wordpress%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fbuilding-stability-with-wordpress%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-linkedin-button" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fbuilding-stability-with-wordpress%2F&title=Building+Stability+With+WordPress+%26%238211%3B+WordPress+%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%82+%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%2C+%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE+%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87+%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%9C%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-pinterest-button" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://heropress.com/essays/building-stability-with-wordpress/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/041719-min-150x150.jpg&description=Building Stability With WordPress - WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/building-stability-with-wordpress/" title="Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/building-stability-with-wordpress/">Building Stability With WordPress &#8211; WordPress এবং স্থিতিশীলতা, বাংলা তে পড়ুন</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, 17 Apr 2019 12:00:37 +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:"Tristup Ghosh";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:1;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:127:"WPTavern: PluginVulnerabilities.com is Protesting WordPress.org Support Forum Moderators by Publishing Zero-Day Vulnerabilities";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88854";s:7:"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:138:"https://wptavern.com/pluginvulnerabilities-com-is-protesting-wordpress-org-support-forum-moderators-by-publishing-zero-day-vulnerabilities";s: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:8257:"<a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/lock.png?ssl=1"><img /></a>image credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/LW51P4H4Y6">Jason Blackeye</a>
<p>A security service called <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Plugin Vulnerabilities</a>,  founded by John Grillot, is taking a vigilante approach to addressing grievances against WordPress.org support forum moderators. The company is protesting the moderators&#8217; actions by publishing zero-day vulnerabilities (those for which no patch has been issued) and then attempting to contact the plugin author via the WordPress.org support forums:</p>
<blockquote><p>Due to the moderators of the WordPress Support Forum’s <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/27/wordpress-team-didnt-notify-developer-of-plugin-with-700000-active-installations-about-vulnerability-they-knew-about/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">continued</a> <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/wordpress-support-forum-moderators-engaged-in-cover-up-of-security-issues-in-wordpress-plugins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inappropriate</a> <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/wordpress-support-forum-moderators-stop-people-from-getting-help-so-they-can-promote-favored-security-companies/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">behavior</a> we are <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/our-new-disclosure-policy-in-response-to-the-continued-inappropriate-behavior-of-the-wordpress-support-forum-moderators/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full disclosing vulnerabilities in protest until WordPress gets that situation cleaned up</a>, so we are releasing this post and then only trying to notify the developer through the WordPress Support Forum. You can notify the developer of this issue on the forum as well. Hopefully the moderators will finally see the light and clean up their act soon, so these full disclosures will no longer be needed (we hope they end soon).</p></blockquote>
<p>In the linked incidents cited above, Grillot claims that moderators have deleted his comments, covered up security issues instead of trying to fix them, and promoted certain security companies for fixing hacked sites, among other complaints. </p>
<p>In response, Plugin Vulnerabilities has published a string of vulnerabilities with full disclosure since <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/our-new-disclosure-policy-in-response-to-the-continued-inappropriate-behavior-of-the-wordpress-support-forum-moderators/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">initiating the protest</a> in September 2018. These posts detail the exact location of the vulnerabilities in the code, along with a proof of concept. The posts are followed up with an attempt to notify the developer through the WordPress.org support forum.</p>
<p>Grillot said he hopes to return to Plugin Vulnerabilities&#8217; previous policy of responsible disclosure but will not end the protest until WordPress.org support forum moderators comply with the list of what he <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/our-new-disclosure-policy-in-response-to-the-continued-inappropriate-behavior-of-the-wordpress-support-forum-moderators/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outlined</a> as &#8220;appropriate behavior.&#8221;</p>
<p>WordPress&#8217; security leadership is currently going through a transitional period after Aaron Campbell, head of WordPress Ecosystem at GoDaddy, stepped down from his position as head of security in December 2018. Automattic Technical Account Engineer Jake Spurlock is coordinating releases while the next person to wrangle the team is selected. This announcement was made in the #security channel, but Josepha Haden said there are plans for a more public post soon. Campbell did wish to publish the details of why he stepped down but said that he thinks it is important to rotate that role and that &#8220;the added influx of fresh energy in that position is really healthy.&#8221; </p>
<p>When asked about the Plugin Vulnerabilities&#8217; protest against WordPress.org, Spurlock referenced the <a href="https://hackerone.com/wordpress" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Responsible Disclosure guidelines</a> on WordPress&#8217; Hackerone profile. It includes the following recommendation regarding publishing vulnerabilities: </p>
<blockquote><p>Give us a reasonable time to correct the issue before making any information public. We care deeply about security, but as an open-source project, our team is mostly comprised of volunteers.</p></blockquote>
<p>Spurlock said that since those guidelines are more pertinent to core, dealing with third-party plugins is a trickier scenario. Ideally, the plugin author would be notified first, so they can work with the plugins team to push updates and remove old versions that may contain those vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>&#8220;The WordPress open-source project is always looking for responsible disclosure of security vulnerabilities,&#8221; Spurlock said. &#8220;We have a process for disclosing for <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/plugin-security/reporting-plugin-security-issues/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plugins</a> and for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-security-vulnerabilities/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">core</a>. Neither of theses processes include posting 0-day exploits.&#8221;</p>
<p>Grillot did not respond to our request for comment, but the company&#8217;s recent blog posts contend that following responsible disclosure in the past would sometimes lead to vulnerabilities being &#8220;covered up,&#8221; and even at times <a href="https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2018/09/25/wordpress-support-forum-moderators-engaged-in-cover-up-of-security-issues-in-wordpress-plugins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cause them to go unfixed</a>.</p>
<p>WordPress.org support forum moderators do not permit people to report vulnerabilities on the support forums or to engage in discussion regarding vulnerabilities that remain unfixed. The preferred avenue for reporting is to email plugins@wordpress.org so the plugins team can work with authors to patch plugins in a timely way.</p>
<p>However, in the wild west world of plugins, which includes more than 55,000 hosted on WordPress.org, there are times when responsible disclosure falls apart and occasionally fails users. Responsible disclosure is not a perfect policy, but overall it tends to work better than the alternative. The Plugin Vulnerabilities service even states that they intend to return to responsible disclosure after the protest, essentially recognizing that this policy is the best way to coexist with others in the plugin ecosystem. </p>
<p>In the meantime, publishing zero-day vulnerabilities exposes sites to potential attacks if the plugin author is not immediately available to write a patch. The only thing WordPress.org can do is remove the plugin temporarily until a fix can be released. This measure protects new users from downloading vulnerable software but does nothing for users who already have the plugin active. If site owners are going to protect themselves by disabling it until there is a fix, they need to know that the plugin is vulnerable. </p>
<p>Plugin Vulnerabilities&#8217; controversial protest, which some might even call unethical, may not be the most inspired catalyst for improving WordPress.org&#8217;s approach to security. It is a symptom of a larger issue. WordPress needs strong, visible security leadership and a team with dedicated resources for improving the plugin ecosystem. Plugin authors need a better notification system for advising users of important security updates inside the WordPress admin. Most users are not subscribed to industry blogs and security services &#8211; they depend on WordPress to let them know when an update is important. Refining the infrastructure available to plugin developers and creating a more streamlined security flow is critical for repairing the plugin ecosystem&#8217;s reputation. </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, 17 Apr 2019 03:37:18 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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:99:"WPTavern: WordCamp for Publishers is Coming to Columbus, OH, August 7-9, Call for Speakers Now Open";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88366";s:7:"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:107:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-for-publishers-is-coming-to-columbus-oh-august-7-9-call-for-speakers-now-open";s: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:2696:"<p>The third edition of WordCamp for Publishers will be held in Columbus, OH, August 7-9, 2019, at the <a href="https://vuecolumbus.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vue Columbus</a>. This unique event is a niche-specific WordCamp for professionals working in the publishing industry. Previous locations include Denver and Chicago. In looking for a host city for 2019, organizers had a preference for cities that are “underrepresented media markets” where attendees may not see as many of these types of events. Columbus certainly fits the bill. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://2019-columbus.publishers.wordcamp.org/2019/04/12/call-for-speakers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">call for speakers and workshop facilitators</a> is now open. Organizers are looking for presentations from all types of professionals across the publishing industry, including writers, journalists, editors, designers, developers, data journalists, project managers, product managers, and program managers. The event will feature three types of sessions:</p>
<ul>
<li>45 minute presentations (inclusive of Q&#038;A)</li>
<li>90 minute workshops</li>
<li>5 minute lightning talks</li>
</ul>
<p>Applicants may submit up to three proposals until the deadline on Monday, May 6th at 11:59 EDT.</p>
<p>Last year&#8217;s event brought controversial and thought-provoking presentations, such as &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.tv/2018/08/22/brian-boyer-why-we-ditched-amp-and-other-ux-choices-we-made-for-launching-membership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why we ditched AMP, and other UX choices we made for launching membership</a>&#8221; and &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.tv/2018/08/31/eric-ulken-reader-revenue-and-the-less-open-web/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reader revenue and the less open web</a>,&#8221; an interesting exploration of the implications of paywalls on the open web. All 2018 presentations are <a href="https://wordpress.tv/event/wordcamp-for-publishers-chicago-2018/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">available on WordPress.tv</a>, if speaker applicants need any ideas about the types of presentations that are relevant to the event. Last year&#8217;s theme was “Taking Back the Open Web,&#8221; but organizers have not yet announced a theme for 2019.</p>
<p>The first batch of <a href="http://2019-columbus.publishers.wordcamp.org/tickets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tickets</a> is already on sale. Previous years have sold out fairly fast, so make sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/wcpublishers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@wcpublishers</a> on Twitter for all the latest information.</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, 15 Apr 2019 22:50:42 +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:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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:41:"Matt: Happy Tools, for the Future of Work";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"https://ma.tt/?p=49336";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://ma.tt/2019/04/happy-tools/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2372:"<p>Distributed work is becoming a reality for more companies. Automattic has been operating in a distributed-first fashion for more than 13 years now &#8212; we&#8217;re now up to <a href="https://ma.tt/2019/01/ted-the-future-of-work/">more than 850 employees in 68 countries</a>. But even in companies with physical offices, more employees are distributed around the globe and working together. Google just shared some <a href="https://blog.google/inside-google/working-google/working-together-when-were-not-together/">fascinating stats about its work culture</a>, with 100,000 employees working across 150 cities. Two out of five work groups have employees working from more than one location:</p>



<img />



<p>We&#8217;re a more connected world, so it makes sense that global business wouldn&#8217;t be confined to just one physical space. I often use Google as an example because I&#8217;ve been in meetings there where people were one building away from each other but still using video chat because of the time required to walk between meetings on their campus.</p>



<p>With that in mind, the team at <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> has decided to start sharing our expertise and the technology that makes it all work. Introducing <a href="https://happy.tools/">Happy Tools</a>: </p>



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

</div>



<p>Our first product is Happy Schedule, which helps teams manage flexible schedules across time zones. Right now we&#8217;re rolling it out in a consultative way with just a few early customers to make sure the team can be totally responsive to their needs. We&#8217;re excited about this and other upcoming tools, because we believe that this is the future of work. We&#8217;re excited to have other companies give it a try. </p>



<p>Keep an eye on this space: There&#8217;s an entire suite of tools that make up the operating system of what has helped Automattic scale so effectively over the years. I&#8217;ve always believed it&#8217;s important to invest in your internal tools, and I&#8217;m excited to release more of them. If there&#8217;s something better in the market, we won&#8217;t release a tool for it—I&#8217;d rather use something external than have to build things ourselves—but where the industry still has a gap after such a long time, we&#8217;ll throw our hat into the ring. </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, 15 Apr 2019 19:54:48 +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:4:"Matt";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:97:"WPTavern: WordCamp Europe Publishes 2019 Speaker Lineup, Contributor Day Registration is Now Open";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88804";s:7:"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:107:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-publishes-2019-speaker-lineup-contributor-day-registration-is-now-open";s: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:2135:"<p><a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordCamp Europe 2019</a> is 66 days away. The event will be held in Berlin on June 20-22, occupying 13,000m² of the Estrel Congress Center. More than 2,266 tickets have been sold so far, roughly 100 tickets short of what the event sold last year. </p>
<p>All <a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org/speakers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">59 speakers</a> have now been announced and the <a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org/schedule/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">schedule</a> is published on the website. Organizers added a third track this year to accommodate the various lightning and traditional talks, workshops, and panels.  </p>
<p>WordCamp Europe received a record-breaking number of submissions and applicants this year after making a stronger effort to improve representation of the diversity of the WordPress&#8217; community. Organizers received 453 submissions from 267 applicants, a 20 percent increase over 2018 submissions. Approximately 1% (4 applicants) identified outside of the gender binary, 34% were female, and 65% male. The breakdown for 2019 selected speakers is 43.4% female and 56.6% male.</p>
<p><a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org/2019/04/14/contributor-day/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Contributor Day</a> registration opened today and will close May 31, 2019. The event will take place on June 20, one the day before the main conference in the same venue. Organizers have build a new <a href="https://orientation.wp-europe.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Contributor Orientation Tool</a> to help new contributors identify one or more of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Make WordPress teams</a> where they can apply their skills. <a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org/tickets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tickets</a> are free for WCEU attendees but spots are limited. There were only 157 Contributor Day tickets remaining this morning and those places are going quickly. </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, 15 Apr 2019 16:33:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 5.2 Beta 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:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6885";s:7:"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/2019/04/wordpress-5-2-beta-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:3784:"<p>WordPress 5.2 Beta 3 is now available!</p>



<p><strong>This software is still in development,</strong> so we don’t recommend you run it on a production site. Consider setting up a test site to play with the new version.</p>



<p>There are two ways to test the latest WordPress 5.2 beta: try the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin (you’ll want to select the “bleeding edge nightlies” option), or you can <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-5.2-beta3.zip">download the beta here</a> (zip).</p>



<p>WordPress 5.2 is slated for release on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-2/">April 30</a>, and we need your help to get there! Thanks to the testing and feedback from everyone who tried <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/wordpress-5-2-beta-2/">beta 2</a>, nearly <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&changetime=04%2F09%2F2019..04%2F13%2F2019&milestone=5.2&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=status&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&order=priority">40 tickets have been closed</a> since then. Here are the major changes and bug fixes:</p>



<ul><li>The new Site Health feature has continued to be refined.</li><li>Plugins no longer update if a site is running an unsupported version of PHP (see #46613).</li><li>It’s now more apparent when a site is running in Recovery Mode (see #46608).</li><li>The distraction free button no longer breaks keyboard navigation in the Classic Editor (see #46640).</li><li>Assistive technologies do a better job of announcing admin bar sub menus (see #37513).</li><li>Subject lines in WordPress emails are now more consistent (see #37940).</li><li>Personal data exports now only show as completed when a user downloads their data (see #44644).</li><li>Plus more improvements to accessibility (see #35497 and #42853).</li></ul>



<h2>Minimum PHP Version Update</h2>



<p><strong>Important reminder: </strong>as of WordPress 5.2 beta 2, the minimum PHP version that WordPress will require is 5.6.20. If you&#8217;re running an older version of PHP, we highly recommend updating it now, before WordPress 5.2 is officially released.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/minimum-php-version-update/">Minimum PHP Version update</a></blockquote>
</div>



<h2>Developer Notes</h2>



<p>WordPress 5.2 has lots of refinements to polish the developer experience. To keep up, subscribe to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> and pay special attention to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/5-2+dev-notes/">developers notes</a> for updates on those and other changes that could affect your products.</p>



<h2>How to Help</h2>



<p>Do you speak a language other than English? <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp/dev">Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages!</a> The beta 3 release also marks the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/glossary/#soft-freeze">soft string freeze</a> point of the 5.2 release schedule.</p>



<p><em><strong>If you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, you can post to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta">Alpha/Beta area</a> in the support forums. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/reports/">file one on WordPress Trac</a>, where you can also find <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">a list of known bugs</a>.</em></p>



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



<p><em>Would you look at that<br />each day brings release closer<br />test to be ready</em>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 12 Apr 2019 21:33:07 +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:19:"Jonathan Desrosiers";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:6;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"WPTavern: New GPL-licensed Quirk App Open Sources Cognitive Behavioral Therapy";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88763";s:7:"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/new-gpl-licensed-quirk-app-open-sources-cognitive-behavioral-therapy";s: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:10320:"<p><a href="https://getquirk.app/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Quirk</a> is a new GPL-licensed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) app for iOS and Android built in <a href="https://facebook.github.io/react-native/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">React Native</a>/<a href="https://expo.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Expo</a>. The app helps users challenge their &#8220;automatic thoughts,&#8221; a term that refers to thoughts that come to a person spontaneously in response to a trigger, which can often be negative.</p>
<p>Quirk lets users record a quick thought and will automatically narrow down a list of potential ways these thoughts are distorted. The distortions were inspired by the ones popularized in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UW5X4C/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy</a>. The user is then invited to challenge those distortions and write an alternative thought.</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudup.com/cZMMRywMDBL"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/cldup.com/5f9Qce5NQW.gif?resize=627%2C667&ssl=1" alt="Quirk demo" width="627" height="667" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/flaqueEau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Evan Conrad</a>, a software engineer at Segment, created Quirk as a non-commercial, personal project to make it easy for people to take control of their irrational thoughts using a common CBT technique. Quirk is not a substitute for a trained therapist but rather a tool for people to use on their own. Left unchecked, negative automatic thoughts can become emotional weights and lead to distorted thinking. Quirk is a simple app that helps people experience the world in a less negative way and develop more rational thinking patterns. </p>
<p>&#8220;It’s super useful for day-to-day stuff,&#8221; Conrad said in <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19589700" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">response</a> to comments on Hacker News. &#8220;Take a thought like &#8216;<em>I took too many hints in that interview question</em>.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;That thought might lead to <em>&#8216;I must have failed that interview,&#8217;</em> which leads to <em>&#8216;I’ll fail all the rest of my interviews,&#8217;</em> which leads to <em>&#8216;I’ll never get another job,&#8217;</em> which leads to <em>&#8216;I must be really bad at this, I should just give up.&#8217;</em></p>
<p>&#8220;Each step seemed kind of logical at the time, but one thought led to the next and now you feel awful.</p>
<p>&#8220;CBT is a counter measure to this; it stops you at that first point and gives you a bunch of common logical fallacies that help you recognize why your thought is overreaching. You don’t know if you really flunked that interview, besides flunking one is good practice to pass the next one.&#8221;</p>
<p>Conrad said these types of thought processes aren&#8217;t exactly a mental health issue but are common struggles for many people. Quirk can be a useful tool for anyone looking to recognize and remove their own cognitive biases.</p>
<p>The iOS version of the app currently works better than the Android one, as the author said he doesn&#8217;t have an Android phone and finds it difficult to support the app on that platform. However, fixes are being pushed out regularly and many of the issues with crashing are getting resolved.</p>
<h3>How the GPL Protects Users in Mental Health Tech</h3>
<p>The code for Quirk can be found on <a href="https://github.com/Flaque/quirk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub</a> and is open source under the GPL-3.0, which is not a popular choice for licensing mobile apps. I asked Conrad why he opted for the GPL license, as opposed to other popular open source licenses. </p>
<p>&#8220;Mental Health tech is a really weird world,&#8221; Conrad said. &#8220;There’s a lot of folks who want to do the right thing, but end up doing really sketchy stuff. </p>
<p>&#8220;For example, a lot of apps collect the thoughts you’re recording for ML (Machine Learning) or NLP (Natural Language Processing). The stated purpose of this is to help better identify suicide, depression, etc. Partially because of the subject matter, many apps aren’t clearly telling their users that this is happening.</p>
<p>&#8220;So what ends up happening is a bunch of well intended researchers get access to your most sensitive thoughts. Which is fine, but they frequently aren’t aware of how valuable of a target they’re holding to a nefarious actor. Because it’s not like a database of passwords or credit card numbers, they tend to not think about security. </p>
<p>&#8220;But thoughts are super valuable and dangerous for abusers and blackmailers; plus most people would rather give you their password in plaintext than show you their mental health thoughts. </p>
<p>&#8220;So if I made Quirk MIT, I would worry that someone would take Quirk and launch their own version for research that tracks and stores user thoughts. Because the license doesn’t follow them, they could do it without telling a user and there would be little way for an average person to /know/ that this is happening.&#8221;</p>
<p>Conrad has taken an inspiring, user-centric approach to licensing and privacy that ensures users of his app (and any derivatives) will have access to the code and a better understanding of where their data is being stored. In a recent <a href="https://twitter.com/flaqueEau/status/1114575448485191681" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter thread</a>, he outlined the privacy principles that underpin Quirk&#8217;s architecture:</p>
<blockquote><p>In Quirk, FOSS and privacy isn&#8217;t a focus, it&#8217;s a given. Outside the tech world, Quirk is not trying to be a FOSS CBT app, it&#8217;s trying to be a really good CBT app that happens to be FOSS. It&#8217;s not coming out and saying &#8220;hey we don&#8217;t store your deepest darkest secrets on some server somewhere.&#8221; User&#8217;s don&#8217;t care. It&#8217;s a given. It doesn&#8217;t store things on the device because it&#8217;s trying to sell you on privacy, it does it because it&#8217;s the correct engineering decision. </p>
<p>Regular people don&#8217;t look at the Golden Gate bridge and think about the structural quality of the bolts. They pull out their phones and take a picture. The responsibility of software is to make things frictionless and reduce the stuff someone has to think about before buying in.</p></blockquote>
<p>Conrad said he would like to see other developers build things using the app and conduct research, as long as they do so ethically. The project&#8217;s <a href="https://github.com/flaque/quirk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub repo</a> has a detailed writeup of its design and engineering logic. It includes specific goals the code was built around in order to respect users&#8217; privacy and mental health, such as: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong><em>Thoughts are more valuable than passwords, treat them that way.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong><em>Be extremely cautious about making engagement your core metric.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong><em>But be clear and obvious within the app about what&#8217;s going on with the user&#8217;s data.</em></strong></li>
</ul>
<p>&#8220;I really do want to see people use Quirk for research,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I just want it to follow more ethical practices of consent and data security. Someone should willingly give a researcher their thoughts and as little information should be given about the person as possible. When it’s stored, it should be stored safely and not on a publicly exposed DB for example. But for that to happen, it has to be open.&#8221;</p>
<p>Beyond GPL-specific licensing, making the app open source has many other benefits. Quirk has already been translated into six different languages. One of the byproducts of making a useful app open source is that it energizes contributors and speeds up the process of bringing the app to new audiences. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I cannot express how absolutely amazing it is that Quirk was translated into 6 languages in just a few days. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f525.png" alt="🔥" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f64c.png" alt="🙌" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/2665.png" alt="♥" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f44f.png" alt="👏" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
<p>&mdash; Evan Conrad (@flaqueEau) <a href="https://twitter.com/flaqueEau/status/1115843899594084352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Feedback on the app so far has been mostly positive. One commenter on Hacker News <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19589889" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thanked</a> Conrad for open sourcing the app because he wasn&#8217;t able to continue in-person CBT due to the cost:</p>
<blockquote><p>I’ve been through CBT and stopped because of the cost. I feel that an app like this can complement those of us that have had face to face time but stopped for whatever reason.</p></blockquote>
<p>Quirk is an inspiring example of how open source software can help people with every day problems. Its carefully-considered implementation respects users&#8217; sensitive information and doesn&#8217;t encourage an unhealthy attachment to the app. </p>
<p>If you like Quirk and want to contribute, you can find the app on <a href="https://github.com/flaque/quirk">GitHub</a>, including directions for <a href="https://github.com/Flaque/quirk/issues/42#issuecomment-480547963" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">translating it into different languages</a>. Mental health professionals who want to contribute are encouraged to <a href="https://github.com/Flaque/quirk/blob/master/src/locals/en.json" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">audit the descriptions</a> of the cognitive distortions. Users can report bugs as <a href="https://github.com/flaque/quirk/issues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub issues</a> or directly to the app&#8217;s creator via email to Humans @ usequirk.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, 12 Apr 2019 20:06:00 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"WPTavern: WPGraphQL Project Gains Momentum with Growing Library of Extensions for Popular WordPress Projects";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88737";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:119:"https://wptavern.com/wpgraphql-project-gains-momentum-with-growing-library-of-extensions-for-popular-wordpress-projects";s: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:5898:"<p>The <a href="https://www.wpgraphql.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL</a> project, a plugin that provides an extendable GraphQL schema and API for WordPress sites, has been gaining momentum over the past several months. Creator and maintainer <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonbahl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jason Bahl</a> put the project up on <a href="https://opencollective.com/wp-graphql" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Open Collective</a> last week after people frequently asked how the community can support the project. WPGraphQL already has five backers, an $800 balance, and an estimated annual budget of $2,687.</p>
<p>&#8220;Large well-known sites such as <a href="http://qz.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">qz.com</a> and <a href="http://theplayerstribune.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">theplayerstribune.com</a> are in production with JavaScript front-ends that consume data from WordPress via WPGraphQL,&#8221; Bahl said. &#8220;PostLight Studio maintains a popular &#8220;<a href="https://github.com/postlight/headless-wp-starter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Headless WP Starter</a>&#8221; project that initially started as a React + REST API boilerplate, but recently added WPGraphQL support as well.&#8221; </p>
<p>One of the most important signs of the project&#8217;s growth are the extensions that developers are building on top of it, such as <a href="https://github.com/ashhitch/wp-graphql-yoast-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL for Yoast SEO</a>, <a href="https://github.com/pristas-peter/wp-graphql-gutenberg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL for Gutenberg</a>, and <a href="https://github.com/Quartz/wp-graphql-content-blocks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL Content Blocks</a>. <a href="https://github.com/wp-graphql/wp-graphql-acf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL for Advanced Custom Fields</a> is getting very close to an initial release and Caldera Forms is also <a href="https://github.com/CalderaWP/Caldera-Forms/issues/3149" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exploring integrations with WPGraphQL</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;The two most-searched things on <a href="http://WPGraphQL.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL.com</a> are &#8220;Advanced Custom Fields&#8221; and &#8220;WooCommerce,&#8221; Bahl said. &#8220;People are interested in using WPGraphQL with other popular WordPress projects, and WPGraphQL for WooCommerce is a reaction to the folks that are already looking for alternatives to the WooCommerce REST API.&#8221;</p>
<h3>WPGraphQL for WooCommerce Seeks $15K in Funding</h3>
<p><a href="https://github.com/kidunot89/wp-graphql-woocommerce" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL for WooCommerce</a> is an extension created by Geoffry Taylor that has started to gain some traction. Taylor is a core contributor to the main WPGraphQL plugin. He has just published <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kidunot89/wpgraphql-woocommerce/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a Kickstarter to help fund development</a> of the extension and Bahl is consulting with him on implementation details and code reviews. </p>
<p>Taylor began contributing to the WPGraphQL project last year after discovering the repository and finding that it lacked the features he needed. </p>
<p>&#8220;I was looking for a solution that would allow me to create React-Apollo JS apps that could be used as WordPress themes,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the solution couldn&#8217;t rely on a node server, because a large portion of my clients use shared hosting. WPGraphQL was a perfect fit for what I needed, but it lacked the features I needed at the time. This led to me contributing.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since then Taylor has also created other libraries and tools that work directly or indirectly with WPGraphQL, such as <a href="https://github.com/kidunot89/wp-graphql-composer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WPGraphQL Composer</a>, a React-Apollo component library, and <a href="https://github.com/kidunot89/oil-based-boilerplate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oil-Based Boilerplate</a>, a boilerplate for developing React-powered WordPress themes, plugins, and guten-blocks that use shared components.</p>
<p>Taylor is seeking $15K in funding for development of the WPGraphQL WooCommerce extension, which would enable him to apply 100% of his time to the project.</p>
<p>&#8220;The question I think a lot of people have, is what does this extension provide that WPGraphQL and WooCommerce doesn&#8217;t already?&#8221; Taylor said. &#8220;It adds WooCommerce support to the WPGraphQL server. It is being designed to match and increase the functionality of WooCommerce REST to make it as easy as possible to convert your app from the WooCommerce REST API.&#8221;</p>
<p>Taylor said the extension is past the initial explorations and is well into development. If a developer follows the instructions in the README they will be able to query products and their variations, coupons, orders, refunds, customer information, and (after the next update), order items from the WPGraphQL endpoint. He said that with the exception of products, none of the data is queryable for any user without shop-manager level capabilities. </p>
<p>&#8220;Customer-level functionality is the target goal right now, meaning customers can register/login, update the cart, and checkout,&#8221; Taylor said.</p>
<p>Anyone interested can follow the project&#8217;s progress on <a href="https://github.com/kidunot89/wp-graphql-woocommerce" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub</a> or get involved on Slack at <a href="http://wp-graphql.slack.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wp-graphql.slack.com</a> in the #woocommerce channel.</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, 11 Apr 2019 22:49:14 +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: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:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"WPTavern: WordSesh Returns May 22, 2019, Speaker Application Deadline is April 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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88047";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/wordsesh-returns-may-22-2019-speaker-application-deadline-is-april-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:1978:"<p>The next edition of <a href="https://wordsesh.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordSesh</a> is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2019, from 10am-8pm EDT (UTC-4) &#8211; just a little over one month away. For the past six years, the virtual conference for WordPress professionals has consistently delivered high quality sessions from industry experts. Last year&#8217;s event inspired viewing parties across the globe in Belgium, Nigeria, India, and the USA. The event has been so successful that its organizers also created a WooCommerce-focused edition called <a href="https://wptavern.com/woosesh-schedule-published-woocommerce-team-to-deliver-keynote" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WooSesh</a>, which was held last year as an alternative to WooConf.  </p>
<p><a href="https://wordsesh.com/speak/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Speaker applications</a> are still open but will close soon on Friday, April 19. Organizers expect applicants to submit original talks that do not already exist online. The process is somewhat competitive, as only 10 speakers will be selected for the event. Those with approved applications will receive two coaching and review sessions for their talks and a $250 stipend. WordSesh organizers plan to notify applicants of their status by Monday, April 29, and will announce the accepted speakers May 1. Applicants may submit two different presentation topics and are also encouraged to record a two-minute video pitch to sell their ideas.</p>
<p>All WordSesh presentations will be recorded and available online after the live event. Previous years&#8217; sessions and interviews can be viewed on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHYYxtbhalXpKEMwyQHOexw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordSesh Youtube channel</a>. For more information on <a href="https://wordsesh.com/speak/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">applying to speak</a>, check out the event&#8217;s website. </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, 11 Apr 2019 04:02:46 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:9;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:113:"WPTavern: WooCommerce 3.6 RC2 Removes Marketplace Suggestions from Product Listing, Adds Setting to Turn them Off";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88702";s:7:"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/woocommerce-3-6-rc2-removes-marketplace-suggestions-from-product-listing-adds-setting-to-turn-them-off";s: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:4906:"<p><a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/woocommerce-3-6-rc2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WooCommerce 3.6 RC2</a> was released today with changes to the planned Marketplace Suggestions feature after core developers received overwhelmingly <a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-6-to-add-marketplace-suggestions-despite-overwhelmingly-negative-feedback-from-developer-community" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">negative feedback on its implementation</a>. This RC removes the ads from the product listings, which was one of the most controversial placements for them. It also adds a new setting to turn Marketplace Suggestions off entirely.</p>
<ul>
<li>Fix: Remove Product Listing suggestions. <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/23211" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#23211</a></li>
<li>Fix: Add setting to turn off Marketplace Suggestions <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/23218" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#23218</a></li>
<li>Fix: Add icon to Product Metabox Suggestions <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/23230" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#23230</a></li>
<li>Fix: Add link to manage Suggestions <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/23229" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#23229</a></li>
<li>Fix: Update text explaining opt-out and details of usage tracking. <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/23216" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#23216</a></li>
</ul>
<p>For many WooCommerce developers, 3.6 RC1 was the first time they discovered the marketplace suggestions. Some even felt blindsided by the original implementation. </p>
<p>&#8220;Last week, the release candidate was running on my staging server, and out of nowhere, I noticed these ads being inserted inline with the rest of the WC admin list tables,&#8221; Tobin Fekkes said. &#8220;What a shock that was! I thought I’d developed a bad case of malware or something. What nasty plugin was corrupting my core, default products table, order table, etc?! Oh, just core WooCommerce.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have never once gone looking to add a plugin to my site by starting at the &#8216;Products&#8217; tab. Because it doesn’t belong there. If I want to install an extension or plugin, I will go to the (aptly named) &#8216;Extensions&#8217; tab or “Plugins” tab.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is rather telling that we as longtime developers who attend every Dev chat, bookmark and check this Dev blog daily, and test all your betas and release candidates STILL had no idea about this blatant abuse of trust.&#8221;</p>
<p>Todd Wilkens, Head of WooCommerce, addressed the issue of marketplace suggestions seeming to come out of nowhere in a <a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-6-to-add-marketplace-suggestions-despite-overwhelmingly-negative-feedback-from-developer-community#comment-285682" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">comment</a> on our recent post:</p>
<blockquote><p>We are committed to working with our community, including the plugin review team, and responding to feedback. Just as a reminder, the Marketplace Suggestions feature was developed in the open in a long-running feature branch/PR which was merged to master a month ago. It was mentioned in the Beta 1 Release notes, and was testable during Beta1 and prior on master.</p>
<p>It is often only when the release candidate comes out that we get certain kinds of feedback. It’s an important stage in the development cycle when we want and expect input. With the 3.6 RC1 live, we received specific feedback that we could take into consideration and act on. Thanks to the developers, end users, and the plugin review team for all their help.</p></blockquote>
<p>WooCommerce 3.6 RC2 doesn&#8217;t make any changes to the frequency with which users will need to dismiss the ads. Some have commented that it is more like &#8220;snoozing&#8221; the ads, since they require dismissal every day for five days, only to return every month thereafter.</p>
<p>&#8220;We continue to be in contact with the plugin review team to ensure the suggestions are in accordance with the guidelines,&#8221; Wilkens said. &#8220;There is a live conversation on the definition of suggestion/advert dismissibility. We will participate in that conversation and honor the outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>As this implementation of marketplace suggestions still is not satisfactory to many WooCommerce users and developers, a plugin for turning off has already been submitted and approved in the WordPress plugin directory. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/surbma-woocommerce-without-marketplace-suggestions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WooCommerce Without Marketplace Suggestions</a> removes the suggestions permanently without users having to continually dismiss them. </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, 10 Apr 2019 20:18:49 +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:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"HeroPress: Firefighter to Web Developer";s:7:"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=2735";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:130:"https://heropress.com/essays/firefighter-to-web-developer/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=firefighter-to-web-developer";s: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:13123:"<img width="960" height="480" src="https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/041019-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: I wouldn't be anything without the help of those around me." /><p>I’m jolted awake to the sound of the tones going off in my room. I knew that I hadn’t been asleep long because we’d already run a late call and it was still dark outside. Running to the truck, I hear the address come out over the radio for a medical call. It’s the third time this week we’ve been called to the same house.</p>
<p>My driving is on autopilot because I know the city streets like the back of my hand. Not only had I worked in the same fire department for the last 6 years, but I’d also grown up in this city. On this and many other times I’d been woken up in the middle of the night, I’m starting to realize that I’m losing my passion for the job I once loved.</p>
<h3>How I Got Into Firefighting</h3>
<p>At 19 years old I was working in fast food, and I knew I needed to do something more with my life. I wasn’t really keen on going to college just yet, so I started looking for jobs that only needed vocational school. Knowing that I wouldn’t be a very good police officer, I signed up for fire school.</p>
<p>During fire school I found the only way to get a job as a firefighter in Florida was to also be an EMT in order to run medical calls, so I enrolled in there as well. While I was in school, one of the instructors I met told me their department was taking on volunteers.</p>
<blockquote><p>Six years in the field, a year of paramedic school, and many sleepless nights later, I’m driving to a call feeling trapped in a career that I don’t care for anymore.</p></blockquote>
<p>One of the perks of being a firefighter is that in between calls the free time is ours to do what we like, we just need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Some of the time we watch movies and play video games, but I wanted that time to do something productive that I could turn into an opportunity for a side gig.</p>
<h3>Why I Chose Web Developer</h3>
<p>I stumbled across a YouTube video that demonstrated how to create a webpage with HTML. I loaded a page that stereotypically read “Hello World” and I was hooked. I didn’t even own a computer at this time in my life, but my wife had a MacBook Air. She was nice enough to let me borrow it so I could keep learning. Downloading a text editor, I started creating web pages and loading them up in a browser. Though, as I was creating these pages, it was pretty obvious there weren&#8217;t any live websites out there that looked as bad as what I was creating.</p>
<p>While going through YouTube looking for more tutorials, I kept seeing videos for this thing called WordPress in the sidebar. Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on one of the videos. I saw how pages were being created from an admin background and how themes changed the look of sites, while plugins added functionality. I was completely blown away.</p>
<p>By this time, I had purchased a $250 Chromebook I was running Linux from, and I decided that I was going to run a local development environment on this little computer with a 16GB hard drive. I managed to succeed, and with each accomplishment I had, I found that I was becoming extremely passionate about building these little websites.</p>
<h3>Meeting Other Humans</h3>
<p>I knew that I wasn’t going to make it very far past the beginning stages without help from someone other than a search engine. Though without any knowledge of the community and how they would act towards me, going to a local meetup was something that made me very uncomfortable. I thought the second they caught a glimpse of my Chromebook and my silly beginner questions they’d have me out the door before I could sit down.</p>
<blockquote><p>Even in the parking lot before my first meetup, I was sitting in my car telling myself that I should just drive home.</p></blockquote>
<p>When I walked into the meetup I was surprised to find people in all stages of their growth with WordPress. There were even people that knew less than me, and they were accepted just as much as I was. It was there I learned about this event called a WordCamp. I knew that whatever it was, I needed to be there and it was only two months away.</p>
<h3>First WordCamp</h3>
<p>Sitting in my car in front of my first WordCamp Orlando, I felt the same feelings that I did before my first meetup. I reminded myself how welcoming the meetup was, and that this wasn’t going to be any different. When I grabbed my seat in the main auditorium, I started feeling pretty strongly that I was alone in a room of 300 people. There were business owners that could actually make money off WordPress, and it felt that there weren’t many people at my experience level. As I went from talk to talk, the topics flew over my head and I became very overwhelmed. I told myself that I was going to stick it out till lunch and that I could go home after if I wanted.</p>
<p>Lunch came and as I was walking around looking for a good place to sit, I noticed a familiar face sitting at a table with no one next to him. Up until now, I had been learning exclusively at Lynda.com and Treehouse. I was learning to use the Genesis Framework and took a couple courses by an instructor named <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/freed-from-the-soil-lab/">Jesse Petersen</a>, and this guy looked just like him. Walking up next to him I said: “I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but you look just like an instructor I learned from on Treehouse.” He laughed and said that he was indeed that instructor from Treehouse.</p>
<p>The pitch of my voice shot up an octave, and I started fanning out over how I had learned so much from him and asked if I could eat with him. While we ate, I told him that I was a firefighter and how I also wanted to become a web developer and build websites. By the end of the lunch, he told me that he saw something in me and that he wanted to mentor me if I was ok with that. Was I ok with that?!? Of course, I was ok with that! I was doing my best to sound cool all the while I’m absolutely ecstatic on the inside.</p>
<p>The rest of the day I followed him around to talks, and while I was listening, he was setting up my computer with tools to help get me set up for further development. He added me to his Slack channel and told me that we were going to be working together remotely. When the day finished he asked me where we were having dinner in between the last session and the after-party.</p>
<blockquote><p>I’ve never gone from feeling so out of place somewhere to then feeling so welcomed.</p></blockquote>
<p>I was talking to a person that had absolutely no gain from helping me out, yet spent the entirety of his day getting me set up to work with him in the future.</p>
<p>Jesse wasn’t feeling well the next day due to an illness he had called Cystic Fibrosis. He said that he would keep up with me through the day on Slack though. Whenever I felt like I didn’t belong I would look at the tools Jesse had installed on my computer and the Slack channel and would remember that I was welcome. I was going to be learning some awesome stuff, and now I had a mentor.</p>
<h3>Gettin&#8217; Paid</h3>
<p>I spent the next few months going to two other WordCamps learning as much as I could and meeting as many people as possible. After going down to WordCamp Miami, I got approached by a local agency owner at a meetup that had some extra work I could help out with. Little did I know, they were also friends with Jesse and he had told them about me and what I’d been learning. This gave me a chance to get my feet wet and build some very strong friendships with some amazing people. I was now making money doing what I loved.</p>
<blockquote><p>Four months later I got a Slack message from one of my friends telling me that Jesse had passed away.</p></blockquote>
<p>I was on shift at the fire department that day, and I felt like someone had hit me with a bat. He was due to get new lungs any time, and just the day before was telling me how he was going to start a new life once he had the strength of new lungs to do so. We were all crushed to hear of his passing. I knew it was going to be hard moving forward without him, but I knew that’s what he would have wanted.</p>
<h3>Keynote Presentation</h3>
<p>I continued working on my skills until I was asked to do a keynote presentation at WordCamp Orlando. The very WordCamp I’d thought about leaving halfway through just a year before. The owner of the agency I was working for, Chris Edwards, told me they’d had a speaker back out and they needed someone to fill in, so they asked <i>me</i>. They wanted me to tell my story of how I had gotten into the WordPress community. I agreed, believing it was only going to a small room full of people, but when I said yes, I was then told I would be giving the opening keynote address in front of the entire WordCamp. I had already said yes, so now there was no way that I could back down and tell him no.</p>
<p>As I was standing on stage waiting to be introduced, I was relieved to find there was a podium. Now no one could see my legs shaking as I stood there for an hour. I could now put all my focus on making sure the hand holding the microphone stayed steady. My talk was on the past year that had led me to this point and all of the fears and vulnerabilities I’d faced. If there was someone that was feeling the way I had a year ago, I wanted them to know that they were welcome and I was excited to have them there.</p>
<h3>Leaving the Fire Service</h3>
<p>The rest of the weekend passed, and I got a message from my friend Chris Edwards telling me that a company that makes a donation plugin called Give was looking for a support technician. Matt Cromwell, who was about to be my new boss, was sitting in the audience while I gave my keynote presentation. I filled out the application and got a response back that he wanted to set up an interview.</p>
<p>A year has passed since that time, and I’ve grown so much in my knowledge of web development, website management, and WordPress. I’ve just started my first business as a freelance WordPress developer, and again I’m feeling the same fears, excitement, and vulnerabilities I felt every time I started to push myself. It’s now to the point where I almost keep a lookout for the fear because I know that something amazing is going to happen on the other side.</p>
<blockquote><p>I’m always going to remember the compassion that Jesse Petersen had for me, and remember to pay that kindness forward in helping others.</p></blockquote>
<p>There’s no way I could have planned this path for myself even if I’d tried. I know that I’m in the right place now, because every day I wake up I’m happy that I get to work with WordPress and interact with this awesome community. I wouldn’t be anything without the help of those around me, and I will always be grateful for everything they’ve done.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: Firefighter to Web Developer" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Firefighter%20to%20Web%20Developer&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Ffirefighter-to-web-developer%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: Firefighter to Web Developer" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Ffirefighter-to-web-developer%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-linkedin-button" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Ffirefighter-to-web-developer%2F&title=Firefighter+to+Web+Developer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: Firefighter to Web Developer"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-pinterest-button" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://heropress.com/essays/firefighter-to-web-developer/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/041019-min-150x150.jpg&description=Firefighter to Web Developer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: Firefighter to Web Developer"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/firefighter-to-web-developer/" title="Firefighter to Web Developer"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/firefighter-to-web-developer/">Firefighter to Web Developer</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, 10 Apr 2019 12:00:53 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"Sam Smith";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"WPTavern: GoDaddy Acquires ThemeBeans, CoBlocks, Block Gallery, and Block Unit Tests";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88673";s:7:"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:92:"https://wptavern.com/godaddy-acquires-themebeans-coblocks-block-gallery-and-block-unit-tests";s: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:4970:"<p>GoDaddy has acquired <a href="https://coblocks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CoBlocks</a>, <a href="https://themebeans.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ThemeBeans</a>, <a href="https://wpblockgallery.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Block Gallery</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-unit-test" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Block Unit Tests</a>, one of the leading Gutenberg product lines in the WordPress ecosystem. Founder Rich Tabor is joining GoDaddy as Senior Product Manager of WordPress Experience and will lead a team dedicated to understanding users&#8217; needs and expanding the company&#8217;s Gutenberg-related products. Tabor&#8217;s fellow CoBlocks founders Jeffrey Carandang and Alex Denning will not be joining GoDaddy.</p>
<p>All the commercial themes in the ThemeBeans catalog are now available for free on <a href="https://github.com/godaddy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub</a>. Current customers will continue to receive theme support and remote updates until April 8, 2020. </p>
<p>According to Aaron Campbell, GoDaddy&#8217;s head of WordPress Ecosystem &#038; Community, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/coblocks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CoBlocks</a> will continue to be freely available on WordPress.org. It currently has more than 3,000 active installations and averages a 4.7-star rating.</p>
<p>&#8220;Nothing will change with the plugin except that it will be added to the GoDaddy account on .org,&#8221; Campbell said. &#8220;It&#8217;s possible it might be renamed or rebranded in the future, but that&#8217;s unknown either way at this point. And yes, it will still be on the WordPress.org directory for everyone not just GoDaddy customers (and we plan to add more to it as we develop new blocks).&#8221;</p>
<p>Campbell could not yet share a roadmap for the plugin as Tabor just started and will be heavily involved in determining the plugin&#8217;s future at GoDaddy. Tabor will also be leading a development team that is bringing on more React talent to assist with Gutenberg tasks.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hiring React devs that are capable with Gutenberg is a newer thing that we&#8217;re really not totally sure whether it&#8217;ll be difficult or not or even how it&#8217;ll look,&#8221; Campbell said. &#8220;Do you hire WordPress people? React people? Only those that do both? Do you hire both and pair them up to learn from each other? It&#8217;s a thing we&#8217;re learning in this new post-Gutenberg world.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tabor said he was surprised that his products had attracted GoDaddy&#8217;s interest but also found it to be validating of his own efforts and the potential of the block editor.</p>
<p>&#8220;Throughout my time building themes, and then blocks, I’ve learned the real value of getting eyes on a project: Not only do you get the community rallying behind your ideas, such as the Block Manager recently added in Gutenberg 5.3, but you receive a TON of feedback and inspiration,&#8221; Tabor said. &#8220;Building on that feedback, consistently delivering clever ideas, and executing on the marketing front with inspiring videos, has landed us in a very opportune position.&#8221;</p>
<p>GoDaddy has acquired a handful of WordPress companies and services during the past few years (ManageWP, Sucuri, WP Curve), but Tabor&#8217;s products are the first Gutenberg-related acquisition for the company. </p>
<p>&#8220;I think it means that the WordPress ecosystem is important, that it’s maturing, and probably most of all &#8211; that it’s moving and changing,&#8221; Tabor said. &#8220;And I think all of those are good.</p>
<p>&#8220;Gutenberg has changed a lot in WordPress. It’s not just a new editor or new interface, it’s a whole new system that brings with it a whole new group of challenges. Companies like GoDaddy recognizing this and supporting innovation is a healthy sign of growth and maturity.&#8221;</p>
<p>GoDaddy&#8217;s resources will enable CoBlocks, ThemeBeans, and Block Gallery to move faster and add features that were previously out of reach for Tabor&#8217;s small team.</p>
<p>&#8220;We’ll go from just two developers, to a team of incredibly bright engineers,&#8221; Tabor said. &#8220;And I won’t be spending time figuring out all the intricacies of monetizing a premium plugin in today’s ever-changing WordPress ecosystem. Instead, I can focus on leading the team’s efforts on bringing a better page building experience to WordPress.&#8221;</p>
<p>He will also have access to insights and data that will enable his team to make more informed decisions about the tools and blocks they build.</p>
<p>&#8220;This view into how entrepreneurs and business owners are using WordPress is something I could never have achieved at a meaningful scale, and I know it will help me move more confidently in the future landscape of Gutenberg,&#8221; Tabor said.</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, 10 Apr 2019 04:15:18 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 5.2 Beta 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:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6874";s:7:"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/2019/04/wordpress-5-2-beta-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:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3882:"<p>WordPress 5.2 Beta 2 is now available!</p>



<p><strong>This software is still in development,</strong> so we don’t recommend you run it on a production site. Consider setting up a test site to play with the new version.</p>



<p>There are two ways to test the WordPress 5.2 beta: try the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin (you’ll want to select the “bleeding edge nightlies” option), or you can <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-5.2-beta2.zip">download the beta here</a> (zip).</p>



<p>WordPress 5.2 is slated for release on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-2/">April 30</a>, and we need your help to get there! Thanks to the testing and feedback from everyone who tried <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/wordpress-5-2-beta-1/">beta 1</a>, nearly <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&changetime=2019-03-28..&milestone=5.2&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&col=component&col=version&order=priority">100 tickets have been closed</a> since then. Here are the major changes and bug fixes:</p>



<ul><li>We&#8217;ve added support for Emoji 12! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1fa82.png" alt="🪂" class="wp-smiley" /></li><li>A brand-new <code>wp_body_open()</code> template tag (and corresponding <code>wp_body_open</code> action) will let themes (and plugins!) add content right after the <code>&lt;body&gt;</code> is opened (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/12563">#12563</a>).</li><li>Superfluous paragraph tags will no longer incorrectly appear in dynamic block content (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/45495">#45495</a>).</li><li>The Site Health screens have received several bug fixes, tweaks, and performance improvements.</li><li>Crash Protection no longer interrupts plugin editing (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/46045">#46045</a>).</li><li>Custom error handlers now load correctly (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/46069">#46069</a>).</li></ul>



<h2>Minimum PHP Version Update</h2>



<p>As of WordPress 5.2 beta 2, the minimum PHP version that WordPress will require is 5.6.20. If you&#8217;re running an older version of PHP, we highly recommend updating it now, before WordPress 5.2 is officially released.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/minimum-php-version-update/">Minimum PHP Version update</a></blockquote>
</div>



<h2>Developer Notes</h2>



<p>WordPress 5.2 has lots of refinements to polish the developer experience. To keep up, subscribe to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> and pay special attention to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/5-2+dev-notes/">developers notes</a> for updates on those and other changes that could affect your products.</p>



<h2>How to Help</h2>



<p>Do you speak a language other than English? <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp/dev">Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages!</a> </p>



<p><em><strong>If you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, you can post to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta">Alpha/Beta area</a> in the support forums. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/reports/">file one on WordPress Trac</a>, where you can also find <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">a list of known bugs</a>.</em></p>



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



<p><em>The wonderful thing<br /> about betas, is betas<br /> are wonderful things.</em> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f42f.png" alt="🐯" class="wp-smiley" /></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Apr 2019 01:27:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Gary Pendergast";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:86:"WPTavern: Pipdig Under Investigation, Company is Refusing Customers’ Refund Requests";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88607";s:7:"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:93:"https://wptavern.com/pipdig-under-investigation-company-is-refusing-customers-refund-requests";s: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:7277:"<p>In the wake of last week&#8217;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/pipdig-updates-p3-plugin-after-reports-expose-vendor-backdoors-built-in-kill-switch-and-malicious-ddos-code" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pipdidg scandal</a>, the WordPress blogger and developer communities have been working together to help the company’s customers get on new themes and ensure the safety of their websites. Pipdig has been reported to various UK and internet authorities and is currently under investigation. </p>
<p>Pipdig&#8217;s hosting provider has proactively disabled malicious code in certain files while the company <a href="https://twitter.com/kualo/status/1113433717677146117" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conducts its own investigation</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Props to <a href="https://twitter.com/kualo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kualo</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/pipdig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pipdig</a>'s hosting provider, for stepping in and commenting out (disabling) malicious code. To <a href="https://twitter.com/pipdig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pipdig</a>'s WordPress customers: make sure you're using version 4.9.0 and you'll be *okay*, for now at least. I still can't recommend staying with them, though. <a href="https://t.co/V0c40A29lL">pic.twitter.com/V0c40A29lL</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nicky Bloor (@nickstadb) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickstadb/status/1113521607031644162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Meanwhile, Pipdig has been denying customers&#8217; refund requests, in accordance with its &#8220;no refund&#8221; policy. Customers have received responses from the company claiming that the recent accusations were either &#8220;false, twisted, or sensationalized.&#8221; </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anyone trying to get a refund from Pipdig, this is the reply I got <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipdig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipdig</a> <a href="https://t.co/sGaysyyVkW">pic.twitter.com/sGaysyyVkW</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Sophiaaaxo<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f351.png" alt="🍑" class="wp-smiley" /> (@sophiatranterxo) <a href="https://twitter.com/sophiatranterxo/status/1114125318284042240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Customers who have purchased Pipdig products within the last 180 days may still be able to receive a refund through other channels. The Twitter thread below suggests lodging a payment dispute with PayPal or your bank or credit card provider, by referencing consumer protection laws and providing evidence of Pipdig&#8217;s false and misleading conduct.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Explainer: How to get a refund from <a href="https://twitter.com/pipdig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pipdig</a>. If you have bought the plugin in the last 180 days first email <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipdig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipdig</a> asking for a refund. /1</p>
<p>&mdash; ⓘⓌⓡⓘⓣⓔ (@opinionhacker) <a href="https://twitter.com/opinionhacker/status/1113208292820406273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<h3>Help for Affected Pipdig Customers Switching to New Themes</h3>
<p>If you work in WordPress every day, you may not realize how much of a challenge it is for some users to switch themes. WordPress developers and bloggers are stepping up to provide resources to help those who want to transition to a new theme. </p>
<p>&#8220;I understand that bloggers using Pipdig themes for WordPress might want to switch away, but don’t have the time, money, or skills to do so right away,&#8221; Mark Jaquith <a href="https://twitter.com/markjaquith/status/1113883862902480896" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>. &#8220;So here’s <a href="https://github.com/markjaquith/p3-neutraliser" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">P3 Neutraliser</a> — a plugin that will prevent the P3 plugin from updating or &#8216;phoning home.'&#8221; The plugin is available on GitHub with step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing it. It is intended as a stopgap measure for users to activate while they are in the process of transitioning to a new theme.</p>
<p>Former Pipdig customers are struggling to find new themes, as a large number of them fall into the fashion blogger demographic. This is a niche with specific requirements for design and functionality. Many are also confused about the findings in the reports and don&#8217;t know how to act on this information. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I need to change my theme from Pipdig to another safe one but I'm struggling <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f62d.png" alt="😭" class="wp-smiley" /> I'm in love with my Pipdig theme now. However, I do like the 17th Avenue themes. Does anyone know if they're safe? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipdig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipdig</a> I don't want to do this all over again in a few months <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f629.png" alt="😩" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
<p>&mdash; Melissa<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f339.png" alt="🌹" class="wp-smiley" /> (@rosymelissax) <a href="https://twitter.com/rosymelissax/status/1114992853309108227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not sure what to do i have a pipdig theme for my blog <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f62d.png" alt="😭" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
<p>&mdash; Erin (@Erin_Louisee) <a href="https://twitter.com/Erin_Louisee/status/1113516196291325953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">SO overwhelmed by all the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pipdig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pipdig</a> issues I'm reading &amp; don't understand half of it&#8230; Defs time for a theme refresh but no idea where to start. Do I spend ££ designing one with a developer? V confusing for someone who has no coding knowledge at all. Anyone else feeling the same?</p>
<p>&mdash; Luisa-Christie <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f499.png" alt="💙" class="wp-smiley" /> Ⓥ (@luisachristie) <a href="https://twitter.com/luisachristie/status/1113378603234996224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Searching WordPress.org for fashion-inspired themes does not turn up many relevant results. Former Pipdig customers hunting for new themes will need a more curated list of recommendations. WordPress developer Tia Wood published a post with a list of both <a href="https://tiawood.com/pipdig-themes-how-to-find-alternatives/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free and commercial alternative themes</a> that may be helpful to those still looking. Freelance designer Rachel Sulek has <a href="https://twitter.com/HeyRachieface/status/1113188032470036481" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a Twitter thread</a> with options that are comparable to Pipdig&#8217;s theme designs.</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, 08 Apr 2019 17:49:17 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: Gutenberg Team Publishes RFC Document on Widget-Block Interfaces";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88619";s:7:"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/gutenberg-team-publishes-rfc-document-on-widget-block-interfaces";s: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:2916:"<p>The Gutenberg team has published a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/add/blocks-in-widget-areas-rfc/docs/rfcs/blocks-in-widget-areas.md" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blocks in Widget Areas RFC</a> (request for comments) document, detailing a technical approach that brings blocks to the wp-admin/widgets.php screen and the Customizer. This is one of the goals on the roadmap Matt Mullenweg outlined in his <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/9-priorities-for-2019/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">9 Projects for 2019</a> post.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-07-at-9.55.15-PM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Based on the requirements outlined in the beginning of the document, it looks like the Gutenberg team is working to make the transition from widgets to blocks as seamless as possible:</p>
<ul>
<li>Editing blocks in wp-admin/widgets.php and the wp-admin/customize.php should use the same block editor that wp-admin/post-new.php uses.</li>
<li>The block editor should read and update blocks in widget-editing areas via the REST API.</li>
<li>Upgrading WordPress must not affect the appearance of the user&#8217;s site, or any of their existing widgets.</li>
<li>Existing Core and third-party widgets must remain functional in the new block-based interface.</li>
<li>Backwards compatibility must be maintained. That is, themes and plugins that use public widget APIs must remain functional.</li>
<li>During a transition period, it should be possible to disable the block-based interface and return to the classic widget-editing interface.</li>
</ul>
<p>The requirements for backwards compatibility are a tall order but will make it much easier for users to trust WordPress during this transition. Content will not be forced into the new interface and users will retain the option to use the classic widget-editing screen if they prefer. The team has not yet announced a date for when widgets will be officially deprecated. </p>
<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/04/03/whats-new-in-gutenberg-3rd-april/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gutenberg version 5.4</a> was released last week with vertical alignment support for the columns block, a playsInline option in the video block, and a number of other minor enhancements. It also contains nearly two dozen bug fixes that will be rolled into the next beta of WordPress 5.2.</p>
<p>Gutenberg phase 2 technical lead Riad Bengella also <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/04/03/whats-new-in-gutenberg-3rd-april/#comment-35661" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">confirmed</a> in comments on the release post that the long-awaited section/container block is coming in the next release of the plugin. This will be an important milestone on the journey to full site editing with the block interface. </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, 08 Apr 2019 04:28:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"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:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"WPTavern: Jetpack 7.2.1 Removes Promotions for Paid Upgrades from the Plugin Search Screen";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88581";s:7:"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:94:"https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-2-1-removes-promotions-for-paid-upgrades-from-the-search-screen";s: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:4846:"<p>Earlier this month, <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jetpack 7.1 added suggestions to the plugin search screen</a>, a controversial change that has sparked debate this week. When users search for a plugin that matches a term for an existing Jetpack feature, the plugin now inserts an artificial, dismissible search result into the first plugin card slot, identifying the corresponding Jetpack feature. </p>
<p>The Jetpack team said users have a hard time knowing what features are available, with 45 modules packaged into the plugin. The idea behind the proof of concept for the suggestions was to improve the discoverability of Jetpack&#8217;s existing features. Many in the developer community became outraged after it was discovered that <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-is-promoting-paid-upgrades-on-plugin-search-screen-wordpress-plugin-team-says-it-may-be-a-violation-of-directory-guidelines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jetpack was also advertising paid upgrades</a> in this space as well. </p>
<p>The fact that it was rolled out with promotions for paid upgrades made it seem to many onlookers that the discoverability problem was just a pretext for injecting advertising. The WordPress Plugin Team also said it <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-is-promoting-paid-upgrades-on-plugin-search-screen-wordpress-plugin-team-says-it-may-be-a-violation-of-directory-guidelines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may or may not be a violation of the plugin directory guidelines</a> but that the team was still &#8220;arguing about the semantics internally.&#8221;  </p>
<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/2019/04/04/jetpack-7-2-1-maintenance-release/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Version 7.2.1</a> was released today, removing all feature suggestions that previously advertised upgrades.</p>
<p>&#8220;We made a mistake, and we’re moving to correct it immediately,&#8221; Jetpack team representative Jesse Friedman said.  &#8220;Our intention with these feature hints is to help you discover helpful features of Jetpack that you already have, right when you need them most. Today we’re correcting an error in judgement that resulted in the hints suggesting Jetpack features that actually required an upgrade.&#8221;</p>
<p>Characterizing the mistake as &#8220;an error in judgment&#8221; is an admission that rolling out feature suggestions with paid upgrades was a conscious decision. One month later, the Jetpack team decided it was a poor choice. This appears to have be driven by the community&#8217;s reaction, but Jetpack did not elaborate on how or why they reached the decision to revert the promotions for paid upgrades.</p>
<h3>Jetpack 7.2.1 Updates Design for &#8220;Hints,&#8221; Plans to Adopt WordPress Core Solution in the Future</h3>
<p>The 7.2.1 maintenance release also changes the design for the feature suggestions, which they are now referring to as &#8220;<a href="https://jetpack.com/support/feature-hints/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Feature Hints</a>.&#8221; </p>
<p>&#8220;We’re reducing confusion around feature hints by simplifying the design and changing some text; this way it’s clear that feature hints are from Jetpack and are easily dismissible,&#8221; Friedman said.</p>
<p>After updating to the latest release, you can see the revised design on the plugin search screen with new text: &#8220;This suggestion was made by Jetpack, the security and performance plugin already installed on your site.&#8221; Jetpack will disable the hints once administrators have dismissed three hints.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-02-at-9.30.07-AM-1.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;Going forward we want to help create a feature hints solution that works for all WordPress users and plugin developers,&#8221; Friedman said. &#8220;We are excited to work with <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/46763" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suggestions like this one</a>, by Joost de Valk, and see how we might be able to find a solution in WordPress core to help users discover plugin features, and prevent this very common issue. Once a core solution is available, we plan to adopt it for Jetpack.&#8221;</p>
<p>Developers who still do not want to see any sort of feature hint when searching for plugins can use the <code>jetpackcom_remove_search_hints</code> filter to <a href="https://jetpack.com/support/feature-hints/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">turn it off</a>. Users can also install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/hide-jetpack-promotions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hide Jetpack Promotions</a> plugin as an alternative.</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, 05 Apr 2019 19:28:29 +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:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:123:"WPTavern: WooCommerce 3.6 to Add Marketplace Suggestions, Despite Overwhelmingly Negative Feedback from Developer 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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88532";s:7:"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:133:"https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-6-to-add-marketplace-suggestions-despite-overwhelmingly-negative-feedback-from-developer-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:9580:"<p>In one of the most unpopular changes in the history of the WooCommerce open source project, version 3.6 will introduce &#8220;<a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/extension-suggestions-in-3-6/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marketplace Suggestions</a>.&#8221; The update adds suggestions to the products admin screen, which vary based on whether it&#8217;s an empty state or within the list of products.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/marketplace-suggestions.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;They are contextual mentions of official extensions that may be relevant to a customer,&#8221; Todd Wilkens, Head of WooCommerce, said. &#8220;This currently includes all extensions on the official WooCommerce marketplace, which is open for submissions and lists extensions written by Automattic as well as by trusted partners and third-party developers.&#8221;</p>
<p>The suggestions are on by default for users who can install and activate plugins. They are dismissible, but the frequency with which they will be shown is one of the most contentious aspects of WooCommerce&#8217;s proposed implementation:</p>
<ul>
<li>We’ll only show 1 on the Products screen, and 5 on the Product – empty state, Orders – empty state or Edit Product metabox.</li>
<li>Each suggestion is dismissible, we are not providing an option to dismiss all suggestions (other than if you choose to hide them).</li>
<li>We’re only showing 1 suggestion at a time, if a customer dismisses this, they won’t see another one for 24-hours.</li>
<li>If suggestions are dismissed more than five times. No further suggestions are shown in that location ( i.e. Products Listing ) for a month.</li>
</ul>
<p>WooCommerce is providing a filter to turn off the suggestions, and this will likely soon be available as a plugin from the community. It is not something that is easy for non-technical store owners to implement.</p>
<p><code>add_filter( ‘woocommerce_allow_marketplace_suggestions’, ‘__return_false’ );</code></p>
<p>&#8220;If the above removal-by-script option proves to be difficult to implement – for example, for those who are not comfortable adding custom code – we will explore introducing a simpler way to turn them off and include this in a point release (e.g. a toggle in core settings),&#8221; Wilkens said.</p>
<h3>WooCommerce Developer Community Sees Marketplace Suggestions as a Major Disruption to Store Owners&#8217; Workflow</h3>
<p>The feedback coming in on the <a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/extension-suggestions-in-3-6/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcement post</a> and WooCommerce&#8217;s GitHub repository is overwhelmingly negative. In a comment on an issue titled &#8220;<a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/issues/23198" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rethinking 3.6&#8217;s Dashboard Ads</a>,&#8221; Josh Kohlbach contends that WooCommerce should limit its marketing to the plugin&#8217;s dedicated Extensions screen in the dashboard: </p>
<blockquote><p>In addition, didn&#8217;t anyone think it might be a conflict of interest for WooCommerce the commercial entity to use WooCommerce the open source plugin to show ads in this manner? Bit anti-competitive to all the 3rd party devs out there (of which there are a lot).</p>
<p>WooCommerce already has an amazing page under WooCommerce->Extensions with full searching capabilities etc. Why would you want to show irrelevant ads during a user&#8217;s everyday workflow?! Store owners use these screen daily, it&#8217;s terrible UX.</p>
<p>I suggest that it gets ripped out in its entirety and filed under &#8220;cool implementation/fun to code but horrible idea for actual users.</p></blockquote>
<p>For those who do not stand to benefit from profits from the 400+ extensions on the WooCommerce.com marketplace, the intrusions in the product admins screen seem all the more offensive. Marketplace suggestions have not been well-received by third-party extension developers.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is in direct competition to every third-party developer that is not selling on WooCommerce’s marketplace,&#8221; Jamie Madden, founder of the <a href="https://www.wcvendors.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WC Vendors Marketplace</a>, said. &#8220;I am one of these. This is advertising for your commercial products, no matter how you try and wrap this. You have an extensions page already which is more than enough, but advertising your products every 24 hours is going too far. This is completely unacceptable.&#8221;</p>
<p>The general consensus of those participating in the ticket is that injecting ads into product management screens will create a disruption to store managers&#8217; workflow.</p>
<p>&#8220;I too am very concerned about this,&#8221; digital agency owner <a href="https://www.bernskioldmedia.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Erik Bernskiold</a> said. &#8220;I get that WooCommerce want to benefit from their commercial side, too, and there are many ways to do this. But in this case, it feels like this is at a great disregard for the users. Hijacking a product list, order list or a user interface element in this way is a major interruption of the user experience. It&#8217;s not the place for an ad.&#8221;</p>
<p>Several participants in the discussion have suggested that WooCommerce make it an opt-in toggle in the settings.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is only one scenario where I think this feature should stay in place and could be beneficial: If this feature is controlled by an opt-in toggle in WC settings,&#8221; <a href="http://jeremypry.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeremy Pry</a> said. &#8220;Otherwise, this whole feature should be removed entirely. Store owners don&#8217;t need advertisements in their admin dashboard. In my opinion, leaving this feature in place would be very harmful to the WooCommerce community.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Marketplace Suggestions Require Dismissal Every Day for 5 Days, Only to Return 1 Month Later</h3>
<p>The fact that the suggestions cannot actually be dismissed for good is one issue that developers predict will end up aggravating WooCommerce users.</p>
<p>&#8220;Dismissing just to keep hounding the user, that&#8217;s not dismissing&#8230; that is snoozing,&#8221; WordPress developer <a href="https://mindsize.me/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patrick Garman</a> said. &#8220;Because I told you 5 times that I don&#8217;t want to see your ads, that doesn&#8217;t mean come back in a month. The average user shouldn&#8217;t have to use a filter to make ads go away.&#8221;</p>
<p>I would not be surprised if WooCommerce ends up dialing back the frequency of the ads after they are closed, given that nearly all those participating in the conversation consider it unacceptable to require dismissal five days in a row, with the same process repeated every month thereafter. The frequency with which they are displayed is unusually aggressive.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don’t think it technically violates the guidelines it’s just obnoxious and makes WooCommerce look like a low rent solution,&#8221; Astoundify founder <a href="http://www.astoundify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam Pickering</a> said. &#8220;It seems we are in a midst of a monetization push and they are looking for any where they can add up sells. Apparently doing so gracefully has gone out the window.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite the overwhelmingly negative feedback, WooCommerce appears to be ploughing forward on its plan to ramp up its marketing in the admin. Automattic is a business and it needs to make money with WooCommerce. Most participants in the discussion do not seem opposed to WooCommerce making money with marketplace suggestions but are strongly requesting that they do not inject ads in places where users are working on their own products in the admin. </p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing necessarily wrong with ya&#8217;ll trying to squeeze out some more money from users &#8211; so long as it&#8217;s done tastefully, and in a way that actually provides value to the user, instead of spamming and hindering them,&#8221; @justlevine <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/issues/23198#issuecomment-479616682" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">commented</a> on the GitHub issue. </p>
<p>Based on the WooCommerce developer community&#8217;s feedback, many are in agreement that they will only support changes will be respectful to store owners working in the admin. They would prefer WooCommerce focused its efforts on improving the existing Extensions tab, instead of injecting items from the marketplace on other screens. The current implementation of marketplace suggestions needs work, because it is too heavy-handed in displaying ads after users indicate through the UI that they want to dismiss them. </p>
<p>Most participants in the discussion are in favor of letting store owners decide if they want to see ads for extensions on their product admin screens. They would prefer that users opt in through a more transparent way than simply agreeing to terms of service. At the very least, most prefer WooCommerce add a setting that would allow store owners to easily turn marketplace suggestions off. If Automattic wants this new feature to be successful, the company needs to revise the implementation to be something that doesn&#8217;t instantly make the majority of the WooCommerce developer community want to turn it off. </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, 04 Apr 2019 22:55:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"WPTavern: WPWeekly Episode 350 – Don’t Touch My Plugin Search Results";s:7:"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:59:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88558&preview=true&preview_id=88558";s:7:"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/wpweekly-episode-350-dont-touch-my-plugin-search-results";s: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:1895:"<p>In this episode, <a href="http://jjj.me">John James Jacoby</a> and I discuss a controversial feature in Jetpack 7.1 that adds feature suggestions to plugin search results. We also talk about extension suggestions that are coming to WooCommerce.</p>
<p>We talk about the security implications from the recent investigations into the Pipdig plugin and what users can do about it. Near the end of the show, we send a shout-out to <a href="https://www.caroleolinger.com/">Carole Olinger</a> for her contributions to the WordPress community.</p>
<h2>Stories Discussed:</h2>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/pipdig-updates-p3-plugin-after-reports-expose-vendor-backdoors-built-in-kill-switch-and-malicious-ddos-code">Pipdig Updates P3 Plugin after Reports Expose Vendor Backdoors, Built-in Kill Switch, and Malicious DDoS Code</a></p>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results">Jetpack 7.1 Adds Feature Suggestions to Plugin Search Results</a></p>
<p><a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/extension-suggestions-in-3-6/">Extension Suggestions in 3.6</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.caroleolinger.com/a-tough-decision/">On Health, WordPress and a Tough Decision</a></p>
<h2>WPWeekly Meta:</h2>
<p><strong>Next Episode:</strong> Wednesday, April 10th 3:00 P.M. Eastern</p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wordpress-weekly/id694849738">WordPress Weekly via Itunes</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://www.wptavern.com/feed/podcast">WordPress Weekly via RSS</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/wordpress-weekly-podcast?refid=stpr">WordPress Weekly via Stitcher Radio</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ir3keivkvwwh24xy7qiymurwpbe">WordPress Weekly via Google Play</a></p>
<p><strong>Listen To Episode #350:</strong><br />
</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, 04 Apr 2019 22:46:18 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:18;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Gary: React Isn’t The Problem";s:7:"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:25:"https://pento.net/?p=5045";s:7:"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://pento.net/2019/04/04/react-isnt-the-problem/";s: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:6361:"<p>As React (via Gutenberg) becomes more present in the WordPress world, I&#8217;m seeing some common themes pop up in conversations about it. I spoke a bit about this kind of thing at WordCamp US last year, but if you don&#8217;t feel like sitting through a half hour video, let me summarise my thoughts. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



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

</div>



<p>I agree that React is hard. I <em>strongly</em> disagree with the commonly contrasted view that HTML, CSS, PHP, or vanilla JavaScript are easy. They&#8217;re all just as hard to work with as React, sometimes more-so, particularly when having to deal with the exciting world of cross-browser compatibility.</p>



<p>The advantage that PHP has over modern JavaScript development isn&#8217;t that it&#8217;s easy, or that the tooling is better, or more reliable, or anything like that. The advantage is that it&#8217;s familiar. If you&#8217;re new to web development, React is just as easy anything else to start with.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Something I’m seeing a lot.<br /><br />Beginners: This makes sense, we understand it.<br /><br />Experienced developers: There’s no way beginners would understand it. It’s not like &lt;a thing I learned ten years ago&gt;.</p>&mdash; Dan Abramov (@dan_abramov) <a href="https://twitter.com/dan_abramov/status/1096784072943300608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>I&#8217;m honestly shocked when someone manages to wade through the mess of tooling (even pre-Gutenberg) to contribute to WordPress. It&#8217;s such an incomprehensible, thankless, unreliable process, the tenacity of anyone who makes it out the other side should be applauded. That said, this high barrier is unacceptable.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve been working in this industry for long enough to have forgotten the number of iterations of my personal development environment I&#8217;ve gone through, to get to where I can set up something for myself which <em>isn&#8217;t awful</em>. React wasn&#8217;t around for all of that time, so that can&#8217;t be the reason web development has been hard for as long as I remember. What is, then?</p>



<h2>Doing Better</h2>



<p>Over the past year or so, I&#8217;ve been tinkering with a tool to help deal with the difficulties of contributing to WordPress. That tool is called <a href="https://github.com/pento/testpress/">TestPress</a>, it&#8217;s getting pretty close to being usable, at least on MacOS. Windows support is a little less reliable, but getting better. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" /> If you enjoy tinkering with tools, too, you&#8217;re welcome to try out the development version, but it does still has some bugs in it. Feedback and PRs are always welcome! There are some screenshots in <a href="https://github.com/pento/testpress/issues/114">this issue</a> that give an idea of what the experience is like, if you&#8217;d like to check it out that way.</p>



<p>TestPress is not a panacea: at best, it&#8217;s an attempt at levelling the playing field a little bit. You shouldn&#8217;t need years of experience to build a reliable development environment, that should be the bare minimum we provide.</p>



<h2>React is part of the solution</h2>



<p>There&#8217;s still a lot of work to do to make web development something that anyone can easily get into. I think React is part of the solution to this, however.</p>



<p>React isn&#8217;t without its problems, of course. Modern JavaScript can encourage iteration for the sake of iteration. Certainly, there&#8217;s a drive to React-ify All The Things (a trap I&#8217;m guilty of falling into, as well). React&#8217;s development model is fundamentally different to that of vanilla JavaScript or jQuery, which is why it can seem incomprehensible if you&#8217;re already well versed in the old way of doing things: it requires a shift in your mental model of how JavaScript works. This is a hard problem to solve, but it&#8217;s not insurmountable.</p>



<p>Perhaps a little controversially, I <em>don&#8217;t</em> think that React is guilty of causing the web to become less accessible. At worst, it&#8217;s continuing the long standing practice of web standards making accessibility an optional extra. Building anything beyond a basic, non-interactive web page with just HTML and CSS will inevitably cause accessibility issues, unless you happen to be familiar with the mystical combinations of accessible tags, or applying aria attributes, or styling your content in just the right way (and none of the wrong ways).</p>



<p>React (or any component-based development system, really) can improve accessibility for everyone, and we&#8217;re seeing this with Gutenberg already. By providing a set of base components for plugin and theme authors to use, we can ensure the correct HTML is produced for screen readers to work with. Much like desktop and mobile app developers don&#8217;t need to do anything to make their apps accessible (because it&#8217;s baked into the APIs they use to build their apps), web developers should have the same experience, regardless of the complexity of the app they&#8217;re building.</p>



<p>Arguing that accessibility needs to be part of the design process is the wrong argument. Accessibility shouldn&#8217;t be a consideration, it should be unavoidable.</p>



<h2>Do Better</h2>



<p>Now, can we do better? Absolutely. There&#8217;s always room for improvement. People shouldn&#8217;t need to learn React if they don&#8217;t want to. They shouldn&#8217;t have to deal with the complexities of the WCAG. They should have the freedom to tinker, and the reassurance that they can tinker without breaking everything.</p>



<p>The pre-React web didn&#8217;t arrive in its final form, all clean, shiny, and perfect. It took decades of evolution to get there. The post-React web needs some time to evolve, too, but it has the benefit of hindsight: we can compress the decades of evolving into a much shorter time period, provide a fresh start for those who want it, while also providing backwards compatibility with the existing ways of doing things.</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, 04 Apr 2019 06:31:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:"Gary";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:19;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:148:"WPTavern: Jetpack Is Promoting Paid Upgrades on Plugin Search Screen, WordPress Plugin Team Says it “May be a Violation” of Directory Guidelines";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88485";s:7:"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:152:"https://wptavern.com/jetpack-is-promoting-paid-upgrades-on-plugin-search-screen-wordpress-plugin-team-says-it-may-be-a-violation-of-directory-guidelines";s: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:8991:"<p>Yesterday the discussion surrounding <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jetpack&#8217;s implementation of feature suggestions in the plugin search screen</a> became heated after developers pointed out that Automattic is also using these suggestions to <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results#comment-284507" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">promote paid upgrades</a>. You can test this by searching for &#8220;backups&#8221; where you find that Jetpack&#8217;s commercial offering takes the place of the first result, pushing all other results further down one slot.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/jetpack-advertising-paid-upgrades.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The feature suggestions were added in versions 7.1 to inform users of an existing feature in Jetpack when they search for something similar. The Jetpack team said they developed it to solve a discovery problem, where users are quite often not familiar with all of Jetpack&#8217;s 45 modules and end up installing plugins to perform functionality that Jetpack already includes. A PR in the Jetpack repository has been merged to <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/jetpack/pull/11876" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">only show feature suggestions when the user&#8217;s plan supports it</a>, so it looks like these promotions for commercial features will be removed in a future release of the plugin. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear whether Automattic intentionally rolled out the feature suggestions in its current form (with paid upgrades included) to test the waters and gauge the community&#8217;s reaction, or if it is simply a mistake. The PR was marked as an enhancement, not a bug. </p>
<p>According to Plugin Team member Samuel &#8220;Otto&#8221; Wood, feature suggestions with paid upgrades included is &#8220;likely a violation&#8221; of the plugin directory&#8217;s guidelines.</p>
<p>&#8220;Promoting other plugins or premium upgrades in the same space would likely not be allowed, because it would be misleading or an incorrect place to put &#8216;advertising,&#8217; Wood said. &#8220;Guidelines already say not to do that.&#8221;</p>
<p>I contacted the Plugin Team today and it seems the topic of feature suggestions on the plugin screen are still a matter of ongoing debate. The team would not officially confirm whether or not Jetpack is currently in violation.</p>
<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t confirm that at this time,&#8221; Mika Epstein said. &#8220;It might be a violation, but it also may not be. Much of that comes down to intent.</p>
<p>&#8220;A case can be made that they&#8217;re promoting paid services for existing features, and is that different from an image-optimizer plugin promoting it&#8217;s own service which you&#8217;re already using? It&#8217;s not like they&#8217;re promoting separate plugins, so it&#8217;s in a very odd grey area for services.&#8221;</p>
<p>Epstein said the team is &#8220;still arguing the semantics internally about that one.&#8221;</p>
<p>Many people have asked why Jetpack has not been removed from the plugin directory for advertising its commercial offerings on the plugin screen. The Plugin Team&#8217;s official response is that if Jetpack is in violation, they reserve the right to make an exception and opt not to close it. Epstein, on behalf of the team, offered the following statement:</p>
<blockquote><p>It falls under our <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/detailed-plugin-guidelines/#18-we-reserve-the-right-to-maintain-the-plugin-directory-to-the-best-of-our-ability" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">18th guideline</a>:</p>
<p>We reserve the right to NOT close a plugin and grant exceptions.</p>
<p>Closing plugins is ALWAYS a tricky thing. We regularly warn, and do not close, larger plugins as closing them would have an adverse impact on the entire WordPress community. Closing plugins with 500,000 users can be more harmful than helpful, even when there are security problems. The more users a plugin gets, the more difficult it is to weigh the risks of closing versus not closing.</p>
<p>Maintaining the trust in larger plugins is as important as doing so with the directory as a whole. With so many outlets wanting to spin up FUD and blast outrage at everyone involved as their first reaction, we try to stem the tide a little and not act like the sky is falling all the time.</p></blockquote>
<p>Jetpack has more than 5 million active installs. If it is found to be in violation of the guidelines, it is not likely to be removed due to the impact it would have on millions of WordPress users, not to mention the hosts who have it pre-installed on WordPress hosting plans. </p>
<p>The discussion regarding how WordPress can improve the implementation of feature suggestions on the plugin screen for all plugins is happening in a <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/46763" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ticket</a> on trac opened by Joost de Valk. This ticket does not debate whether or not feature suggestions are a good idea in general but rather focuses on how results can better communicate that a feature is already active or available. de Valk shared a screenshot of what the screen currently looks like when a user searches for a plugin for which they already have a match installed:</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/active-plugin.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;The disabled &#8216;Active&#8217; button there is not very useful, as it doesn&#8217;t provide any context as to why that button is disabled,&#8221; de Valk said. &#8220;I&#8217;d like to propose a change: let&#8217;s turn this into two separate groups of results, one that says &#8216;these plugins you already have installed might be able to help&#8217; and then a second group below that with other plugins.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tim Hengeveld posted a mockup of what an implementation of that might look like:</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mockup-plugin-screen.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The topic of feature suggestions on this screen is still highly controversial, despite the Plugin Team confirming that it is not breaking the guidelines (as long as plugins don&#8217;t promote paid upgrades). Plugin authors have worked for years towards better rankings on this screen by providing quality support and updates that translate into better ratings and more installs. Any mega plugin that offers multiple modules packed into one can easily usurp these rankings by suggesting its own features and having them automatically appear in that top slot. These features could even be broken down into multiple micro-modules so that there is always something to suggest. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I make a bit of side income off of <a href="https://t.co/aqHIydpjrL">https://t.co/aqHIydpjrL</a> </p>
<p>ALL folks who purchase come from free users of my WordPress(dot)org-hosted plugin. </p>
<p>After years of hard work, it shows up first in the list when you search for the word "Tweet." </p>
<p>Unless you have Jetpack installed. <a href="https://t.co/9stTJ4TJre">pic.twitter.com/9stTJ4TJre</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ben Meredith-speaking at #WCRaleigh (@benUNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/benUNC/status/1113277858540077056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Because it’s Jetpack and they’ve created this precedence with blessings from .org, it’ll be interesting to see if and how many plugin providers are going to pivot towards Jetpack’s business model of a branded ‘suite’ instead of maintaining separate plugins for separate concerns.</p>
<p>&mdash; Caspar<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f337.png" alt="🌷" class="wp-smiley" />Hübinger (@glueckpress) <a href="https://twitter.com/glueckpress/status/1113328574050787328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Many in the WordPress development community are worried that plugin authors will move towards distributing their work as large suites of modules in order to take advantage of promoting their own features in the plugin search screen. This seems even more likely with block developers releasing massive collections of Gutenberg blocks. </p>
<p>WordPress.org is at a crossroads here that may open the floodgates to plugin authors looking to leverage this screen to their own advantage. Jetpack&#8217;s move to suggest its own features on this screen, instead of opting for an admin notice or using its own dashboard, is going to have a major ripple effect throughout the plugin ecosystem that has the potential to change how plugins are packaged, distributed, and marketed.</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, 03 Apr 2019 19:56:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"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:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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:119:"WPTavern: Pipdig Updates P3 Plugin after Reports Expose Vendor Backdoors, Built-in Kill Switch, and Malicious DDoS Code";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88368";s:7:"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:128:"https://wptavern.com/pipdig-updates-p3-plugin-after-reports-expose-vendor-backdoors-built-in-kill-switch-and-malicious-ddos-code";s: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:20144:"<p>Over the weekend, <a href="https://www.pipdig.co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pipdig</a>, a small commercial theme company, has been at the center of a scandal after multiple reports exposed a litany of unethical code additions to its Pipdig Power Pack (P3) plugin. </p>
<p>On Friday, March 29, Wordfence threat analyst Mikey Veenstra published a <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2019/03/peculiar-php-present-in-popular-pipdig-power-pack-plugin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report</a> with code examples of the backdoors Pipdig built into their plugin, along with some unsavory and questionable additions to the code. </p>
<p>&#8220;We have confirmed that the plugin, Pipdig Power Pack (or P3), contains code which has been obfuscated with misleading variable names, function names, and comments in order to hide these capabilities,&#8221; Veenstra said.</p>
<p>These include an unauthenticated password reset to a hard-coded string, which was deliberately obscured with code comments indicating it was added to &#8220;check for new social channels to add to navbar.&#8221; Veenstra also demonstrated how the plugin contained code for an unauthenticated database deletion, wherein the Pipdig team could remotely destroy any site WordPress site using the P3 plugin. </p>
<p>The code for remote site deletion was removed in version 4.8.0 but it still a concern for users who haven&#8217;t updated. Michael Waterfall, iOS Engineer at ASOS, tested the &#8220;kill switch&#8221; function and demonstrated that it still works with prior versions.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It also confirms they lied. They _still_ have the ability to wipe any blog that hasn't updated to the new plugin version (4.8.0), which they hurriedly released to delete the kill switch after they were exposed the other day. <a href="https://t.co/bNMfRQUBpr">pic.twitter.com/bNMfRQUBpr</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Michael Waterfall (@mwaterfall) <a href="https://twitter.com/mwaterfall/status/1112445109755359233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Veenstra&#8217;s investigation also uncovered questionable remote calls in the plugin&#8217;s cron events, undisclosed content and configuration rewrites, and a list of popular plugins that are immediately deactivated when P3 is activated, without the user&#8217;s knowledge. He found that some of these plugins are deactivated alongside admin_init, so any user attempts to reactivate the plugins will not stick.</p>
<p>Wordfence estimates the P3 plugin to have an install base of 10,000-15,000 sites. The changes made in version 4.8.0 of the plugin are not transparently identified in the changelog, so it&#8217;s not easy for users to know what has changed. The content filtering and the plugin deactivations remain in the most recent release. These types of veiled functions performed without permission could have unintended consequences on sites using the plugin, which non-technical users may not be able to fix themselves.</p>
<h3>Pipdig P3 Plugin Performed a DDoS Attack on a Competitor&#8217;s Site</h3>
<p>Jem Turner, a freelance web developer based in the UK, <a href="https://www.jemjabella.co.uk/2019/security-alert-pipdig-insecure-ddosing-competitors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published a lengthy analysis of the P3 plugin</a> the same day that Wordfence released its analysis. She drilled down further into the remote requests, demonstrating how Pipdig has been using the P3 plugin to perform a DDoS attack on a competitor who also provides WordPress themes and installation services to bloggers. The code triggers an hourly cron job on users&#8217; sites, effectively using their customers&#8217; servers to send malicious requests to the competitor&#8217;s site.</p>
<blockquote><p>The code comment tells us this is “checking the CDN (content delivery network) cache”. It’s not. This is performing a GET request on a file (id39dqm3c0_license_h.txt) sat on pipdigz.co.uk, which yesterday morning returned ‘https://kotrynabassdesign.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php’ in the response body.</p>
<p>Every single hour night and day, without any manual intervention, any blogger running the pipdig plugin will send a request with a faked User Agent to ‘https://kotrynabassdesign.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php’ with a random number string attached. This is effectively performing a small scale DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) on kotrynabassdesign.com’s server.</p></blockquote>
<p>Turner also contacted <a href="http://kotrynabassdesign.com’" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kotryna Bass</a>, Pipdig&#8217;s competitor, who said she had contacted her host after finding that her admin-ajax.php file was under some kind of attack. Bass&#8217; exchanges with her host are also published in Turner&#8217;s report.</p>
<p>Turner&#8217;s post explained how Pipdig&#8217;s P3 plugin code manipulated links to point to their own products and services when a user includes a link to a competitor in the the content:</p>
<blockquote><p>Here we have pipdig’s plugin searching for mentions of ‘blogerize.com‘ with the string split in two and rejoined – concatenated – to make it harder to find mentions of competitors when doing a mass ‘Find in Files’ across the plugin (amongst other things). When the plugin finds links to blogerize.com in blogger’s content (posts, pages), they’re swapped out with a link to ‘pipdig.co/shop/blogger-to-wordpress-migration/’ i.e. pipdig’s own blog migration services. Swapping these links out boost the SEO benefit to pipdig, and the vast majority of bloggers wouldn’t notice the switcheroo (especially as if the page/post was edited, the link to blogerize would appear in the backend as normal).</p></blockquote>
<p>The plugin did not ask users&#8217; permission before performing any of these actions and most of them were implemented with obfuscated code. Turner&#8217;s investigation also covers how the P3 plugin could harvest data and change admin passwords. Many of the findings overlap with Wordfence&#8217;s analysis.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was aware that Wordfence had been contacted for an opinion, although I was unaware they were writing a post and vice versa,&#8221; Turner said. &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t surprised that they wrote about it though, given the risk to WordPress users.&#8221;</p>
<p>She has been in contact with authorities regarding Pipdig&#8217;s unethical coding practices and privacy violations.</p>
<p>&#8220;From my side of things, I&#8217;ve been in contact with Action Fraud (submitted a report through their website) and NCSC (who pointed me back to Action Fraud and gave me a number to call). From pipdig&#8217;s side, there are threats of legal action in their blog post but I&#8217;ve received nothing yet.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Pipdig&#8217;s Public Response Skirts Critical Concerns</h3>
<p>Pipdig Creative Director Phil Clothier <a href="https://www.pipdig.co/blog/sad-times/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published a public response</a> from the company which opens by characterizing the recent investigations as &#8220;various accusations and rumours spreading about pipdig&#8221; and includes an emotional plea regarding how  distressing recent developments have been for his company. He claims that his team and their supporters are being harassed. </p>
<p>After pushing out the 4.8.0 version of the P3 plugin, removing some but not all of the offensive code, Clothier opts for a Q&#038;A style format for his post, putting every question in the present tense:</p>
<blockquote><p>Do you DDOS competitors?<br />
No.</p>
<p>Do you “kill” sites?<br />
No!</p>
<p>Do you have the ability to kill sites via the pipdig Power Pack?<br />
No</p></blockquote>
<p>Regarding the &#8220;kill switch&#8221; feature they built in, which detects all tables with the WordPress prefix and drops each of them, Clothier said it was simply a function to reset a site back to its default settings. He deliberately misrepresented what it does: </p>
<blockquote><p>There was function in an older version of the plugin which could be used to reset a site back to the default settings. This function had no risk of of malicious or unintentional use. I can say categorically that there was no risk to your site if you were using a pipdig theme. This feature has been dug up and labelled a “Kill Switch” for maximum negative impact on us.</p></blockquote>
<p>Clothier claims the function was available in the P3 plugin in July 2018 when a third party started posting Pipdig themes for sale on their own site:</p>
<blockquote><p>A 3rd party was able to download all of our themes illegitimately and post them on a clone of our own site. This included previews of our themes and the ability to purchase them. We were first alerted to this by people which had purchased a pipdig theme from there, but were finding that certain features did not work correctly. After investigation, we found that the victim had purchased the theme from the 3rd party, thinking it was us. The 3rd party not only gained the financial benefit of the theme payment, but also used it as a way to inject malware and ads into the victim’s site. The reset function was put in place in order to remove the 3rd party’s ability to host preview sites with our themes. It worked, and they have since disappeared. The function was then removed in a later version of the plugin.</p></blockquote>
<p>This is a false claim, as Wordfence pointed out in an updated <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2019/04/pipdig-update-dishonest-denials-erased-evidence-and-ongoing-offenses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article</a>. The first instance of the code responsible for database deletion was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190331195426/https://bitbucket.org/pipdig/p3/commits/edc47824200e15d64cab7270debc4a0526a8d323" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">committed to the plugin in November 2017</a>. </p>
<p>The company failed to address the most critical concerns presented in the Wordfence analysis in its first pass at issuing a public statement. Instead, on the matter of coordinating a DDoS attack on competitors, Pipdig blames users and suggests they may have added the competitor&#8217;s URL to their sites.</p>
<p>&#8220;We’re now looking into why this function is returning this url,&#8221; Clothier said. &#8220;However, it seems to suggest that some of the &#8216;Author URLs&#8217; have been set to ‘kotrynabassdesign.com’. We don’t currently know why this is the case, or whether the site owner has intentionally changed this.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2019/04/pipdig-update-dishonest-denials-erased-evidence-and-ongoing-offenses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Further investigations</a> published by Wordfence today showed that Pipdig also added DDoS code to its Blogger templates and was actively issuing malicious requests up until yesterday:</p>
<blockquote><p>During the investigation of Pipdig’s WordPress plugin and themes, we also came across some curious code associated with their Blogger themes. This code is part of Pipdig’s suspected DDoS campaign against their competitor, and was active until April 1, four days after Pipdig’s denial of any such behavior.</p>
<p>Some of Pipdig’s Blogger themes have been confirmed to make external JavaScript calls to Pipdig’s server, specifically to the script hXXps://pipdigz[.]co[.]uk/js/zeplin1.js.</p></blockquote>
<p>On March 31, as the investigations became public, Pipdig deleted its public Bitbucket repository and replaced it with a &#8220;clean one,&#8221; removing three years of commit history. Wordfence and many others cloned the repository before it was deleted and saved snapshots of pages to cite in the investigation.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">That clean repository <a href="https://twitter.com/pipdig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pipdig</a> published earlier today in place of the one containing all of their malicious code&#8230; They changed the reported release date of version 4.8.0. <a href="https://t.co/YqKASTUZE7">pic.twitter.com/YqKASTUZE7</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nicky Bloor (@nickstadb) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickstadb/status/1112796890855325697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Pipdig&#8217;s public statement contains a number of other false claims that are outlined in Wordfence&#8217;s followup piece with code examples. Clothier closes the article by casting aspersion on the press, presumably to encourage customers not to trust what they read from other sources.</p>
<p>I contacted Pipdig for their comment on recent events, but Clothier declined to answer any of my questions. One of those was why the plugin disables Bluehost&#8217;s caching plugin without informing customers. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another one from the <a href="https://twitter.com/pipdig?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pipdig</a> plugin. If you use one of their themes on <a href="https://twitter.com/bluehost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bluehost</a> then they intentionally slow your website down by disabling the BlueHost cache plugin, then they can inject content with the title "Is your host slowing you down?" CC <a href="https://twitter.com/jemjabella?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jemjabella</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/heyitsmikeyv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@heyitsmikeyv</a> <a href="https://t.co/48DUXsDyBj">pic.twitter.com/48DUXsDyBj</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Nicky Bloor (@nickstadb) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickstadb/status/1112479746972151808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Clothier said he didn&#8217;t have any comments beyond what he said in the public statement but encouraged anyone interested to read the new <a href="https://bitbucket.org/pipdig/p3/commits/7a487d2c7bce89b7a5a0a1566272fbd4007fe3cd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">comments added to the code</a> in version 4.9.0:</p>
<blockquote><p>We&#8217;ve also updated version 4.9.0 of the plugin which includes extra commenting in the code, which will hopefully help clear things up like issues with Bluehost caching and the_content() filter.</p>
<p>If anyone is unsure, we recommend updating to the latest version as always. However we also contend that the previous versions had no serious issues too.</p></blockquote>
<p>Pipdig declined to answer questions about licensing but the products <a href="https://support.pipdig.co/license/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">do not appear to be GPL-licensed</a>. This may be why the company deemed it within its rights to take action on those who they believe to have &#8220;stolen&#8221; their themes.  </p>
<h3>Pipdig Customers Share Mixed Reactions to Reports of Vendor Backdoors and DDoS Attacks</h3>
<p>In what is perhaps one of the most brazen abuses I&#8217;ve ever seen from a theme company in WordPress&#8217; history, Pipdig&#8217;s user base has unknowingly been used to target the company&#8217;s competitors. Regardless of the company&#8217;s motive in combatting the unauthorized distribution of their themes, these types of backdoors and undisclosed content rewrites are indefensible. They prey upon user trust and in this case the victims were primarily bloggers.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I think that's why so many of us are so angry. Bloggers are the lifeblood of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WordPress</a>, you create content and for the most part don't have big budgets to spend. So when someone takes advantage of that those at the "low budget" end of the market, those that cant afford devs&#8230;</p>
<p>&mdash; Andy Powell (@p0welly) <a href="https://twitter.com/p0welly/status/1112384805935767552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>One of the more puzzling aspects of this story is that many of Pipdig&#8217;s users seem to be unfazed by the gravity of the findings in these reports. Without full knowledge of the inner workings of a product, many customers make decisions based on how they feel about a company, regardless of being confronted with facts that should cause them to question their experiences.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m not concerned. I trust them. And I’m certainly not panicking and acting on the words of two blog posts citing their competitors. They’ve served me well for years.</p>
<p>&mdash; Caroline Hirons (@CarolineHirons) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarolineHirons/status/1111750517242454016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Others are angry to have had their sites used in an attack. Getting set up on a new theme is not a trivial task for non-technical users who may have had to pay a developer to launch their sites in the first place.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honestly? I’m really angry. I trusted them for years, and in return my site has been used maliciously against other small businesses. I’ve been watching this unfold since Friday but even this update shocked me. <a href="https://t.co/mPsO8EoHBp">https://t.co/mPsO8EoHBp</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Charlotte (@bycharlotteann_) <a href="https://twitter.com/bycharlotteann_/status/1113149814794055680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>&#8220;My mind is absolutely blown by pipdig&#8217;s public response,&#8221; Jem Turner said. &#8220;I understand that they were counting on their users&#8217; completely non-tech background to bamboozle them, and it certainly seemed to be working in the beginning, but anyone with even the slightest bit of coding knowledge can see that they are lying and I genuinely don&#8217;t understand how they think they&#8217;ll get away with it.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The crazy part is if we want to be really real about this, it's more like</p>
<p>The cable guy cut a big hole in my wall and installed a door handle on it. He took some painter's tape and scrawled "THIS IS A CABLE BOX" on the drywall. Then looked me in the eyes and said "No I didn't."</p>
<p>&mdash; Mikey Veenstra (@heyitsmikeyv) <a href="https://twitter.com/heyitsmikeyv/status/1112330977966084096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>This incident shines a spotlight on how unregulated the commercial plugin and theme ecosystem is and how little protection users have from companies that abuse their power. If you are a Pipdig customer affected by this incident, there is no assurance that the company will not build more backdoors into your site in the future. The plugin updates are not reviewed by any kind of authority. Fortunately, there are a few actions you can take to create a safer environment for your website. </p>
<p>First, look for <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/getting-started/wordpress-licensing-the-gpl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GPL-licensed themes and plugins</a>, because they grant you more freedoms as the user and are compatible with WordPress&#8217; legal license. GPL-licensed products are also a strong indication that the authors respect user freedoms and the shared economic principles that this open source license supports. </p>
<p>Many reputable theme companies choose to host their products&#8217; companion plugins on <a href="https://wordpress.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress.org</a> for ease of distribution and shipping updates. The official directory does not permit these kinds of shady coding practices described in this article and all of the plugins go through a security review by the WordPress Plugin Team. If you are concerned about code quality and the potential for abuse, do a little research on your next prospective commercial theme provider or opt for free WordPress.org-hosted themes and plugins that have undergone a more rigorous vetting process.</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, 03 Apr 2019 05:55:25 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:21;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:50:"HeroPress: Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam";s:7:"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=2727";s:7:"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:152:"https://heropress.com/essays/growing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=growing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam";s: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:23606:"<img width="960" height="480" src="https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/040319-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: ... no matter how difficult or challenging things are, I stll feel very happy with what I have, and I will try to do better." /><p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#vietnamese">Xem nội dung tiếng Việt ở dưới.</a></p>
<p>It’s been 13 years since I first knew WordPress. Thinking of it, I found it to be one of the most fortunate things I had in my career and life. I can do what I love, can make money to support myself, my family and have many good friends.</p>
<p>When I found out about WordPress, I was still a second-year student at the university. The major I studied was not IT but mechanical engineering. I chose it with the desire to get a scholarship abroad (it was in Russia). But in the process of learning, I found myself inclined to and more passionate about coding. Therefore, I taught myself coding.</p>
<p>In my second year of university, I wanted to set up a website to download software. It is not a very proud thing, because at that time I just wanted to share the software with everyone, including free software and pirated software (software pirating is still a big problem in Russia and in Vietnam). It can be said that software was what attracted me the most at that time. I was passionate about finding new software, testing, running them, finding great features and sharing experiences with people.</p>
<blockquote><p>At that time, the web was still something very new to me and I didn’t have many concepts about it. I just needed to find a free platform to build a blog about software.</p></blockquote>
<p>At that time, there were two platforms that caught my attention &#8211; WordPress and BoBlog. BoBlog was a Chinese platform (it’s dead now), and WordPress seemed more international, so I chose WordPress.</p>
<p>It can be said that the choice of WordPress has made me learn more seriously about the web and related technologies. By editing the theme, making additional features for my blog, I learned a lot about HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. During my time at the university, I had been exploring these things and gradually improving my knowledge base.</p>
<p>For me, the web has a big advantage comparing to other software, which is any line of code you write, you can see the result right in the browser by just pressing F5. This was the point that I was very excited about because when I tried coding in other languages, the compiling process made me feel time-consuming and not very intuitive.</p>
<h3 id="Start_My_Own_Blog_10">Start My Own Blog</h3>
<p>After that, I felt that the knowledge I learned was quite interesting and wanted to share it with everyone. So I started my personal blog, it is still active at <a href="https://heropress.com/feed/deluxeblogtips.com">deluxeblogtips.com</a>. Blogging is an important thing in my career, maybe the most. It brings a lot of fortunate to me:</p>
<p><strong>English:</strong> English is not my native language. But by blogging, my reading and communication skill in English has improved significantly. Although there are still many errors, I feel quite confident when talking to international friends. This has been happening for a long time and I am very grateful for it.</p>
<p><strong>The first freelance jobs:</strong> Blogging has been around for a while, some people knew about me thanks to my helpful sharing. And they started contacting me and asked if I wanted to work for them. At that time, as a student, I was very happy, because I could earn some money. Later, when I graduated from university, I started my career with those freelance jobs. I did freelancing for about 4-5 years since 2010. I participated in many projects, learned a lot of things and knew a lot of friends. During this time, I also gathered a group of Vietnamese friends to work on those freelance jobs. Until now, although the group is no longer available, we are still good friends and still meet often.</p>
<p><strong>Start ideas for products:</strong> precisely <a href="https://metabox.io">Meta Box</a>. This is my company’s flagship product at the moment. Its idea started from my tutorial on the blog. Thanks to those sharing, it’s now a plugin of 400,000 active installs that based on a tutorial.</p>
<h3 id="Community_20">Community</h3>
<p>Blogging makes many people known about me. And my share (and other products) is also useful for many people and thanks to that, I connect with many developers around the world and in Vietnam. In 2012, when Philip Author Moore came to Vietnam, we met the first time, and it was a “fateful” meeting between us. Together, we built the WordPress community in Vietnam from those early years, started the Hanoi WordPress Meetup and shared a lot of things about WordPress. There were many companies in Vietnam starting to redirect and working on WordPress from such meetup sessions.</p>
<p>So far, the community has been strong and we are no longer involved because we’re quite busy and we do not have too much experience in organizing and maintaining offline activities. Online activities are still very exciting thanks to Facebook!</p>
<h3 id="Building_products_and_company_26">Building products and company</h3>
<p>Being a developer and having the opportunity to work on projects with customers, in 2010, I found many things missing from WordPress. And at that time, I had the idea of <a href="https://metabox.io">Meta Box</a>, which is a developer framework to quickly create custom fields. I shared a series of tutorials on my blog. What I didn’t expect was that there were so many people having the same interest.</p>
<p>After that, I continuously upgraded the plugin, based on feedback from other users and developers. I also get a lot of help from other developers, especially <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/unserkaiser">Kaiser</a>. I am really grateful to them because, without them, Meta Box could not become a plugin with 400,000 active installs.</p>
<p>When I first developed the plugin, I didn’t have much idea about commercializing it. All were free. At that time, I didn’t know much about interacting on <a href="http://wordpress.org">wordpress.org</a> and the Trac system, so I released the code on Google Code. A long time later, I uploaded it to <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/meta-box/">wordpress.org</a>. Therefore, when comparing the custom fields plugins, Meta Box is sometimes not considered the first plugin, while it should be.</p>
<blockquote><p>The idea of Meta Box was later inherited by many people and developed similar plugins. And I really like that, because that’s the idea of open source!</p></blockquote>
<p>The success of Meta Box was the basis for me to establish my own company &#8211; <a href="https://elightup.com">eLightUp</a> to develop products for WordPress.</p>
<p>In addition to Meta Box, while creating a freelance team, we also tried to become a theme provider and joined ThemeForest. It was not very successful, because I feel ThemeForest is a battlefield in which the parties race to add features to make a theme become powerful, able to do many things and therefore very bloated and not optimal. As a developer, I always feel uncomfortable with those things.</p>
<p>The theme work then was separated into two brands of our company: <a href="https://fitwp.com">FitWP</a> for themes on ThemeForest and <a href="https://gretathemes.com">GretaThemes</a> for themes that are simple, optimal and serve a specific purpose. Currently, the focus of our company are Meta Box and GretaThemes.</p>
<p>And for freelance work, we moved into a division of our company that specializes in <a href="https://elightup.com/projects/">projects with customers</a>. We carry out projects for both domestic and international customers.</p>
<h3 id="The_shift_in_roles_44">The shift in roles</h3>
<p>Before establishing the company, the income from the products and projects helped me and my family have a comfortable life in Vietnam. But for a long time in the WordPress community, I’ve seen many brands that I’ve always admired, especially WooThemes (now merged into Automattic). Seeing their great contributions to the community, I always want to do the same. And to do that, it’s difficult to do as an individual. So I founded <a href="https://elightup.com">eLightUp</a>, wishing to create good products and contribute to the community.</p>
<p>When I founded the company, I did not measure all the management issues or predicted that. I had to learn a lot, from managing people, resources, finance to strategy, market research and marketing. As a developer, they are all new and challenging things. There were times when I was very stressful because I had to do both developing products and other work which were not my strength.</p>
<p>So far, things have gotten better, I have become more comfortable to work, although I still have to code and manage at the same time.</p>
<p>Above all, I see what I have now is big luck, and that is totally love and support from the community for me. Therefore, no matter how difficult or challenging things are, I still feel very happy with what I have and will try to do better.</p>
<h2 id="vietnamese">Tiếng Việt</h2>
<p>Đã 13 năm kể từ khi tôi biết đến WordPress lần đầu tiên. Nghĩ lại, tôi thấy đó là một trong những điều may mắn nhất mà tôi có được trong sự nghiệp và cuộc sống của mình. Tôi được làm điều mà tôi yêu thích, có thể kiếm tiền nuôi sống được bản thân, gia đình và có thêm nhiều bạn bè tốt.</p>
<p>Khi tôi biết đến WordPress, tôi vẫn còn là 1 cậu sinh viên năm thứ 2. Chuyên ngành mà tôi học không phải là IT mà là cơ khí chế tạo máy. Tôi đã chọn chuyên ngành đó với mong muốn có được 1 suất học bổng ở nước ngoài, khi đó là ở Nga. Nhưng trong quá trình học tập, tôi thấy mình có thiên hướng và đam mê về lập trình nhiều hơn. Vì thế, tôi đã tự học và bổ sung các kiến thức về IT cho mình.</p>
<p>Năm thứ 2 đại học, tôi muốn lập 1 website về download phần mềm. Cũng không phải là một điều tự hào gì lắm, vì lúc đó tôi chỉ muốn chia sẻ các phần mềm với mọi người, trong đó có phần mềm miễn phí và có cả phần mềm crack (vấn nạn crack phần mềm ở Nga và ở Việt Nam vẫn còn rất lớn). Có thể nói phần mềm là thứ thu hút tôi lúc đó nhiều nhất. Tôi say mê tìm phần mềm mới, thử nghiệm, chạy chúng, tìm các tính năng hay và chia sẻ kinh nghiệm với mọi người. Lúc đó, web vẫn còn là một thứ gì đó rất thô sơ và tôi cũng chưa có nhiều khái niệm về nó. Tôi loay hoay tìm một nền tảng có sẵn để xây dựng một blog về phần mềm. Vào thời điểm đó, có 2 nền tảng đã gây sự chú ý với tôi &#8211; đó là WordPress và BoBlog. BoBlog là 1 blog của Trung Quốc, còn WordPress thì có vẻ quốc tế hơn, nên tôi đã chọn WordPress.</p>
<p>Có thể nói sự lựa chọn WordPress đã khiến tôi học hỏi nghiêm túc hơn về web và các công nghệ liên quan. Bằng cách chỉnh sửa giao diện, làm thêm các tính năng bổ sung cho blog của mình mà tôi đã học được nhiều điều về HTML, CSS, JavaScript và PHP. Trong suốt thời gian học đại học, tôi đã mày mò những cái này và dần hoàn thiện nền tảng kiến thức của mình.</p>
<p>Đối với tôi, web có 1 điểm hơn các phần mềm khác, đó là bất kỳ dòng code nào mà bạn viết, bạn có thể thấy kết quả của nó ngay trên trình duyệt (chỉ với 1 lần nhấn F5). Đây là điểm mà tôi rất thích thú, vì trước đó tôi đã thử lập trình trên một số ngôn ngữ khác, nhưng quá trình biên dịch khiến tôi cảm thấy mất thời gian và không trực quan lắm.</p>
<h3>Bắt đầu viết blog</h3>
<p>Sau đó, tôi cảm thấy những kiến thức mà tôi học hỏi được cũng khá thú vị và muốn chia sẻ nó với mọi người. Và tôi bắt đầu viết blog để chia sẻ. Blog của tôi đến nay vẫn hoạt động tại <a href="http://deluxeblogtips.com">deluxeblogtips.com</a>. Có thể nói viết blog là bước ngoặt quan trọng trong sự nghiệp của tôi. Nó đã giúp tôi có được nhiều thứ quyết định trong sự nghiệp của mình:</p>
<p><strong>Tiếng Anh:</strong> tiếng Anh vốn không phải là ngôn ngữ mẹ đẻ của tôi. Nhưng nhờ trau dồi viết blog mà khả năng đọc hiểu và trao đổi bằng tiếng Anh của tôi tiến bộ rõ rệt. Mặc dù còn nhiều lỗi, nhưng tôi cảm thấy khá tự tin khi nói chuyện với bạn bè quốc tế. Việc này xảy ra trong khoảng thời gian dài và tôi rất biết ơn điều đó.</p>
<p><strong>Những công việc freelance đầu tiên:</strong> Viết blog được 1 khoảng thời gian, nhờ những chia sẻ có ích của mình mà một số người đã biết đến tôi. Và họ bắt đầu contact với tôi và hỏi xem tôi có muốn làm việc cho họ không. Lúc đó, với 1 sinh viên thì tôi rất vui mừng, vì có thể kiếm được chút ít tiền. Về sau này, khi tôi tốt nghiệp đại học, tôi đã bắt đầu sự nghiệp của mình bằng những công việc freelance đó. Tôi đã làm freelance trong suốt khoảng 4-5 năm kể từ 2010. Tôi đã được tham gia nhiều dự án, học hỏi được rất nhiều điều và biết được thêm rất nhiều bạn bè. Trong khoảng thời gian này, tôi cũng đã tập hợp được 1 số bạn bè cùng làm WordPress tại Việt Nam thành 1 nhóm và cùng làm các công việc freelance đó. Đến nay, tuy nhóm cũ không còn, nhưng chúng tôi vẫn là những người bạn tốt và vẫn hay thường xuyên gặp nhau.</p>
<p><strong>Bắt đầu ý tưởng cho các sản phẩm:</strong> cụ thể là <a href="https://metabox.io">Meta Box</a>. Đây là sản phẩm flagship của công ty của tôi hiện tại. Ý tưởng của nó bắt nguồn từ những chia sẻ của tôi trên blog. Nhờ những chia sẻ đó mà tôi đã xây dựng 1 sản phẩm được 400.000 người sử dụng với gốc là từ 1 bài tutorial.</p>
<h3>Cộng đồng</h3>
<p>Viết blog khiến nhiều người biết đến tôi. Và những chia sẻ của tôi (và cả các sản phẩm nữa) cũng có ích cho nhiều người và nhờ đó tôi cũng kết nối được với nhiều bạn developer trên thế giới và ở Việt Nam. Năm 2012, khi anh Philip Author Moore tới Việt Nam, chúng tôi đã gặp nhau lần đầu tiên, và đó là buổi gặp “định mệnh” giữa chúng tôi. Cả 2 chúng tôi đã xây dựng cộng đồng WordPress Việt Nam từ những năm đầu đó, cùng start Hanoi WordPress meetup và chia sẻ rất nhiều điều về WordPress. Có rất nhiều công ty ở Việt Nam bắt đầu chuyển hướng và làm về WordPress từ những buổi meetup như vậy.</p>
<p>Đến nay, cộng đồng đã vững mạnh và chúng tôi không còn tham gia nhiều nữa vì công việc khá bận rộn và bản thân chúng tôi cũng không có quá nhiều kinh nghiệm trong việc tổ chức và duy trì các hoạt động offline. Các hoạt động online thì vẫn diễn ra rất sôi động nhờ vào Facebook!</p>
<h3>Xây dựng sản phẩm và công ty</h3>
<p>Vốn là 1 developer và đã có cơ hội làm việc với các dự án với khách hàng, vào những năm 2010, tôi thấy có nhiều điều còn thiếu trong WordPress. Và lúc đó, tôi đã có ý tưởng về <a href="https://metabox.io">Meta Box</a>, là một framework giúp developer tạo nhanh các custom fields. Tôi đã chia sẻ 1 loạt bài tutorial về việc xây dựng nó trên blog của mình. Và điều tôi không ngờ lúc đó là có rất nhiều người có cùng mối quan tâm như vậy.</p>
<p>Sau đó, tôi đã liên tục nâng cấp plugin, dựa theo những phản hồi của các developer khác. Tôi cũng nhận được sự giúp đỡ rất nhiều của các bạn developer khác, mà trong đó không thể không nhắc tới <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/unserkaiser">Kaiser</a>. Tôi thực sự rất biết ơn các bạn, cả những người dùng nữa, vì không có các bạn thì Meta Box đã không thể trở thành 1 plugin với 400.000 lượt active installs được.</p>
<p>Khi mới phát triển plugin, tôi chưa có ý niệm nhiều về thương mại hoá nó. Toàn bộ đều được chia sẻ miễn phí. Lúc đó, tôi cũng chưa biết nhiều về tương tác trên <a href="http://wordpress.org">wordpress.org</a> với hệ thống Trac, nên tôi release code trên Google Code. Mãi sau này tôi mới đưa lên <a href="http://wordpress.org">wordpress.org</a>. Vì thế nên nhiều khi so sánh tuổi đời của các plugin về custom fields, Meta Box đôi khi không được coi là plugin đầu tiên, trong khi đúng ra là nó phải là như vậy.</p>
<p>Ý tưởng của Meta Box sau này còn được nhiều người kế thừa và phát triển ra các plugin tương tự. Và tôi rất thích điều đó, vì đó là tư tưởng của open source!</p>
<p>Sự thành công của Meta Box là cơ sở để tôi thành lập công ty của riêng mình &#8211; <a href="https://elightup.com">eLightUp</a> để phát triển các sản phẩm cho WordPress.</p>
<p>Ngoài Meta Box, trong khi thành lập nhóm làm freelance, chúng tôi cũng đã thử dấn thân vào mảng làm theme và đã tham gia ThemeForest. Có thể nói là mảng đó không được thành công lắm, vì tôi cảm thấy ThemeForest là một chiến trường trong đó các bên đua nhau thêm những tính năng để cho 1 theme trở nên mạnh mẽ, làm được nhiều thứ và do đó rất nặng nề và không tối ưu. Mà tôi là 1 developer nên luôn cảm thấy không thoải mái với những điều đó.</p>
<p>Mảng làm theme sau này phân tách ra thành 2 brands của công ty chúng tôi: <a href="https://fitwp.com">FitWP</a> cho những theme trên ThemeForest và <a href="https://gretathemes.com">GretaThemes</a> cho những theme đơn giản, tối ưu và phục vụ 1 mục đích cụ thể. Hiện nay thì trọng tâm của công ty chúng tôi là Meta Box và GretaThemes.</p>
<p>Còn mảng làm freelance sau này chúng tôi tách thành một nhánh trong công ty của chúng tôi là chuyên làm các <a href="https://elightup.com/projects/">dự án với khách hàng</a>. Chúng tôi thực hiện các dự án cho cả khách hàng trong nước và quốc tế.</p>
<h3>Sự chuyển dịch vai trò</h3>
<p>Trước khi thành lập công ty, nguồn thu nhập mà các sản phẩm và dự án mang lại cũng đã giúp tôi và gia đình có 1 cuộc sống khá thoải mái ở Việt Nam. Nhưng ở trong cộng đồng WordPress đã lâu, tôi đã thấy rất nhiều brand mà khiến tôi luôn ngưỡng mộ, trong đó nổi bật là WooThemes (nay đã không còn nữa). Thấy các đóng góp to lớn của họ cho cộng đồng, tôi cũng mong muốn mình làm được những điều tương tự. Và để làm việc đó, sức lực của 1 cá nhân rất khó. Nên tôi đã thành lập <a href="https://elightup.com">eLightUp</a>, với mong muốn tạo ra những sản phẩm tốt, đóng góp cho cộng đồng và cả những đóng góp miễn phí nữa.</p>
<p>Khi thành lập công ty, tôi đã không lường được hết những vấn đề về mặt quản lý công ty. Tôi đã phải học rất nhiều điều, từ việc quản lý con người, nguồn lực, tài chính đến những vấn đề về định hướng, chiến lược, nghiên cứu thị trường, marketing. Đối với 1 developer, đây đều là những thứ mới mẻ và thách thức. Có những khoảng thời gian tôi đã rất áp lực, vì vừa phải phát triển sản phẩm, vừa phải làm những công việc khác vốn không phải là thế mạnh của mình.</p>
<p>Đến nay, mọi thứ đã tốt hơn, tôi đã quen dần hơn với công việc, mặc dù tôi vẫn phải code và quản lý cùng một lúc.</p>
<p>Nhưng mà, trên tất cả, tôi thấy những gì mà mình có được bây giờ đều là sự may mắn, và đó đều là sự yêu thương, support từ cộng đồng đã dành cho tôi. Bởi thế, cho dù mọi thứ có khó khăn, thách thức như thế nào, tôi vẫn cảm thấy rất vui với những gì mình đang có, và sẽ cố gắng để làm mọi thứ tốt hơn.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Growing%20a%20WordPress%20business%20in%20Vietnam&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fgrowing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fgrowing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-linkedin-button" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fgrowing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam%2F&title=Growing+a+WordPress+business+in+Vietnam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-pinterest-button" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://heropress.com/essays/growing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/040319-min-150x150.jpg&description=Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/growing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam/" title="Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/growing-a-wordpress-business-in-vietnam/">Growing a WordPress business in Vietnam</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, 03 Apr 2019 02:00:11 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"Anh Tran";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:22;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"WPTavern: Jetpack 7.1 Adds Feature Suggestions to Plugin Search Results";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88404";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results";s: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:10445:"<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/2019/03/05/jetpack-7-1-business-blocks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jetpack 7.1</a> was released earlier this month with new blocks for WordAds, Business Hours, Contact Info, Slideshows, and Videos. This release also quietly added suggestions to the plugin search screen, a change that has not been well-received by the developer community. If a user searches for a plugin that has a feature that is already offered by Jetpack, the plugin will insert an artificial (and dismissible) search result into the first plugin card slot, identifying the corresponding Jetpack feature. </p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-02-at-9.30.07-AM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Although these suggestions in plugin search results were not presented as a headline feature in the 7.1 release post, it was clearly listed in the changelog under enhancements. More people began taking notice after WordPress developer Mehul Gohil tweeted a screenshot of it on a live site:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nowadays, plugin search in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WordPress</a> admin suggests a product/add-on. I see the future of these suggestions to be used by plugin authors to keep their product first in certain plugin search terms for upsells like admin notices. </p>
<p>What do you think about this? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DontHijackWPAdmin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DontHijackWPAdmin</a> <a href="https://t.co/TERjrPgEt6">pic.twitter.com/TERjrPgEt6</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mehul Gohil (@mehul_gohil0810) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehul_gohil0810/status/1110488258587308033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Manipulating search results, even to insert an artificial result, using a plugin that is already installed, is a major new development among plugins hosted on WordPress.org. Automattic is setting a precedent for other plugin authors that want to recommend their own add-ons or extensions when users match certain search terms. </p>
<p>In the feature&#8217;s initial <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/jetpack/pull/10611" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">proof of concept</a>, Jetpack product lead Beau Lebens explained the motivation behind adding suggestions to the search screen:</p>
<blockquote><p>We&#8217;ve seen that people with Jetpack installed and activated often search for Jetpack features (even by name) in the Plugins > Add New screen in wp-admin. This new module attempts to spot those searches, and provide an artificial search result that calls out that what they&#8217;re looking for is in Jetpack, which they already have, and which is already active.</p></blockquote>
<p>Eight years since its initial release, Jetpack has grown to 45 modules. Most users are not familiar with everything the plugin offers. In fact, many users may not have even installed Jetpack themselves, as it often comes pre-installed with hosting. The suggestions may prevent users from adding alternate third-party plugins, as Jetpack&#8217;s module placement in the results subtly implies that these are inferior options to its existing modules. </p>
<p>One of the reasons the feature has many developers rattled is because the UI fails to make it clear that this is an artificial result and not something generated by the plugin directory&#8217;s algorithm. Although it is intended to function more as a notice, for the regular user, it is virtually indistinguishable from an advertisement in its current implementation. It hasn&#8217;t been live for very long, but over time it may even make it more difficult for plugin developers to offer plugins that compete with Jetpack features.</p>
<p>The feature suggestions in plugin search results became a hot topic on <a href="https://poststatus.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Post Status</a>&#8216; Slack where Automattic&#8217;s Gary Pendergast dropped in to reiterate the Jetpack team&#8217;s intentions.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’ve been talking to some folks on Jetpack about what’s going on,&#8221; Pendergast said. &#8220;I think the team’s end goal is pretty good, and it solves a real problem WordPress has. Too often, site owners install masses of plugins that they don’t need, which ultimately creates all sorts of security, performance, and stability issues. In this particular use case, if a site owner is looking for functionality that Jetpack already handles, then the owner should be aware of that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Pendergast also said he thinks WordPress core should offer an API for any plugin to be able to do something similar.</p>
<h3>Plugin Team Says Jetpack&#8217;s Artificial Search Results Do Not Break WordPress.org Guidelines</h3>
<p>Although it&#8217;s easy to conjure up different ways to abuse this avenue for advertising a plugin&#8217;s existing features, WordPress.org&#8217;s plugin team is ready to deal with a potential influx of various implementations on a case-by-case basis.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not really advertising anything &#8211; it&#8217;s just adding search results for pieces of a plugin that you already have and might not know about, so it&#8217;s not really against any rules,&#8221; Samuel &#8220;Otto&#8221; Wood said. &#8220;If it was misleading in some manner, then that would be different.&#8221;</p>
<p>Wood said the team discussed it but concluded that any implementation of something similar in other plugins will need to be reviewed to see if it&#8217;s doing anything misleading.</p>
<p>&#8220;Realistically it&#8217;s always going to be a judgment call of some sort,&#8221; Wood said. &#8220;For example, if a plugin was to insert search results for other plugins, then that wouldn&#8217;t be okay, because it&#8217;s misleading. But, this isn&#8217;t that case. It&#8217;s just trying to say &#8216;hey, you have a plugin already installed which does what you&#8217;re looking for,&#8217; so it&#8217;s trying to be helpful in that respect. It may not necessarily be the best way of accomplishing that goal, admittedly. But it&#8217;s pretty valid.&#8221;</p>
<p>Wood did not place a hard requirement on having the artificial result be dismissible but said anytime a developer inserts something into a screen where would not normally be, having dismiss functionality is good UX. He doesn&#8217;t think it&#8217;s likely that many other plugin authors will implement something similar since most are not collections of dozens of plugins and add-ons. However, this type of suggestion seems like it would also be applicable to block collection plugins that include dozens of Gutenberg blocks.</p>
<p>&#8220;It will be really difficult for users when all the essential plugin authors implement it,&#8221; Gohil said in response to comments on the screenshot he tweeted. &#8220;They are using JS to hack into plugin search using hook &#8216;admin_enqueue_scripts&#8217; and that&#8217;s not good. I&#8217;m not in favor of it.&#8221;</p>
<p>If more plugin authors begin adding suggestions, users could see several rows of artificial results before seeing any real ones, depending on which plugins they have installed. Plugin developers are already brainstorming ways to strip the feature suggestions out. It likely will not be long before plugins like <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/hide-jetpack-promotions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hide Jetpack Promotions</a> removes the artificial search results to maintain results as delivered by WordPress.org. </p>
<p>Wood said the plugin team does not intend to write any new guidelines for plugin authors creating their own implementations of feature suggestions on the search screen.</p>
<p>&#8220;The difference is always going to be one of intent,&#8221; Wood said. &#8220;It&#8217;s JP&#8217;s intent here to notify the user of the existence of a feature they may not know about. That&#8217;s trying to be helpful to the user, not trying to shut out competition. It doesn&#8217;t remove search results. It doesn&#8217;t reorder them or filter them. It just adds a card about the feature you&#8217;re searching for. If you don&#8217;t have JP, then it can&#8217;t do anything. It&#8217;s not advertising for other plugins or anything like that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jetpack is also <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/jetpack/blob/361a99f6ae70152b52142aa682c8a6c25b5afc04/modules/plugin-search.php#L291-L292" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tracking search terms longer than three characters</a>, and Wood confirmed that this is also within the guidelines, as long as it is disclosed to the user.</p>
<p>&#8220;The whole tracking module doesn&#8217;t activate until after you agree to the ToS thingy, so honestly, it&#8217;s allowed,&#8221; Wood said. &#8220;They track lots of things for stats and such. Realistically, so do many other plugins. As long as you ask the user first, before tracking anything, then tracking data is allowed. Opt-in is the rule.&#8221;</p>
<p>Wood said he found the search term tracking to be unnecessary since WordPress.org already collects this information through its new search system that runs on ElasticSearch.</p>
<p>&#8220;We get all the search terms on the WordPress.org servers, anyway, so both we and they kinda already have them,&#8221; Wood said. &#8220;Automatticians built our newest plugin search engine, after all. It seems kind of a waste to track them using Jetpack when they literally receive all the searches to run through the search engine.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jetpack’s artificial search results, although dismissible, take up the top spot, bypassing the algorithm altogether. It gives the appearance that Jetpack&#8217;s built-in feature is either a promoted listing or superior to all other options available in the directory. </p>
<p>Although a suggested module may work more harmoniously with other Jetpack features than a third-party plugin, the modules are built to be fairly general in terms of features. They address the basic needs for the largest number of users but rarely provide more options than a standalone plugin dedicated to performing something similar. Users may very well be searching for a replacement for what Jetpack provides. The ability to easily turn off suggestions in search results with a toggle could go a long way for diplomacy. </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, 02 Apr 2019 15:40:05 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:23;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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:76:"WPTavern: Automattic Launches Happy Tools Product Line for Distributed Teams";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88372";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:87:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-launches-happy-tools-product-line-for-distributed-teams";s: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:3144:"<p>Automattic has <a href="https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/happy-tools-the-future-of-work/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">released</a> Happy Schedule, the first in a new line of products called &#8220;<a href="https://happy.tools/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Happy Tools</a>,&#8221; created to solve problems for distributed teams. The products have grown out of internal tools that Automattic uses with its distributed team of more than 850 employees in 68 countries. </p>
<p>Most employee scheduling tools are designed for more traditional work environments where people report to work in person in the same timezone. <a href="https://happy.tools/#products" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Happy Schedule</a> allows employees to set their own flexible schedules all the way down to 15-minute increments, seamlessly managing timezones for team members in one calendar. Automattic uses it to manage 24-hour global support with its 300+ Happiness Engineers.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/happy-schedule.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Happy Tools is currently priced at $60/month for 12 users and then $5/user after that. </p>
<p>&#8220;In addition to Happy Schedule, we&#8217;ll be looking to bring our customer chat tool into Happy Tools,&#8221; Happy Tools product lead Matt Wondra said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll also look at other applications Automattic has already built to help with team communication, people-management, and customer support.” </p>
<p>The product suite complements Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s recent <a href="https://wptavern.com/matt-mullenweg-publishes-ted-talk-on-the-future-of-work-prepares-to-launch-new-distributed-blog-website" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TED talk</a> in which he evangelizes distributed work as &#8220;the future of work.&#8221; Mullenweg predicts that companies will evolve to become distributed first or will soon be replaced by ones that are.</p>
<p>Beyond simply recognizing the benefits of employees being able to design their own work environments, there are some real challenges to becoming a distributed company. This is especially true for those that didn&#8217;t start out that way. Smaller companies have less experience navigating all the tax laws and legal processes around hiring people from different countries. These hurdles make it difficult to grow an international team and retain employees as anything more than hourly contractors.</p>
<p>Answering some of these difficult questions gets into the meat of making distributed teams a reality. With its position as one of the few distributed companies that has successfully scaled into the hundreds, Automattic has an opportunity to open source some of its counsel, documents, and HR guides around international hiring. This would be a valuable addition to <a href="http://distributed.blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">distributed.blog</a> or the Happy Tools blog that would help more companies move beyond their initial explorations of distributed work and ultimately create a larger market for these kinds of tools.</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, 02 Apr 2019 04:28:20 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:46:"WordPress.org blog: Minimum PHP Version update";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6810";s:7:"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://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/minimum-php-version-update/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2947:"<p>WordPress 5.2 is targeted for release at the end of this month, and with it comes an update to the minimum required version of PHP.  WordPress will now require a minimum of PHP 5.6.20.</p>



<p>Beginning in WordPress 5.1, users running PHP versions below 5.6 have had a notification in their dashboard that includes <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/update-php/">information to help them update PHP</a>. Since then, the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/stats/">WordPress stats</a> have shown an increase in users on more recent versions of PHP. </p>



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



<img src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-27-at-10.30.34-PM.png?resize=632%2C265&ssl=1" alt="Screenshot of the " />The dashboard widget users see if running an outdated version of PHP 



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



<h2>Why You Should Update PHP</h2>



<p>If your site is running on an unsupported version of PHP, the WordPress updater will not offer WordPress 5.2 to your site. If you attempt to update WordPress manually, that update will fail. To continue using the latest features of WordPress you must update to a newer version of PHP. </p>



<p>When updating to a new version of PHP, WordPress encourages updating to its recommended version, PHP 7.3. The PHP internals team has done a great job making its most recent version the fastest version of PHP yet. This means that updating will improve the speed of your site, both for you and your visitors.</p>



<p>This performance increase also means fewer servers are needed to host websites. Updating PHP isn&#8217;t just good for your site, it also means less energy is needed for the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/one-third-of-the-web/">1-in-3 sites that use WordPress</a>, so it&#8217;s good for the planet.  </p>



<h2>How to Update PHP</h2>



<p>If you need help updating to a new version of PHP, <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/update-php/">detailed documentation is available</a>.  This includes sample communication to send to your host for them to assist you. Many hosting companies have published information on how to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/servehappy-resources/blob/master/tutorials/hosting-specific/tutorials-en.md">update PHP</a> that is specific for them. </p>



<h2>5.6 now, but soon 7+</h2>



<p>This is the first increase in PHP required version for WordPress since <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2010/07/eol-for-php4-and-mysql4/">2010</a>, but may not be the only increase in 2019. The WordPress core team will monitor the adoption of the most recent versions of PHP with an eye towards making PHP 7+ the minimum version towards the end of the year. </p>



<blockquote><p><a href="https://wordpress.org/support/update-php/#how-to-update-your-websites-php-version-for-a-faster-more-secure-website">Update PHP today, so you can update WordPress tomorrow!</a></p></blockquote>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 01 Apr 2019 14:51:27 +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:12:"Aaron Jorbin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:25;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:54:"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress: March 2019";s:7:"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:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6846";s:7:"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://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/the-month-in-wordpress-march-2019/";s: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:7947:"<p>WordPress reached a significant milestone this month. With some exciting developments in Core, an interesting new proposal, and the return of a valuable global event, March was certainly an interesting time.</p>



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



<h2>WordPress Now Powers One-Third of the Web</h2>



<p>WordPress’ market share has been steadily increasing, and as of halfway through this month, it <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/one-third-of-the-web/">powers over one-third of the top 10 million sites on the web</a> (<a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all">according to W3Techs</a>, which tracks usage statistics for all major web platforms).</p>



<p>This growth of WordPress is only made possible by the large team of volunteers working to build the project and community. If you would like to get involved in building the future of WordPress, then <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/">check out the Make network</a> for a contributor team that fits your skill set.</p>



<h2>WordPress 5.2 is on the Way</h2>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/wordpress-5-1-1-security-and-maintenance-release/">WordPress 5.1.1 was released this month</a>, with 14 fixes and enhancements, and the Core team is now focusing on the next major release, version 5.2. This release will include some great new features, along with <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/">the latest updates to the block editor</a>.</p>



<p>One of the most anticipated new features is the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/the-improved-fatal-error-protection/">improved fatal error detection</a> &#8211; this was removed from v5.1 shortly before release so that it could be improved and made more secure for this release. Along with that, <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/04/minimum-php-version-update/">PHP 5.6 is going to become the minimum required PHP version for WordPress</a>, a significant step towards a more modern web and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/26/coding-standards-updates-for-php-5-6/">updated coding standards</a>.</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/wordpress-5-2-beta-1/">WordPress 5.2 is now in beta</a> and you can test it by installing <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">the Beta Tester plugin</a> on any WordPress site.</p>



<p>Want to get involved in building WordPress Core? Follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core">the Core team blog</a> and join the #core channel in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>



<h2>Proposal for a Central Block Directory</h2>



<p>With blocks becoming the new way to manage content in WordPress, more and more types of blocks are being developed to cater for different use cases and content types. In an effort to make it easier for content creators to find these block types, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/03/08/the-block-directory-and-a-new-type-of-plugin/">there is a proposal</a> for a new type of plugin and a directory to handle it.</p>



<p>The proposal outlines a new type of WordPress plugin that provides blocks and nothing else, named Single Block Plugins. The primary benefit would be to provide content creators with individual pieces of functionality and new types of blocks without the need to search for and install new plugins.</p>



<p>The Single Block Plugins would be hosted in a separate Block Directory section of the Plugin Directory and they would initially be JavaScript-based. Each plugin will register a single block, and they will be searchable and installable from within the editor itself. This puts blocks at the publishers’ fingertips &#8212; you no longer have to leave the editor to find them.</p>



<p>Want to get involved in shaping this new type of plugin? Join in the conversation on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/03/08/the-block-directory-and-a-new-type-of-plugin/">the proposal post</a>, follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/">the Meta team blog</a>, and join the #meta channel in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>



<h2>Global WordPress Translation Day is Back</h2>



<p>On 11 May 2019, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2019/03/01/global-wordpress-translation-day-4-is-coming/">the fourth Global WordPress Translation Day</a> will take place. This is a 24-hour global event dedicated to the translation of all things WordPress, from core to themes, plugins to marketing.</p>



<p>Over the course of 24 hours, WordPress communities will meet to translate WordPress into their local languages and watch talks and sessions broadcast on <a href="https://wptranslationday.org/">wptranslationday.org</a>. During the last Global WordPress Translation Day, 71 local events took place in 29 countries, and even more communities are expected to take part this time.</p>



<p>Want to get involved in the Global WordPress Translation Day? Find out <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2019/03/22/global-wordpress-translation-day-4-info-for-event-organizers/">how to organize a local event</a>, <a href="https://wptranslationday.org/call-for-speakers/">apply to be a speaker</a>, follow the updates on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/tag/gwtd4/">the Polyglots team blog</a>, and join the #polyglots channel in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>



<h2>Gutenberg Development Continues</h2>



<p>With the block editor in WordPress Core, the team has been able to focus on adding some frequently requested features. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/">Version 5.3 of Gutenberg</a>, &nbsp;released this month, includes a new block manager modal, the ability to nest different elements in the cover block, and some UI tweaks to improve the hover state of blocks.</p>



<p>Want to get involved in developing Gutenberg? Check out <a href="https://github.com/wordpress/gutenberg">the GitHub repository</a> and join the #core-editor channel in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>



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



<h2>Further Reading:</h2>



<ul><li>The PHP upgrade notice in WordPress 5.1 has already had <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryPendergast/status/1108493038811148290">a hugely positive effect</a> on thousands of websites.</li><li>The Theme Review Team has released their useful Theme Sniffer plugin <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-sniffer/">on the Plugin Directory</a> to help theme developers build more standards-compliant themes.</li><li>The Polyglots team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2019/03/27/helphub-localisation-plan-meeting-notes/">has started a discussion</a> about the best way to localize WordPress user documentation.</li><li>The schedule for WordCamp Europe 2019 <a href="https://2019.europe.wordcamp.org/schedule/">has been published</a> &#8211; the event takes place on June 20-22.</li><li>A new `wp_body_open` hook <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/03/29/addition-of-new-wp_body_open-hook/">has been added to Core</a> in version 5.2, providing more power and flexibility for theme developers.</li><li>The dates and location of WordCamp for Publishers 2019 <a href="https://2019-columbus.publishers.wordcamp.org/">have been announced</a>.</li><li>In a milestone achievement for inclusivity, <a href="https://twitter.com/wordcampmiami/status/1109102027324489731">more than 50% of all speakers at WordCamp Miami were women</a>.</li></ul>



<p><em>Have a story that we should include in the next “Month in WordPress” post? Please </em><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/"><em>submit it here</em></a><em>.</em><br /></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, 01 Apr 2019 08:59:01 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Hugh Lashbrooke";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:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:21:"HeroPress: Four Years";s:7:"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:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=2723";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:87:"https://heropress.com/four-years/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=four-years";s: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:3737:"<p>On March 25th, 2015, I published Rarst&#8217;s HeroPress essay &#8220;<a href="https://heropress.com/essays/finding-your-place/">Finding Your Place</a>&#8220;. It&#8217;s been four years.</p>



<p>As of this post there are 165 essays published. 165 stories of dreams, successes, failures, and courage. 165 people I&#8217;ve gotten to know and love. It feels like it&#8217;s always been there.</p>



<p>For a while this last year I only published once a month, so I could both focus on work a little more as well as draw attention to past essays. A few weeks ago I went back to weekly, and I&#8217;m happy with it. It&#8217;s exciting getting to know a new person every week. Not just meet them, but have good conversation and really get to know them.</p>



<p>I have some fun news. The other day <a href="https://twitter.com/JosephaHaden?s=17">Josepha The Magnificent</a> approached me about syndicating HeroPress on <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/">https://wordpress.org/news/</a>. It&#8217;s already on <a href="https://planet.wordpress.org/">WordPress Planet</a> (Thanks Matt!), which is the number one driver of traffic to this site, by FAR. I&#8217;ll be interested to see what being on /news does.</p>



<p>People often ask me about the future of HeroPress, but I don&#8217;t really see it changing much. Getting syndicated is nice, but doesn&#8217;t really change what I do or publish. We did a <a href="https://heropress.com/announcing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/">scholarship giveaway</a> a couple years ago and we&#8217;ve discussed doing it again. I really enjoyed that, I&#8217;d welcome more things like it from other organizations.</p>



<p>To all of you who&#8217;ve read over the years, I thank you.  To all of you who&#8217;ve been transparent and had the courage to let the world see your story, I can&#8217;t thank you enough. Every time someone says to me &#8220;HeroPress is such an encouragement to me&#8221; it&#8217;s because of you. </p>



<p>Here&#8217;s to the future, and many more stories.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: Four Years" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Four%20Years&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Ffour-years%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: Four Years" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Ffour-years%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-linkedin-button" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Ffour-years%2F&title=Four+Years" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: Four Years"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal-button"><a class="rtsocial-pinterest-button" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://heropress.com/four-years/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/plugins/rtsocial/images/default-pinterest.png&description=Four Years" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: Four Years"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/four-years/" title="Four Years"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/four-years/">Four Years</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:"Sat, 30 Mar 2019 02:49:02 +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:"";}}}}}i:27;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"WPTavern: WordCamp Asia Proposed for 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88339";s:7:"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/wordcamp-asia-proposed-for-2020-in-bangkok-thailand";s: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:2775:"<a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bangkok.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eustaquio/9699604924">Eustaquio Santimano</a>
<p>The organizers of WordCamp Asia, a brand new regional WordCamp, have published a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2019/03/29/wordcamp-asia-proposal/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">proposal</a> for making Bangkok, Thailand, the host city for a 2-3 day event in early 2020. They are currently planning for February or March to avoid clashing with other regional WordCamps (WCEU, WCUS). The camp has been <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordsesh-asia-now-in-planning-for-2018-wordcamp-asia-targeted-for-2019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">informally discussed since 2015</a> while organizers focused on growing new city-based WordCamps across the region.</p>
<p>&#8220;WordCamps in Asia have reached a critical mass that will enable a successful regional WordCamp,&#8221; Jon Ang said in the  introduction to the proposal. &#8220;We believe that running this WordCamp will contribute directly to long term efforts in fostering WordPress interest in countries that lack it.&#8221;</p>
<p>WordCamp Asia organizers are being mentored by lead organizers of WordCamp Europe and have created an official proposal based heavily on the one submitted by WordCamp Nordic organizers. They have submitted it to the broader WordCamp community leaders for review before submitting and official application to WordCamp Central. </p>
<p>Asia has many vibrant and diverse WordPress communities across distant geographical areas. It technically includes Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Israel, and Iran, as well as all of Russia and India and everything in between.</p>
<p>Hugh Lashbrooke commented on the proposal, asking if it is actually a “WordCamp South-East Asia,&#8221; given all the currently listed organizers are from this region, or if they intend to include other countries beyond this area. Ang said that the event will certainly include leaders from India and Pakistan and they have discussed forming a global team with two representatives from each country. The leaders currently listed in the proposal are those who were specifically involved in drafting it.</p>
<p>Bangkok is proposed for the first host city due to its relatively affordable location, the ease of obtaining a visa on arrival for attendees from many Asian counties, and the availability of inexpensive flights to most major cities in Asia. The local WordPress community is also experienced at running large WordCamps (500+ attendees) and Bangkok&#8217;s local meetup group has more than 1,500 members. WordCamp Asia organizers are planning for 750-1,000 attendees.</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, 29 Mar 2019 20:19:24 +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:28;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:116:"WPTavern: New Gutenberg Playground Offers a Standalone Version of the Editor for Testing Outside the WordPress Admin";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88324";s:7:"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/new-gutenberg-playground-offers-a-standalone-version-of-the-editor-for-testing-outside-the-wordpress-admin";s: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:1992:"<p>The Gutenberg team <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/14497" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">merged a pull request</a> three days ago that adds a local &#8220;playground&#8221; development environment for testing outside of the WordPress admin. Riad Benguella, the technical lead for Gutenberg phase 2, said that the playground could grow over time to contain &#8220;more than just a standalone version of the editor&#8221; and could become a way for developers to test out components in isolation. He shared a screenshot of the playground in action:</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/gutenberg-playground.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>During Tuesday&#8217;s JavaScript chat meeting, Benguella elaborated on the playground&#8217;s intended use. </p>
<p>&#8220;Now that we&#8217;re expanding the usage of Gutenberg outside of the edit-post and also talking about cross-CMS usage and external usage (in the broad sense), we need a way to run the block editor in a context independent from the WordPress Admin. This means no WordPress admin styles, no API.&#8221;</p>
<p>Testing Gutenberg in the playground&#8217;s &#8220;no-context&#8221; mode allows developers to ensure their components don&#8217;t rely on  WP-Admin styles to be present. Benguella said it demonstrates how core blocks can be used without requiring a post object, which will be useful for architecting the widgets screen. </p>
<p>&#8220;This playground could evolve to contain examples of our reusable components (think Storybook),&#8221; Benguella said. &#8220;It could also serve as a contributor tool. For example, we could include a way to search for selectors.&#8221;</p>
<p>The playground was just merged this week, so contributors are working on better documentation. In the meantime, <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/14497" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">check out the PR</a> for more details on how to test it.</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, 28 Mar 2019 20:04:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:29;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:113:"WPTavern: WordPress 5.2 Beta 1 Released: Help Test New Blocks, Block Manager, and Improved Fatal Error Protection";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88304";s:7:"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:121:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-2-beta-1-released-help-test-new-blocks-block-manager-and-improved-fatal-error-protection";s: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:3149:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/wordpress-5-2-beta-1/">WordPress 5.2 beta 1</a> was released this evening with an exciting lineup of new user-facing features that are ready for testing.  The upcoming release introduces new blocks for RSS, Search, Calendar, Tag Cloud, and Amazon Kindle embed.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/block-manager-modal-e1553096924444.png?ssl=1"><img /></a>The proliferation of block collection plugins as a block distribution mechanism has caused some WordPress installations to become bloated with too many unused blocks. Version 5.2 includes new block management capabilities that will make it easy to turn blocks on or off and tidy up the block inserter tool for greater efficiency.</p>
<p>This release also introduces <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/44458" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fatal error protection</a> that catches errors before they produce a white screen, so that users can still log into the admin to attempt to resolve the issue. This feature was previously <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-1-to-introduce-new-white-screen-protection-feature-beta-1-now-available-for-testing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">targeted for 5.1</a> but needed a few security issues ironed out before it was ready for core.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re just getting started with testing WordPress, the 5.2 beta is a very approachable release with features that anyone can put through the paces. The easiest way is to install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress Beta Testing</a> plugin and select &#8220;bleeding edge nightlies.&#8221; Try out the new blocks, experiment with turning blocks and and off. Do the new features seem like they work as advertised? Are there any bumps in the road when trying to use them? You can report any issues to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alpha/Beta</a> area in the support forums or <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">log a ticket on trac</a>.</p>
<p>Developers have a few big items to test as well. Plugin authors can now <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40934" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">specify a minimum PHP version</a> that the plugin will support. WordPress is also adding the <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/45806" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sodium_compat library</a>, a libsodium-compatible cryptography API for PHP 7.2+. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/27/dev-chat-summary-march-27/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">notes</a> from today&#8217;s core developer chat, there are currently 116 open tickets that contributors plan to address in three betas. The goal is to slash that number down to 66 before beta 2. WordPress 5.2 is targeted for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">April 30, 2019</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, 28 Mar 2019 03:36:04 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 5.2 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:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6798";s:7:"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/2019/03/wordpress-5-2-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:6940:"<p>WordPress 5.2 Beta 1 is now available!</p>



<p><strong>This software is still in development,</strong> so we don’t recommend you run it on a production site. Consider setting up a test site to play with the new version.</p>



<p>You can test the WordPress 5.2 Beta two ways:</p>



<ul><li>Try the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin (choose the “bleeding edge nightlies” option)</li><li>Or <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-5.2-beta1.zip">download the beta here</a> (zip).</li></ul>



<p>WordPress 5.2 is slated for release on&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-2/">April 30</a>, and we need your help to get there. Here are some of the big items to test so we can find as many bugs as possible in the coming weeks.</p>



<h2>Block Editor</h2>



<p>The block editor has received significant performance improvements since WordPress 5.1, shaving 35% off the load time for massive posts, and cutting the keypress time (how responsive it feels when you&#8217;re typing) in half!</p>



<p>Accessibility continues to improve, too. The block editor now supports your browser&#8217;s reduced motion settings. The post URL slug has better labelling and help text. The focus styling for keyboard navigating through landmarks is clearer and more consistent. There are a variety of new speak messages, and existing messages have been tweaked for more useful screen-reader behaviour.</p>



<p>We&#8217;ve added several new blocks:</p>



<ul><li>An RSS block</li><li>An Amazon Kindle embed block</li><li>A Search block</li><li>A Calendar block</li><li>A Tag Cloud block</li></ul>



<p>To help you keep track of these blocks, and only show the ones you need, there&#8217;s a new block management tool to switch blocks on and off.</p>



<img src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/03/01-block-manager-1024x768.png?fit=632%2C474&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-6806" />Block Management Modal



<p>We&#8217;re constantly working on existing blocks, too. There are hundreds of bug fixes and improvements in the block editor, you can read more about them in the Gutenberg plugin releases: <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/01/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-23th-january/">4.9</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/02/06/whats-new-in-gutenberg-6th-february/">5.0</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/02/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-february/">5.1</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/06/whats-new-in-gutenberg-6th-march/">5.2</a>, and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/">5.3</a>.</p>



<h3>The WordPress Mobile Apps</h3>



<p>The block editor isn&#8217;t just for websites, either. The WordPress mobile apps now include an experimental version of a built-in block editor. This is still under development, but you can try it out now!</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/mobile/2019/02/26/the-block-editor-is-coming-to-the-mobile-apps/">The block editor is coming to the mobile apps</a></blockquote>
</div>



<h2>Site Health Check</h2>



<p>Site Health Check is an ongoing project aimed at improving the stability and performance of the entire WordPress ecosystem.</p>



<p>The first phase of this project (originally scoped for WordPress 5.1) is now included in WordPress 5.2. For the first time, WordPress will catch and pause the problem code, so you can log in to your Dashboard and see what the problem is (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/44458">#44458</a>). Before, you’d have to FTP in to your files or get in touch with your host.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/the-improved-fatal-error-protection/">The Improved Fatal Error Protection</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>In addition, we&#8217;re adding a new Health Check tool to your Dashboard. Visit the <em>Tools</em> menu and click on <em>Health Check</em> to get information that can help improve the speed and security of  your site.</p>



<h2>PHP Version Bump</h2>



<p>With this release, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/updating-the-minimum-php-version/">WordPress will increase its minimum supported PHP version to 5.6</a>. To help you check if you&#8217;re prepared for this change, WordPress 5.2 will show you a warning and help you upgrade your version of PHP, if necessary.</p>



<h2>For Developers</h2>



<ul><li>Plugins can now specify the minimum version of PHP that they support, so you can safely modernise your development practices without risking breaking your users&#8217; sites. (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40934">#40934</a>)</li><li>We&#8217;ve added the <code>sodium_compat</code> library, which provides backwards compatibility for the <a href="https://blog.zend.com/2018/11/06/modern-cryptography-in-php-7-2-with-sodium/">Sodium-based cryptography library added in PHP 7.2</a>. (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/45806">#45806</a>)</li><li>There&#8217;s a new release of Dashicons, the WordPress Dashboard icon font. There are 25 new icons for you to use! (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/41074">#41074</a>)</li><li>You can now pass a label to <code>get_search_form()</code>, improving accessibility. (<a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/42057">#42057</a>)</li></ul>



<p>There have been <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&milestone=5.2&group=resolution&order=priority">130 tickets closed</a> in WordPress 5.2 so far, with numerous small bug fixes and improvements to help smooth your WordPress experience.</p>



<p>Keep your eyes on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> for developer notes (which are <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/5-2+dev-notes/">assigned</a> the <code>dev-notes</code> tag) in the coming weeks detailing other changes in 5.2 that you should be aware of.</p>



<h2>How to Help</h2>



<p>Do you speak a language other than English? <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp/dev">Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages!</a></p>



<p><em><strong>If you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, you can post to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta">Alpha/Beta area</a> in the support forums. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">file one on WordPress Trac</a>, where you can also find <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">a list of known bugs</a>.</em></p>



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



<p><em>With each new release,<br />bearing multiple betas; <br />We fix, then we fly.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 27 Mar 2019 23:39:25 +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:7:"Josepha";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:31;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"WPTavern: rtCamp Releases GitHub Actions for Automated Code Review, Deploying WordPress, and Slack Notifications";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88285";s:7:"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:121:"https://wptavern.com/rtcamp-releases-github-actions-for-automated-code-review-deploying-wordpress-and-slack-notifications";s: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:4016:"<p>rtCamp, a 60+ person agency and WordPress.com VIP service partner, has released <a href="https://rtcamp.com/blog/automated-wordpress-code-review-deployment-using-github-actions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three new GitHub Actions</a> that handle automated code review, WordPress deployment, and Slack notifications. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/action-phpcs-code-review" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PHPCS Code Review action</a> takes advantage of GitHub&#8217;s <a href="https://help.github.com/en/articles/about-pull-request-reviews" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pull request review</a> feature. It performs an automated code review on pull requests using <a href="https://github.com/squizlabs/PHP_CodeSniffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PHPCS</a>. This Action is based on WordPress.com VIP&#8217;s GPL-licensed <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/vip-go-ci" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">review scripts</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/automated-phpcs-code-review.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;Our action is a wrapper around the original <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/vip-go-ci" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vip-go-ci</a> project,&#8221; rtCamp CEO Rahul Bansal said. &#8220;VIP’s project uses Teamcity which is expensive and very hard to get up and running. We built a wrapper around it to get it working with Github. Still huge props to them for sharing what we consider to be the USP of the VIP platform to the public at large.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/action-deploy-wordpress" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deploy WordPress GitHub action</a> uses the <a href="https://deployer.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deployer.org</a> tool to deploy code changes. Using it requires your git repo to match rtCamp&#8217;s <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/wordpress-skeleton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress Skeleton</a> which is very similar to the <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/vip-go-skeleton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VIP Go Skeleton</a>. The action includes optional support for <a href="https://www.vaultproject.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hashicorp Vault</a>, which is useful for managing multiple servers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our action supports secrets fetching via HashiCorp Vault project,&#8221; Bansal said. &#8220;For small teams or indies using Vault might be overkill. But at scale, such as our hosting dept, where they are responsible for more than 100+ servers, <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/action-deploy-wordpress#hashicorp-vault-optional" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vault streamlines WordPress Deploys</a>. It’s partly because of Vault, devs can simply change the hostname on the fly and everything still works.&#8221;</p>
<p>rtCamp has also released a GitHub action called <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/action-slack-notify" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Slack Notify</a> that sends a message to a Slack channel. It can be customized to notify a channel about deployment status. The Site and SSH Host details are available if the action is run following the <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/action-deploy-wordpress" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deploy WordPress GitHub action</a>. All three of the new Actions are designed to work seamlessly together.</p>
<p>rtCamp plans to add more Actions to its <a href="https://github.com/rtCamp/github-actions-library" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GitHub Actions Library</a> in the future. Bansal said they are currently working on build actions to cover Sass, Webpack, and Grunt, as well as Testing actions for phpunit and QUnit. Further down the road they are planning to build an action that will automatically update their theme and plugin products in their EDD store when there is a GitHub release. </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, 27 Mar 2019 22:46:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"WPTavern: How Will Gutenberg Phase 4 Impact Multilingual Solutions for 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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88262";s:7:"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/how-will-gutenberg-phase-4-impact-multilingual-solutions-for-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:3056:"<p>During the <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2018-wordpress-embraces-the-block-editor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2018 State of the Word</a> address, Matt Mullenweg announced that Phase 4 of the Gutenberg project would be aimed at developing an official way for WordPress to support multilingual sites. There are no technical details available yet for what approach core will take, because it&#8217;s still in the experimental stage. The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/gutenberg-phase-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">site building objectives in Phase 2</a> are currently the primary focus of the Gutenberg team. </p>
<p>Although Phase 4 is still a long way off (targeted for 2020 and beyond), WordPress multilingual product owners are starting to speculate about the impact of core offering its own standardized solution for multilingual sites. At WordCamp Nordic I had a quick chat with <a href="https://twitter.com/nullbytes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Windisch</a>, CIO of <a href="https://inpsyde.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inpsyde</a>, a large WordPress agency in Germany and the creators of the <a href="https://multilingualpress.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MultilingualPress</a> plugin.</p>
<p>Windisch predicts a culling of the multilingual solutions for WordPress after Phase 4, in the same way that Gutenberg has challenged page builders. Maintaining a plugin with thousands of users takes a toll on a company, because users require support and product owners need to have a way to continue offering something that isn&#8217;t already available by default in core.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the same with Gutenberg and all the page builders,&#8221; Windisch said. &#8220;You need to adapt. If core tackles 80-90% of the features the plugin does, then I&#8217;m sure some will decide to pursue other roads or extend core features with a new plugin.&#8221;</p>
<p>Windisch doesn&#8217;t see any issues for his company&#8217;s multilingual solution because of how it is architected to closely align with WordPress core in its use of multisite. The MultilingualPress website advertises the product as having &#8220;future-proof, WordPress core-based architecture.&#8221; Windisch said that big agencies and companies with local sites tend to opt for MultilingualPress&#8217; solution because of the separation of access that multisite provides.</p>
<p>After some consideration, he said he found that Mullenweg&#8217;s timeline for getting multilingual support in core made sense, because existing solutions mean there is no pressing need to provide this functionality.</p>
<p>&#8220;Currently nobody waits for the multilingual in core, because there are already solutions out there,&#8221; Windisch said. &#8220;There&#8217;s not really the pressure to have it right now.&#8221;</p>
<p>Check out the quick interview below to hear more thoughts on how Gutenberg Phase 4 may impact other multilingual solutions:</p>
<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:00:37 +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:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:49:"WPTavern: Codecademy Launches New Free PHP Course";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88229";s:7:"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:60:"https://wptavern.com/codecademy-launches-new-free-php-course";s: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:2262:"<p>Codecademy introduced a new free course today called <a href="https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn PHP</a>. The company, which offers free coding courses, is rebuilding its PHP education after removing all of its PHP courses in 2017. </p>
<p>A Codecademy representative <a href="https://discuss.codecademy.com/t/php-sunset/85690/4">explained</a> that the courses were outdated and that their team thought PHP was declining in popularity:</p>
<blockquote><p>The PHP courses were very old, buggy, and outdated. They were the least used courses on Codecademy by far, and declining in use all the time, just as PHP itself is declining in popularity in the web development world. Student demand was far higher towards making, for example, more content in other languages like JavaScript or offer all-new languages like C#, rather than continuing to maintain PHP. Continued support and maintenance of any course for us costs money, and hiring PHP specialists to rewrite a course costs more money, but the market for PHP is very small. So, the decision was clear – to sunset this course.</p></blockquote>
<p>PHP was created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf, and it is still going strong 25 years later. Roughy <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/pl-php/all/all" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">80% of websites run on PHP</a>. Redmonk&#8217;s <a href="https://redmonk.com/sogrady/2019/03/20/language-rankings-1-19/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2019 language rankings</a> put PHP at #4 behind JavaScript, Java, and Python, based on data from GitHub and Stack Overflow.</p>
<p>Codecademy&#8217;s new <a href="https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-php/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn PHP</a> course offers users an introduction to the fundamentals of PHP with language-specific syntax. Prerequisites include basic HTML. Students will learn about PHP variables and the string and number data types. Codecademy Pro users will get more quizzes and will create a portfolio project to showcase their new skills, but the basic course is free. The course currently takes approximately three hours to complete, and the company plans to add more content in the future.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:26:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"WPTavern: Gutenberg Cloud Team Advocates for Making WordPress.org’s New Block Directory a CMS-Agnostic Library";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88181";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/gutenberg-cloud-team-advocates-for-making-wordpress-orgs-new-block-directory-a-cms-agnostic-library";s: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:4955:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/gutenberg-cloud.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontkom.no/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frontkom</a>&#8216;s presentation at WordCamp Nordic introduced the audience to the <a href="https://gutenbergcloud.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gutenberg Cloud</a> project, which allows developers to share JS-only blocks across CMS platforms. Marco Fernandes and Thor Andre Gretland, representatives of the 45-person agency based in Europe, are also part of the <a href="https://drupalgutenberg.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Drupal Gutenberg</a> project that brings WordPress&#8217; open source editor to Drupal via an optional module. The module&#8217;s release candidate has been downloaded more than 9,000 times. </p>
<p>In the video below, I had the opportunity to sit down with the team at WordCamp Nordic to discuss the progress on their Gutenberg-related projects. Frontkom has clients using the Drupal module in production and their experience echoes a theme that seems common among those who are using the Gutenberg editor with clients.</p>
<p>&#8220;We see that especially people who don&#8217;t have too much experience in general working with visual content online, they find it easier to use than the ones that are into a routine where they expect some behavior,&#8221; Gretland said.</p>
<p>Drupal&#8217;s Gutenberg module could become a primary driver for the Gutenberg Cloud project, as access to the cloud blocks is included by default for all installations. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cloud-blocks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cloud Blocks</a> plugin for WordPress has been much less popular so far, with an estimated 100 active installations. </p>
<p>We discussed the potential of Drupal adopting Gutenberg as its core editor and the Frontkom team predicts that it will likely remain a separate module. Their vision for both Drupal Gutenberg and the Gutenberg Cloud is to make Gutenberg &#8220;the go-to solution for editing rich content on the web.&#8221; It is still achievable as a separate module but would have more impetus behind it if Drupal adopted it for its default editor.</p>
<p>Gretland said idea behind the Gutenberg Cloud was to provide &#8220;a sustainable ecosystem of blocks but also ease of use.&#8221; The project is a precursor to <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-explores-proposal-for-new-block-directory-to-host-single-block-plugins" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress.org&#8217;s planned JS-only single block library</a>. We discussed whether they perceive any competition between the two directories. </p>
<p>As the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/03/08/the-block-directory-and-a-new-type-of-plugin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discussion</a> on make.wordpress.org was just developing at the time of the interview, I contacted Frontkom CTO Per Andre Rønsen later on to get their thoughts on WordPress.org&#8217;s planned block directory. He had commented on the proposal, asking if this could become a library of truly CMS-agnostic blocks.</p>
<p>&#8220;I <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/03/08/the-block-directory-and-a-new-type-of-plugin/#comment-8947" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">commented</a> on the Make WP blog post right away, because I simply loved the idea of a directory of JS-only blocks,&#8221; Rønsen said. &#8220;We haven’t discussed it directly with Matt, but have had some good chats with the core Gutenberg team, and are planning to meet on a weekly basis. If Gutenberg Cloud can serve as a proof of concept that WP.org can later adopt as their own, we are happy. As the spec is very similar to what we already have created, porting between the two will be easy.&#8221; </p>
<p>Rønsen is advocating for a more open approach that isn&#8217;t so strictly tied to WordPress&#8217; infrastructure. </p>
<p>&#8220;A more ideal approach however, would be to merge the two efforts,&#8221; Rønsen said. &#8220;The key for us, is to make the infrastructure open to other communities, not just WP developers. We are happy to put our project in the hands of the WP core team – given that they share the same open vision.&#8221;</p>
<p>A CMS-agnostic library for Gutenberg blocks is part of Frontkom&#8217;s long term vision for improving the open web. This is one of reasons the team created Gutenberg.js, which provides a foundation for using Gutenberg on any CMS or framework. Gretland said they see it as &#8220;more than just a new editor but a platform that enables communities to build new features.&#8221; This is the vision the team came to share at WordCamp Nordic. Check out the video below to hear more about how the Gutenberg Cloud team is working to make Gutenberg an editor that more open source communities on the web can share.</p>
<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 25 Mar 2019 20:00:42 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"WPTavern: WPWeekly Episode 349 – Sandy Edwards and the Kids Event Working Group Initiative";s:7:"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:59:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88216&preview=true&preview_id=88216";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-349-sandy-edwards-and-the-kids-event-working-group-initiative";s: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:2166:"<p>In this episode, <a href="http://jjj.me">John James Jacoby</a> and I are joined by <a href="https://sandyedwards.me/">Sandy Edwards</a>. Sandy gave us a behind the scenes look at what it takes to organize a WordPress event for children and teens.</p>
<p>She also provides background information on a new group that&#8217;s been formed called the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2019/01/14/call-for-volunteers-kids-events-working-group/">Kids Events Working Group</a>. This group is responsible for setting the foundation for organizers to create and manage WordPress events geared towards children.</p>
<p>John recaps his experience at WordCamp Miami last weekend and we discussed some noteworthy news items.</p>
<h2>Stories Discussed:</h2>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-miami-draws-100-for-kids-camp-plans-to-host-standalone-kids-wordpress-conference-in-summer-2019">WordCamp Miami Draws 100+ for Kid’s Camp, Plans to Host Standalone Kid’s WordPress Conference in Summer 2019</a></p>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-1-1-patches-critical-vulnerability">WordPress 5.1.1 Patches Critical Vulnerability</a></p>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/dark-mode-wordpress-plugin-up-for-adoption">Dark Mode WordPress Plugin Up for Adoption</a></p>
<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/">Gutenberg 5.3 Released</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/66.0/releasenotes/">FireFox 66.0 Released </a></p>
<h2>WPWeekly Meta:</h2>
<p><strong>Next Episode:</strong> Wednesday, March 27th 3:00 P.M. Eastern</p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wordpress-weekly/id694849738">WordPress Weekly via Itunes</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://www.wptavern.com/feed/podcast">WordPress Weekly via RSS</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/wordpress-weekly-podcast?refid=stpr">WordPress Weekly via Stitcher Radio</a></p>
<p>Subscribe to <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ir3keivkvwwh24xy7qiymurwpbe">WordPress Weekly via Google Play</a></p>
<p><strong>Listen To Episode #349:</strong><br />
</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, 22 Mar 2019 20:59:59 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"WPTavern: WordPress Ends Support for PHP 5.2 – 5.5, Bumps Minimum Required PHP Version to 5.6";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88188";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/wordpress-ends-support-for-php-5-2-5-5-bumps-minimum-required-php-version-to-5-6";s: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:4275:"<p>WordPress has officially <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/44950" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ended support for PHP 5.2 &#8211; 5.5</a> and bumped its minimum required PHP version to 5.6. The plan <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/updating-the-minimum-php-version/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> last December was to bump the minimum required version in early 2019 and, depending on the results, bump it again to PHP 7 in December 2019. Sites on PHP 5.5 or earlier can still get security updates but will not be able to upgrade to the latest major WordPress version.</p>
<p>Today only <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/stats/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2% of WordPress sites remain on PHP 5.2</a>. Roughly 20% are on versions 5.5 or earlier. Nearly half of WordPress installs are on PHP 7.0+.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-20-at-10.37.55-PM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>One might wonder why WordPress&#8217; approach isn&#8217;t to just bump it all the way up to PHP 7. With its influence and dominant market share, this requirement would inevitably force users to get on board. However, WordPress contributors believe in supporting users who, for whatever reason, need more help upgrading PHP. Steamrolling this requirement has not been the WordPress way, despite years of immense pressure from the developer community.</p>
<p>&#8220;Leaving users behind for technical reasons creates a two-folded web with only few being able to leverage its power,&#8221; WordPress Core Committer Felix Arntz said. &#8220;Collaborating with and supporting these users gives that power to everyone in the long run.&#8221;</p>
<p>Gary Pendergast shared a few stats about how effective <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-1-improves-editor-performance-encourages-users-to-update-outdated-php-versions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordPress 5.1&#8217;s PHP update notice</a> has been in prodding site owners to get on newer versions of PHP:</p>
<blockquote><p>For WordPress 5.0, sites updated their PHP version from PHP <= 5.6 to PHP 7+ at the rate of 1 basis point per day. That is, the percentage of WordPress 5.0 sites using PHP <= 5.6 dropped by 0.01 every day, prior to the release of WordPress 5.1.
</p>
<p>For WordPress 5.1 (after adding the update notice), that has increased to a steady 5 basis points per day. Doesn’t sounds like much? Every day, that’s hundreds of extra site owners choosing to go through the (frankly, terrifying) process of updating their PHP version. All they needed was a little extra nudge, and a little bit of information.</p>
<p>Scary EOL notices and attitudes of “well, we’re just bumping our supported PHP version, too bad if you don’t know what to do next” don’t help. Giving people the information they need to help themselves works.</p>
<p>WordPress folks are doing our part to help clean up the ancient PHP installs that are still running a large percentage of the internet, and we’re find that this isn’t an insurmountable problem. It just requires a bit of patience and empathy to solve.</p></blockquote>
<p>WordPress developers around the web sent out celebration tweets after the news was announced. Although PHP 5.6 is the new minimum required version for running WordPress, the project&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">technical requirements</a> page recommends users ask their hosts for PHP version 7.3 or greater. PHP 7+ offers massive performance gains for users and developers will be able to update their plugins to use more modern syntax. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is big news!! </p>
<p>WPGraphQL has a minimum requirement of PHP 5.6, so it couldn’t even be considered for core until now. </p>
<p>Still a ways to go before we’re ready for serious consideration, but pretty big news. <a href="https://t.co/gCbJM9VcRc">https://t.co/gCbJM9VcRc</a></p>
<p>&mdash; GraphQL for WordPress (@wpgraphql) <a href="https://twitter.com/wpgraphql/status/1108548227882602496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 21 Mar 2019 04:10:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 5.3 Introduces Block Management, Adds Nesting to the Cover Block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88148";s:7:"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:94:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-5-3-introduces-block-management-adds-nesting-to-the-cover-block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3894:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/block-manager-modal-e1553096924444.png?ssl=1"><img /></a><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gutenberg 5.3</a> was released today with basic block management, a feature that will be included in WordPress 5.2. It is a new modal that can be launched from the vertical ellipses menu, inspired by Rich Tabor&#8217;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v9rXLDv-FM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CoBlocks implementation</a>. Users can turn individual blocks on/off or even entire sections, such as Common Blocks, Formatting, and Embeds. Block management should help users avoid the bloat that happens when installing block collections with more blocks than they need. </p>
<p>This version&#8217;s updates to the Cover Block make it possible to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/13822" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nest other blocks inside of it</a>. Users can now add buttons, paragraphs, and headers to easily create a call to action. It&#8217;s not immediately evident that nesting blocks is possible, despite the floating inserter. It takes a little bit of time to discover that it is available. There are still some quirks with this feature, but overall it makes the Cover Block much more useful than previous versions.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-20-at-11.53.48-AM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>A few contributors commenting on the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/13822" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cover Block&#8217;s nesting PR</a> said that it seems like the work on this iteration is essentially a light version of a section block. They questioned if it might be better to finish the work on the Section block (<a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/4900" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#4900</a>) and build from there. Many developers and designers are eagerly awaiting the addition of a Section block to core, which will provide a standard for the plugin and theme industries to build on.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think the cover block has very specific functionality that the section may not have like the focal point selector,&#8221; Automattic JavaScript engineer Jorge Costa said. &#8220;It is also important to note that the adjustments we make here to the way nesting works will also benefit a future section. This also allows us to test nesting a little bit more, before going to the section block. I expect the section block to be widely used in the community and will probably serve as a basis for many things being built in the future so it is important that we get it right. Exploring in cover will contribute to that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Gutenberg 5.3 adds an experimental Legacy Widget Block that allows existing WordPress widgets to be added as Gutenberg blocks. It offers a dropdown of available widgets. After selecting one, the block populates that area with the widget&#8217;s settings.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-20-at-12.49.23-PM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>This version also <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/14145" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">improves block outlines for the hover and selected states</a> for a more accessible UI with less distraction. Performance benchmarks show a slight decrease in performance with Gutenberg 5.3. Check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/03/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-20th-march/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">release post</a> for a full list of enhancements and bug fixes. This is the last plugin release that will be rolled into the upcoming WordPress 5.2 release.</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, 20 Mar 2019 21:14:47 +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:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"HeroPress: Sometimes bad things that happen to you are good things in disguise";s:7:"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=2716";s:7:"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:208:"https://heropress.com/essays/sometimes-bad-things-that-happen-to-you-are-good-things-in-disguise/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sometimes-bad-things-that-happen-to-you-are-good-things-in-disguise";s: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:10468:"<img width="960" height="480" src="https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/032019-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: Sometimes bad things that happen to you are good things in disguise." /><p>My Mom used to say that things you remember from your past the most are things that had an impact on who you are today. Negative or positive, they affected you in a way that helped create the person you are.</p>
<h3>The Early Days</h3>
<p>Her father said to her, “Jean, you are always welcome but leave your kids at home.” That I will remember until the day I die. Why? We were biracial. My mother (who was White) left her home in Virginia to run away to Cleveland with my father (who was Black, and from West Virginia) to get married. That was in 1956.</p>
<p>My father left us when I was about 8. Left us high and dry. The only positive thing I remember that he gave me was a typewriter. He said to me, “Teach yourself how to type and you’ll always be able to make a living.” I didn’t realize he “gave me anything” until after he died.</p>
<p>After my second failed marriage, I moved my Mom in with me because she was ill. That was 2005 and that’s when my journey with WordPress began. I originally started using Joomla but found that it was too cumbersome to keep up-to-date because things needed to be done manually, whereas WordPress had this cool way of updating the plugins right inside the dashboard. I was hooked and left Joomla behind.</p>
<p>I went back to work full time at one of the local hospitals. But not even a year into it I quit.</p>
<blockquote><p>One morning as I am waiting for the home health aide to arrive, my Mom started to cry and said, “I don’t want to die alone.” I stopped and looked at her and said, “You aren’t going to die alone.”</p></blockquote>
<p>That day, I got to work and one of the doctor’s pissed me off. I thought about what my Mom said and then starting thinking, “I don’t need this bullshit.” I went to my desk and started packing my things. My co-worker said, “What are you doing?” I said, “I quit.” She said, “What?” I said, “I quit.” The doctor ran out, “What are you doing and where are you going?” I said, “I quit, and you can kiss my ass!”</p>
<p>I got home too early and my Mom asks, “Why are you home?” I just stood there. She looked at me and said, “Did you quit?” I started laughing, “Yep sure did and told that doctor he could kiss my ass!” She started giggling! “We’ll be okay.” she said.</p>
<h3>Shifting Gears</h3>
<p>At that moment I said I must take this hobby of building sites part time, to a full fledge business. I hunkered down in one of the upstairs bedrooms and started to write out my strategy. I had already completed a few small business websites, so I contacted them and from there and word of mouth, my business started to grow.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t until after my Mom died that WordPress really saved my life.</p>
<p>We were thick as thieves my Mom and me. She almost died having me. I had a sister (she died last April) but she wasn’t close to us and kept mainly to herself. But Mom and I…we were two peas in a pod all the way up to the day she died. I sat with her for five days in hospice and those were some of the longest days and nights of my life.</p>
<blockquote><p>I felt like someone dropped a weight on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I felt faint. I felt lost.</p></blockquote>
<p>Thank God I had Buster, my dog. If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t know what I would have done. There was a night I just couldn’t bear not having my Mom. I had a bottle of Valium and thought, “I should just get it over with, go be with my Mom.” But I looked down at Buster and thought, “No one is going to take better care of him than me. I can’t do that to him.”</p>
<p>I struggled with depression. Slowly over time I couldn’t function to even work on projects. It finally got to a point where my gas was turned off in the winter and I didn’t have food. I was bundled up with blankets and small heaters in my house to stay warm.</p>
<blockquote><p>Every penny I got, was basically food for Buster. One time I went 5 days without food.</p></blockquote>
<p>My car was repossessed. It was just crazy. Then I got evicted in mid-January 2013. Yep, evicted.</p>
<p>My sister, who I wasn’t close to, had received a lump sum of money from Social Security. She sent money to me since I had cared for our Mom all that time by myself. I rented a van, packed up what I could fit in the U-Haul on my own and ended up at an Extended Stay hotel – in the middle of a blizzard. Left all my furniture behind because I didn’t have help.</p>
<p>I got to the hotel and sat there in the U-Haul. I looked in the mirror and said out loud, “How the fuck did you get here? You don’t even have a pot to piss in!” Buster sitting in the other seat looking at me like I was crazy. That’s when I knew I had hit rock bottom. Depression led me to the bottom.</p>
<h3>Rising Up</h3>
<p>But… that was a good thing! I met a lot of wonderful people online. I joined a few WordPress groups, but mainly the StudioPress forum because I had been using their free themes when they were Revolution Two. Then they developed the Genesis Framework. Their old forum was a gold mine of information and the people were awesome. I learned so much from that forum.</p>
<p>Every day from that point on was WordPress and Genesis. Meeting more people, learning more code. I was completely off the grid in that hotel room! No one here even knew where I was that’s how far off the grid I was. But sometimes, you must do that in order to focus and get back on track.</p>
<blockquote><p>There were a lot of bumps in that road the first year, too many to even write out in this essay, but I learned something from each bump.</p></blockquote>
<p>My business grew from word-of-mouth, I started getting work from people who needed help who saw me on social media and through the forums. Work from people all over the world. It truly was exciting.</p>
<p>Each day is still WordPress and websites. Learning new things every day. Sitting with Slack windows open and chatting with other WordPress people online. It’s been my entire world since 2013 and pretty much my “Saving Grace” because I feel like I know some people online better than people right here in the same city where I live at. I lived in the hotel for 2 years. Not because I had to but because I wanted to.</p>
<h3>The Power of Communiity</h3>
<p>The WordPress community is awesome and giving. The Genesis community is the same. It feels like family and I’ve never met anyone in person but care so much about the people! I would hope that those who know me would feel the same.</p>
<p>A friend recently shared a quote by the author Dodinsky that started off, “A lot of walking away will do your life good.” But it was the end that really caught my attention and it said, “The more you walk away from things that poison your soul, the healthier your life will be.”</p>
<p>And that is so true. Healthier in a sense that I walked away from all the bad, negative things and people that were in my space. I was able to grieve and heal. Sometimes bad things that happen to you are good things in disguise.</p>
<p>What’s in my future? Well, one of my dreams is to get a Sprinter Van, have it customized for living on the road and drive cross country with Bella. Buster passed end of 2016 and Bella is my other life-saver. I’d love to drive cross country and stop and meet people I’ve met in the WordPress community. I know I can’t really make that happen, but I can dream, can’t I? LOL!</p>
<p>I’d love to follow you on Twitter. Follow me at @thecre8tivediva and I’ll follow you back!</p>
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<p><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/sometimes-bad-things-that-happen-to-you-are-good-things-in-disguise/" title="Sometimes bad things that happen to you are good things in disguise"></a></div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/sometimes-bad-things-that-happen-to-you-are-good-things-in-disguise/">Sometimes bad things that happen to you are good things in disguise</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, 20 Mar 2019 12:00:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Anita Carter";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:122:"WPTavern: WordCamp Miami Draws 100+ for Kid’s Camp, Plans to Host Standalone Kid’s WordPress Conference in Summer 2019";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88102";s:7:"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:125:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-miami-draws-100-for-kids-camp-plans-to-host-standalone-kids-wordpress-conference-in-summer-2019";s: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:4384:"<p>The 11th edition of <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WordCamp Miami</a> was held this past weekend, a three-day event that featured multiple learning workshops and six different tracks. The speaker ratio was 50% male and 50% female, and nearly half of the speakers were new to WordCamp Miami.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another great year of amazing, diverse speakers! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCMIA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCMIA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WordPress</a> <a href="https://t.co/e2smmCpPAF">pic.twitter.com/e2smmCpPAF</a></p>
<p>&mdash; WordCamp Miami (@wordcampmiami) <a href="https://twitter.com/wordcampmiami/status/1107383222453833728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>One of the highlights of this year&#8217;s event were the WordPress stories coming out of the Kid&#8217;s Panel. WordCamp Miami has been hosting learning experiences for kids since 2014 and for the past four years has included a two-day Kid&#8217;s Camp along with a Kid&#8217;s Panel. More than 100 children (not including parents and guardians) attended this year&#8217;s event. Some of the kids who are more experienced with WordPress shared their experiences during the Kid&#8217;s Panel.  </p>
<p>Kids reported that they using WordPress for blogs, science projects, and robotic competitions. One fifth grade student, who has been using WordPress for three years, said she plans to continue using it to document her life and share her future educational experiences:</p>
<p>&#8220;I plan to be using it later in my life when I go to college, so I can be talking about what my life journey was and what I&#8217;m going to be studying, which is software engineering.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Listen to how a 4th grader explains why she likes using <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WordPress</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCMIA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCMIA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zd5cRP3Afg">pic.twitter.com/Zd5cRP3Afg</a></p>
<p>&mdash; David Bisset (@dimensionmedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia/status/1107290298756009985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<h3>Miami to Host New One-Day WordPress Event for Kids and Teachers</h3>
<p>The growing popularity of WordCamp Miami&#8217;s kids events has inspired organizers to host a new one-day event for kids and teachers. The date has not yet been set but the plan is to have it scheduled for summer 2019. </p>
<p>The event will be divided into two tracks, one for kids aged 6 to 18 and another for teachers and educators. The kid&#8217;s track will include talks on WordPress, MineCraft, STEAM/STEM activities, and ways they can improve their coding skills. Teachers and educators will have a dedicated track with talks that will help them incorporate coding, WordPress, and broader STEAM/STEM activities into their curricula.</p>
<p>In their <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/kids-at-wordcamp-miami-2019/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcement</a>, WordCamp Miami&#8217;s organizers said they believe the next generation of WordPress users are &#8220;vital to the growth of the open web.&#8221; They are looking for sponsors to cover the costs of snacks and lunch for approximately 100 students, volunteers and speakers to give presentations on various subjects for kids and teachers, and people to spread the word to schools in the Dade/Broward area.</p>
<p>Kids engaging with WordPress is one of the most inspiring things happening in the community right now. It&#8217;s the spark of a new generation of users who are embracing the concept of sharing their ideas on the open web. WordPress&#8217; Community team also has a new <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/tag/kids-events/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kids Event Working Group</a> that kicked off last month to support the growth of these kinds of events around the world. They are currently working on documentation, training guides, legal documents, supply lists, and other resources. This is another way to get involved if you don&#8217;t live near a local kid&#8217;s event.</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, 20 Mar 2019 00:57:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:98:"WPTavern: New Tools for Theme Developers: Theme Sniffer Plugin and Automated Accessibility 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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88080";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"https://wptavern.com/new-tools-for-theme-developers-theme-sniffer-plugin-and-automated-accessibility-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:2707:"<p>WordPress contributor teams have shipped several new tools for theme developers in the past couple weeks, which have the potential to raise the quality of new themes coming into the ecosystem. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-sniffer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Theme Sniffer</a> plugin is a new effort from the Theme Review team that uses custom sniffs for <a href="https://github.com/squizlabs/PHP_CodeSniffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PHP_CodeSniffer</a> to test a theme against WordPress coding standards and check for PHP version compatibility.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/theme-sniffer.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The plugin is useful for both theme reviewers and developers who want to get their themes approved for the WordPress.org directory. It includes several optional standards to test against beyond the ruleset for theme review requirements. Passing the Theme Sniffer checks is not required for themes entering the directory but reviewers can use the plugin to speed the process up.</p>
<p>The Accessibility Team also published a new tool called <a href="https://github.com/wpaccessibility/wp-theme-auditor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WP Theme Auditor</a> that runs <a href="https://www.deque.com/axe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Axe</a> tests against a theme for automated accessibility feedback. Axe is an open source library and testing engine created by the accessibility experts at <a href="https://www.deque.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deque</a>. The WP Theme Auditor package can be installed into a theme&#8217;s root directory. Developers can then add test cases. Examples are available in the project&#8217;s <a href="https://github.com/wpaccessibility/wp-theme-auditor#readme" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">README file</a>. The tests are run against <a href="http://one.wordpress.test" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://one.wordpress.test</a> by default but developers can specify a different test environment URL.</p>
<p>The Accessibility team plans to expand the test cases in the tool to include all the content from the current <a href="https://github.com/wpaccessibility/a11y-theme-unit-test/blob/master/a11y-theme-unit-test-data.xml" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Theme Unit Test Data</a> package. In the most recent team meeting, they decided to recommend WP Theme Auditor as a WordPress testing tool and plan to post more details about it on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">make.wordpress.org/accessibility</a> blog.</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, 19 Mar 2019 03:42:50 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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: A Quick Introduction to WordPress’ Date/Time Component";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88053";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"https://wptavern.com/a-quick-introduction-to-wordpress-date-time-component";s: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:3109:"<p>At WordCamp Nordic&#8217;s contributor day I had the opportunity to chat with <a href="https://www.rarst.net" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrey &#8220;Rarst&#8221; Savchenko</a> about WordPress&#8217; <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/components/date-time/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Date/Time component</a>, the code that manages date, time, and timezone functionality. Savchenko is one of the maintainers of this lesser-known component, which includes code that dates back to PHP 4 times. After volunteering for years in the WordPress Stack Exchange forums, he encountered some of the worst Date/Time bugs, eventually spurring him on to get involved improving the code.</p>
<p>&#8220;From there it was a slow descent into the madness of the component,&#8221; Savchenko said. &#8220;Much of my experience ended up in my <a href="https://github.com/Rarst/wpdatetime" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WpDateTime library</a>. By last year I was, at last, confident I had a good grasp on the extent of the problem and a way forward for core.&#8221;</p>
<p>Date/Time issues affect both developers and users. Savchenko said most of the problems, by volume, are related to an incorrect output of localized time by `date_i18n()`. These things can trickle down to users and affect post scheduling, querying, and other operations.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some of them are outright bugs and some are easy to break due to incompatibility with Unix timestamps,&#8221; Savchenko said. &#8220;But many other parts of the core have problems related to time &#8211; most often around time zones and daylight savings time. Posts can end up with the wrong time, not published when needed, sorted in the wrong order, and so on.&#8221;</p>
<p>The requirement for backwards compatibility makes progress slow but Savchenko and fellow contributors shipped some of their work in the most recent release of WordPress. They will have more solutions available to pursue when the minimum required PHP version is bumped.</p>
<p>&#8220;In WordPress 5.1 we had shipped a set of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?component=Date%2FTime&milestone=5.1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">important fixes for documentation and some of the worst bugs in `date_i18n()`</a>. </p>
<p>&#8220;At the moment we continue to work on outstanding issues and get ready to implement <a href="https://github.com/Rarst/wp-date/issues/4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a set of major new API functions</a>. The work on the component has also revitalized the discussion of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/18146" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introducing user timezones</a>. However I think those need a lot of UX work to reach workable proposal.&#8221;</p>
<p>Check out the video below for a quick overview of the work being done on the Date/Time component and find out how you can get involved at the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-datetime" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#core-datetime</a> channel in WordPress Slack.</p>
<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 18 Mar 2019 20:04:49 +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: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:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"WPTavern: GitHub Is Testing Commits on Behalf of Organizations";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=88028";s:7:"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:73:"https://wptavern.com/github-is-testing-commits-on-behalf-of-organizations";s: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:2012:"<p>GitHub users may soon be able to <a href="https://github.blog/changelog/2019-03-15-creating-a-commit-on-behalf-of-an-organization/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contribute to projects on behalf of an organization</a>. This feature has often been requested by developers who are contributing on behalf of their employers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Corporate contributions to the third-party open source projects can still be a source of friction and ambiguity,&#8221; GitHub Product Manager Ben Balter said. &#8220;We&#8217;re beta testing a new platform-agnostic commit pattern we hope can help you contribute on behalf of your employer.&#8221;</p>
<p>Committers who are members of an organization can add a commit trailer in the following format: </p>
<pre class="brush: php; light: true; title: ; notranslate">On-behalf-of: @ORG &lt;ORG CONTACT EMAIL&gt;</pre>
<p>The committer must use an email that matches the organization’s verified domain and sign the commit. Committing on behalf of an organization can also be done <a href="https://help.github.com/en/articles/creating-a-commit-on-behalf-of-an-organization" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">via the command line</a>. </p>
<p>Balter posted a demo of how the organization&#8217;s badge appears next to the committer&#8217;s. The feature is now in public beta:</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/github-commit-organization.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how well this is adopted among individuals and organizations committing to open source projects. Some projects have more overt contribution from commercial entities than others. Having individuals commit on behalf of their employers makes it easier to track contributions funded by organizations. It may also provide project owners a more accurate picture of how deeply companies are invested in a project, especially in scenarios where the lines between individual and employer contributions are blurry or unclear.</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, 16 Mar 2019 01:17:12 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"WPTavern: Deploy WordPress Plugins from GitHub to the WordPress.org Plugin Repository";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=87994";s:7:"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:96:"https://wptavern.com/deploy-wordpress-plugins-from-github-to-the-wordpress-org-plugin-repository";s: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:2439:"<p>10up has <a href="https://10up.com/blog/2019/introducing-github-actions-for-wordpress-plugins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">released a GitHub Action</a> that enables developers to deploy to the WordPress.org Plugin repository by tagging a new version on GitHub. Helen Hou-Sandí, 10up&#8217;s Director of Open Source Initiatives, explained how it works:</p>
<blockquote><p>You’ll be able to manage your entire development lifecycle in GitHub—no more futzing with local Bash scripts or controlling commit/push access in multiple places. You reference our action in your plugin repo’s workflow file, filtered to only run when a tag is pushed, and set your username/password secrets. After that, each time you tag a new version on GitHub, whether by pushing a Git tag from the command line or making one using the GitHub releases interface, your plugin will be deployed to WordPress.org.</p></blockquote>
<p>Developers who want to use this Action will need to <a href="https://github.com/features/actions/signup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sign up for beta access to GitHub Actions</a> in order to create their own Actions-enabled repo for pushing plugin releases to WordPress.org. Check out 10up&#8217;s release <a href="https://10up.com/blog/2019/introducing-github-actions-for-wordpress-plugins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post</a> and the <a href="https://github.com/10up/actions-wordpress/blob/master/dotorg-plugin-deploy/README.md" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">README file</a> for instructions on how to use and customize the WordPress.org Plugin Deploy action. </p>
<p>Reception from the WordPress development community has been enthusiastic, as anything that removes WordPress.org&#8217;s requirement to use SVN qualifies as a little piece of magic. 10up is working on more WordPress Actions that they plan to release soon.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This project makes me want to make a plugin again <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/2764.png" alt="❤" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11.2.0/72x72/1f64c.png" alt="🙌" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://t.co/aTtTpu6562">https://t.co/aTtTpu6562</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jeremy Felt (@jeremyfelt) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremyfelt/status/1106273161383796736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:52:32 +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:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:41:"WordPress.org blog: One-third of the web!";s:7:"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:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=6789";s:7:"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/2019/03/one-third-of-the-web/";s: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:2168:"<p>WordPress now powers over 1/3rd of the top 10 million sites on the web according to <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management/all">W3Techs</a>. Our market share has been growing steadily over the last few years, going from 29.9% just one year ago to 33.4% now. We are, of course, quite proud of these numbers! <br /></p>



<p>The path here has been very exciting. In 2005, we were celebrating <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2005/03/fifty-thousand/">50,000 downloads</a>. Six years later, in January 2011, WordPress was powering 13.1% of websites. And now, early in 2019, we are powering 33.4% of sites. Our latest release has already been <a href="https://wordpress.org/download/counter/">downloaded close to 14 million times</a>, and it was only released on the 21st of February.<br /></p>



<img src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/03/w3techs-content-management-systems-usage.png?w=632&ssl=1" alt="Graph showing the growth of WordPress market share relative to other CMS's like Joomla, Drupal and others. Starting at just over 10% in January 2011 to 33.4% now." class="wp-image-6790" />WordPress market share on the rise over the last 8 years. Image source: <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management/all/y">W3Techs</a>.



<p>Over the years WordPress has become the CMS of choice for more and more people and companies. As various businesses use WordPress, the variety of WordPress sites grows. Large enterprise businesses all the way down to small local businesses: all of them use WordPress to power their site. We love seeing that and we strive to continuously make WordPress better for all of you.</p>



<p>We&#8217;d like to thank everyone who works on WordPress, which is built and maintained by a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org">huge community of volunteers</a> that has grown alongside the CMS. This incredible community makes it possible for WordPress to keep growing while still also remaining <em>free</em>. And of course, we’d like to thank all of you <em>using</em> WordPress for using it and trusting in it. To all of you: let’s celebrate!</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, 15 Mar 2019 13:16:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Joost de Valk";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"WPTavern: WordCamp Miami to Livestream Workshops, Sessions, and a Worldwide WordPress Trivia Contest March 15-17";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=87992";s:7:"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:121:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-miami-to-livestream-workshops-sessions-and-a-worldwide-wordpress-trivia-contest-march-15-17";s: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:2166:"<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-9.23.29-PM.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">WordCamp Miami</a> (WCMIA) is heading into its 11th year running this weekend, making it one of the longest running non-profit tech conferences in South Florida. Known for its many learning opportunities and workshops, the event spans three days from March 15 &#8211; 17 at <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/location/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Florida International University</a>.</p>
<p>For the vast majority of the WordPress world that cannot make it to Miami, the next best alternative is tuning into the <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/live/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">free livestream</a>. WCMIA will be broadcasting a selection of workshops and sessions from the schedule, beginning with the Freelancer’s Workshop on Friday, March 15. The main event features six different tracks, and Saturday&#8217;s live broadcast will include sessions from &#8220;WordPress &#038; The Web&#8221; and the &#8220;Design &#038; Community&#8221; tracks. Sunday&#8217;s livestream will broadcast sessions from the <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/2019/02/12/introducing-the-wordcamp-miami-business-track-for-2019/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Business track</a>. </p>
<p>WCMIA is also hosting a <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/2019/03/14/wordcamp-miami-hosts-worldwide-wordpress-trivia-contest/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">worldwide WordPress trivia contest</a> on Saturday, March 16, at 6PM EST. It is open to both in-person attendees and livestream viewers. Directions for how to sign into kahoot.it remotely for the game show are <a href="https://2019.miami.wordcamp.org/2019/03/14/wordcamp-miami-hosts-worldwide-wordpress-trivia-contest/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">available on the event&#8217;s website</a>. Digital prizes may be awarded to those playing online and winners will be announced on the <a href="https://twitter.com/wordcampmiami" rel="noopener" target="_blank">WCMIA 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:"Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:28:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"WPTavern: Automattic Takes on Facebook with “A Meditation on the Open Web”";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=87971";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-takes-on-facebook-with-a-meditation-on-the-open-web";s: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:3913:"<p>Last week Automattic published a video titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB5gaJloeRU" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A meditation on the open web</a>&#8221; that calls out Facebook as the antithesis of the open web:</p>
<blockquote><p>As you get closer the air gets smoggier and you realize it&#8217;s a vast metropolis. It&#8217;s surrounded by high concrete walls, completely contained. Inside it&#8217;s bustling, lots of honking traffic, people everywhere, the sound is deafening. You see people arguing in bars and chatting on street corners. Billboards and advertisements are everywhere, touting ever kind of good and service. It&#8217;s noisy and dense and overwhelming. </p>
<p>This is Facebook.</p></blockquote>
<p>The video also likens Instagram to a cookie cutter housing development that is actually just a collection of billboards with no one living there.</p>
<p>My expectation before playing the video was that it would enumerate the positive aspects of the open web but I was surprised to find it juxtaposed with Facebook and Instagram in a somewhat jarring fashion midway through. It effectively communicates the stark contrast between the limitations and restrictions of social media silos and the freedom of owning your own website.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Open Web Meditation was created as a design experiment at Automattic that encourages viewers to look beyond the walls of dominant social media platforms and consider how our experiences on the web differ based on where we choose to share our ideas. The company is looking to gain global exposure for the video by <a href="https://github.com/automattic/openwebmeditation" rel="noopener" target="_blank">inviting people to create their own versions of it in their own languages</a>. </p>
<p>Automattic&#8217;s video is a timely message, as the world pauses to reflect on the 30th birthday of the World Wide Web this week. In his <a href="https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">open letter</a> published by the Web Foundation, Tim Berners-Lee urged companies, governments, and the web&#8217;s citizens not to give up on building a better web. He identified &#8220;system design that creates perverse incentives,&#8221; where user value is sacrificed, as one of the most dangerous threats to the web at this time.</p>
<p>&#8220;You can’t just blame one government, one social network or the human spirit,&#8221; Berners-Lee said. &#8220;Simplistic narratives risk exhausting our energy as we chase the symptoms of these problems instead of focusing on their root causes. To get this right, we will need to come together as a global web community.&#8221;</p>
<p>Many commercial entities have enjoyed extraordinary and unprecedented opportunities and influence because of the creation of the world wide web. Berners-Lee underscored their responsibility toward the public as stewards of the open web.</p>
<p>&#8220;Companies must do more to ensure their pursuit of short-term profit is not at the expense of human rights, democracy, scientific fact or public safety,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Platforms and products must be designed with privacy, diversity and security in mind. This year, we’ve seen a number of tech employees stand up and demand better business practices. We need to encourage that spirit.&#8221;</p>
<p>In an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47524474" rel="noopener" target="_blank">interview with the BBC</a>, Berners-Lee said that global action is required tackle the web&#8217;s &#8220;downward plunge to a dysfunctional future.&#8221; This 30-year anniversary is a good time to re-examine our complex relationships with centralized services and return to the <a href="https://webfoundation.org/about/vision/history-of-the-web/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">guiding principles</a> that have made the web a universal, open place of opportunity.</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, 14 Mar 2019 19:56:42 +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:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"Matt: The Web Turns 30";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"https://ma.tt/?p=49261";s:7:"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:39:"https://ma.tt/2019/03/the-web-turns-30/";s: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:1358:"<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In 2003, <a href="https://twitter.com/WordPress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WordPress</a> was created to democratize publishing on the open web. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Web30?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Web30</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheWeb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForTheWeb</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Xny14pqu4">pic.twitter.com/1Xny14pqu4</a></p>&mdash; Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) <a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt/status/1105574279091900416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>&#8220;Vague, but exciting.&#8221; Thirty years ago yesterday, Sir Tim Berners-Lee submitted his original proposal for an information management system to his boss at CERN &#8212; what would later become the World Wide Web (and, it turns out, a huge influence on my life and career).</p>



<p>To help celebrate, I tweeted WordPress&#8217;s contribution to the web&#8217;s grand timeline (above), and I got to participate in <a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2019/03/13/meeting-the-pioneers-of-the-world-wide-web?fsrc=gp_en">The Economist&#8217;s Babbage podcast</a> looking back at the pioneers of the early web. Listen to the whole episode below: </p>



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

</div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 Mar 2019 18:28:27 +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:4:"Matt";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"WPTavern: WordPress 5.1.1 Patches Critical Vulnerability";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=87953";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-1-1-patches-critical-vulnerability";s: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:2091:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2019/03/wordpress-5-1-1-security-and-maintenance-release/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">WordPress 5.1.1</a> was released yesterday evening with an important security update for a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability found in 5.1 and prior versions. The release post credited Simon Scannell of RIPS Technologies for discovering and reporting the vulnerability. Scannell published a <a href="https://blog.ripstech.com/2019/wordpress-csrf-to-rce/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">post</a> summarizing how an unauthenticated attacker could take over any WordPress site that has comments enabled:</p>
<blockquote><p>An attacker can take over any WordPress site that has comments enabled by tricking an administrator of a target blog to visit a website set up by the attacker. As soon as the victim administrator visits the malicious website, a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) exploit is run against the target WordPress blog in the background, without the victim noticing. The CSRF exploit abuses multiple logic flaws and sanitization errors that when combined lead to Remote Code Execution and a full site takeover.</p></blockquote>
<p>Since WordPress ships with comments enabled by default, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability on any site with the default settings. Auto-updates went out yesterday but administrators who have background updates disabled are advised to update immediately.</p>
<p>The maintenance release also includes the ability for hosts to <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/46074" rel="noopener" target="_blank">offer a button to prompt their users to update PHP</a> ahead of WordPress&#8217; planned <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/updating-the-minimum-php-version/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">minimum PHP version bump in 5.2</a>. The &#8220;Update PHP&#8221; notice can be filtered to change the recommended version. </p>
<p><a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?milestone=5.1.2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Version 5.1.2</a> is expected to follow in two 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:"Thu, 14 Mar 2019 03:42:29 +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:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"WPTavern: Dark Mode WordPress Plugin Up for Adoption";s:7:"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:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=87912";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"https://wptavern.com/dark-mode-wordpress-plugin-up-for-adoption";s: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:3804:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dark-mode.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Daniel James is putting his <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/dark-mode/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dark Mode</a> plugin up for adoption. </p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m stepping back from plugin development (and WordPress contributions) and would like to see someone passionate about it pick it up,&#8221; James said.</p>
<p>Dark Mode has 2,000 active installations and is the most popular among a handful of dark or &#8220;night mode&#8221; plugins in the official directory. In August 2018, James submitted a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/08/30/merge-proposal-dark-mode/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">merge proposal</a> for including Dark Mode in core, but it was shot down the same day it was published. Gary Pendergast said the proposal &#8220;seemed premature&#8221; and noted that the project was lacking several merge criteria outlined on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/about/release-cycle/features-as-plugins/#feature-plugin-merge-criteria" rel="noopener" target="_blank">the Handbook page for feature plugins</a>. He cited a lack of weekly chats, no kickoff and update posts, and no testing from the Flow team, among other concerns.</p>
<p>&#8220;I decided recently that because of the direction WordPress is going in with the move towards React with Gutenberg that I should probably focus my efforts elsewhere,&#8221; James said. </p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s mostly to do with the merge proposal getting rejected fairly quickly without any helpful next steps on how to improve it. Plus, with how rapidly Gutenberg is being developed, I&#8217;d have to pretty much work in tandem with the Gutenberg team to ensure the Dark Mode plugin styled the UI correctly. That&#8217;s spare time I just don&#8217;t have.</p>
<p>&#8220;I feel like WordPress leadership is another reason. It&#8217;s really difficult (I think/feel) to get something like Dark Mode pushed through. It&#8217;s very much near the bottom of the priority list, which I get, but sucks a bit when you&#8217;re volunteering in spare time of course.&#8221; James said the plugin currently requires a few hours per week in support and maintenance.</p>
<p>The popularity of dark modes for applications has taken off after macOS Mojave introduced a dark mode, and has also been spurred on by the news that Apple&#8217;s 2020 iPhone lineup will be produced with OLED screens. Many popular applications, such as YouTube, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, and Google Maps already have a dark mode that either works automatically based on light conditions or can be manually enabled. Chrome also recently <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/9275525" rel="noopener" target="_blank">added a dark browsing mode for Mac users</a>. Fans of dark mode claim it is <a href="https://www.popsci.com/night-dark-mode-design" rel="noopener" target="_blank">easier on the eyes and conserves battery</a>. </p>
<p>Users who tend to gravitate towards dark mode are still a small subset, but the feature is gaining momentum. A dark mode may one day come to WordPress core but it doesn&#8217;t seem likely in the near future. Daniel James&#8217; Dark Mode plugin isn&#8217;t ready for core, since it doesn&#8217;t support the new editor, but he said he hopes the new owner will find the time to take it where it needs to go. </p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m happy to transfer the plugin to someone else to continue it, as long as they&#8217;re well known/respected,&#8221; James said. &#8220;I won&#8217;t just be giving it away for security reasons. It would be great for it to be included in core one day, but at the very least it would be nice for someone who really likes it to just continue it.&#8221;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 13 Mar 2019 22:51:09 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";O:42:"Requests_Utility_CaseInsensitiveDictionary":1:{s:7:"*data";a:8:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:15:02 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:00:10 GMT";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:4:"x-nc";s:9:"HIT ord 2";s:16:"content-encoding";s:4:"gzip";}}s:5:"build";s:14:"20130911163210";}