a:4:{s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:3:"rss";a:1:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:3:"


";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:7:"version";s:3:"2.0";}}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:1:{s:7:"channel";a:1:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:61:"
	
	
	
	




















































";s: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:123:"WPTavern: All in One SEO Plugin Turns on Automatic Updates without Notifying Users, Removes Functionality in Latest Release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109933";s:7:"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:289:"https://wptavern.com/all-in-one-seo-plugin-turns-on-automatic-updates-without-notifying-users-removes-functionality-in-latest-release?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-in-one-seo-plugin-turns-on-automatic-updates-without-notifying-users-removes-functionality-in-latest-release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4960:"<p>Buried in the <a href="https://aioseo.com/changelog/">changelog</a> of a series of minor releases that dropped before the Christmas holiday, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/">All in One SEO</a> plugin users were given the surprise gift of automatic updates. After a seemingly endless run of releases (12 updates during a span of six weeks at the end of 2020), the plugin&rsquo;s developers decided to change its auto update policy so that it defaults to &ldquo;on.&rdquo; The plugin is installed on more than 2 million WordPress sites.</p>



<p>Version 4.0.8, released December 21, 2020, flipped on automatic updates without notifying users of the change. Despite having auto updates turned off for the plugin, many users discovered the change when they were notified by email that their sites had been updated without permission. </p>



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



<p>Frustrated users took to the plugin&rsquo;s support forums to report the issue and find out how it was possible.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Multiple sites have updated to 4.0.11 without my permission and while all auto updates are disabled,&rdquo; one user <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-update-29/#post-13837970">said</a>. &ldquo;I/we do not want to hear that &lsquo;it shouldn&rsquo;t happen&rsquo; and we are looking into.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Your once reliable plugin has destroyed hundreds of pages of social meta data on multiple sites, broken layout (and this after I fixed the problems and told you last week, I will be disabling all updates).&rdquo;</p>



<p>Others commented on the issue, citing problems with a previous major release as the source of many bugs that followed.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The rollout of version 4, and auto-updating without any chance to backup first was a blunder by AIOSEO,&rdquo; plugin user Derek Haines <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sudden-rush-of-5-star-reviews/">said</a>. &ldquo;It has cost me hours, days, and now weeks to fix the problems caused.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The All in One SEO plugin team <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-update-29/#post-13840599">apologized</a> for the inconvenience users experienced but said they could not reproduce it on their end. The plugin&rsquo;s settings page has a toggle for auto updates but it is just a wrapper for WordPress&rsquo; auto updater.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I just wanted to give you an update and let you know that we&rsquo;ve decided to remove our own auto-update functionality all together since this issue seems to be happening on a limited amount of websites and we aren&rsquo;t able to reproduce it on our end,&rdquo; Arnaud Broes said.</p>



<p>The problem was also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/3806581632737356">discussed</a> in the Advanced WordPress Facebook group.</p>



<p>&ldquo;All In One SEO Pack apparently turned auto updates on, and in a few cases I found sites where those updates failed,&rdquo; Eric Karkovack reported. &ldquo;I had no idea they were turned on and in one case a site was inaccessible.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Karkovack noted that there was only a small mention in the changelog, despite the plugin liberally using the dashboard notification UI for sales.</p>



<p>William Earnhardt, WordPress core contributor and developer at Bluehost, offered some insight as someone who has worked on core as well as plugins installed on a massive scale.</p>



<p>&ldquo;In my experience if you are weighing the two options, auto-updates prevent significantly more issues and support requests than they create,&rdquo; Earnhardt said. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;m strongly in the camp of enabling them by default, with a mechanism for preventing or disabling for those who prefer (core makes this possible with filters and now with per-plugin UI). </p>



<p>&ldquo;I think when making these decisions, we as developers have to consider what is best for the broadest number of users and be realistic about the type of users we have. If a user is already not updating plugins regularly, it is unlikely they are going to have the awareness to flip a toggle to turn auto-updates on. So opt-in makes them mostly useless.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Earnhardt agreed that notifying users of the change would have been a good idea, but admin notices are already &ldquo;frequently abused and quite noisy.&rdquo;</p>



<p>&ldquo;It would likely be missed if not persistent, but really should only show after the update and then go away,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Is that enough when combined with a note in the changelog? Probably for most, but I&rsquo;m sure some would disagree.&rdquo;</p>



<p>As promised nine days ago, All in One SEO&rsquo;s developers have now removed the functionality from the plugin in its first update of 2021, version 4.0.12 released today. It is noted in the changelog: &ldquo;Fixed: Completely remove auto updates wrapper to let WordPress handle updates.&rdquo; </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 06 Jan 2021 23:47:00 +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: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:84:"WPTavern: Liquid Web Acquires The Events Calendar WordPress Plugin From Modern Tribe";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109909";s:7:"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:213:"https://wptavern.com/liquid-web-acquires-the-events-calendar-wordpress-plugin-from-modern-tribe?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=liquid-web-acquires-the-events-calendar-wordpress-plugin-from-modern-tribe";s: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:4092:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Liquid Web <a href="https://ithemes.com/the-events-calendar-plugin-joining-liquid-web-family/">announced today</a> via the iThemes blog that it acquired The Events Calendar from Modern Tribe. The acquisition gives them ownership of the plugin, its suite of event-related plugins, and the team behind it all.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve acquired all the associated plugins, including Event Tickets, etc.,&rdquo; said Matt Danner, the COO at iThemes. &ldquo;They identify under the single umbrella of The Events Calendar as a team, so we&rsquo;ve continued to position the team that way.&rdquo;</p>



<p>As part of the acquisition, the 50+ employees from The Events Calendar plugin team are now a part of the Liquid Web family. They will continue working on the plugin and its related products. Zach Tirrell <a href="https://theeventscalendar.com/blog/news/the-events-calendar-joins-the-liquid-web-family/">announced on The Events Calendar blog</a> that he would remain at the helm and that the team structure was not changing.</p>



<p>The remaining 74 employees of Modern Tribe will continue working on the agency&rsquo;s other projects, including clients like Microsoft and Harvard University. Reid Peifer, the Creative Director at Modern Tribe, teased potential future projects in his <a href="https://tri.be/blog/the-events-calendar-joins-the-liquid-web-family/">announcement post</a>. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t help but make things, so you may see a few surprises from us in the coming months as well.&rdquo;</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/the-events-calendar/">The Events Calendar plugin</a> on WordPress.org currently has over 800,000 active installs with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Modern Tribe launched the plugin in 2011 and has continued to build a larger product line and customer base around it over the last decade.</p>



<p>For existing customers, it should be business as usual. Nothing has changed about who is currently developing The Events Calendar. The website is still a separate entity, and billing will remain the same.</p>



<p>The acquisition is mere months after iThemes, owned by Liquid Web, <a href="https://wptavern.com/ithemes-enters-the-wordpress-membership-plugin-market-acquires-restrict-content-pro">purchased Restrict Content Pro</a> (RCP), a membership plugin. While RCP continues to have an independent site, users can snag it with one of the plugin bundles directly from the iThemes website.</p>



<p>However, The Events Calendar will be wholly independent of iThemes. Customers hoping to see a similar bundle with The Events Calendar will be out of luck.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The RCP acquisition was done under the iThemes brand,&rdquo; said Danner. &ldquo;We brought that team into our team, and the membership product is a key part of how we&rsquo;re positioning iThemes. The Event Calendar&rsquo;s acquisition was done under the larger Liquid Web brand. Their team is coming into Liquid Web alongside iThemes as part of the bigger software division. While we definitely think there are future opportunities to collaborate between our teams (which could include bundles of products from both teams), their products are not going to become part of the iThemes product line.&rdquo;</p>



<p>One of the biggest remaining questions is whether the separate teams will eventually create integrations between The Events Calendar and RCP. There are multiple reasons event organizers might want to restrict content based on memberships, especially when it comes to virtual events. Danner did not give up any specific plans in his response.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very excited to explore all the opportunities to integrate our products,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think there are some great opportunities for RCP and TEC to work more closely together, and both customer bases have requested deeper integration between the two. This acquisition was a perfect fit from so many angles. The people, the values of the team, and the products all align with what we&rsquo;re building at Liquid Web.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 06 Jan 2021 22:21:22 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:2;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"Akismet: Version 4.1.8 of the Akismet WordPress Plugin is Now Available";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"http://blog.akismet.com/?p=2109";s:7:"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://blog.akismet.com/2021/01/06/version-4-1-8-of-the-akismet-wordpress-plugin-is-now-available/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:667:"<p>Version 4.1.8 of <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the Akismet plugin for WordPress</a> is now available. It contains the following changes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Removal of a deprecated jQuery function.</li>
<li>A fix for a bug causing some data to be excluded from API calls when marking a comment as spam or not-spam.&nbsp; This should improve spam detection accuracy.</li>
</ul>
<p>To upgrade, visit the Updates page of your WordPress dashboard and follow the instructions. If you need to download the plugin zip file directly, links to all versions are available in <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the WordPress plugins directory</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 06 Jan 2021 17:01:02 +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:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"Christopher Finke";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:33:"Matt: Farnam Street and Postlight";s:7:"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=53384";s:7:"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:50:"https://ma.tt/2021/01/farnam-street-and-postlight/";s: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:2137:"<p>I recorded two interviews very far apart from each other, but which have surprisingly both come out today. The first is for one of my favorite sites on the web, <a href="https://fs.blog/">Farnam Street</a>. I was honored to be <a href="https://fs.blog/knowledge-project/">episode 100 on their Knowledge Project podcast</a>. Knowledge Project is probably one of the podcasts I&#8217;ve listened to the most since it started. Please check out their other guests as well, they really do have the most interesting conversations with the most interesting folks.</p>



<p>Shane and I cover turnarounds, how environment affects performance, pros and cons of distributed work, uncovering your lacuna, mental models, and patterns of decision making.</p>



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

</div>



<p>On a completely different vein, I did a deep geek-out on technology and content management systems with <a href="https://ginatrapani.org/">Gina Trapani</a> and <a href="https://www.ftrain.com/">Paul Ford</a>, two of my favorite technologists, <a href="https://postlight.com/podcast/wordpress-and-beyond-with-matthew-mullenweg">on the Postlight podcast</a>. We covered a lot of tech history, my thoughts on Chromium and Mozilla&#8217;s Gecko engine, structured data, Gutenberg, and a lot more. If you&#8217;re a developer or a long-time WordPress community member you&#8217;ll enjoy this one, but it might be esoteric or technical if you&#8217;re not immersed in this world. Here&#8217;s a Spotify embed of the episode:</p>



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

</div>



<p>In both we do touch on my idea that, on a long enough timeline, the survival rate for all proprietary software drops to zero. (Hat tip to Fight Club.) Proprietary software is an evolutionary dead end. You can think of open source packages like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene-centered_view_of_evolution">genetic alleles that have a higher fitness function</a>, and eventually become the fittest organism. The longer I spend watching mega-trends in technology, the more I see that pattern everywhere, from encyclopedias to cryptocurrencies.</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, 05 Jan 2021 23:51:50 +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: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:92:"WPTavern: Block System Will Create More Commercial Opportunities for WordPress Theme Authors";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109904";s:7:"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:229:"https://wptavern.com/block-system-will-create-more-commercial-opportunities-for-wordpress-theme-authors?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=block-system-will-create-more-commercial-opportunities-for-wordpress-theme-authors";s: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:6978:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Ten years ago, a potential WordPress theme buyer might stumble upon a site like ThemeForest. The themes on the site would primarily tout the hundreds of shortcodes they included. These shortcodes would allow the user to build anything they wanted with simple BBCode-like brackets around some tag or another.</p>



<p>The practice was not limited to ThemeForest. Nearly every theme development company at the time &mdash; and they were sprouting up by the dozens a decade ago &mdash; needed to compete in the same arena. Despite all their faults (never mind that no user could reasonably remember hundreds of them), shortcodes topped the list of features.</p>



<p>Today, the landscape is much different. In part powered by page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder, themes are more apt to offer pre-built design options. Gone are the days when users must painstakingly fill their pages with shortcode soup manually. At the click of a button, their theme will automate the design of their homepage for them. The user merely needs to fill in the content. At the click of another button, the user gets a contact or services page. A restaurant owner might get a fully-laid out food menu. A new online shop owner can get a full set of pre-built WooCommerce products by importing their theme&rsquo;s demo content.</p>



<p><em>Customizability</em> is the name of the game. This has not really changed over the years, but the methods for getting there have.</p>



<p>When perusing commercial theme shops today, the common thread is the multitude of demos. These demos showcase the various layouts the user can have if they just fork over the $50 or $60 for access. There are themes with over 500 demos.</p>



<p>Some themes market hundreds of templates or dozens of pre-built, one-click website designs. At the end of the day, it is all about making the user&rsquo;s site look a certain way without the hassle of hours of work.</p>



<p>The problem with traditional theming is that all of these themes are built with non-standard solutions. This is no fault of the theme authors. They had to build or use third-party systems where WordPress had failed. Elementor has standardized this to some degree &mdash; many commercial theme shops fully support it, often as the default experience. However, it still only represents a fraction of the market and is not a part of the core platform.</p>



<p>WordPress is still catching up to the dream that the premium marketplace has already been capitalizing on.</p>



<p>However, WordPress can do this better in the long term and level the playing field for many other theme developers. We are on the verge of true one-click solutions from the core platform. It will be a tough run for the next year, but the theme shops that adopt the block system the soonest stand the most to gain.</p>



<h2>What the System Offers</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">If you have ever installed themes that offered dozens of header designs, the experience has likely been hit or miss. Most such themes require users to go through dozens of options fields in the customizer or &mdash; <em>yikes!</em> &mdash; a custom-built options page that looks nothing like the WordPress interface. While there are simpler solutions that some theme authors have created, WordPress has never had a built-in way of allowing users to do this.</p>



<p>Enter template parts made out of blocks.</p>



<p>Themes Team rep Carolina Nymark showcased just how simple this is with the upcoming site editor. Her <a href="https://wptavern.com/armando-wordpress-theme-provides-insight-into-the-current-state-of-full-site-editing">Armando theme</a> offers three custom header templates.</p>



<img />Selecting a header template with the Armando theme.



<p>The system is far from ready. There are missing features that we will likely not see for a while. For example, there&rsquo;s currently no way to categorize or otherwise group all the header templates just yet. Users can just as easily replace the header with a footer template.</p>



<p>However, this is an important step forward.  The theme author did not write any complicated PHP or JavaScript. There was no need to build a custom options panel or fields. No third-party system was warranted. The developer created the templates, and they became instantly available through the site-editing interface. The theme author&rsquo;s responsibility went back to simply designing. The user has access through a standardized interface.</p>



<p>If theme authors want to offer hundreds of switchable templates, they can. If they want to add two or three while upselling the others, they can do that too.</p>



<p>Now, expand upon this idea with other types of templates. These can be a footer, sidebar, homepage, or any template. The commercial applications are endless. Theme authors can offer commercial themes or upsells with far less work than ever before.</p>



<p>The possibilities do not end with templates. Block patterns are another viable feature to commercialize. As shown with the Genesis Blocks plugin, its &ldquo;layout selector&rdquo; offers various patterns to quickly insert into the post content.</p>



<img />Slate collection from the Genesis Blocks plugin.



<p>Genesis Blocks even offers collections of these patterns that share a similar design aesthetic. In other words, these are essentially pattern categories.</p>



<p>This is an easy path forward for theme authors who are looking to upsell. Build one or two categories of patterns. Periodically bring in new groups of patterns for users who want a fresh look without changing themes.</p>



<p>Gutenberg Hub already provides hundreds of <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-hub-launches-collection-of-100-block-templates">templates and patterns</a>, filling a void that is currently missing from the theme ecosystem. The site offers convenient solutions, but something is missing: they are not tied into the theme&rsquo;s design. Forward-thinking theme authors should already be building competing solutions that offer all the same templates and patterns that match their themes.</p>



<img />Gutenberg Hub&rsquo;s landing page &ldquo;templates&rdquo; (patterns).



<p>A year or two ago, there was some rumbling about the block editor leading to the death of WordPress theming. <em>Traditional</em> theming will trickle into nonexistence in the coming years. Of course, there will be pockets of holdouts, but the future is about one-click solutions. And, WordPress is setting the stage for all users to have this ability at their fingertips. The theme shops that recognize this the soonest will profit from it the most. Everyone else will be fighting for the scraps they leave behind.</p>



<p>It is not time to abandon traditional theming or forgo page-builder support. However, it is time for themers to begin rolling out block patterns and to start outlining, testing, and building block-based themes.</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, 05 Jan 2021 22:34:08 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:57:"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress: December 2020";s:7:"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=9508";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"https://wordpress.org/news/2021/01/the-month-in-wordpress-december-2020/";s: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:11600:"<p>We bid goodbye to 2020 in style with the release of WordPress 5.6 and the launch of Learn WordPress. But these weren’t the only exciting updates from WordPress in December. Read on to learn more!</p>



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



<h2>WordPress 5.6 is here</h2>



<p>The latest major WordPress release,<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/"> version 5.6</a> “Simone”, came out on December 8. The release ships with a new default theme called <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyone/">Twenty Twenty One</a>. It offers a host of features, including:</p>



<ul><li>Greater layout flexibility</li><li>More block patterns</li><li>Video captioning support</li><li>Auto-updates</li><li>Beta-compatibility for PHP 8.0</li><li>Application password support for the REST API</li><li>Updates to jQuery</li></ul>



<p>In addition, WordPress 5.6 is now available in 55 languages. You can find more information about the release in the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/11/20/wordpress-5-6-field-guide/">field guide</a>, and you can update to the latest version directly from your WordPress dashboard or by <a href="https://wordpress.org/download/">downloading</a> it directly from WordPress.org. A total of 605 people hailing from 57 different countries contributed to the development of WordPress 5.6. <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>audrasjb</a> has <a href="https://jeanbaptisteaudras.com/en/2020/12/wordpress-5-6-core-stats-contributions-by-country-company/">compiled many more stats like that</a>, showing what a tremendous group effort this was—they’re well worth a read!</p>



<p>Want to contribute to upcoming WordPress releases? Join the WordPress <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW">#core</a> channel on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">Make WordPress Slack</a> and follow the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Core team blog</a> to learn the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/21/wordpress-5-7-planning-roundup/">latest on WordPress 5.7</a>, which is <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/">slated to be out by March 9, 2021</a>. The Core team hosts weekly chats on Wednesdays at <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=5&min=00&sec=0">5 a.m.</a> and <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=20&min=00&sec=0">8 p.m.</a> UTC.</p>



<h2>Watch the State of the Word 2020 recording</h2>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/">State of the Word 2020</a>, the annual keynote address delivered by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, was streamed online for the first time on December 17. It was followed by a live Q&amp;A from community members all across the world. You can find the stream recording on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3qCoiuG3w">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WordPress/videos/1281447442248369">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1dRKZNvnrmdKB">Twitter</a>. The <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2020/12/17/matt-mullenweg-2020-state-of-the-word/">State of the Word</a> video and the <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2020/12/17/matt-mullenweg-2020-state-of-the-word-qa/">Q&amp;A session</a> are also available on WordPress.tv.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Learn WordPress has launched</h2>



<p>Learn WordPress, a new free, on-demand WordPress learning resource, launched officially on December 15. It offers <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshops/">workshops</a>, <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/lesson-plans/">lesson plans</a>, quizzes, and <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/courses/">courses</a> for anyone interested in publishing with, building for, or contributing to WordPress. WordPress enthusiasts can also <a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-discussions/">participate in discussion groups</a> focused on specific topics to learn with and from each other.</p>



<p>Want to participate in Learn WordPress? <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/contribute/">Here are four ways you can do so</a>! Additionally, contributors have <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2020/12/03/learn-wordpress-blue-sky-thinking/">launched a discussion</a> on the future of <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a>—feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. To help promote Learn WordPress, check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/">Marketing Team</a>’s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2020/12/09/help-us-promote-learn-wordpress/">materials</a>, which detail a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2020/12/09/help-us-promote-learn-wordpress/">range of fun and creative ways</a> to share this new resource.</p>



<h2>Give feedback on the Full Site Editing project</h2>



<p>Contributor teams have kicked off the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/11/the-fse-outreach-program-is-officially-starting/">Full Site Editing (FSE) outreach program</a> for anyone who is building or maintaining a WordPress site so that they can give feedback on the upcoming <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/handbook/focuses/full-site-editing/">FSE feature</a> that will be part of Gutenberg Phase 2. Your feedback will go a long way in improving FSE user flows. To participate, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2020/12/23/fse-program-testing-call-1-template-editing/">check out the initial testing call</a> on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">Make/Test blog</a> and join the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/fse-outreach-experiment/">#fse-outreach-experiment</a> Slack channel.<br /><br />Want to follow updates on the FSE project? Check out <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/05/20/ways-to-keep-up-with-full-site-editing-fse/">this blog post</a>. You can find <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/10/status-check-site-editing-and-customization/">2020 updates to the FSE project</a> in the Make/Core blog.</p>



<h2>BuddyPress 7.0 “Filippi” and 7.10 are now available</h2>



<p><a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-filippi/">BuddyPress version 7.0</a> went live on December 9. Its features include:&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li>New administration screens to manage Member and Group Types</li><li>New BP blocks for posts and pages</li><li>A default profile image for network sites</li><li>Improved BuddyPress Noveau support for the Twenty Twenty One theme.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>A BuddyPress maintenance release (<a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-1-0-maintenance-release/">version 7.1</a>) launched on December 21.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to provide feedback or suggestions for BuddyPress? Share your comments on the announcement posts for <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-filippi/">7.0</a> or <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-1-0-maintenance-release/">7.1</a>. If you find a bug, please report it in the <a href="https://buddypress.org/support/">support forums</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>Gutenberg 9.5 and 9.6 released</h2>



<p>The Core team launched <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/02/whats-new-in-gutenberg-2-december/">version 9.5</a> and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-23-december/">9.6</a> of Gutenberg last month. Both versions include several improvements to FSE flows, bug fixes, and feature upgrades. Version 9.5 introduces features like full height alignment and support for font sizes in the code block. Version 9.6 includes features like the ability to drag blocks from the inserter and a vertical layout for buttons.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to get involved in building Gutenberg? Follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">the Core team blog</a>, contribute to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/">Gutenberg on GitHub</a>, and join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB2JS7">#core-editor</a> channel in <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 Community team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2020/12/01/discussion-how-can-the-wordpress-community-return-to-hosting-safe-in-person-events/">kicked off a discussion</a> about what the WordPress Community can do to host safe, in-person events again, in light of the continuing pandemic. </li><li>The Polyglots team published its <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2020/12/30/polyglots-team-end-of-year-post-2020/">end-of-year post</a>, along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/author/evarlese/">results of its 2020 translator survey</a>.</li><li><a href="https://sevilla.wordcamp.org/2020/">WordCamp Sevilla 2020</a> was held online from December 26-29. You can catch the recorded livestream playback on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/wordpresssevilla/live">YouTube</a>. Videos of the event will <a href="https://wordpress.tv/event/wordcamp-sevilla-2020/">soon be available on WordPress.tv</a>.</li><li>WordPress project executive director <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden</a> and project co-founder <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/">Matt Mullenweg</a> will be jointly hosting <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/15/regular-office-and-listening-hours/">quarterly office and listening hours</a> in 2021. Sign-ups for the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/15/regular-office-and-listening-hours/">first ones in January 2021</a> are almost filled up.</li><li>The Core team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/02/wp-notify-project-review/">published updates</a> on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/feature-notifications/">WP Notify project</a>, which seeks to <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/08/05/feature-project-proposal-wp-notify/">improve the notifications system</a> in WordPress Core.</li><li>The Support team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/support/2020/12/handling-potential-jquery-issues-in-wordpress-5-6/">published a post</a> detailing jQuery issues in WordPress 5.6.</li><li><a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/">WordCamp India Online 2021</a> will be held over three weekends between January 30 and February 14. There will be workshops, a contributor event, and sessions (in that order). The calls for <a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/call-for-sponsors/">sponsors</a>, <a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/call-for-workshops/">workshop presenters</a>, <a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/call-for-contributor-team-leads/">contributor team leads</a>, and <a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/call-for-volunteers/">volunteers</a> are now open. Don’t forget to grab your <a href="https://india.wordcamp.org/2021/tickets/">free tickets</a>!</li><li>The Documentation team <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/docs/2020/12/01/external-linking-policy-1st-review-of-plugin-developer-handbook/">shared a first review</a> of its <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/docs/tag/external-linking-policy/">external linking policy</a>. It is using the <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/">plugin developer handbook</a> as a test.</li></ul>



<p><br /><em>Have a story that we should include in the next “Month in WordPress” post? Please </em><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/"><em>submit it using this form</em></a><em>.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 Jan 2021 10:55:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Hari Shanker R";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:93:"WPTavern: WordPress.com Rattles Freelancer Community with New Website Building Service Launch";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109818";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:231:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-com-rattles-freelancer-community-with-new-website-building-service-launch?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-com-rattles-freelancer-community-with-new-website-building-service-launch";s: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:7137:"<p>WordPress.com launched a new <a href="https://wordpress.com/built-by-wordpress-com/?utm_source=enblog&utm_medium=automattic_referred&utm_campaign=january_2021_launch&flags=a8c-analytics.on,ad-tracking,google-analytics&ga_optimize=on">website building service</a> today with prices starting at $4,900. Automattic has been beta testing the service since the last quarter of 2020. The product <a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2021/01/04/let-our-experts-build-your-dream-website/">announcement</a> invites customers to let WordPress.com&rsquo;s&nbsp;professional team &ldquo;translate your vision into a compelling and modern website&rdquo; but does not specify pricing for more customized websites:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Whether you need a fast and performant eCommerce store for your products and/or services, a polished website for your professional services firm, or an educational website for your online courses, our experts can build it for you on WordPress.com, the most powerful platform for businesses and enterprises large and small.</p></blockquote>



<p>Initial reactions from the WordPress developer and freelance community were mixed. Some see the competition as good and others perceived it as a threat to WordPress consultants and small agencies, because a product from WordPress.com carries the full weight of the official WordPress brand. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Whether this succeeds or not there are a lot of folks with a sick stomach today because of it,&rdquo; WordPress developer Chris Wiegman <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisWiegman/status/1346151976296443904">said</a>.</p>



<p>Automattic stepping into the $5k website market came as a surprise to many, after years of keeping to the enterprise space with its <a href="https://wpvip.com/">WordPress.com VIP</a> service. (Sometime in 2019 the service started going by &ldquo;WordPress VIP&rdquo; without the &ldquo;.com&rdquo; appended to it.) Freelancers haven&rsquo;t had to worry too much about competing against a large company like Automattic when trying to attract clients. It&rsquo;s also an interesting move because the company <a href="https://wptavern.com/automattic-has-discontinued-active-development-on-edit-flow-plugin">seemed stretched thin</a> when it came to maintaining plugins used by VIP clients in 2019, despite seeing &ldquo;demand for WordPress in the enterprise market like never before,&rdquo; <a href="https://wptavern.com/automattic-has-discontinued-active-development-on-edit-flow-plugin#comment-307821">according to Nick Gernert</a>, head of VIP. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m surprised by this announcement, but it doesn&rsquo;t bode well for the community, to be honest,&rdquo; WordPress consultant Joshua Nelson <a href="https://twitter.com/onemorejosh/status/1346147871465353216">said</a>. &ldquo;Freelancers will be hurt the most. A for instance: My custom built sites start at $3k. Once you factor in a designer that $4.9k rate looks very competitive.&rdquo;</p>



<p>In response to community concerns on Twitter, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg said the product is targeted at people who have a difficult time getting started with WordPress.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I would be extremely surprised if this impacts anyone&rsquo;s consulting business, if you do have a current or potential client leave for it please let me know &mdash; it should be all new-to-WP users who wouldn&rsquo;t have been successful getting started,&rdquo; Mullenweg <a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt/status/1346212091200491520">said</a>. He also confirmed that the new service was set up for &ldquo;referring business out&rdquo; and referenced a previous experiment in 2018 where WordPress.com <a href="https://wordpress.com/support/upwork/">partnered with Upwork</a> to refer clients for custom development.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://twitter.com/photomatt/status/1346212543732170752
</div>



<p>The product launch lacked this information and some <a href="https://twitter.com/mattmedeiros/status/1346221279246999552">noted</a> the copy was confusing with phrases like &ldquo;Built by us&rdquo; and &ldquo;Our experts can build it for you.&rdquo;</p>



<p>WordPress professionals took to <a href="https://poststatus.com/">Post Status</a>&lsquo; Slack to discuss the implications of Automattic&rsquo;s new offering. Mullenweg responded to them, saying he is &ldquo;100% certain this will drive more up-market consulting in the future&rdquo; to consultants who handle larger projects and potentially bring more business to plugin and theme developers. He also noted that <a href="https://www.web.com/websites/website-design-services">Bluehost&rsquo;s full service</a> product is a similar solution and that services like <a href="http://web.com/">Web.com</a> have been competing in this space for awhile.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Typically these are called DIFM (do it for me) vs DIY (do it yourself),&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>Automattic must be witnessing a strong demand for DIFM, as participants in the discussion at Post Status referenced Mullenweg&rsquo;s comments on the topic during his most recent <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing">State of the Word</a> address delivered in December 2020:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Lots of people lost their jobs. Lots of people were looking to supplement their income. This drove an incredible amount of entrepreneurship, so people who were looking for people who knew WordPress. And on the other side of that, normal folks who knew or learned WordPress found that they had a lot to demand for their work, so they were able to supplement or replace their income, essentially for folks who have a do it for me mentality, so someone who is looking for someone else to build a website. It&rsquo;s never been a better time to learn and invest in improving your WordPress skills.</p></blockquote>



<p>The idea behind this product is to help those who get stuck with WordPress  before they turn to competitors that market website creation to beginners. It indicates that WordPress still has a long road ahead before it is truly an approachable tool for beginners embarking on their first site building experience.</p>



<p>Automattic has not published a pricing structure for the features included in a basic $4900 website. Based on images on the <a href="https://wordpress.com/built-by-wordpress-com/">landing page</a>, the sites do not seem extensively customized beyond what existing themes offer. It seems like more of a website setup service and does not explicitly promise custom development.</p>



<p>When asked how agencies can apply to be put into the pipeline for referrals from WordPress.com&rsquo;s new service, Mullenweg indicated that the product is still in the experimental stage.</p>



<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unclear if anyone wants this yet, so for this experiment don&rsquo;t have that yet,&rdquo; Mullenweg <a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt/status/1346258917135769600">said</a>. &ldquo;If it works then definitely we will try to open it up.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 Jan 2021 04:40:32 +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: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:47:"WPTavern: 2021: Reshaping the Tavern Experience";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109489";s:7:"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:137:"https://wptavern.com/2021-reshaping-the-tavern-experience?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2021-reshaping-the-tavern-experience";s: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:4025:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">Resolutions. Goals. Guidelines for the year ahead. Call them what you want. Not everyone takes part, but I am a firm believer in having a vision for the coming months. That vision can be malleable, flowing with the changes of time, yielding to new ideas as they are birthed. However, some large, beaming guideposts help when setting foot into the wild of a new year.</p>



<p>Our team at WP Tavern has gotten a bit of a breather over the holidays. We have an exciting project we are just getting off the ground. We set some things in motion months ago. Now, it is time to push forward.</p>



<p>Without going into all of the details, which are currently in flux, the following are the big goals for the site in 2021.</p>



<h2>New Design</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The biggest goal of 2021 is to add a fresh coat of paint to the website. Going hand in hand with that goal is to launch this new design 100% on blocks. To effectively write about WordPress&rsquo;s upcoming changes, we need to be ahead of the game. That means living a bit on the bleeding edge, running a block-based theme, and testing the site editor. It means sharing what we love and airing our frustrations.</p>



<p>Changing designs is not simply about slapping on some fresh colors. Design is about functionality. At the center of such a change is providing more tools for engagement.</p>



<p>We are thinking over multiple ideas about what this might look like, and we have a generous third-party team standing by to help us implement much of this. Some of those ideas are things like showing the top comments and trending forum topics. Feedback from our readers is more than welcome in this regard. Ultimately, this is the part of the Tavern experience that belongs to you.</p>



<p>The keen-eyed among you may have noticed I slipped in something about forum topics in the preceding paragraph. That was no accident. The return of the Tavern forums is a distinct possibility in 2021. There are many considerations we must make before going down this road around how it is moderated. The goal would be to provide an inviting atmosphere where people could freely talk about our beloved content management system. Again, this would be a feature of the site that is primarily about you.</p>



<h2>Podcast</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While many of you are avid readers of our content, we know some of you have asked us to bring back a podcast in some form. Some of you want to listen to WordPress-related news on your drive to work or while you unwind at the end of a busy day.</p>



<p>We heard you loud and clear.</p>



<p>Our team is actively pursuing adding a podcast. This is a project that we have been working on for a while now. It is something we genuinely want to happen.</p>



<p>Before exploring this project, I had no idea of the amount of work necessary for producing a professional podcast. If you had put me behind the mic a few months ago, I would just be shooting from the hip, hoping to hit a target, any target. I have a newfound respect for anyone who produces a podcast today.</p>



<p>If we get a new podcast off the ground in 2021, it will be a professionally-produced show. The goal is to have planned topics and guests representative of the diversity of the WordPress community. I am excited about the possibility.</p>



<h2>Welcome to 2021</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">A new design and potential podcast are big-ticket items. They are not features we can launch overnight. When we do them, we want to do them right.</p>



<p>There are other items on the checklist we will likely get to throughout the year too. But, this is a point in the year where we should sit back and listen. Are there things you want to see changed about the Tavern experience? Are there topics we missed last year that you want to see us cover more?</p>



<p>As always, our team looks forward to bringing you our regular news, reviews, and opinions throughout the year. Stay tuned in for more.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:36:33 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:30:"Matt: What’s In My Bag, 2020";s:7:"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=53341";s:7:"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:43:"https://ma.tt/2021/01/whats-in-my-bag-2020/";s: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:15289:"<p>Instead of <a href="https://ma.tt/category/in-my-bag/">sharing what&#8217;s in my backpack</a> this year, I want to share the apps and pandemic purchases that were meaningful to me, along with a few words on each. Something I haven&#8217;t shared with you yet on this blog is&#8230; I went down a #vanlife rabbit hole and ended up camping and working remotely a decent chunk of the year. I learned a ton and feel much more resilient. So this is a phoneful and truckful update of my year.</p>



<p>First I&#8217;ll start with apps, these all link to Apple&#8217;s app store but almost all have Android equivalents that I also use:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calm/id571800810">Calm</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/waking-up-guided-meditation/id1307736395">Waking Up</a> —&nbsp;Very different but both incredibly valuable meditation apps. I had an 82-day streak with Calm this year! I wouldn&#8217;t have survived without these.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fitbod-workout-fitness-plans/id1041517543">Fitbod</a> —&nbsp;You tell the app what equipment you have, how much time you have, and it gives you a workout like a trainer would, rotating muscle groups.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/streaks/id963034692">Streaks</a> — An app for starting and tracking habits. This is a funny one because I actually stopped using it because it worked. The things I was tracking on Streaks became daily habits and I stopped using the app every day. The same thing happened for me with <a href="https://www.zerofasting.com/">Zero</a>, my daily fast became part of my routine so I&#8217;d only use Zero if I was doing a longer one.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tumblr/id305343404">Tumblr</a> —&nbsp;It was so nice to have a social network centered around creativity and humor.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/asana-your-work-manager/id489969512">Asana</a> —&nbsp;Getting organized helped lessen anxiety.</li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/pocket-casts/id414834813">Pocket Casts</a> —&nbsp;I switched to this because it syncs between devices, and I used my Android device a lot especially while driving.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alltrails-hike-bike-run/id405075943">AllTrails</a> — I spent more time in nature this year than almost any previous, and AllTrails was an amazing way to find great hikes.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-economist/id1239397626">The Economist</a> —&nbsp;The most insightful news, and the weekly cadence helped me avoid the wild variance of the daily news cycle. My favorite news app.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-watch-listen-stream/id544007664">YouTube</a> —&nbsp;Wow, there&#8217;s a lot of stuff on here. This was the year I started to &#8220;get&#8221; why people spend so much time on YouTube. Some favorite finds were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmY49Zn4l0RMJnTWfV7Wsg">Jacob Collier</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg">Mark Rober</a>.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/walmart-shopping-grocery/id338137227">Walmart</a> —&nbsp;Surprisingly good on road trips for curbside pickup orders scheduled a few hours ahead. Yes, I have now <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/12/nearly-every-american-spent-money-at-wal-mart-last-year.html">joined 95% of the US population</a>.</li><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blueground/id1183301329">Blueground</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/avantstay/id1455404746">Avantstay</a> —&nbsp;Good for longer stays in places. I found both through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/">Airbnb</a>, which is still the king.</li><li>Food apps in order of usage: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doordash-food-delivery/id719972451">DoorDash</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uber-eats-food-delivery/id1058959277">Uber Eats</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tock-restaurant-reservations/id1369347408">Tock</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/toast-takeout-delivery/id1362180579">Toast TakeOut</a>.</li><li>Camping apps in order of usage: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alltrails-hike-bike-run/id405075943">AllTrails</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chimani-national-park-guides/id436381327">Chimani</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/recreation-gov/id1440487780">Recreation.gov</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ioverlander/id894352689">iOverlander</a>,  <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/boondocking/id561352659">Boondocking</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/freeroam-boondocking-more/id1434359242">FreeRoam</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/harvest-hosts/id1321631420">Harvest Hosts</a>.</li><li>App I deleted and re-added the most: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271">Twitter</a>. I love the things I learn from using it, but hate feeling like I&#8217;m wasting time.</li></ul>



<p>When on road trips I found Android Auto running off the Pixel 5 much more reliable than CarPlay, which would frequently freeze up on me. Things have improved with iOS 14, but I still always use the Pixel when I&#8217;m on a longer drive.</p>



<p>I also have been living with my Mom since July, including her two cats and <a href="https://matt.blog/2021/01/02/introducing-lily-belle/">new Coton du Tulear puppy</a>. Pets are humbling! It&#8217;s been great to learn how to support them best, as I last lived with animals when I was in high school and wasn&#8217;t that conscious of the responsibility then.</p>



<p>Amazon says I made over 850 orders this year, more than double from any previous year. Here are the non-tech purchases that ended up having a big impact on me:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GZ2DY7K/?tag=photomatt08-20">SmartMouth mouthwash</a> —&nbsp;Available in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IADXVUY/?tag=photomatt08-20">travel packs as well</a>, this is magical for having great breath, which you&#8217;ll notice more now that you&#8217;re wearing a mask all the time.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHMNGF9/?tag=photomatt08-20">Marvis Royal Toothpaste</a> —&nbsp;Delicious! SLS-free! I switch between this and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MUH344/?tag=photomatt08-20">SmartMouth toothpaste</a> which works better but isn&#8217;t as luxuriously tasty.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Theragun-Elite-Generation-Percussive-Treatment/dp/B08G3Q44YJ/?tag=photomatt08-20">Theragun</a> — Because you can&#8217;t get a massage.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N41D7QY/?tag=photomatt08-20">Hurtle vibration platform</a> —&nbsp;Really weird but seems to shake the stress out of you, especially if you stretch on it for 5-10 minutes.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bowflex-SelectTech-Adjustable-Dumbbells-Pair/dp/B001ARYU58/?tag=photomatt08-20">Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbells</a> —&nbsp;I was lucky enough to get these before they sold out and became crazy expensive. </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JQU3BPK/?tag=photomatt08-20">Buckwheat meditation cushion</a> — So much more comfortable to have a cushion, especially for longer meditation sessions. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GDF47Q8/?tag=photomatt08-20">Here&#8217;s a smaller version</a> I use on the road.</li><li><a href="https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us">Tons of Philips Hue lights</a> —&nbsp;Got a ton of joy from playing with the colors on these.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S7DWWJZ/?tag=photomatt08-20">Cloth napkins</a> —&nbsp;Felt so luxurious, easy to wash and re-use.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HML9YLD/?tag=photomatt08-20">Heated cat bed</a> —&nbsp;My Mom&#8217;s cats are obsessed with this now. </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/SHARONDS-Scissors-Thinning-Professional-Stainless/dp/B08BWXWHWH/?tag=photomatt08-20">Sharonds hair cutting scissors</a> —&nbsp;10x better than the scissors I had lying around the house.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L67KL81/?tag=photomatt08-20">Babyliss clippers</a> —&nbsp;They&#8217;re gold and have a &#8220;Lamborghini&#8221; motor which is ostentatious but works great.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GB4TDST/?tag=photomatt08-20">Hair Apron Cape</a> — You feel like a dog with <a href="https://neothesamoyed.tumblr.com/post/173710808330/ice-cream-cone-boy">one of those cones</a>, but mostly works.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QN7FWC9/?tag=photomatt08-20">Yeti Lowlands picnic blanket</a> — Expensive but sturdy.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V6MR1R5/?tag=photomatt08-20">Cliq camping chair</a> —&nbsp;Super small and great design, but ended up using these less than I thought because we mostly just stayed on the ground on the Yeti blanket.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RX1TBKM/?tag=photomatt08-20">Isdin foot care cream</a> —&nbsp;Really softens your feet.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018GXZ016/?tag=photomatt08-20">Silicone tip cooking chopsticks</a> or the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LC6253B/?tag=photomatt08-20">ones with the spoon on the end</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surpahs-Multipurpose-Roll-Up-Drying-Inches/dp/B08196DX71/?tag=photomatt08-20">Roll-up drying rack</a> —&nbsp;Goes great over the sink.</li><li>Joseph Joseph <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TD663Y1/?tag=photomatt08-20">nesting kitchen tools</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006BSBRWK/?tag=photomatt08-20">nesting bowls</a> —&nbsp;They&#8217;re so pretty as well.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CPSJRT4/">Hanging solar mason jar lights</a> —&nbsp;Like fireflies in a jar.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0828BNW82/?tag=photomatt08-20">Matador Freerain32 waterproof packable backpack</a> — My new favorite for hiking.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PFJZ1LV/?tag=photomatt08-20">Matador Transit30 packable duffle bag</a> —&nbsp;I ended up using this way more than I expected.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CXPBZLD/?tag=photomatt08-20">This bamboo table</a> —&nbsp;Just the right size for eating or working on the ground.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-Large-Shopping-Bags-SET/dp/B00KVJJGN2/?tag=photomatt08-20">Ikea Frakta bag</a> —&nbsp;Just a few dollars each and can hold so much, and available on Amazon.</li></ul>



<p>Clothing and wearables, like much of the world I trended toward comfort and away from normal shoes and socks:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IKRF2PW/?tag=photomatt08-20">Bumpers flip flops</a> — Weird but you get used to them.</li><li><a href="https://www.oofos.com/products/mens-ooahh-sport-slide-sandal-black-matte">Oofos slide sandals</a> —&nbsp;Ridiculously comfortable, and this model looks like it has the <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> logo on it.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077LJSDQL/?tag=photomatt08-20">Glerups wool slippers</a> —&nbsp;Like wool clogs, I wear the rubber-soled ones out if just stepping out for a bit.</li><li><a href="https://www.patagonia.com/shop/capilene-air-baselayers">Patagonia Capilene Air baselayers</a> — So warm! Addictive.</li><li><a href="https://fahertybrand.com/">Faherty Brand</a> — I just love their whole look and feel, and have met the brothers before.</li><li><a href="https://www.aloyoga.com/">Alo Yoga</a> —&nbsp;Pricey but looks great and fun to workout in. I&#8217;ve had some quality issues with their items though.</li><li><a href="https://shop.lululemon.com/">Lululemon</a> —&nbsp;Especially their new tech canvas pants.</li><li><a href="https://unboundmerino.com/">Unbound Merino</a> —&nbsp;My go-to shirt, also decent socks.</li><li><a href="https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/home/">Uniqlo</a> —&nbsp;Great value, and no logos!</li></ul>



<p>Electronics:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://ma.tt/2020/05/ceo-video-streaming/">Everything in the streaming post</a> — I ended up doing a ton of press and talks this year as the world became more <a href="https://distributed.blog/">distributed</a>. I also personally helped many others get similar setups.</li><li><a href="https://store.ui.com/">Everything Unifi</a> —&nbsp;It&#8217;s a year I really appreciated solid internet. </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LVZ3UI6/?tag=photomatt08-20">Retractable 50&#8242; ethernet cord</a> —&nbsp;I actually daisy-chained two of these to do an internal company town hall presentation.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RVF386D/?tag=photomatt08-20">25&#8242; retractable power extension cord</a> — I also carry two of these.</li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro-13/">Macbook 13&#8243; M1</a> — It really is the fastest computer you&#8217;ve ever used. This replaced a maxed out 16&#8243;.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088666T68/?tag=photomatt08-20">Hyppr 100w USB-C charger</a> —&nbsp;Smaller and better than Apple&#8217;s charger.</li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-max/">Airpods Max</a> — I didn&#8217;t want to like them but they&#8217;re slick.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089N2RJ4X/?tag=photomatt08-20">Airpods Pro Dekoni Tips</a> —&nbsp;Great upgrade for normal Airpods.</li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-12-pro/">iPhone 12 Pro Max</a> — It&#8217;s like a mini iPad. Camera with RAW support is fantastic.</li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/pro-display-xdr/">Apple Pro Display XDR</a> — Wow.</li><li><a href="https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_5">Pixel 5</a> — Pretty great that they got the fingerprint reader back in as FaceID with a mask is terrible, so this has become my primary device if I&#8217;m out for a walk.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FJ91TLB/">Kindle Oasis with the new warm light</a> — Even though I read less this year, this made what I did read a pleasure.</li><li>Sinjimou charging stand for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sinjimoru-Including-iPhone-Convenient-Silicone/dp/B07GQNY5RD/?tag=photomatt08-20">iPhone</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GQV2NXN/?tag=photomatt08-20">USB-C</a> —&nbsp;Works great, really cheap.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DD9TQSG/?tag=photomatt08-20">Megaboom 3</a> —&nbsp;Two of these paired together in stereo is the best sound, weight, and battery life combo I&#8217;ve found on the road and in parks.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QTVMWVL/?tag=photomatt08-20">Garmin 945 watch</a> —&nbsp;I&#8217;ve talked about this watch previously, but this year I discovered the GPS maps feature when in hiking mode, which can literally be a lifesaver. Amazing for going off-trail.</li></ul>



<p>There you have it. As always, if you&#8217;ve tried something here and found an alternative that&#8217;s better, let me know in the comments!</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:"Sun, 03 Jan 2021 04:37:14 +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: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: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:39:"WPTavern: 2020: Step Away From the Fire";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109487";s:7:"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/2020-step-away-from-the-fire?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2020-step-away-from-the-fire";s: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:11328:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">If there was a common theme that held humanity together in 2020, it was that most of us agreed that the year was nothing short of a dumpster fire.  That and <a href="https://wptavern.com/you-deserve-to-wear-sweatpants-dont-let-anyone-tell-you-any-different">sweatpants.</a></p>



<p>As people <a href="https://wptavern.com/finding-balance-in-these-uncertain-times-remote-work-and-sharing-our-struggles">learned to cope</a> with a new reality in the Covid-19 era, the WordPress community has been a <a href="https://wptavern.com/need-to-smile-today-stay-wordpress-strong">beacon of hope</a>. When other industries needed to learn how to work remotely, we were already <a href="https://wptavern.com/leave-at-door-new-free-woocommerce-plugin-enables-contact-free-delivery">ahead of the pack</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/big-orange-heart-opens-2020-remote-work-wellbeing-and-mental-health-survey">willing to help</a>. As people dealt with the stress of not having meetups in person, the WordPress community thrived with online events.</p>



<p>The early year was tough. From toilet paper shortages to being unable to work from a favorite coffee shop, the pandemic took its toll.</p>



<p>However, we have learned to cope throughout the year. We used new ways to communicate from a distance. Created new circles of friends. Found extra time for long-forgotten hobbies online and off.</p>



<p>We continued to create art, which is the thing that makes our species so undeniably unique.</p>



<p>Maybe it is all the lessons we have learned through the past several months. Perhaps it is that a new year is upon us. The winds of change feel like they are gently nudging us forward.</p>



<p>Over the past couple of months, I have noticed a new calmness. A new hopefulness. A feeling that we will continue to rise above any challenges that come our way. While death and illness are still a part of our daily reality, we must continue to lean on the people within communities like WordPress for support. We will continue marching ahead together.</p>



<p>I always like to take stock of the past year. This helps keep me grounded and remain optimistic about the future. The following is a look back at 2020 for WP Tavern and WordPress.</p>



<h2>WP Tavern Stats</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">We have had a solid year of publishing here at the Tavern. Our team, including guest authors, wrote 401 posts. In 2019, we knocked out 382. Next year, I expect that figure to increase.</p>



<p>Our word count average soared. This year, we averaged 790 words per post. In 2019, that number was 589. While word count is not a testament to quality writing, we did have opportunities to dive deeper into topics than before. In total, we wrote over 315,000 words. That is about 80,000 words shy of Brandon Sanderson&rsquo;s <em>The Way of Kings</em>. You could say that we wrote enough to fill an epic fantasy novel.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Likes&rdquo; were up this year too. We went from an average of 7.0 likes per post in 2019 to 8.7 in 2020.</p>



<p>For comments, it is hard to gauge. The WordPress.com Stats feature does not seem to be accurately tracking our comment counts. The figure is nowhere close to correct. By my rough estimate (counting in hundreds), we have at least twice as many published comments as the data shows.</p>



<p>There were a few days scattered throughout the year in which we came within a hair&rsquo;s breadth of surpassing the site&rsquo;s all-time daily view count. But, alas, we fell just shy of the mark. <em>Maybe next year.</em></p>



<h2>Most Viewed Posts of the Year</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The following is a list of the 10 most-viewed posts published this year. They are not necessarily representative of our best work. However, they do represent what folks were reading. Everything beyond this was pretty close in terms of stats.</p>



<ol><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/preparing-for-wordpress-5-4-changes-theme-and-plugin-developers-should-know-about">Preparing for WordPress 5.4: Changes Theme and Plugin Developers Should Know About</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/matt-mullenweg-unveils-gutenberg-roadmap-at-wceu-wordpress-agencies-and-product-developers-sprint-to-prepare">Matt Mullenweg Unveils Gutenberg Roadmap at WCEU, WordPress Agencies and Product Developers Sprint to Prepare</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/w3c-drops-wordpress-from-consideration-for-redesign-narrows-cms-shortlist-to-statamic-and-craft">W3C Drops WordPress from Consideration for Redesign, Narrows CMS Shortlist to Statamic and Craft</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/major-jquery-changes-on-the-way-for-wordpress-5-5-and-beyond">Major jQuery Changes on the Way for WordPress 5.5 and Beyond</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/what-is-full-site-editing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-future-of-wordpress">What Is Full Site Editing and What Does It Mean for the Future of WordPress?</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/biden-harris-transition-website-launches-on-wordpress">Biden-Harris Transition Website Launches on WordPress</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-will-ship-with-another-major-jquery-change">WordPress 5.6 Will Ship With Another Major jQuery Change</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/godaddys-go-wordpress-theme-offers-a-page-building-experience-via-the-block-editor">GoDaddy&rsquo;s &lsquo;Go&rsquo; WordPress Theme Offers a Page-Building Experience via the Block Editor</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/font-awesome-releases-new-covid-19-awareness-icons">Font Awesome Releases New COVID-19 Awareness Icons</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/automatic-theme-and-plugin-updates-slated-for-wordpress-5-5">Automatic Theme and Plugin Updates Slated for WordPress 5.5</a></li></ol>



<p>For some reason, Sarah&rsquo;s piece on <a href="https://wptavern.com/how-to-add-subscript-and-superscript-characters-in-wordpress">adding subscript and superscript characters</a> from 2014 always sneaks its way into the most-viewed posts of the year. It was technically #6 on the list, but it wasn&rsquo;t published in 2020.</p>



<h2>The Year in WordPress</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">It was the year that saw the rise of online-only WordCamps. What started with WordCamp Asia <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-asia-2020-canceled-over-covid-19-concerns">canceling its inaugural event</a> in February ended with Matt Mullenweg giving the annual <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing">State of the Word</a> virtually, a first. WordCamp Europe <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-2020-online-registration-now-open-tickets-are-free">took its massive event online</a> for 2020 while WordCamp U.S. canceled its planned virtual get-together after months of <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-us-2020-canceled-due-to-pandemic-stress-and-online-event-fatigue">pandemic stress and online event fatigue</a>.</p>



<p>We saw the community rise up and tackle problems from the beginning. Companies like Wordfence, Yoast, and GoDaddy <a href="https://wptavern.com/the-international-wordpress-community-and-wordcamps-amid-covid-19">provided help</a> for those who were not refunded travel expenses after cancellations. At the end of the day, that is what the WordPress community is all about: people helping other people.</p>



<p>WordPress kept chugging along, despite the stressful year. The big highlights were three major releases of the software:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-4-adderley-released-includes-improved-editor-new-blocks-and-developer-apis">WordPress 5.4 &ldquo;Adderley&rdquo;</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-5-eckstine-introduces-block-directory-block-patterns-and-automatic-updates-for-themes-and-plugins">WordPress 5.5 &ldquo;Eckstine&rdquo;</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-simone-includes-new-twenty-twenty-one-theme-and-improved-editor">WordPress 5.6 &ldquo;Simone&rdquo;</a></li></ul>



<p>WordPress also <a href="https://wptavern.com/happy-17th-wordpress">turned 17</a> this year.  Its step into adulthood next year should be an adventure.</p>



<h2>Posts From Contributing Writers</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Rather than focusing too much on the work that Sarah and I have put into the Tavern this year, I want to say thank you to our contributing writers. They managed to fill some gaps when we were unable to throughout the past 12 months. They have added viewpoints outside of our own, enriching the content that our site offers. If anything, I want to see further contributions from a wider range of the WordPress community in the future.</p>



<p>I do not typically like to play favorites with our guest writers, but Francesca Marano&rsquo;s piece titled <a href="https://wptavern.com/a-non-technical-release-leads-journey-to-becoming-a-mentor-for-wordpress-core-development">A Non-Technical Release Lead&rsquo;s Journey to Becoming a Mentor for WordPress Core Development</a> was one of my favorite reads of the year. Her backstory is a good intro to the article. Her depth of knowledge and insight into <em>the room where it happens</em> makes it a must-read for anyone unfamiliar with how WordPress gets made.</p>



<p>Chris Maiorana&rsquo;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-university-was-always-online">WordPress University Was Always Online</a> is a reminder that the education we need to excel in the online business market is but at our fingertips. It also touches on how the pandemic has allowed more people to realize that the traditional college experience is not the only path forward. It is a great piece that forces us to explore alternatives. And, these alternatives have always been available in the WordPress ecosystem.</p>



<p>Maiorana&rsquo;s piece on the <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-meetup-under-lockdown">State of the Meetup Under Lockdown</a> explores how the virtual realm has changed meetups. <a href="https://wptavern.com/bringing-back-blogs-in-the-age-of-social-media-censorship">Bringing Back Blogs in the Age of Social Media Censorship</a> is a look into how blogs are the answer in the age of censorship, even when we disagree with a person&rsquo;s position on a subject.</p>



<p>On the technical end of things, Jonathan Bossenger wrote an in-depth piece for <a href="https://wptavern.com/getting-your-wordpress-plugins-and-themes-ready-for-php-8">Getting Your WordPress Plugins and Themes Ready for PHP 8</a>. He goes through everything that developers need to know to get their projects updated. The article also provides tools and resources to make things easier.</p>



<h2>Goodbye, 2020</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While the year might not have been ideal in many ways, there were some great moments. As I reflect upon the events of the last 12 months, I do not see a complete dumpster fire. There was a lot of good that came out of it. The world has changed in some large ways. Our societies have undergone some subtle reshaping. I do not know what 2021 holds, but I remain optimistic.</p>



<p>I look forward to another year covering the events surrounding WordPress. I hope you continue down this journey with the WP Tavern team.</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, 31 Dec 2020 22:44:20 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:43:"Matt: Jack Dorsey and Running Two Companies";s:7:"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=53328";s:7:"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:44:"https://ma.tt/2020/12/running-two-companies/";s: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:1808:"<p>I had the <a href="https://distributed.blog/2020/12/16/episode-26-jack-dorsey-and-remote-collaboration/">pleasure of interviewing Jack Dorsey for the Distributed podcast</a>, a conversation that ended up going a bit deeper and longer than previous episodes.</p>



<p>In preparation for the interview I kept coming across people critical about the fact that Jack is the CEO of two companies simultaneously, <a href="https://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://squareup.com">Square</a>, each having over 5,000 employees.</p>



<p>I think what people miss is that at that scale, running a company is not that different from running a large division of a company. No one asks Jeff Bezos how he&#8217;s CEO of both a retail company and a cloud computing one (AWS), or Tim Cook how he&#8217;s CEO of a hardware business and a services business, and of course with both of those examples the breadth of what the companies cover is much wider. Also as an added benefit, shareholders can choose to invest in Square and Twitter together or not.</p>



<p>All of that said, I think having a CEO-level seat at two of the most influential technology companies today does allow for accelerated learning, as organizational experiments will naturally happen at each company and then the best practice can be shared to the other. Jack wasn&#8217;t aware how much peer executives at each company meet with each other to share learnings, but that seems like an obvious win. </p>



<p>Readers of this blog will especially appreciate how much we talked about open source and cryptocurrencies, and his view on the three things he&#8217;s responsible for as CEO. <a href="https://distributed.blog/2020/12/16/episode-26-jack-dorsey-and-remote-collaboration/">Give it a listen and let me know what you think</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, 31 Dec 2020 03:18:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:74:"WPTavern: Understanding the Query Block and Its Importance in Site Editing";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109593";s:7:"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:193:"https://wptavern.com/understanding-the-query-block-and-its-importance-in-site-editing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=understanding-the-query-block-and-its-importance-in-site-editing";s: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:5285:"<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I really don&rsquo;t understand this Query block even though it&rsquo;s been mentioned in several Tavern posts. My eyes seem to gloss over when reading about it &ndash; ha!</p><p>Is it important that regular WordPress users understand this block, or is it really a block for developers?</p><p><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-6-introduces-drag-and-drop-blocks-and-global-inheritance-for-the-query-block#comment-357249">Marcus</a></p></blockquote>



<p class="has-drop-cap">I have given the Query block a lot of attention as of late. On occasion, I may have even called it one of the largest hurdles the Gutenberg development team has needed to jump before block-based themes become a reality. However, the &ldquo;query&rdquo; WordPress term is not something all users or Tavern readers are familiar with. It is a concept as old as WordPress and generally something that only developers needed to familiarize themselves with. When Full Site Editing lands in WordPress, the new block will expose the Query to far more users as part of the site editor interface.</p>



<p>It is a block that is currently a part of the Gutenberg plugin but not WordPress core. However, at some point in 2021, more and more end-users and developers will be working with it.</p>



<p>In WordPress terminology, we are really talking about two things, the Query and the Loop. The Query is defined by a set of arguments or options that determine what posts to display. The Loop is the part of the machine that &ldquo;loops&rdquo; through the queried posts and displays them, one after another. The Query asks for posts; the Loop cycles through them.</p>



<p>Traditionally, theme authors were responsible for adding the Loop code to their templates, which used the global Query that WordPress supplied. Themes could also create custom queries, such as adding a posts list widget, categorized homepage post sections, or anything. And, &ldquo;posts&rdquo; can be anything from normal blog posts to WooCommerce products to the latest topics from the bbPress plugin.</p>



<p>The Query may be one of the single most important aspects of WordPress. In essence, it is the engine behind displaying the content of every page on the site. Without it, all WordPress sites would simply be a header and a footer.</p>



<p>The Gutenberg plugin provides two blocks for the Query:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Query:</strong> The outer block for setting the options for which posts will show.</li><li><strong>Query Loop:</strong> The inner block, which is automatically added when using Query.</li></ul>



<p>Currently, users can select between four fairly standard variations when first adding the Query block. They are combinations of the post featured image, title, date, and excerpt.</p>



<img />Query block variations.



<p>These can be further customized via the block options panel in the sidebar. Users can also find &ldquo;view&rdquo; options in the toolbar for selecting between List and Grid views. The List view is the traditional list of posts flowing vertically down the page. The Grid view displays posts in two to six columns.</p>



<img />Grid view of posts while using the Query block.



<p>The Query block has a basic set of options for which post types to display and how to order them. It has filters for categories, tags, authors, and keywords. The block is not as robust as what is possible with code yet. It is missing some basic options like a post number limit and nearly all of the more advanced parameters. However, it is a promising starting point.</p>



<p>The more exciting aspects of this feature for end-users may not be the Query block at all. It is customizing the blocks that go inside, which display things like the featured image, post title, and more.</p>



<p>As a former theme author, I cannot count the number of times users have asked me about customizing some aspect of the posts layout. Having them dive into code to make minor changes, such as removing the post author name or displaying the category in a different place, was not an ideal experience. The site editor will put this power directly into each user&rsquo;s hands.</p>



<img />Adding post-related blocks to the Query block in Grid view.



<p>The comment by Marcus was on the Tavern&rsquo;s post covering <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-6-introduces-drag-and-drop-blocks-and-global-inheritance-for-the-query-block">Gutenberg 9.6</a>. The latest version of the plugin introduced global query inheritance for the Query block. This means that theme authors can now replicate the content layer in block-based themes. Previously, pages like archives and search results would simply display the latest posts when a theme used the Query block. Now, each of those pages can display the correct posts.</p>



<p>However, the Query block is so much more than that. In the hands of users, it can be a powerful tool for creating custom output on a homepage &mdash; think newspaper-style categorized sections. Users can also create post lists in a sidebar, such as the latest forum replies or products. Theme authors can offer templates or block patterns with unique designs or as starting points for end-users to modify. There is no shortage of possibilities.</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, 30 Dec 2020 23:05:39 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:158:"WPTavern: GitHub’s 2020 State of the Octoverse Report Highlights: Developers are Working More Hours but Turning to Open Source Projects for Creative Outlets";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109613";s:7:"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:353:"https://wptavern.com/githubs-2020-state-of-the-octoverse-report-highlights-developers-are-working-more-hours-but-turning-to-open-source-projects-for-creative-outlets?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=githubs-2020-state-of-the-octoverse-report-highlights-developers-are-working-more-hours-but-turning-to-open-source-projects-for-creative-outlets";s: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:3644:"<p>GitHub has published its annual <a href="https://octoverse.github.com/">Octoverse report</a> for 2020. The code hosting platform currently serves more than 56 million developers who created 60+ million new repositories this past year. The volume of work pumping through GitHub&rsquo;s pipes and its preeminence as the world&rsquo;s largest developer platform gives the company access to a trove of data on how people have been working during the pandemic. </p>



<p>The Productivity report shows that developers have been putting in longer hours as compared to the previous year. It includes data on what time of day people seem to be more productive, as well as minute changes in the volume of work across various time zones and countries with different COVID-19 responses. The graph below tracks the US Pacific Time Zone, showing a spike in the push window and work volume beginning in mid-March with lockdowns. The volume of work remained consistently higher than the previous year.</p>



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



<p>GitHub recorded 35% more repositories created than last year and 7.5 hours faster pull request merge times in teams&rsquo; most productive and collaborative weeks.</p>



<p>Developers seem to be getting more done and GitHub attributes this to people using automation to accelerate their work, improved development practices, and the flexibility of blurring the lines between work and life. The report also cautions that this high volume of work may not be sustainable long-term should be tempered with regular breaks and conscious energy management practices.</p>



<p>This collection of reports also highlights a few trends in the wider open source community. Alongside a general jump in work volume, GitHub tracked an increase in open source activity on weekends and holidays, at the same time that Enterprise developer activity dropped. Open source project creation is also up by 25% year over year since April 2020.</p>



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



<p>The data suggests that even when developers conclude their regular work, they are turning to open source projects for creative outlets. These projects often provide meaningful connections and community while the world is stuck at home.</p>



<p>Based on these findings, GitHub recommends that organizations recognize the importance open source projects hold for employee wellbeing and enrichment when they are contributing outside of work.</p>



<p>The State of the Octoverse also includes reports on Community and Security. GitHub found that 17% of the vulnerabilities hosted on its platform were explicitly malicious but triggered just 0.2% of alerts. The remaining 83% of vulnerabilities were the result of mistakes. The company found that vulnerabilities are fixed 1.4x faster when repositories are set up to automatically generate a pull request when a patch is available.</p>



<p>In 2020, the average time for vulnerabilities to go undetected before being identified is four years for GitHub-hosted repositories. On average, it takes 4.4 weeks for the community to code and release a fix, and 10 weeks to alert the community on the availability of a security update. Once notified, users generally apply the update within one week.</p>



<p>GitHub reports that its community is becoming more diverse as those who identify as developers have decreased from 60% in 2016 to 54% in 2020. Profiles related to education are growing (up from 17% in 2016 to 23% in 2020), followed by users working in data. The platform is becoming more approachable for collaborators who do not come from a development background. </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, 30 Dec 2020 07:08:51 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"WPTavern: Armando WordPress Theme Provides Insight Into the Current State of Full Site Editing";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109503";s:7:"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:233:"https://wptavern.com/armando-wordpress-theme-provides-insight-into-the-current-state-of-full-site-editing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=armando-wordpress-theme-provides-insight-into-the-current-state-of-full-site-editing";s: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:5271:"<p class="has-drop-cap">As we inch closer to a year in which <a href="https://wptavern.com/what-is-full-site-editing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-future-of-wordpress">WordPress&rsquo;s primary focus</a> will be on Full Site Editing, it is fortunate timing that Themes Team representative Carolina Nymark publicly <a href="https://twitter.com/carolinapoena/status/1343541924028968963">announced her latest theme</a>, Armando. It is a blogging theme that makes use of the latest features from the Gutenberg plugin.</p>



<p>The theme is currently <a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/93476">awaiting review</a> for the WordPress theme directory. It is also <a href="https://github.com/carolinan/fullsiteediting/tree/course/armando">available via GitHub</a>.</p>



<p>The news of Armando came moments after Nymark <a href="https://twitter.com/carolinapoena/status/1343538279346544643">announced a redesign</a> of her <a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/">Full Site Editing</a> website. The site is a resource for WordPress users and developers to learn more about upcoming features. It is built entirely out of blocks. It is also one of the few sites in the wild running a block-based theme in production.</p>



<p>Armando is one of the better themes for testing Full Site Editing. This should come as no surprise. Nymark is a veteran of the Themes Team. She tends to cover all the bases and has done so with this theme. There are even notes in the code where she intends to change things as site editing improves.</p>



<p>The theme is a solid starting point for theme authors who have yet to dip their toes into block-based theme development. It is also usable enough for end-users who want to experience the current state of Full Site Editing.</p>



<img />Editing a single post template in the site editor.



<p>The theme does not have a particular artistic flair. It is simple. It is a basic blogging theme that showcases each element the Gutenberg team has covered thus far in its journey toward the new block-based design system.</p>



<p>Armando also uncovers some of the current problems with the system. As Nymark noted in her stylesheet, &ldquo;Date and categories are all block elements, we need to adjust them to align them better next to each other.&rdquo; On the front end, the theme&rsquo;s CSS adjusts these block-level elements to correctly line up with each other. However, as seen in the site editor view, they are separated as blocks. Post metadata like the author, date, and category often need to be inline. This choice for aligning basic elements of theme design also needs to exist in the site editor. That is if we ever want theme authors to adopt it. <em>And, we haven&rsquo;t even gotten to the complicated stuff yet.</em></p>



<p>Armando is one of the first block-based themes I have seen to include a 404 template. This is important because it is one reason the site editor needs to exist in WordPress. Throughout all of the platform&rsquo;s history, there was no standard way for users to edit their 404 page, which is the page visitors see when they travel to an invalid URL on a site.</p>



<img />Editing the 404 template 



<p>Landing on a 404 page on most WordPress sites is one of the worst user experiences a site visitor can have on the web. Traditionally, themes might have added some unhelpful text, a search box, and maybe a list of recent posts. But, most users had no control over it unless they directly edited their theme&rsquo;s code. They could not add a bit of pizzazz, personalized messages, or more meaningful directions for the visitor who stumbled upon the page through no fault of their own. Some themes have provided workarounds for this over the years. Such solutions have included allowing users to assign a private page or adding customizer options. However, changing themes meant losing that 404-page customization because it was a non-standard solution.</p>



<p>Full Site Editing changes that. Users will have direct access to creating a custom 404 page that best suits their site. It is nice that the Armando theme already includes a template to start from.</p>



<p>The Armando theme also includes three different header templates for users to switch between. This could offer some insight into how theme authors may tackle design choices in the future. Traditional themes often have numerous checkboxes, input fields, and dropdowns for changing such design elements. Selectable template parts could be the alternative.</p>



<img />Switching the header template part.



<p>I lean more toward seeing theme authors using block patterns rather than templates for this. However, WordPress needs to add a method for designating patterns on specific editing screens (e.g., post editor vs. site editor). In the long run, the patterns UI feels like it will be a better place. That is assuming it ever receives an <a href="https://wptavern.com/proposal-to-create-an-expanded-view-or-overlay-for-the-block-patterns-inserter">expanded view or overlay option</a>.  There may be solutions where patterns and template parts merge as well.</p>



<p>Either way, this type of experimentation is what we need to see in the WordPress theme development world at the moment. I welcome more of 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:"Tue, 29 Dec 2020 22:37:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:64:"WPTavern: AMP Under Fire in New Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109265";s:7:"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:173:"https://wptavern.com/amp-under-fire-in-new-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=amp-under-fire-in-new-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google";s: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:6515:"<p><a href="https://amp.dev/">AMP</a> (Accelerated Mobile Pages), an open source initiative that originated with Google, is coming under greater scrutiny at the tail end of 2020, as the company is facing a rash of antitrust lawsuits beginning in October. The second suit is the one most pertinent to the AMP project. (A third suit brought by 38 state attorneys general alleges that Google is operating an illegal monopoly for online search and search advertising.)</p>



<p>The second suit is led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other state attorneys general. It alleges that AMP was created for the purpose of pushing publishers away from &ldquo;header bidding,&rdquo; an advertising mechanism that allows sites to route their ad inventory through several ad exchanges and sell the space to the highest bidder. Header bidding requires JavaScript and therefore doesn&rsquo;t play well with AMP.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/admin/2020/Press/20201216%20COMPLAINT_REDACTED.pdf">complaint</a> claims that &ldquo;Google&rsquo;s program secretly let its own<br />exchange win, even when another exchange submitted a higher bid.&rdquo; It also alleges that &ldquo;Google ad server employees met with AMP employees to strategize about using AMP to impede header bidding, and how much pressure publishers and advertisers would tolerate:&rdquo; </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>First, Google restricted the code to prohibit publishers from routing their bids to or sharing their user data with more than a few exchanges a time, which limited AMP compatibility with header bidding. At the same time, Google made AMP fully compatible with routing to exchanges through Google. Google also designed AMP to force publishers to route rival exchange bids through Google&rsquo;s ad server so that Google could continue to peek at rivals&rsquo; bids and trade on inside information. Third, Google designed AMP so that users loading AMP pages would make direct communication with Google servers, rather than publishers&rsquo; servers. This enabled Google&rsquo;s access to publishers&rsquo; inside and non-public user data. AMP pages also limit the number of ads on a page, the types of ads publishers can sell, as well as enriched content that publishers can have on their pages.</p></blockquote>



<p>There are many more claims about collusion with Facebook and other anti-competitive practices, but the section regarding AMP may be of particular interest to publishers who are considering implementing it:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Google falsely told publishers that adopting AMP would enhance load times, but Google employees knew that AMP only improves the [redacted] and AMP pages can actually [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. In other words, the ostensible benefits of faster load times for cached AMP version of webpages were not true for publishers that designed their web pages for speed. Some publishers did not adopt AMP because they knew their pages actually loaded faster than AMP pages.</p><p>Google also [redacted]&nbsp;<em>of non-AMP ads by giving them artificial one second delays</em>&nbsp;in order to give Google AMP a [redacted] [redacted] slows down header bidding, which Google uses to turn around and denigrate header bidding for being too slow.</p></blockquote>



<p>The complaint references internal documents that demonstrate how AMP is an inferior product when compared to the options previously available to publishers:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Google gave publishers a Faustian bargain: (1) publishers could lose more money by using header bidding because Google Search would suppress their search rankings and send traffic to competing AMP-compatible publishers; or (2) publishers could lose less money by using AMP pages and forgoing exchange competition in header bidding. Either option was far inferior to the options available to publishers before AMP was introduced. Just how inferior? [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] according to internal Google documents.</p></blockquote>



<p>Just 48 hours after this lawsuit was filed, AMP Advisory Committee member Terence Eden <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2020/12/i-have-resigned-from-the-google-amp-advisory-committee/">resigned</a> from his position as a non-corporate representative. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://github.com/ampproject/meta-ac/blob/master/WORKING_MODE.md#goal-of-the-ac">goal of the AMP AC</a> is to &ldquo;Make AMP a great web citizen,&rdquo; but Eden declined to nominate a replacement candidate, because he is concerned that &ldquo;Google has limited interest in that goal.&rdquo;</p>



<p>&ldquo;Google&rsquo;s thesis is that the mobile-web is dying and people prefer to use apps &ndash; therefore making the web faster and more app-like will retain users,&rdquo; Eden wrote.&nbsp;&ldquo;<a href="https://github.com/ampproject/meta-ac/issues/32">Google doesn&rsquo;t publish data about this</a>, so I can&rsquo;t directly criticize their motives. But I do not think AMP, in its current implementation, helps make the web better.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I remain convinced that AMP is poorly implemented, hostile to the interests of both users and publishers, and a proprietary and unnecessary incursion into the open web.&rdquo;</p>



<p>In a follow-up email to&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/19/google_amp_resignation">The Register</a></em>, Eden&nbsp;said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what Google&rsquo;s motives are. But AMP has not been responsive to the needs of users, publishers, or the web community. We need an open, standards based approach to the web.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Where will AMP go in 2021? Publishers have already invested a lot of resources in order to comply with its proprietary subset of HTML. Smaller sites often lack the resources to support AMP, which may be one reason why Google began investing heavily in developing <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/google/#content-plugins">WordPress plugins</a> that make its products easier to use. More than 500,000 WordPress site are now using the official <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/amp/">AMP plugin</a>.</p>



<p>Google has spent years clawing for greater AMP adoption, despite widespread criticism that the project is a threat to the open web. Every last bit of that effort is now in jeopardy if the complaints in the antitrust lawsuits and their supporting documents are found to be true.</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, 29 Dec 2020 05:43:57 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:84:"WPTavern: Navigate the Content Canvas With the Block Editor Outline WordPress Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109480";s:7:"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:213:"https://wptavern.com/navigate-the-content-canvas-with-the-block-editor-outline-wordpress-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=navigate-the-content-canvas-with-the-block-editor-outline-wordpress-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4173:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Last week, Kalimah Apps released its <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/editor-block-outline/">Editor Block Outline</a> plugin to the WordPress plugin repository. The idea is simple. The plugin adds a bordered outline to each block in the document along with their associated labels. For some users, this will help them navigate more complex layouts.</p>



<p>There is little information available about Kalimah Apps through the usual WordPress-related channels. However, this is its second plugin in the directory. Its first plugin, which has not been updated in four years, was a massive library of over 40 shortcodes, 1,000s of icons, and dozens of animations. Editor Block Outline is much more scaled back and lean.</p>



<p>The plugin adds a new sidebar panel to the editor. Its icon, located in the upper right of the screen, looks like a picture frame. It has several options to allow users to personalize the experience, such as what contexts to show the outline and whether to show the block name. The latter option is sometimes best disabled when inserting blocks with many inner blocks. Otherwise, the interface may look a bit cluttered.</p>



<p>Users can also select an outline color, border style, and opacity. I recommend knocking opacity down below 50% for more of a <em>guideline</em> look, something that is visible but does not feel like it is a part of the content.</p>



<img />Selecting outline options for Editor Block Outline.



<p>All of the settings are stored as user metadata. Using this data storage method means that each user can decide how they want to use this plugin. Or, they can even disable it altogether. Because it is stored this way, settings will carry over from one post to the next.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Do you want to know the feeling of driving while drunk, or to move around with blinders on? Then use Gutenberg without this plugin!!!&rdquo; That is how one user <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/works-perfectly-2168/">reviewed this plugin</a>. While I may not describe the default editor quite so &mdash; ahem &mdash; <em>eloquently</em>, this plugin does solve some problems, particularly when you need to more easily click around the interface.</p>



<p>As Brian Gardner <a href="https://twitter.com/bgardner/status/1329543944401801227">joked on Twitter</a>, selecting some blocks like Columns is tedious work or a fun game of whack-a-mole:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Live footage of me trying to select the main Columns block in WordPress to increase the number. <a href="https://t.co/Fud3DLQ4VH">pic.twitter.com/Fud3DLQ4VH</a></p>&mdash; Brian Gardner (@bgardner) <a href="https://twitter.com/bgardner/status/1329543944401801227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Of course, there are ways around that, such as using the navigation tree, breadcrumbs, or keyboard commands. However, the block editor is meant to be a visual interface that allows end-users to simply point and click on the elements they wish to edit. Selecting specific blocks has generally improved over time, but users still run into issues. Editor Block Outline makes it a much simpler affair.</p>



<img />Selecting the Columns block.



<p>In Full Site Editing (FSE) mode with the Gutenberg plugin enabled, the plugin did not hold up quite as well. Depending on the theme in use, the blocks&rsquo; text labels were sometimes huge or did not match across the canvas. The plugin&rsquo;s icon was also not available on the site editor screen.</p>



<p>FSE is still in beta. The plugin cannot be expected to work with it yet. However, this is where I imagine the plugin will make the most sense for many users. In the post editor, it would get in the way of writing long-form posts. However, the plugin could become an invaluable tool for navigating complex layouts in both the post and site editors.</p>



<p>More than anything, the reason I like Editor Block Outline is its dedication to a singular purpose. It adds a simple feature that enhances the editor without taking on too large of a role.</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, 28 Dec 2020 21:05:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:46:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress in 2020, it’s a wrap!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=316282";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-in-2020-its-a-wrap/";s: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:9203:"<p>Hello dear members of the BuddyPress community,</p>



<p>For this last day of 2020, we are inaugurating our very first End of Year wrap-up post. We believe it&#8217;s a good way to congratulate ourselves (<em>the whole BuddyPress community</em>) about the free &amp; priceless hard work we&#8217;ve all put together into our open source project.</p>



<p>There are many ways we are <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/participate-and-contribute/">getting involved</a> into BuddyPress and we all know the best way to maintain BuddyPress in the long term is to give some of our spare time to carry on bringing that little piece to the project. Every contribution makes a difference.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s thank us all, the users, the support forum moderators, the documentation writers, the translators, the theme designers, the plugin developers &amp; the BuddyPress Core committers team. We have built great community features all along the 2020 year.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-huge-font-size"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f44f.png" alt="👏" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>Here are our results:</h2>



<h3>2020 releases</h3>



<ul><li>9 releases (3 more than in 2019)</li><li><strong>2 major releases</strong> (1 more than in 2019)</li><li>7 minor releases (2 more than in 2019)</li></ul>



<h3>2020 Tickets</h3>



<ul><li>We&#8217;ve fixed 186 tickets, it&#8217;s <strong>62% more than in 2019</strong>.</li><li>The 6.0.0 release (May 2020) was the one which fixed the most tickets for 2 years (89).</li><li>Comparing to 2019, we&#8217;ve increased the fixed tickets per release average from 14 to 23.</li></ul>



<h3>2020 Code contributors</h3>



<ul><li>7.0.0 gathered the highest number of contributors for 2 years. We were <strong>55</strong> involved into the making of this release. It&#8217;s almost twice the number of contributors the 5.0.0 release got in 2019.</li><li>For each release we are an average of 14 contributors per release. In 2019 we were 9 contributors. <strong>Contributions to the BuddyPress project grew by 40% in 2020</strong>.</li></ul>



<h3>2020 Downloads</h3>



<ul><li>Most important spike for 2 years happened in 2020 for the 7.0.0 releases: <strong>34.236 downloads</strong> on December 11.</li><li>BuddyPress was downloaded more than 1.257.556 times in 2020 (the year is not finished yet <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f60c.png" alt="😌" class="wp-smiley" />).</li><li><strong>The growth ratio is 23% compared to 2019</strong>.</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>Here are our achievements:</h2>



<h3>Acknowledging <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/buddypress/contributors/">Polyglots contributions</a></h3>



<p>Making BuddyPress available in as many languages as possible is very important to ensure the best user experience of the plugin features. We are always trying to improve how we credits translators and ease their tasks. During the 6.0.0 release, we&#8217;ve reviewed all the strings needing translators comments to explain the meaning of the placeholders we use (e.g.: <code>%s</code>, <code>%d</code>, <code>%1$s</code>, etc.).</p>



<p>We&#8217;ve also decided to include, from now on, into major release credits the translation contributor names that have given their times to make sure the development (Trunk) translation is 100% ready once our major releases final string freeze step is over. <strong>This work is strategic to BuddyPress users</strong> as they will be able to get the new strings translation as soon as they upgrade or install the plugin.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3>Easing &amp; welcoming code contributions</h3>



<p>At the end of 2019, we&#8217;ve made available a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/">new plugin to ease beta-testing</a>, this year we&#8217;ve added the <code><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/packages/packages-env/">@wordpress/env</a></code> package to our development version (Trunk) and <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/participate-and-contribute/contribute-with-code/">wrote a tutorial</a> about how you can easily set up a development environment to play with BuddyPress code thanks to it. We believe it&#8217;s an important step towards making contributing to BuddyPress easier and we hope it will increase the number of people getting involved into BuddyPress source code improvements.</p>



<p>Before starting the 7.0.0 development cycle and just like the WordPress Core team does before each major milestone, we&#8217;ve published <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/05/27/buddypress-7-0-0-call-for-tickets/">our first &#8220;Call for tickets&#8221;</a>. We&#8217;ll do it before each major release so that you can share with the BuddyPress Core committers the tickets you think should be fixed for the next development cycle. <strong>The priorities of the BuddyPress community matter</strong>, we encourage you to use this call for tickets to make your voice heard.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3>Informing BuddyPress Theme &amp; Plugin authors about important changes</h3>



<p>During the 6.0.0 development cycle we (<em>re</em>)started to take the time to write developer notes as soon as possible. We also organized these notes into categories according to the version number of the release being built.</p>



<ul><li>To prepare 6.0.0, we&#8217;ve published <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/category/development-notes/6-0/">4 notes</a>,</li><li>To prepare 7.0.0, we&#8217;ve published <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/category/development-notes/7-0/">9 notes</a>.</li></ul>



<p>Our goals doing so is to limit the risk of &#8220;breaking&#8221; your active theme or plugins keeping their authors aware of changes they should check before a major release is published. It can also help developers to start working early on extending BuddyPress new features. Please do read these notes and share them with your networks to increase their audience and contribute to cover this risk.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3>Checking how you use BuddyPress and what are your needs:</h3>



<p>BuddyPress surveys are back! <strong>BuddyPress is about users</strong>: we are very happy we could organize the <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-2020-survey-results/">2020 survey</a> to get you inputs about your BuddyPress usage and about the specific directions for the plugin we are thinking of for its future.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3>Introducing new community features to the BuddyPress plugin:</h3>



<ul><li>The BP REST API welcomed 6 new endpoints to help you build great interactions from your applications about: Blogs, Blog avatar, Friends, Group Cover Image, Member Cover Image, and User Signups.</li><li>5 BuddyPress blocks have landed into the BuddyPress blocks category of your WordPress Block Editor.</li><li>New Administration screens to manage BuddyPress Types (Member &amp; Group ones) are now available within your WordPress Dashboard. </li><li>Just like Members &amp; Groups, the Blogs component can now enjoy a new default avatar for Sites.</li><li>A great 2.0 version of BP WP CLI to help you manage your BuddyPress site right from the command lines.</li><li>And many fixes and improvements about the existing features (See <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-6-0-0/">6.0.0</a> &amp; <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-7-0-0/">7.0.0</a> release notes)</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3>Starting side projects:</h3>



<ul><li>A new design for the BuddyPress.org network</li><li><a href="https://github.com/buddypress/bp-blocks/pull/7">Block based Activity Post Form</a>.</li><li>Migrating the <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/">Developer Updates blog</a> from WordPress.com to BuddyPress.org (See <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5525#comment:11">#5525</a>).</li></ul>



<p>If one of these projects is interesting you, don&#8217;t hesitate to contribute to it.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>2021 Goals</h2>



<p>Based on the discussions the Core Team had during our development meetings (every other Wednesday at 19:00 UTC in <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/buddypress">#BuddyPress</a>), here&#8217;s a list of directions we mostly agree on about: </p>



<ul><li>A fantastic standalone BuddyPress theme.</li><li>BuddyPress code reference.</li><li>A BuddyPress Attachments component.</li><li>Improve ways to get help about &amp; for BuddyPress.</li></ul>



<p><strong>Let&#8217;s try to make them concrete in 2021!</strong></p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p><em>Thanks for reading this post and for your involvement in contributing to BuddyPress in 2020. Let&#8217;s wish us all a great new year&#8217;s eve <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f389.png" alt="🎉" class="wp-smiley" />. Bye 2020 and Happy 2021, full of great contributions, to the BuddyPress community.</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:"Mon, 28 Dec 2020 19:29:45 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:28:"Matt: State of the Word 2020";s:7:"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=53321";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://ma.tt/2020/12/sotw-2020/";s: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:1319:"<p>This tumultuous year, two things really helped me get through it: my colleagues at <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> and the community of <a href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress</a>. </p>



<p>At the end of the year I usually deliver a speech to the WP community we call the State of the Word, that celebrates what we accomplished the previous year and shines a light on what we could focus on in the coming year. There&#8217;s always a great energy in the room and I love mixing with the audience before and after the talk. This year we did it online, which meant we could produce the talk a little more, and we made extra time for the Q&amp;A afterward with answers not just from me but folks across the community. </p>



<p>One thing I&#8217;ll call out <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/">WordPress 5.6</a> had an all women and non-binary release squad of over 50 people, a first for WordPress and probably any large open source project. Also the <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management/all/y">market share of WordPress</a> grew more in 2020 than it has in any year since it started being tracked!</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re curious about what&#8217;s next for WordPress, check it out:</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:"Sun, 27 Dec 2020 22:55:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:115:"WPTavern: Google to Migrate Structured Data Testing Tool to New Domain after Backlash from Deprecation Announcement";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109332";s:7:"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:275:"https://wptavern.com/google-to-migrate-structured-data-testing-tool-to-new-domain-after-backlash-from-deprecation-announcement?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-to-migrate-structured-data-testing-tool-to-new-domain-after-backlash-from-deprecation-announcement";s: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:2781:"<p>Google&rsquo;s <a href="https://search.google.com/test/rich-results">Rich Results Test</a> came <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2020/07/rich-results-test-out-of-beta">out of beta</a> in July with support for all Google Search rich result features like carousels, images, or other non-textual elements. At that time, Google announced it would be deprecating the <a href="https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool/u/0/">Structured Data Testing Tool</a>, which SEOs, developers, and site owners have relied on for testing structured markup and troubleshooting schema issues.</p>



<p>The SEO community reacted strongly to this change, because the Rich Results Test only validates structured data that is supported by Google. It also does not provide much useful feedback on errors. </p>



<p>&ldquo;This is awful,&rdquo; SEO consultant Barry Adams said in response to the change. &ldquo;The SDTT is a tool that validates ALL schemas and helps make the web a semantically richer place. The RR test only supports a tiny narrow subset of Google-approved schemas. You&rsquo;re downgrading the web with this move.&rdquo;</p>



<p>When Google <a href="https://twitter.com/googlesearchc/status/1280507131318460418">announced</a> the Structured Data Testing Tool&rsquo;s deprecation on Twitter, comments from various web professions indicated widespread disappointment in the decision.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The new tool is painfully slow,&rdquo; digital marketing consultant Ian Lurie said. &ldquo;The old tool showed a structured data result for the URL tested above. It provided useful feedback and supported industry-wide standardization. The truth is, you&rsquo;re replacing a great structured data tool for an inferior Google-specific one.&rdquo;</p>



<p>After taking note of all the negative feedback, Google <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2020/12/structured-data-testing-tool-update">announced</a> last week that it will no longer be deprecating the tool. Instead, the company plans to migrate it to a new domain:  </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>To better support open standards and development experience, we&rsquo;re refocusing the Structured Data Testing Tool and migrating it to a new domain serving the schema.org community by April 2021. The main purpose of the tool will be to check syntax and compliance of markup with schema.org standards.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>Google is making some changes to the tool to differentiate it from the Rich Results Test. The Structured Data Testing tool will not be able to check for Google Search rich result types. It will be refocused to validate only schema.org properties, and is recommended for validating types that Google Search doesn&rsquo;t yet consume.</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, 23 Dec 2020 23:56:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:61:"WPTavern: Learn WordPress Launches Trac Introductory Workshop";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109334";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:167:"https://wptavern.com/learn-wordpress-launches-trac-introductory-workshop?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learn-wordpress-launches-trac-introductory-workshop";s: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:2230:"<p>Jonathan Desrosiers, a WordPress core committer and software engineer at Bluehost, has published a new workshop titled &ldquo;<a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshop/how-to-use-trac/">How to Use Trac</a>&rdquo; on the <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a> platform. The 20-minute video offers a crash course on  the ticket tracking software that WordPress relies on to manage core development. Trac is also used for contributing to <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/">WordPress&rsquo; meta</a> component, which includes WordPress.org sites and API, directories, support areas, and other projects.</p>



<p>Trac&rsquo;s antiquated UI can be intimidating for newcomers, posing another barrier to contribution. Even experienced WordPress contributors are eager to move core development to GitHub or some other platform. It can get confusing since bugs related to the editor need to be reported on GitHub instead of Trac. Until WordPress adopts another platform, the ability to navigate Trac remains an important skill.</p>



<p>Desrosiers&rsquo; workshop covers topics like searching for pre-existing tickets before reporting a new issue, how to write a good bug report or feature request, how to identify component maintainers, attaching patches, and how proper classification of the ticket can help other teams get involved. He also helps workshop students understand ticket resolutions so they can frame their expectations accordingly. This video includes a full walkthrough of creating a new ticket where Desrosiers explains each field on the form. </p>



<p>Once you get up to speed on learning Trac and start contributing, you may also want to follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/wordpresstrac">WordPress Trac on Twitter</a>. New contributors may also want to explore <a href="https://wptavern.com/wptracsearch-an-elasticsearch-powered-search-interface-for-wordpress-trac-tickets">WPTracSearch</a>, an unofficial project that provides an alternative Elasticsearch-powered interface for searching WordPress Trac tickets. WPTracSearch delivers more accurate results, even for basic queries, that can be filtered based on milestone, component, focuses, usernames, and more criteria.</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, 23 Dec 2020 21:38:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:98:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 9.6 Introduces Drag-and-Drop Blocks and Global Inheritance for the Query Block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109323";s:7:"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:241:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-6-introduces-drag-and-drop-blocks-and-global-inheritance-for-the-query-block?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gutenberg-9-6-introduces-drag-and-drop-blocks-and-global-inheritance-for-the-query-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:5098:"<p class="has-drop-cap">For some people, Christmas arrived a couple of days early. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/23/whats-new-in-gutenberg-23-december/">Gutenberg 9.6 launched</a> with its first iteration of drag-and-drop blocks from the inserter. There are some other enhancements like <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/27297">vertical buttons</a>, heaps of bug fixes, new APIs, and other improvements. But, let&rsquo;s be real. The ability to drag blocks from the inserter into the content canvas is the highlight of this release.</p>



<p>Another key feature is that the Query block, which is only available when Full Site Editing is enabled, now <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/27128">inherits from the global query arguments</a>. As has been usual as of late, much of the work in the Gutenberg plugin has focused on improving the site editor.</p>



<h2>Drag Blocks Into the Content Canvas</h2>



<img />Dragging a block from the inserter and dropping it between paragraphs.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Perhaps the Gutenberg development team has <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-7-development-kicks-off-with-focus-on-full-site-editing#comment-357130">seen</a> <a href="https://wptavern.com/proposal-to-create-an-expanded-view-or-overlay-for-the-block-patterns-inserter#comment-353059">your</a> <a href="https://wptavern.com/google-search-to-add-page-experience-to-ranking-signals-in-may-2021#comment-351977">comments</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-0-brings-major-improvements-to-navigation-screen-and-query-block#comment-344463">your</a> <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-wish-list-homepage-post-type-selection-and-block-management#comment-336374">other</a> <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-5-adds-single-gallery-image-editing-allows-image-uploads-from-external-sources-and-improves-drag-and-drop#comment-334299">comments</a>. If there is one common thread among the comments on our Gutenberg-related posts, it is that a segment of the WordPress user base wants more drag-and-drop capabilities.</p>



<p>The new feature only works with blocks right now. Users cannot yet drag and drop patterns from the inserter.</p>



<p>After several tests since Gutenberg 9.6 Release Candidate 1 landed last week, I have had no issues with it. For the most part, the experience felt smooth and easy to use.</p>



<p>I have never seen the allure of drag-and-drop features in a content editor. If I am not typing in Markdown, I am in the WordPress editor and using keyboard shortcuts. Throughout my career, I have either been writing code or writing words daily. Picking up my fingers from the keyboard only serves to waste time.</p>



<p>Sometimes I forget that the block editor already has some drag-and-drop capabilities available, which allow end-users to move blocks from one position to another in the canvas. I tend to work with the top toolbar enabled, so I rarely see the feature.</p>



<p>Nevertheless, I do see how dragging and dropping blocks could be useful to some users. I use them in other types of editors, such as Gimp or Photoshop, at times. The one thing I like about those is the toolset is always available in the sidebar. This is not the case with the block inserter. While it will stay open for users to drag multiple elements into their content, it disappears once users begin working elsewhere. That could become irritating if the user is in more of a visual-design workflow instead of a content-editing mode.</p>



<p>Dragging blocks from the inserter would make more sense for my workflow in the upcoming site editor rather than the post editor. The feature works great in that context too.</p>



<h2>Query Block Supports Inheriting the Global Query Arguments</h2>



<img />Inheriting the Query block&rsquo;s options from the URL.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The low-key star of this release is an update to the Query block, which is only available when using a block-based theme. The update is one of the most important breakthroughs for Full Site Editing, a pivotal moment in the history of the Gutenberg project.</p>



<p>In previous iterations, the Query block required that themes via their block templates or end-users via the site editor define which posts to display. While that is a necessary function of the block, the missing piece was the global query support.</p>



<p>In the simplest terms, whatever URL a visitor lands upon tells WordPress which posts to load. The data for loading these posts is all stored in a global set of query arguments. Themes can then loop through these posts to display them.</p>



<p>In Gutenberg 9.6, the Query block can now inherit these query arguments. This means that things like the blog posts page, category archives, search results, and more will display the correct posts when someone visits one of those specific URLs.</p>



<p>On the surface, this change merely adds a single option to the interface. However, under the hood, it is a achievement that clears a gaping path for developing block-based themes.</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, 23 Dec 2020 20:16:53 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:79:"WPTavern: Exploring Photo Blocks, an Experimental FSE-Ready Photoblogging Theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109274";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:201:"https://wptavern.com/exploring-photo-blocks-an-experimental-fse-ready-photoblogging-theme?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exploring-photo-blocks-an-experimental-fse-ready-photoblogging-theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4979:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Kjell Reigstad announced the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/tree/master/photo-blocks">Photo Blocks</a> theme on December 9. It is a part of an ongoing set of experimental work from the WordPress <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments">Theme Experiments</a> repository on GitHub. It is essentially a testbed of ideas that are helping to propel the upcoming block-based theming era.</p>



<p>In the past few months, I have covered the repository&rsquo;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/carrd-like-theme-experiment-provides-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-theming">Carrd-like landing page theme</a>, <a href="https://wptavern.com/twenty-twenty-one-blocks-theme-launching-as-a-separate-project">Twenty Twenty-One Blocks</a>, and the Full Site Editing (FSE) <a href="https://wptavern.com/jump-start-block-based-theme-development-with-the-fse-theme-generator">Theme Generator</a>. There is a lot of movement happening in the repository that theme developers would be remiss to overlook.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I built a new block-based photoblog theme in the experiments repo,&rdquo; Reigstad <a href="https://twitter.com/kjellr/status/1336697938538618882">tweeted</a> just a couple of weeks ago. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s refreshing to see how well this works just with existing FSE tools.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Like most FSE-capable themes currently making the rounds, it is simple. There are miles left before block-based themes and the upcoming site editor reach maturity. Photo Blocks showcases yet another step in the evolution of the system.</p>



<img />Posts page view of Photo Blocks in the site editor.



<p>The theme uses the Query block&rsquo;s new grid view, which was added in <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-5-improves-site-editor-and-adds-new-options-for-cover-and-code-blocks">Gutenberg 9.5</a>. The Query block is one of the most important pieces of the Full Site Editing system. Like in traditional themes, the query and &ldquo;the loop&rdquo; output posts on the front end.</p>



<p>The addition of the grid view allows themes to output their posts in columns. This is a nice addition for Photo Blocks and other photoblogging or portfolio themes. Currently, the Query block supports only a second type of view, the default list of posts. It all seems to limit design possibilities right now, but the grid option does provide some hope that more robust tools are coming.</p>



<p>The Query block is undoubtedly one of the most complex features the Gutenberg team is building, and it is a crucial block for the upcoming site editor.</p>



<p>There is also no posts pagination or navigation at the moment. That is because the Gutenberg team is still <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/26557">ironing out the details</a> of such a block. This is another Herculean task given the near-limitless variations on designing posts navigation. The block will need to provide theme authors the flexibility they are accustomed to when writing code.</p>



<h2>Why Testing and Building Experimental Themes Matters</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The development of Photo Blocks exposed some missing features in Gutenberg. Without community feedback from building and testing block-based themes, it is tough for the development team to identify such issues.</p>



<p>Currently, the only way to have same-height images in the Photo Blocks theme&rsquo;s post grid is to manually crop and upload images with the same aspect ratio. Reigstad opened a ticket to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27620">set a consistent crop</a> for the Post Featured Image block. <em>I would also recommend an image-size option similar to how it is handled in the Image block.</em></p>



<p>Traditionally, themes that output a grid of featured images would fall back to a default image or use the first image from the post content if one was not set. There is currently no way to do this with the Post Featured Image block &mdash; another missing key feature. Reigstad opened a new ticket that proposed <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/27617">taking the idea further</a>.</p>



<p>&ldquo;In the past, the featured image was a single image, added and managed separately from the rest of the post content,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;For block-based sites however, that restriction is largely unnecessary. Rather than just an image, we should consider making it possible to set a video or audio embed as the &lsquo;Featured&rsquo; block. Also, since posts are made up of structured data, it&rsquo;s theoretically possible to signify any block from within post content as a &lsquo;Featured&rsquo; block.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The idea of featured media is not new. Many themes have had featured audio and video in the past. However, the concept of marking any type of block as featured is worth exploring. Even if not every block lends itself well to this, surely some do beyond images.</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, 23 Dec 2020 00:35:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:57:"WPTavern: Shutterstock Launches Official WordPress Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108844";s:7:"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:159:"https://wptavern.com/shutterstock-launches-official-wordpress-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shutterstock-launches-official-wordpress-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2130:"<p>Shutterstock has released an <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/shutterstock">official plugin for WordPress</a>. The 17-year old company is as old as WordPress itself but this is the first time it has provided convenient access to its library inside the admin.  </p>



<p>Seven years ago, Shutterstock released a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/shutterstock-affiliate-plugin/">plugin for affiliates</a> using a third-party development company, but it failed to gain much traction and is no longer updated. The new block-based plugin applies more broadly to WordPress site owners looking for commercial stock photography. It provides a block that allows users to search Shutterstock&rsquo;s library of 340 million images and get suggestions based on the text content. Users can place preview images on pages and posts, license with one click, download, and publish images and editorial content.</p>



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



<p>Shutterstock&rsquo;s plugin respects WordPress&rsquo; user roles and permissions system, so organizations can restrict image licensing to editors and administrators while still allowing authors to insert image previews. The plugin also has access to the user&rsquo;s license history so they can download any content that has been previously licensed on Shutterstock.</p>



<p>A couple weeks after launching, the plugin is active on fewer than 10 WordPress sites. It&rsquo;s not clear if that is due to its customers not knowing about it or the endless variety of free images that WordPress users have access to through other services. Since the plugin only offers access to a limited library by default, it is primarily aimed at Shutterstock customers who have an existing subscription to connect for the full collection.  </p>



<p>Along with the official plugin release, Shutterstock also announced a new partnership with WordPress.com VIP. It is now one of the service&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="https://wpvip.com/partner/shutterstock/">Featured Technology Partners</a>,&rdquo; streamlining the publishing workflow for Automattic&rsquo;s enterprise customers. </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, 22 Dec 2020 23:32:46 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:86:"WPTavern: What Is Full Site Editing and What Does It Mean for the Future of WordPress?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109217";s:7:"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:215:"https://wptavern.com/what-is-full-site-editing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-future-of-wordpress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-full-site-editing-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-future-of-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10892:"<img />Block-based Twenty Twenty-One theme in the site editor.



<p class="has-drop-cap">As I said last week, <em>2021 will be the year of the site editor</em>.  Matt Mullenweg&rsquo;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing">State of the Word</a> confirms it.  WordPress 5.7&rsquo;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-7-development-kicks-off-with-focus-on-full-site-editing">release planning</a> is focused on it.  It has been a long journey getting to this point, and it will be a much longer adventure afterward. The ultimate promise of the work that <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-core-editor-team-publishes-ui-prototype-for-gutenberg-an-experimental-block-based-editor">began nearly four years ago</a> is nigh.</p>



<p>The Gutenberg project was never <em>just</em> about editing content. WordPress was aging software by late 2016. It needed to cater to modern audiences who may be less tech-savvy than the platform&rsquo;s existing user base. It needed to capture a younger generation of developers who were looking at the greener grass of JavaScript-heavy software. It needed to offer an experience on par with modern web applications. WordPress had a lot of boxes it needed to check or face irrelevance.</p>



<p>The one thing that has truly kept the platform afloat is its large and diverse ecosystem of third-party developers.</p>



<p><em>One of the most popular types of plugins?</em> Page builders. Those such as Elementor, which launched in early 2016, were filling in the experience gaps that WordPress was missing. While it was a testament to the platform&rsquo;s extendibility for such third-party projects to arise, it was also a failure that the core platform could not offer a better experience to both users and developers out of the box. Far too many theme authors were forced into supporting third-party builders to remain relevant. They were focusing more and more on compatibility with plugins than simply designing.</p>



<p>The shortcomings of the widgets, shortcodes, meta boxes, and settings systems meant that developers had to either rely on non-core frameworks or reinvent the wheel. Every new API brought with it a new method for adding basic form fields. At best, it was inelegant, a platter of spaghetti that had been thrown at the wall, some of it managing to stick.</p>



<p>WordPress was beginning to show its wrinkles. It needed to revolutionize itself. It needed to feel fresh again. For better or worse, the developers behind the Gutenberg project have been putting in the work to do just that.</p>



<p>It is slow work. But, it is promising work.</p>



<p>While the term &ldquo;Gutenberg&rdquo; is often used interchangeably with &ldquo;block editor,&rdquo; the two are not one and the same. Gutenberg is a project. A plugin. An idea. A new way of thinking about publishing on the web. As the opening lines of the description of the plugin read:</p>



<blockquote><p>&ldquo;Gutenberg&rdquo; is a codename for a whole new paradigm in WordPress site building and publishing, that aims to revolutionize the entire publishing experience as much as Gutenberg did the printed word.</p></blockquote>



<p>The project has four phases:</p>



<ol><li>Easier Editing</li><li>Customization</li><li>Collaboration</li><li>Multilingual</li></ol>



<p>WordPress users who have not been testing the Gutenberg plugin have only experienced Phase 1 of the project. The launch of the block editor in <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-0-bebo-released-lays-a-foundation-for-the-platforms-future">WordPress 5.0</a> and its continued work set the stage for the phases to follow. The underlying block system is what will fuel the next decade or longer of WordPress.</p>



<p>Today, we are firmly in the midst of Phase 2. And, this is where things will get interesting.</p>



<h2>Full Site Editing</h2>



<img />Selecting a template in the site editor, using the Block-Based Bosco theme.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Phase 2 of Gutenberg, which began in late 2018, promised to bring blocks outside of the post content. In an introduction to this next step, Mel Choyce-Dwan <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/gutenberg-phase-2/">outlined the three main focuses:</a></p>



<ul><li>Be outside of <code>post_content</code>.</li><li>Focus on customization.</li><li>Upgrading themes, widgets, and menus.</li></ul>



<p>Since then, those core concepts have remained the same. However, the full picture, the shape of what those concepts would look like, has changed in the last two years. If there is one thing anyone on the development team has learned, it is probably that it is hard to launch such drastic changes.</p>



<p>Full Site Editing is a mix of concepts. It is one part transition from tradition and one part full overhaul of how users and developers design the front end of WordPress sites.</p>



<p>Nav menus and widgets, which are a part of the old paradigm, have been set to relaunch under the block system for the past two major WordPress releases. They were not ready. Users should expect to see them in WordPress 5.7. However, these feature upgrades are merely stepping stones to true the true Full Site Editing feature. They offer a way for end-users who are still using classic WordPress themes to get a taste of blocks outside of the post-editing screen.</p>



<p>For the users who take the next step, widgets and nav menus &mdash; at least the traditional admin screens &mdash; will disappear. The customizer, which was once touted as the future of theme development, is also getting the ax. Site customization via a system where everything is a block will reign supreme.</p>



<p>Once the switch flips, the world will be looking at a whole new WordPress.</p>



<p>WordPress 5.7 and beyond will be about the site editor and block-based themes. The site editor is the visual representation of block templates that theme developers offer to users. Templates are infinitely customizable by the user from the WordPress admin. While themers will create custom configurations and set defaults, the power to decide what the front end of the site will look like will ultimately reside in the user&rsquo;s hands.</p>



<p>Since the launch of Phase 1, the block editor has been a love/hate affair. Expect the site editor to be no less controversial.</p>



<p>Underneath it all, a theme&rsquo;s code and the site editor will be talking in the same language. This essentially means that users could transition to theme authors if they have a knack for design or simply want to give it a go.  They  should be able to do this without leaving the comfort of the trusty site editor, which already allows exporting templates.</p>



<p>Because the post editor and the site editor both work on the same, underlying block-based foundation, there is no reason for users to not be able to seamlessly switch between the two. There is <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/26355">currently a ticket</a> for adding such a toggle on the post-editing screen. It will allow users to switch to a template-editing mode while never leaving the post editor.</p>



<img />Template-editing mode likely to land in Gutenberg 9.6.



<p>This is not a newly-introduced concept. Josepha Haden, who led the WordPress 5.6 release, <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-release-team-pulls-the-plug-on-block-based-widgets">touched on this earlier this year</a>. &ldquo;I think one of the problems that we&rsquo;re trying to solve with Gutenberg has always been a more consistent experience for editing elements across the WordPress interface,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;No user should have to learn five different workflows to make sure their page looks the way they imagined it when it&rsquo;s published.&rdquo;</p>



<p>One of the larger goals is reducing the number of workflows into a single interface. We are likely years away from seeing the whole of WordPress site management reduced that far. However, the site editor is the next step toward that potential user experience.</p>



<h2>What Does All This Mean for the Future?</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While the last few years may have felt like a whirlwind of changes to our beloved platform, <em>you ain&rsquo;t seen nothing yet</em>. We were just getting our bearings in Phase 1. The development team was building the foundation while also launching the user-facing block editor. With that foundation in place, the team can focus more on features. This will especially be true as the <a href="https://wptavern.com/g2-components-a-from-scratch-reimagining-of-wordpress-components">G2 Components project </a>overhauls and standardizes how core and third-party developers build upon the block system.</p>



<p>The big Phase 2 changes this year means that theme authors will need to get up to speed. Traditional WordPress themes will still be necessary for a while. However, any theme author who is not already tinkering with block-based themes is already months behind. This is the time to be exploring and helping to shape the system. It is time to be filing bug reports and feature requests.</p>



<p>If possible, theme authors should be attending the twice-monthly <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/about/#meetings">block-based themes meetings</a>. If time does not allow for attendance, you should at least be reading and participating on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/">Make Themes blog</a>.</p>



<p>It is also important to check out projects like the <a href="https://wptavern.com/q-first-fse-wordpress-theme-now-live">Q theme</a> or follow the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments">Theme Experiments</a> repository.</p>



<img /><a href="https://wptavern.com/carrd-like-theme-experiment-provides-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-theming">Carrd-like theme experiment</a> from the site editor.



<p>For end-users, this entire project is about you. Your feedback is crucial. If you are not already testing your site with the Gutenberg plugin, you should be. It is sometimes weeks or months ahead of what you are getting with WordPress alone.  Try out an FSE theme like <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-based-bosco-second-full-site-editing-theme-lands-in-the-wordpress-directory">Block-Based Bosco</a>.  Consider joining the <a href="https://wptavern.com/help-steer-the-future-of-wordpress-via-the-fse-outreach-program">FSE Outreach Program</a>. You can test and provide feedback directly on upcoming features.</p>



<p>FSE brings with it the promise of major changes in 2021. Many of these changes will uproot old methods of managing your WordPress websites. Those methods will be replaced with one of the largest overhauls to the platform in its history. It is time to get prepared.</p>



<p>It is going to be an interesting new year.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 22 Dec 2020 00:56:53 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:77:"WPTavern: WordPress 5.7 Development Kicks Off with Focus on Full Site Editing";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109212";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:199:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-7-development-kicks-off-with-focus-on-full-site-editing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-5-7-development-kicks-off-with-focus-on-full-site-editing";s: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:3662:"<p>If the 2020 <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing">State of the Word</a> address was any indication, WordPress is moving full steam ahead to land full site editing in 2021. The 5.7 release cycle <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/21/wordpress-5-7-planning-roundup/">kicked off</a> this week with the proposed scope centered around full site editing via&nbsp;Gutenberg. Matt Mullenweg will be leading the release and the rest of the team leadership is still being rounded up. Bug scrubs for<em>&nbsp;</em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/early" target="_blank">early tickets</a> that require more time or early testing are already underway. </p>



<p>WordPress 5.7 contributors anticipate working on the following features in the next release:</p>



<ul><li>Update WordPress&nbsp;Core&nbsp;to include current releases of the Gutenberg&nbsp;plugin</li><li>Gutenberg: ship additional blocks, refine the&nbsp;UI, add tools for themes and design, and continue working on the&nbsp;widget&nbsp;screen</li><li>Continue work on&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/11/10/wp5-6-auto-update-implementation-change/">auto-updates</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/06/29/updating-jquery-version-shipped-with-wordpress/">&nbsp;jQuery</a></li></ul>



<p>&ldquo;We might add more items in the upcoming weeks, and we will reconfirm the above-proposed list after the end-of-Gregorian year holidays,&rdquo; Francesca Marano said in a planning roundup post. She said core development is not &ldquo;closing up shop&rdquo; for the holidays, and volunteers plan to run&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/11/call-for-volunteers-early-bug-scrubs-for-wordpress-5-7/">bug scrubs</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/11/dev-chat-schedule-for-the-end-of-the-year/">dev chats</a>. Those who cannot attend a meeting but want to advocate for a ticket can always comment on the dev chat agenda post to have it included in the discussion.</p>



<p>Matias Ventura created a GitHub issue in August for contributors to track the progress of <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/24551">full-site editing milestones</a>. Some of the infrastructure and UI is already in place, as well as the ability to navigate through pages, templates, parts, and know which is area is active. Styling, theme blocks, the Query block, and the Navigation block are still in progress.</p>



<p>There are a lot of moving pieces to make full-site editing features cohesive and ready for prime time. In Ventura&rsquo;s most recent <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/10/status-check-site-editing-and-customization/">status update</a> on the project he reported that all of the features outlined are &ldquo;in advanced stages&rdquo; and can be used in the Gutenberg plugin already.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The main hurdle to include the work in major WordPress releases are the various dependencies between each project when it comes to ensuring a great user experience,&rdquo; Ventura said. &ldquo;The immediate focus is then on completing the milestones, stabilizing the work, and doing as much testing with different kinds of users as possible.&rdquo; </p>



<p>WordPress contributors are planning <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/">four releases in 2021</a>, allowing for multiple opportunities to introduce new features.</p>



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



<p>Beta 1 for 5.7 is planned for early February and the general release is expected March 9, 2021. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 21 Dec 2020 23:18:47 +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: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:48:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 7.1.0 Maintenance Release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=316287";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-1-0-maintenance-release/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1204:"<p>Immediately available is&nbsp;<a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.7.1.0.zip">BuddyPress 7.1.0</a>. This maintenance release fixes two bugs related to issues introduced in the 7.0.0 release.</p>



<ul><li>It makes sure the BP Blogs tools to repare Site icons / Site profile photos synchronization is only available to WordPress multisite configs, </li><li>It fixes the unavailability of the Groups Admin screen for site networks using the BuddyPress multiblog mode.</li></ul>



<p>For details on the changes, please read the&nbsp;<a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-7-1-0/">7.1.0 release notes</a>.</p>



<p>Update to BuddyPress 7.1.0 today in your WordPress Dashboard, or by&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">downloading from the WordPress.org plugin repository</a>.</p>



<h2>Many thanks to 7.1.0 contributors&nbsp;<span class="dashicons dashicons-heart"></span></h2>



<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hareesh-pillai/"></a><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shawfactor">shawfactor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/slaffik">slaFFik</a> &amp; <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">imath</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 21 Dec 2020 21:08:26 +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:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:26;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"WPTavern: Ask the Bartender: Integrate With Third-Party App or Use Native WordPress Plugin?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109173";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:223:"https://wptavern.com/ask-the-bartender-integrate-with-third-party-app-or-use-native-wordpress-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ask-the-bartender-integrate-with-third-party-app-or-use-native-wordpress-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5054:"<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>My question to you is how you see the future (or even the present) of integrating software with WordPress and when you should make the distinction of going the integration vs. native approach.</p><p>In other words, with the vast ecosystem of WordPress plugins out there, how can a website owner discern which responsibilities WordPress the software should handle and whether that functionality is actually better to plug another software or service into instead?</p><p>Alex</p></blockquote>



<p class="has-drop-cap">There was a time when I would have said build <em>all the things</em> in WordPress. I was younger then, a bit more naive. I was optimistic about using WordPress as a framework to build anything. There is a part of me that still leans in this direction. Mostly, this is because I want to see what developers in the WordPress ecosystem can achieve. I applaud anyone who pushes the platform beyond its current limits.</p>



<p>Few people would have guessed that WordPress would become an eCommerce powerhouse. However, WooCommerce has proven it can be done. I still remember when nearly every WordPress theme and plugin author was selling their commercial products via E-junkie. Now, Easy Digital Downloads is the go-to solution, and AffiliateWP handles the affiliate side of things.</p>



<p>Some of the best products from the WordPress plugin market arose from issues with third-party app integration. Their creators bucked the system and brought useful tools directly into WordPress. Many of these are now multi-million dollar products and companies that employ dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people. They have their own ecosystems that allow even more third-party developers to make a living. And this is all done on top of WordPress.</p>



<p>I will always root for the home team, for the developers in our community to build native solutions.</p>



<p>However, the reality is that WordPress is not the best solution for everything. Depending on the application, the development team has likely put years of work into it, creating a specialized system that caters to that application&rsquo;s users. The experience can often be far better than something available for WordPress.</p>



<p>I cannot imagine using WordPress as the backbone of a social video site like YouTube, even if it was a small site. The hosting costs would be astronomical. It is far easier and cheaper to rely on integration with YouTube rather than trying to rebuild it.</p>



<p>In Alex&rsquo;s original correspondence, he also brought up a specific case about integrating with a third-party forum. This is a far more realistic quandary than an average user trying to build the next YouTube. It is also a question that does not have a single answer.</p>



<p>For users who are creating forums on their site for the first time, my advice would be to go with bbPress. It is a plugin that brings native forums to WordPress. While it is not nearly as powerful as some third-party forum applications, its best feature is that it works directly with the built-in user, role, and capability systems in WordPress. These are some of the more complex APIs in WordPress, and trying to sync user accounts between applications can often be a headache. It is also a complex technical topic that goes beyond the scope of this post. If starting from scratch, I would recommend bbPress or another WordPress forum plugin.</p>



<p>On the other hand, if a user already has an existing forum with a large amount of content, I would lean toward integrating it and WordPress, particularly if the site owner plans to keep user registrations strictly within the forum software. Much of that will come down to what the end-user feels comfortable with. If they have a strong history with their existing application, making a change may simply not be the best route. There are other items to consider, such as whether sharing a single theme across both platforms is necessary. bbPress can also import content from many existing forum applications.</p>



<p>The answer to the question is that it depends. Each use case is different.</p>



<p><em>Should a popular seller on Etsy move everything to WooCommerce?</em> Probably not. That user might want to install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/etsy-shop/">Etsy Shop</a> integration plugin. Eventually, they might expand their brand enough to no longer rely on the Etsy platform. At that point, WooCommerce could be the answer.</p>



<p>It comes down to time, cost, research, and testing. Even when a plugin brings a native solution to WordPress that is ideal for most people, it might not be the best answer for an individual. Specifics matter, and I am always happy to talk those over.</p>



<p class="has-white-color has-blue-700-background-color has-text-color has-background text-white bg-blue-700">This is the second post in the Ask the Bartender series.  Have a question of your own? <a href="https://wptavern.com/contact-me/ask-the-bartender">Shoot it over</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, 18 Dec 2020 20:50:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:74:"WPTavern: State of the Word 2020: WordPress Moves Toward Full Site Editing";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109009";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:191:"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=state-of-the-word-2020-wordpress-moves-toward-full-site-editing";s: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:6819:"<p>WordPress enthusiasts around the world tuned into Matt Mullenweg&rsquo;s annual State of the Word address this week, delivered virtually for the first time. Mullenweg recognized the community&rsquo;s efforts in working together during a global pandemic, without the benefit of periodic in-person events that have traditionally re-energized collaboration on the project.</p>



<p>During a most unusual year that has warped the passage of time and slowed it to the speed of molasses, WordPress&rsquo; release schedule kept a steady, reassuring pace in contrast. The first part of the State of the Word highlighted the three major releases shipped in 2020, which introduced improvements to the block editor, a new default theme, application passwords for the REST API, and new, game-changing features like block patterns, to name just a few. </p>



<p>WordPress continues to grow its dominant market share and is currently sitting at 39.3% of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alexa.com/">Alexa</a>&nbsp;top 10 million sites. Mullenweg attributed&nbsp;that growth to three major contributing factors: the lockdown, e-commerce, and economic uncertainty. The lockdowns put in place to mitigate the virus&rsquo; spread had the effect of giving people the space and time to connect online. It also drove an uptick in entrepreneurship and e-commerce. Mullenweg reported that WooCommerce facilitated more than $20 billion in sales. </p>



<h3>Site Editor Beta Demo Shows Progress on Full Site Editing Project</h3>



<p>Gutenberg design contributor Joen Asmussen joined by video to unveil a sneak peek of the progress on the Full Site Editing (FSE) project with a <a href="https://youtu.be/QI3qCoiuG3w?t=1293">demo of the Site Editor beta</a>. The Site Editor allows users to edit a theme&rsquo;s template outside of the post&rsquo;s content. It introduces new blocks for things like the query loop, navigation, site title, tagline, and other aspects of editing templates.</p>



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



<p>The block list view shows all the different areas of the page, such as the header, footer, columns, and site title, so the user can jump to the section for quick access. Block patterns can also be used within template designs to speed up page layout or match a demo design. Given the current complexity of creating a template design from a blank canvas, block patterns have the potential to become even more indispensable when WordPress users finally get the reins for editing theme templates.</p>



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



<p>&ldquo;This is the culmination of several ongoing projects to expand upon and improve the customization possibilities in WordPress,&rdquo; Asmussen said. The demo offers a quick overview of how the FSE project is coming together. The reality of &ldquo;everything becoming a block&rdquo; is finally materializing. Gutenberg will soon be capable of providing a consistent editing experience across all aspects of site customization. </p>



<p>&ldquo;By creating this common framework that every theme and plugin can build on, we&rsquo;re reducing the balkanization within WordPress from people who are solving these problems lots of different ways, and providing what I believe is the basis for the next decade of WordPress&rsquo; growth,&rdquo; Mullenweg said.</p>



<h3>WordPress&rsquo; Global Community Reiterates the Demand for Multilingual Capabilities</h3>



<p>The number of questions during the Q&amp;A related to multilingual capabilities underscores the fact that WordPress is undeniably a global community. More than 50% of WordPress sites are not using English. Better multilingual support could be key to the next era of WordPress&rsquo; growth. Nevertheless, multilingual features are at the tail end of the four-phase roadmap for the project&rsquo;s immediate future. </p>



<p>Mullenweg said WordPress is about &ldquo;two years into a 10-year project,&rdquo; with good chunks of phase 1 and phase 2 done. Phase 1 includes editing inside the post/page content, creating the fundamental building blocks and also bringing them to the mobile apps. Phase 2 is centered around editing outside the content, using blocks to create the site&rsquo;s templates.</p>



<p>Phase 3 will introduce new collaboration features and workflow for real-time co-editing. Phase 4, which Mullenweg said is &ldquo;just in the imagination stage right now,&rdquo; covers multilingual features. He said he expects this phase to likely &ldquo;be taken underway pretty vigorously in 2022.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Mat&iacute;as Ventura answered a question about a phase 4 roadmap, confirming that there is no specific plan for its multilingual implementation right now. He said there have been some initial conversations regarding the implications of localization, specifically around patterns and block themes, and how those can be built. Nothing substantial has emerged yet but the team will be creating a more detailed overview of what is needed. Fallback languages is one feature that several community members brought up in the Q&amp;A time.</p>



<p>When asked whether some existing multilingual solutions could be reused for core, Mullenweg was hesitant to prescribe a specific approach at this time. He said he is anxious to get better multilingual support in Gutenberg and offered what I believe is the most candid explanation thus far for why multilingual capabilities fall further down the the list of priorities:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Whether we do it as part of core or as part of an official plugin is to be decided. Part of the reason we made it phase 4 is that we can only do so many things well at a time. It is supremely important that we execute super well on these first phases of Gutenberg blocks. If we don&rsquo;t get phase 1 and phase 2 to be the best experiences in the world for editing bar none, of any open source or proprietary competitors or builders, phase 3 and 4 just won&rsquo;t matter because&nbsp;WordPress won&rsquo;t be relevant a decade from now. I do believe that is the most important problem we&rsquo;re facing. I don&rsquo;t want to dilute the core contributors&rsquo; focus away from the initial phases of Gutenberg because that&rsquo;s how important I think they are.</p></blockquote>



<p>Mullenweg said there is nothing stopping the community from investing more in multilingual plugins and exploring different approaches to see what will get core most of the way there. The next official step would be figuring out a framework that will work well with plugins and themes.</p>



<p>Depending on your interest and involvement in the community, there is a lot more to explore in the Q&amp;A. Check out the whole presentation in the video 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:"Fri, 18 Dec 2020 09:21:01 +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: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:100:"WPTavern: Contact Form 7 Version 5.3.2 Patches Critical Vulnerability, Immediate  Update Recommended";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109081";s:7:"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:241:"https://wptavern.com/contact-form-7-version-5-3-2-patches-critical-vulnerability-immediate-update-recommended?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=contact-form-7-version-5-3-2-patches-critical-vulnerability-immediate-update-recommended";s: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:1899:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/">Contact Form 7</a> has <a href="https://contactform7.com/2020/12/17/contact-form-7-532/">patched</a> a critical file upload vulnerability in version 5.3.2, released today by plugin author Takayuki Miyoshi. The plugin is installed on more than five million WordPress sites. </p>



<p>&ldquo;An unrestricted file upload vulnerability has been found in Contact Form 7 5.3.1 and older versions,&rdquo; Miyoshi said. &ldquo;Utilizing this vulnerability, a form submitter can bypass Contact Form 7&rsquo;s filename sanitization, and upload a file which can be executed as a script file on the host server.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The vulnerability was discovered by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jinsonvarghese.com/">Jinson Varghese Behanan</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.getastra.com/">Astra Security</a> on December 16, 2020, and Miyoshi released a fix less than 24 hours later. Behanan highlighted a few ways this vulnerability might be exploited:</p>



<ol><li>Possible to upload a web shell and inject malicious scripts</li><li>Complete takeover of the website and server if there is no containerization between websites on the same server</li><li>Defacing the website</li></ol>



<p>Astra Security plans to publish more details on the vulnerability in two weeks after the plugin&rsquo;s user base has had more time to update to the patched version.</p>



<p>Version 5.3.2 removes control, separator, and other types of special characters from the filename to fix the unrestricted file upload vulnerability. At the time of publishing, more than a million Contact Form 7 updates have been downloaded today. Approximately 20% of the plugin&rsquo;s user base is protected from the vulnerability. Now that it has been patched and published, Contact Form 7 users who do not update will be more at risk of having the vulnerability exploited.</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, 17 Dec 2020 22:32:42 +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: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:73:"WPTavern: Help Steer the Future of WordPress via the FSE Outreach Program";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=109083";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:191:"https://wptavern.com/help-steer-the-future-of-wordpress-via-the-fse-outreach-program?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=help-steer-the-future-of-wordpress-via-the-fse-outreach-program";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4280:"<p>All hands on deck. 2021 will be the year of the Site Editor.</p>



<p>Anne McCarthy announced the official <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/11/the-fse-outreach-program-is-officially-starting/">start of the Full-Site Editing (FSE) Outreach Program</a> last Friday on the Make Core blog. The program is primarily geared toward end-users. With few channels for average users to communicate with the development team, this offers an opportunity for them to provide direct feedback.</p>



<p>This announcement comes on the heels of Matias Ventura&rsquo;s full <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/12/10/status-check-site-editing-and-customization/">overview of the FSE project</a>. In the post, he laid out where specific FSE features currently stand and what needs to happen to bring the project to fruition.</p>



<p>The FSE Outreach Program was <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/05/01/an-experimental-outreach-project-for-full-site-editing/">expected to begin earlier</a> in the year. Josepha Haden announced it on May 1. However, there was no movement for most of 2020. An early version of FSE was also expected to land in WordPress 5.6, but that was too lofty of a goal for a feature that will essentially change everything about front-end development on the platform.</p>



<p>The official launch of the program should coincide with the release of Gutenberg 9.6, which is expected to ship within the next week. The program will focus on specific features and flows related to full-site editing. According to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/handbook/full-site-editing-outreach-experiment/faq-for-fse-outreach-experiment/">program FAQs</a>, participants could be asked to volunteer for up to three hours per week. However, it will also be flexible enough for anyone to participate, regardless of their available hours.</p>



<p>The program is also starting small, limiting feedback to more common user experiences. It is still experimental at this stage. Easing participants into such a testing program seems like a smart approach.</p>



<p>Right now, the Site Editor can sometimes be a painful user experience. While it is already possible to put together some interesting layouts, at least as a labor of love, there are many missing pieces. Workflows are odd. Expected features for a design tool are nowhere to be found.  Someone might look at it today and think there is no way it could be a viable core feature next year, but the development team continues to polish the experience with each Gutenberg update. The Site Editor is not production-ready yet, but it is time to get serious about testing and feedback.</p>



<p>Those interested in volunteering for the program should have a WordPress Slack account and join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C015GUFFC00">#fse-outreach-experiment</a> channel. McCarthy said she will also post an update on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">Make Test</a> blog with further details for participants once Gutenberg 9.6 is released.</p>



<h2>The First Focus Area</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The first feature up for discussion is a new <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/26355">template editing mode inside the post editor</a>. It adds a new &ldquo;Template&rdquo; option in the post-editing sidebar that will allow users to jump between editing their post and editing the template that outputs that post. It is a marriage of the post and site editors. Underneath, both are run by the block system, so there is little difference in the experiences.</p>



<img />Potential template editing option in the post editor.



<p>Long-term, it makes sense that users should be able to switch seamlessly between both editors. I worry that we may be jumping the gun a bit on this feature since the Site Editor is still at a rough beta stage. However, it does not hurt to get some early feedback on what the workflow should look like.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Please keep in mind that this is the program&rsquo;s first iteration,&rdquo; wrote McCarthy in the post. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting with this first item and expecting the outcome to be a comprehensive list of issues that the Gutenberg team can work on as capacity allows.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 17 Dec 2020 22:09:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:81:"BuddyPress: How BuddyX made its way to the official WordPress.org theme directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=316229";s:7:"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://buddypress.org/2020/12/how-buddyx-made-its-way-to-the-official-wordpress-org-theme-directory/";s: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:14561:"<p>We use to feature BuddyPress usage case studies. These are great ways to share with you how BuddyPress can help you achieve your community site projects reading how other buddies did it. The case study you are about to read now is a bit different. It’s about the steps the lovely <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/buddyx/">BuddyX</a> BuddyPress theme had to take to be widely and freely available from the official WordPress.org theme directory. I’m very happy <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vapvarun/">Varun Dubey</a> took the time to write this guest post to share his experience with all of us. My secret hope is that it will inspire as many BuddyPress Theme authors as possible to do the same <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f607.png" alt="😇" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<p>Varun Dubey is a full-stack WordPress &amp; BuddyPress developer. He’s the co-founder of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://wbcomdesigns.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Wbcom Designs</a>, a WordPress themes and plugins development agency in India. He’s also a regular BuddyPress contributor, we often talk with him about the BuddyPress project during our development meetings (every other Wednesday at 19:00 UTC on Slack), he contributes to our development tasks (testing, reporting issues, patching, documenting, etc..) and he still manage to find time to help you regularly <a href="https://buddypress.org/members/vapvarun/forums/replies/">replying to your support topics</a> (661 replies so far!). So, once again, many thanks to him for <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/participate-and-contribute/">getting involved with BuddyPress</a> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f60d.png" alt="😍" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<p><em>So let’s learn more from his experience, here’s what he wanted to share with you about it!</em></p>



<span id="more-316229"></span>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I submitted my first theme at WordPress.org, and now it’s live.</p><cite><a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/vapvarun/" rel="nofollow">@vapvarun</a></cite></blockquote>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/buddyx/">Buddyx</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>We, at Wbcom Designs, are excited about our achievement to present a full-fledged community theme powered by BuddyPress and WordPress. It took almost a year to work on BuddyX and make it stable enough to submit at WordPress.org.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The approval process was surprisingly short, approx 6-7 weeks to get it approved after initial submission. We usually had heard that it might take 6-9 months to get the theme live.</p>



<p>Submitting the theme at WordPress.org will increase your reach to all sites which are using WordPress. The WordPress theme directory is used by millions of WordPress users all over the world. The directory themes are available for download from WordPress.org, and WordPress users can also install them directly from their administration screens.</p>



<p>By hosting your theme on WordPress.org, you’ll get:</p>



<ul><li>Stats on how many times your theme has been downloaded</li><li>User feedback in the forums</li><li>Ratings, to see what users think of your theme.</li></ul>



<p>We have learned a lot about code reviews, code quality, and theme lifecycle during the approval process. I will give a quick glimpse of how it was for BuddyX; it might help others get the theme approved quickly.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>How to start with a theme skeleton?</h2>



<p>Lots of developers begin the development of a theme from scratch. There are articles and tutorials available on how to start theme development from scratch, and the <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/">WordPress Themes development handbook</a> also has a detailed step guide on this topic.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After comparing <a href="https://underscores.me/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">_s</a>, <a href="https://roots.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">roots</a>, and other starter themes, we decided to start with <a href="https://wprig.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the WP rig</a>. WP rig helped get a basic skeleton of the BuddyX using the latest tools, best practices, and coding standards. It helped integrate lazy-loading, async/defer JavaScript enqueueing, component-level pre-loaded CSS, optimized Web Font loading, modular extensions, and a full-featured list of optional template hierarchy files at day one.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Along with WordPress Code Quality Testing, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/best-practices/coding-standards/">WordPress Coding Standards</a> integration was also part of it. After getting initial help for the WP rig, we only have to focus on design improvement for BuddyPress Community features.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>Early prep of the Theme submission</h2>



<p>After the design part gets ready, we have released our theme on our website and make it available for free download to get initial feedback as a soft launch. It received a good response from the community, and we have got some feature requests and feedback on initial versions. It helped us to gain the confidence to submit BuddyX at WordPress.org.</p>



<p>You can follow these steps to check your theme against WordPress requirements before submitting it for review.&nbsp;</p>



<p>1- Code Quality Check- To make sure your theme code is secure ( using proper escaping functions ), it meets <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards">WordPress Coding Standards</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>2- Theme Check by plugin- The WordPress Theme review team checks your theme using the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/theme-check/">Theme Check</a> plugin. It will be useful to double-check your theme against it first before uploading it.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-theme-check.jpg"><img width="1999" height="1738" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-theme-check.jpg" alt="Illustration of the screen generated by the Theme Check plugin" class="wp-image-316230" /></a></div>



<p>3- Theme Requirement Checklist- WordPress Theme review team has published <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/required/">Theme Requirements</a>. You also have to make sure you have gone through all items one by one.</p>



<p>Essential points you have to double-check with Theme requirements are</p>



<ul><li>Debug log should be clean; it should not have any PHP or JavaScript errors.</li><li>All strings should be ready for translation.&nbsp;</li><li>Add unminified source files along with minified JavaScript and CSS files.&nbsp;</li><li>All functions and Classes should have a theme-specific unique prefix.</li><li>All js or CSS should enqueue properly inside theme functions instead of hard-coded in the header or footer.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>5- Theme Unit Test XML &#8211; You will also have to check with <a href="https://github.com/WPTT/theme-unit-test">Unit Testing XML</a> data. It will help get proper labels and layout testing on various templates like 404, comments on pages, comments on the post, post format testing, layout, and alignment testing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>6- Screenshot- It should not contain any branded logo or visible human face.</p>



<p>7- Keyboard Navigation- Keyboard-dependent navigators are also mandatory features now. You can find details at the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/accessibility/required/#keyboard-navigation">Keyboard Navigation section of the theme development handbook</a>.</p>



<p>Consider the following non-coding points before submission:</p>



<ol><li>Your website terms and conditions page must indicate that your <strong>company has all products under GPL</strong>.</li><li>All images inside the theme must have GPL.</li><li>Make sure you have not disabled any default WordPress features.&nbsp;</li><li>The readme file must have all credit info for used images, libraries, and references.</li><li>Theme does not represent anything illegal, dishonest, or morally offensive behavior.</li></ol>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2>Upload at WordPress.org&nbsp;</h2>



<p>You can upload the theme using <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/upload/">https://wordpress.org/themes/upload/</a>, any new revision, and the theme updates.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After uploading the theme files, it will create a ticket, and you will have to wait for a couple of days before any developer requests to review your theme. All reviewers are volunteers. You can also get an idea of the current theme review <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/about/members/">team member </a>from the codex page.</p>



<p>You can also check current themes waiting in the queue at <a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=reopened&status=reviewing&col=id&col=summary&col=owner&col=priority&col=resolution&col=time&col=changetime&col=reporter&report=8&desc=1&order=changetime">https://themes.trac.wordpress.org</a>. It will also be useful to join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/themereview/">Slack theme review channel</a> to discuss review issues in the open channel.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-ticket.jpg"><img width="1660" height="1354" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-ticket.jpg" alt="Screen capture of the Themes Trac environment" class="wp-image-316233" /></a><a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/89135">View the full ticket</a></div>



<p>Try to be proactive for any comments and points made related to your theme and submit fixes actively to keep your ticket reviewer.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2><strong>About BuddyX features</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-screenshot-v.png"><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/buddyx-screenshot-v-1024x768.png" alt="" class="wp-image-316234" /></a></div>



<p>BuddyX is a community membership theme with BuddyPress support. It is a lightweight, fully responsive, SEO optimized, RTL &amp; Translation ready theme. It is a multipurpose theme perfect for all niches, be it membership, social community, corporate, e-commerce, LMS, etc.</p>



<p>The theme also provides support for WooCommerce, WC Vendor, LearnDash, LearnPress, and GamiPress plugins. It is highly customizable and works perfectly with page builders such as Elementor and Gutenberg. BuddyX is perfect for creating social learning, marketplace, and blogging websites using BuddyPress integrations.</p>



<p>BuddyX has the latest best practices for progressive web content and optimization. We have tested it with the latest BuddyPress version and popular BuddyPress addons. BuddyX is developed, maintained, and supported by Wbcom Designs.</p>



<p>We have worked on the following features</p>



<ul><li>User menu for logged in members</li><li>Improved UI for Activity, members, groups directory pages</li><li>Improved UI for Member and Group single unique layout</li><li>Both sidebar options for BuddyPress pages</li><li>Improve sidebar widgets style</li><li>rtMedia supports to display of single and multiple photos in the activity.</li><li>Better widgets layout</li><li>Color scheme options</li><li>Extensible with plugins</li></ul>



<p>Within the theme, we have overridden several template files to make the above changes.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3><strong>Activity Compotent &#8211;&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<pre class="wp-block-verse">buddypress/activity/entry.php
buddypress/activity/single/home.php</pre>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3><strong>Members Component &#8211;</strong></h3>



<pre class="wp-block-verse">buddypress/members/members-loop.php
buddypress/members/single/cover-image-header.php
buddypress/members/single/home.php
buddypress/members/single/friends/requests-loop.php
buddypress/members/single/groups/invites.php</pre>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3><strong>Groups Component &#8211;&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<pre class="wp-block-verse">buddypress/groups/groups-loop.php
buddypress/groups/single/cover-image-header.php
buddypress/groups/single/home.php
buddypress/groups/single/members-loop.php</pre>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3><strong>rtMedia plugin &#8211;</strong></h3>



<pre class="wp-block-verse">rtmedia/main.php&nbsp;</pre>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>We have picked the Nouveau template for BuddyX for various reasons as following.</p>



<ul><li>Nouveau delivers modern markup with fresh JavaScript-powered templates.</li><li>Nouveau provides vertical and horizontal layout options for BuddyPress navigation.</li><li>Provide a grid layout and a classic flat list.</li><li>Minimal styling for better theme compatibility.</li><li>Consistent and flexible PHP template functions.</li><li>Customizer compatibility.</li><li>Better differentiation of content types.</li><li>A rethought Messages component.</li></ul>



<p>Summarizing features for BuddyX, you can check a detailed overview at <a href="https://buddyxtheme.com/features/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">buddyxtheme.com</a>.</p>



<ul><li>Multiple Header option</li><li>Polished member and group directory layout</li><li>Three variations for member and group header layout</li><li>Color Scheme and Typo options</li><li>RTL and translation ready</li><li>AMP ready</li><li>Gutenberg ready</li><li>WooCommerce ready with multivendor using WC vendors, Dokan support in the development queue.</li><li>bbPress Forums Support</li><li>Optimized Mobile Menu Panel</li><li>LMS support: Learndash and Learnpress support included; we will add dedicated support for other popular LMS plugins incoming updates.</li></ul>



<p>We have prepared a couple of demos; you can <a href="https://buddyxtheme.com/demos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">try the BuddyX demo</a> as a member login.BuddyX is available at <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/buddyx/">WordPress.org</a> for download to create your community; we will appreciate any feedback to improve BuddyX features.</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, 17 Dec 2020 18:54:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:47:"WPTavern: Mapbox GL JS Is No Longer Open Source";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108948";s:7:"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:139:"https://wptavern.com/mapbox-gl-js-is-no-longer-open-source?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mapbox-gl-js-is-no-longer-open-source";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9008:"<p><a href="https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-gl-js">Mapbox GL JS</a>, formerly an open source JavaScript library for interactive, customizable vector maps, has adopted a proprietary license in its recent <a href="https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-gl-js/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#200">version 2</a> update:</p>



<ul><li>mapbox-gl-js is no longer under the 3-Clause BSD license. By upgrading to this release, you are agreeing to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mapbox.com/legal/tos/">Mapbox terms of service</a>.&nbsp;Refer to LICENSE.txt for the new licensing terms and details. For questions, contact our team at&nbsp;<a href="https://support.mapbox.com/">https://support.mapbox.com</a>.</li><li>Beginning with v2.0.0, a billable map load occurs whenever a Map object is initialized. Before updating an existing implementation from v1.x.x to v2.x.x, please review the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.mapbox.com/accounts/guides/pricing/#mapbox-gl-js-v100-and-higher">pricing documentation</a>&nbsp;to estimate expected costs.</li></ul>



<p>Versions 1.x remain under the&nbsp;3-Clause BSD license, but <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/">Mapbox</a> will only be investing in developing new features for the proprietary licensed version 2.0+. This news came as a surprise to many engineers who have built products on top of this previously open source library.</p>



<p>&ldquo;This move has produced&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://joemorrison.medium.com/death-of-an-open-source-business-model-62bc227a7e9b" target="_blank">shockwaves</a>&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://blog.cleverelephant.ca/2020/12/mapbox-morrison.html" target="_blank">in</a>&nbsp;the geospatial industry,&rdquo; Javier de la Torre wrote on the <a href="https://carto.com/blog/our-thoughts-as-mapboxgl-js-2-goes-proprietary/">CARTO blog</a>. &ldquo;Many organizations are using Mapbox GL JS directly or fork from it. This library is responsible for the visualization of the so-called basemap, the cartography layer that underpins most maps. Previously Open Source, MapboxGL is a great solution, and could be used with many different data sources, so it became the de facto way to render basemaps.&rdquo; </p>



<p>Mapbox <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/showcase/">powers all sorts of maps</a> for high profile websites like CNN, The New York Times, Ancestry, Strava, Shopify, Facebook, and more. It is also used by WordPress.com and Jetpack for the <a href="https://wordpress.com/support/wordpress-editor/blocks/map-block/">Map block</a>. The library is used in many <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/mapbox/">plugins</a> on WordPress.org, some with tens of thousands of users. Developers using versions 1.x will want to be aware of the future of the Mapbox GL JS library. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Mapbox&rsquo;s decision this week to release a brand new version of Mapbox GL JS and keep it proprietary stunned me,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.azavea.com/">Azavea</a> product specialist Joe Morrison <a href="https://joemorrison.medium.com/death-of-an-open-source-business-model-62bc227a7e9b">wrote</a> on his personal blog. &ldquo;Not only was v1 already a wildly popular open source library, but Mapbox&rsquo;s reputation as a prolific creator of open source software is a cornerstone of their whole identity. Describing what makes Mapbox special without mentioning &lsquo;open source&rsquo; is like trying to describe chocolate milk to an alien without using the word &lsquo;liquid.'&rdquo;</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mapbox GL JS v2: <br />We need to deduct a few points for Mapbox's ridiculously obfuscated and convoluted way of trying to avoid mentioning the licence change in their announcement email. Can only imagine what series of meetings between comms, marketing and devs led to this. <a href="https://t.co/wWK4z51fzo">pic.twitter.com/wWK4z51fzo</a></p>&mdash; Steve Bennett (@stevage1) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevage1/status/1336498655793086464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Mapbox hasn&rsquo;t formally clarified why it went proprietary with the library so speculation abounds. Morrison theorizes that cloud providers are killing the open core business model of software companies. <a href="http://crunchydata.com/">Crunchy Data</a> Geospatial Engineer Paul Ramsey <a href="http://blog.cleverelephant.ca/2020/12/mapbox-morrison.html">responded</a> to Morrison&rsquo;s article, contending that Mapbox is not an &ldquo;open core&rdquo; company and that the business of selling location based services may not be panning out for them:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>But like Google, the value proposition Mapbox sells isn&rsquo;t in the software, so much as the data and the platform underneath. Mapbox has built a unique, scalable platform for handling the huge problem of turning raw OSM data into usable services, and raw location streams into usable services. They sell access to that platform.</p><p>Mapbox has never been a software company, they&rsquo;ve always been a data and services company.</p></blockquote>



<p>Mapbox employee Saman Bemel Benrud said the company is finally moving to make its products sustainable:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Disruption by undercutting costs via VC subsidies is still a thriving business model, and it just creates unsustainable products while destroying the thing that existed before. Mapbox is trying to become sustainable, finally, and I&rsquo;m here for it.</p>&mdash; Saman Bemel Benrud (@samanbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/samanbb/status/1336380594410770434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>This change has the potential to negatively impact the developers and companies that built products on top of Mapbox GL JS, thinking its open source licensing was set in stone.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The change says nothing about &lsquo;open source&rsquo; in the large as a model, and everything about &lsquo;single vendor projects&rsquo; and whether you should, strategically, believe their licensing,&rdquo; Ramsey said.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I (and others) took the licensing (incorrectly) of Mapbox GL JS to be a promise, not only for now but the future, and made decisions based on that (incorrect) interpretation. I integrated GL JS into&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/CrunchyData/pg_tileserv/blob/master/assets/preview-table.html">an open source project</a>&nbsp;and now I have to revisit that decision.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Some community members have already <a href="https://github.com/maplibre/maplibre-gl-js">forked Mapbox GL JS</a> to maintain the 1.x version, but the vast majority of contributors to the original library were sponsored by Mapbox. The immediate future of the MapLibre GL fork may not include many new features, as the initial roadmap&rsquo;s stated goal is &ldquo;consistency and backwards-compatibility with previous releases and continued bug-fixes and maintenance going forward.&rdquo; </p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our first pre-release version of BSD-licensed maplibre-gl is out, a drop-in replacement for mapbox-gl. Big thanks to Seth Nickell! <a href="https://t.co/f9XqzpwDrT">https://t.co/f9XqzpwDrT</a></p>&mdash; MapLibre (@maplibre) <a href="https://twitter.com/maplibre/status/1336875209559855104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>A lengthy <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25347310">discussion</a> on Hacker News drew a <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25350808">response</a> from former Mapbox engineer Tom MacWright, who wrote the company&rsquo;s open source policy as a founding member of the team. </p>



<p>&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t get into all the context, but I think we should consider whether a community without contributors is a community,&rdquo; MacWright said. &ldquo;GL JS never had major active contributors outside of the company, and there are no self-funded webgl experts with lots of time who are ready to maintain a fork.</p>



<p>&ldquo;OSS, we hoped, was about enabling people and unlocking people&rsquo;s ability to collaborate. It turns out that in 2020, it&rsquo;s mostly helping companies and getting nothing in return. That&rsquo;s not a dynamic you can build a sustainable business on.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The MapLibre GL fork may gain some momentum and emerge as a viable alternative to Mapbox&rsquo;s closed source library, but it will take time to see how well it is maintained. In the meantime, the existing version 1.x can meet most users&rsquo; needs. Mapbox has burned through a lot of good will with this controversial licensing update, which some perceive as a &ldquo;bait and switch&rdquo; offense. Rebuilding community trust, after removing the freedoms granted by the previous license, will be an uphill battle.</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, 17 Dec 2020 04:45:01 +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: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:79:"WPTavern: Jump Start Block-Based Theme Development With the FSE Theme Generator";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108900";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:203:"https://wptavern.com/jump-start-block-based-theme-development-with-the-fse-theme-generator?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jump-start-block-based-theme-development-with-the-fse-theme-generator";s: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:4913:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Block-based themes are not complicated. Their structure is almost simple enough that developers are unlikely to need a tool to generate a blank theme. However, for those unfamiliar with how themes are built for the upcoming full-site editing (FSE) feature, a boilerplate is a good place to start.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments">Theme Experiments</a> repository now has a new <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/tree/master/emptytheme">Empty Theme</a>. Alongside it is a command-line tool to generate a copy of that theme with a custom name, author, and URI.</p>



<p>The idea is not new. There are tons of such tools for generating a theme in the wild. However, it is time for new tools that focus on block-based theming.</p>



<p>For theme authors who want to generate a new block-based theme, they must clone a copy of the Theme Experiments repository. Then navigate to that folder via their command-line tool and type the following command:</p>



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code>php new-empty-theme.php</code></pre>



<p>From that point, it is a simple matter of answering a few questions and letting the tool do the work of creating a new theme folder.</p>



<h2>Digging Into the Generated Theme</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The generated theme is not much to look at. However, it is a theme that works within the new full-site editing system. After activation, theme authors can begin tinkering with the theme via the Site Editor screen (requires the Gutenberg plugin).</p>



<img />Generated theme in the Site Editor.



<p>There is one exception to it being a <em>working</em> theme. Loading the header template part is currently broken. Of course, I <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/issues/146">opened a ticket</a> for that issue, which should be easy for the development team to resolve.</p>



<p>The file and folder structure is slim in comparison to traditional themes. It contains the bare-bones to get a theme up and running in the Site Editor. The following files and folders are included:</p>



<ul><li><code>/assets</code><br />&ndash; <code>alignments-front.css</code></li><li><code>/block-template-parts</code><br />&ndash; <code>header.html</code></li><li><code>/block-templates</code><br />&ndash; <code>index.html</code><br />&ndash; <code>singular.html</code></li><li><code>experimental-theme.json</code></li><li><code>functions.php</code></li><li><code>index.php</code></li><li><code>readme.md</code></li><li><code>style.css</code></li></ul>



<p>Even those are likely to be trimmed down in the future. The <code>experimental-theme.json</code> file will eventually be renamed to <code>theme.json</code>.</p>



<p>The current <code>alignments-front.css</code> is nearly 80 lines of boilerplate code for handling the various block alignments. There is no need for every theme author to recreate all of this code, which should not change much between themes. That is why there is an open ticket for Gutenberg to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/26633">provide alignment styles</a> on the front end. Theme authors will be able to overwrite this. However, the fewer files and lines of code theme authors need to contend with, the better.</p>



<p>The standard <code>index.php</code> template is empty. It will no longer be useful for building themes now that block-based templates are stored in the <code>/block-templates</code> and <code>/block-template-parts</code> folders. <code>style.css</code> just houses the theme information. FSE themes will mostly use <code>theme.json</code> to configure default styles.</p>



<p>In the coming months and years, theme authors will be working primarily in the <code>theme.json</code> file and block template folders. The jury is still out on whether the theming ecosystem will readily accept this change. At the same time, it feels refreshing to see the untangling of theme development. Traditional theming today has created behemoth codebases in an attempt to keep up with features that users want. A shift in how developers build themes was inevitable and necessary.</p>



<p>My one nit-pick with the generated theme is the inclusion of the pluggable theme setup function in the <code>functions.php</code> file, which has somehow become a mainstay of core-developed themes over the years. There are APIs for enabling or disabling everything in such setup functions, and there is no reason for child themes to overwrite them wholesale.</p>



<p>If things go according to plan, even the standard theme setup function may be on the chopping block. These functions are generally a list of calls to <code>add_theme_support()</code>. The long-term plan is for the current theme-supported features to either be enabled by default for block-based themes or configurable via the <code>theme.json</code> file.</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, 16 Dec 2020 21:54:30 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:23:"HeroPress: Marginalized";s:7:"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=3437";s:7:"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:98:"https://heropress.com/essays/marginalized/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marginalized";s: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:13958:"<img width="960" height="480" src="https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/121520-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull quote: Being underestimated is a gift." /><p>When I was asked to write an essay for HeroPress, I humbly accepted due to my desire to help others. HeroPress needs a post and perhaps something I say could have a positive impact on another person. Little did I realize that having to write as a “marginalized” individual would cause me to want to retreat.</p>
<p>The word “marginalized” stirs up a lot of emotion in me and thoughts such as “am I marginalized enough”, “what if I offend someone”, and “will I be attacked” tend to come to mind. Interestingly, I worry that I’ll be attacked by more women than men. I could easily write the story of my woes because I’ve had plenty but I like solutions, perseverance and resilience better. Some of these solutions may help you realize why I could be seen as “marginalized” but perhaps we’ll find a new label such as human and worthy of kindness, trust, inclusion, and a seat at the decision table.</p>
<h3>The Beginning</h3>
<p>I have been in the WordPress space since 2005 and tech since 2003. My team realized early on that WordPress was actually a CMS. We ranked #2 in google for web design back when SEO was easy. I was answering phones, marketing, and doing billing at that time. I would ask about budgets when potential clients would call and I had to turn away a lot of business because they couldn’t afford us. The worst part was that I didn’t have a trusted company that I could refer them to at the time. While focusing on web design I couldn’t understand why it took so long to create a website and why we couldn’t create our own less expensive solution to offer them.</p>
<p>Long story short, a prototype was made, then refined and rebranded as Pagely, and the term “Managed WordPress Hosting” was created. It was about 2 years later that our next competitor arrived and another 2 years for the behemoths to create their own managed WordPress solutions. Sounds grand right? Being the first and the originator of a multi-billion dollar industry had its challenges and these are problems that our competitors didn’t have to face. Now, let’s add being a female.</p>
<p>I feel that I need to preface these next parts of my life story mainly because I’m a female and it’s what I’ve been trained to do even subconsciously. I’m joking, sort of.</p>
<p>Usually if I use a word that doesn’t resonate with certain males, I’ll get mansplained to instead of searching for clarity. Their initial jump to assume that “I don’t know” instead of “they don’t understand” astounds me. That’s not to say I am infallible, didn’t say something ridiculous, or am unwilling to learn/self-reflect. It’s unnerving when Captain Obvious brings forth the basics.</p>
<p>That being said, first, I understand that my labels include female, white, American, founder, wife, mother, wealthy, privileged and more depending on who I’m talking with. It took years of therapy to take my own traumas seriously because I didn’t have it as bad as others. It caused me to repress my own experiences and put others before myself even when they didn’t deserve space in my kind mind. Now, I’m more resilient and realize that I can’t be everything to everybody but I can include everyone with exception of the unhinged.</p>
<p>Second, this is my story. It may not be similar to your own, and I don’t have all the answers. I’m not competing with anyone’s troubles. We can both exist.</p>
<p>Third, I’m very grateful because I have been surrounded mostly by successful women and men willing to help Josh and I accomplish our shared goals. Josh is my husband and co-founder of Pagely.</p>
<h3>First Impressions</h3>
<p>When Pagely first started, hate mail ensued along with many people signing up. I went to a WordCamp and a prominent figure in the WordPress community asked me where the person was that came up with Pagely because they really liked it. They were alluding to my husband Josh. This happened even when Josh said repeatedly that I had come up with the idea. It was at that moment that I realized that most people would not associate me with the idea or company I co-founded.</p>
<p>I had to make the conscious choice to decide if I wanted to be right or be successful. I chose to focus on success and also I didn’t get here alone. Many wonderful men and women helped. I had to laser focus on my goal which was to provide the best hosting experience regardless of minor annoyances along the way.</p>
<p>Many times I was not invited to join various non-Pagely meetings. Josh tried to include me even when men told him to uninvite me. Luckily, when I wasn’t allowed in the room, Josh shared the agenda with me and many times was my voice to get things done. Now, if I’m not included, I find a table that will have me, find allies, or I create my own group. I shouldn’t have made getting in that room a big priority. My solution was to remove obstacles, find the win/win to achieve my goal, and not take or make it personal.</p>
<p>This type of scenario happened often and what’s interesting is that the people that were saying these “sexist” remarks were good people. The problem was so prevalent and complex that I had a hard time communicating what I was experiencing.</p>
<h3>Reaching Out</h3>
<p>I asked other women how they handled sexism. I asked a brilliant and well respected female entrepreneur in Phoenix how she handled what I was experiencing. She told me that she saw it all the time and just treated men like her children and gave accolades. She was included because she could stroke their egos. Another friend said that she would wear short skirts so she wouldn’t have to explain and defend why her ideas deserved merit. Another friend would wear business attire daily while her male cohorts wore hoodies. Her brain didn’t change but their outlook did. There were also some that claimed that they didn’t experience it but when the #metoo movement arrived, they were the most vocal. Of course, this is an extremely small subset of people I asked but this was the reality of the time.</p>
<p>What’s striking is that my experience in other fields was worse. At least in tech we’re open to talk about and acknowledge the issue. It’s a start, it’s getting better, and tech attracts early adopters. When I was in healthcare, I graduated college with summa cum laude honors. I had the highest board scores in the state for my field, yet one employer told me I was only hired because I was pretty, another place said that they prefer to hire Mexicans because they work harder, and another place claimed that they like to hire females that didn’t plan on having children.</p>
<p>So many check marks to obtain which can cause females to compete with each other because of a feeling of lack of abundance and no defined rules.</p>
<p>These learnings from the places I worked happened over a period of time and some of my friends experienced sexism and abuse weekly. They were used to being treated poorly and considered less than. They accepted the situation and were grateful for the opportunity to work. Some were afraid to have or share their brilliant ideas because their paycheck was more important than their voice. Also, some were content and had other areas of their life that fulfilled them or they were ultra-resistant. The vast differences we have with one another are amazing, beautiful, and inspiring.</p>
<h3>Representation or Tokenization?</h3>
<p>I still have mixed feelings about being the token female. I was asked to speak on a SXSW panel a couple of times because I was the only tech female the person knew. I’m trying to get comfortable using my gender to get through the guarded gates but I can’t tell if I’m fostering inspiration, adding to the separation, or devaluing my accomplishments. Therefore I tend to stay private and stay focused on creating my ideal work environment that waterfalls over into giving the best hosting experience for our clients. Also, when I ask other women to speak at Pressnomics or work with me at Pagely, I don’t want it to be because I’m trying to hit a quota.</p>
<p>I choose to work with women because they are qualified. Our engineering team is 50% female and our largest teams are run by women because they were the most qualified candidates. Period. (pun intended). What makes this even more gratifying for me is that the entire team participates in the hiring process and it feels like we have an environment for equality that is natural due to the character of the people we hire.</p>
<p>However, we have hired men and learned that they are triggered by assertive females. My solutions in these instances include making sure they realize the issue, what’s at stake if they don’t change, and I leave my door open to conversation. They are still good people. They chose to have a female employer. My general causation theory is the stigma around therapy especially for men, lack of resources to provide a public mental health safety net, repressed feeling of childhood powerlessness from a female, and myriad other possibilities.</p>
<p>The flip side to this is aggressive females which also afflicts me at certain times. My progression to aggression looks something like the following. I start with casual understanding, then I ask questions for full understanding. Then I assert, re-evaluate, assert or accept. If I don&#8217;t accept, I assert again. If my assertions don&#8217;t work, aggression can happen followed by reflection. This may lead to a desire to remove the obstacle and find another solution or evaluate the origin of my aggression. This doesn&#8217;t happen often. I&#8217;ve learned that I&#8217;m triggered by feeling unseen or unreciprocated respect when I have a strong desire for an outcome that seems heavily challenged.  I accept these feelings and understand that I&#8217;m not always right. The awareness allows me to seek clarity, speak up with vulnerability, heal, and choose a healthier approach that humanizes the relationship.</p>
<p>My ideal solution is to remind myself that everyone has a story, listen to their story, find clarity, and let them know they are safe and don’t need to carry the trauma anymore. Open communication with mutual respect is key. You get what you give. Also, burning bridges serves no one and neither does passively laying on train tracks.</p>
<h3>Observation</h3>
<p>Another one of my theories is that women are considered safe. During our Pressnomics conference, Josh will receive more praise and while I do get praise, I tend to get more (or all) of the criticism. This is not about getting praise; although appreciated, it’s not the point. It’s about why people feel more comfortable expressing negative emotions to females. I believe the reason why is because women seem safer and they are more likely to ask about experiences.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this can open a floodgate from people with varying levels of passion which can cause female entrepreneurs to retreat from taking more active roles. I crave feedback for Pagely because it’s something we want to give to the world. However, Pressnomics is an invitation into my proverbial house and if they don’t like it, there’s a lot of other conferences they can attend or make their own. I’ll gladly attend their conference, especially if it’s run by another “marginalized” human and aligns with my goal. I will listen to people who “get&#8221; what Pressnomics is (it’s more of a feeling) but nitpicking my font and color choice for the website is where I draw the line.</p>
<p>I had to get to this place because people were not going to decide my worth or determine if my creations were good enough. When I create, I come from love and a deep desire to help with the golden rule in mind. I’ve been to other conferences, where Josh leaves my side and men have said “I’m creating a Pagely killer”, “We’re going to destroy you”, and competitors that are actively trying to debate with me while my only intention was to be kind.</p>
<p>My goal with Pressnomics is to inspire great minds to work together, share information, and energize the WordPress ecosystem in a safe and caring atmosphere for all who attend.</p>
<p>My ideal solution when dealing with negative people is to not take it personally. Their truth does not need to be my truth and words from jerks no longer have an affect on me. Sadly, most jerks delve out disdain regardless of the recipient which means they might be miserable and lack empathy.</p>
<h3>Wrapping It All Up</h3>
<p>What does WordPress mean to me? It’s a business foundation that allows ALL people the initial building blocks for success. The barrier to entry is low and inclusion is high. Also, the majority of people in the community look past stereotypes and generalizations and want to share and lift all tides. I am very grateful to the community, our supporters, the dreamers, and to the outstanding core contributors.</p>
<p>What do all of us “marginalized” people have in common? We showed up and worked around obstacles. If there’s not room for you at a table, figure out something else. Perhaps, kindly discuss the observation, or create your own table. Life’s too short to be unhappy in someone else’s world. Create your own and invite others. WordPress is a great place to do that.</p>
<p>Last, being underestimated is a gift. They’ll never see you coming until they can’t help but notice. If you’re with the right people while that’s happening, there’s no better feeling.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/marginalized/">Marginalized</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, 16 Dec 2020 10:02:40 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sally Strebel";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:90:"WPTavern: Learn WordPress Platform Launches with Free Courses, Workshops, and Lesson Plans";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108957";s:7:"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:221:"https://wptavern.com/learn-wordpress-platform-launches-with-free-courses-workshops-and-lesson-plans?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learn-wordpress-platform-launches-with-free-courses-workshops-and-lesson-plans";s: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:3567:"<p>WordPress.org has officially launched its new &ldquo;<a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a>&rdquo; platform, a free educational resource that includes courses, workshops, quizzes, lesson plans, and discussion groups. The material spans the spectrum of WordPress experience from beginners to advanced, and and allows users to learn asynchronously at their own pace. After a successful beta launch in August, the platform is now ready for the public.</p>



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<p>Traditionally, most WordPress learning opportunities have been in-person at WordCamps and local meetups. Since large gatherings have been put on pause this year due to the pandemic, the Learn WordPress platform offers a new way for users to stay connected. The discussion groups are a new event format similar to a virtual event that brings learners together at the same time to discuss a topic. Discussion groups are scheduled through Meetup.com and most of them center around workshop material.</p>



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<p>&ldquo;In addition to the wealth of valuable content available on Learn WordPress, the platform provides an opportunity for individuals to learn alongside other community members and become connected with a global network of WordPress users, developers, and contributors,&rdquo; WordPress community manager Hugh Lashbrooke said. </p>



<h3>A New Way to Contribute to WordPress: Create Learning Resources and Facilitate Discussions</h3>



<p>Learn WordPress is launching with two courses: &ldquo;<a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/course/publishing-with-wordpress/">Publishing with WordPress</a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/course/unleashing-the-power-of-wordpress/">Unleashing the Power of WordPress</a>,&rdquo; which covers basic customization topics. The project is open to contributions and anyone can <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshop-presenter-application/">submit an idea for a workshop</a>.</p>



<p>The platform also includes more than 85 <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/lesson-plans/">lesson plans</a> that the Training team has been working on for the past few years. They are available as resources for people who want to run their own workshops. </p>



<p>Learn WordPress has several lesson plans and workshops on the topic of creating new blocks, such as <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshop/intro-to-gutenberg-block-development/">Intro to Gutenberg Block Development</a>. Many WordPress developers have yet to get on board with creating for the block editor and topics like this seems ripe for launching a discussion group with a series facilitated by an experienced block developer.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The work on Learn WordPress has been a strong cross-team collaboration between the Community and Training teams, with the Marketing and TV teams also being really involved in making things happen,&rdquo; WordPress community manager Hugh Lashbrooke said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been super encouraging to see such excellent work across so many teams to make this ambitious project a reality.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Anyone can <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/contribute/">contribute</a> to lesson plans and workshops, as well as facilitate discussions. If you want to get more involved in expanding and promoting the platform, you can join <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/">WordPress&rsquo; Training team</a> for meetings on Fridays at 11:00 UTC and Tuesdays at 17:00 UTC in the #training channel on Slack.</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, 15 Dec 2020 23:30:18 +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: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:73:"WPTavern: Record and Track Past Events With the LifePress Calendar Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108962";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:191:"https://wptavern.com/record-and-track-past-events-with-the-lifepress-calendar-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=record-and-track-past-events-with-the-lifepress-calendar-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4784:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Two weeks ago, Ashan Jay released <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/lifepress/">LifePress</a> to the WordPress plugin directory. It is an interactive, front-end calendar for tracking past events &mdash; a journal of sorts. For a version 1.0 launch, it has enough features with just the right touch of simplicity to show promise.</p>



<p>This is not Jay&rsquo;s first rodeo when it comes to calendar-based plugins. He is also the creator of <a href="https://www.myeventon.com/">EventON</a>, a virtual event calendar for WordPress.</p>



<p>The goal of the plugin is simple. As its description reads, &ldquo;LifePress is a calendar based journal recorder that will allow you to track back progress and review past events to learn from the past and make positive progress in the future.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Watch an introduction video to the plugin:</p>



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<h2>Digging Into the Plugin</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Call me a fan. The ease of use of this plugin is spot-on. LifePress creates a page called &ldquo;LifePress Dashboard&rdquo; upon activation, which allows individual users of the site to see and manage life events on the front end on a per-user basis. It feels much like Google Calendar, except in WordPress.</p>



<p>And that is the plugin&rsquo;s main selling point &mdash; it allows end-users to store all of their data in their own database instead of on a third-party server.</p>



<p>On the front end, users are presented with a weekly calendar view by default. However, there is a button for switching between weekly and monthly views.</p>



<img />Monthly calendar view.



<p>A simple &ldquo;+&rdquo; button lets users create new calendar entries. After clicking it, an overlay appears for adding a date, title, optional description, and tag. Most users should pick up the system quickly and without documentation.</p>



<img />Creating a new calendar entry.



<p>The tag system allows users to group different types of entries with custom colored backgrounds. Colored dots for each tag adorn the left sidebar, allowing users to toggle specific entry types on and off, which is one of my favorite features of the plugin. It is a simple thing, but it adds to the overall user experience.</p>



<p>The design is, for the most part, great. The interface is uncluttered and simple to use. However, the plugin is not without some flaws, which is to be expected with a version 1.0. The plugin&rsquo;s various overlays, such as from the new-entry popup, butt against the top of the page. Some spacing at the top would help with the layout.</p>



<p>Backend management could use a little work. There is no way to edit a tag&rsquo;s color after it has been created. This feature also does not appear to be available on the front end.</p>



<p>The monthly-calendar view was consistently off by one day of the week when I first installed LifePress in my testing environment. For example, today is Tuesday, December 15, 2020. However, the plugin had the 15th listed under Monday. I managed to track this issue down to the &ldquo;week starts on&rdquo; setting in WordPress. The plugin will only work if this option is set to Sunday (the WordPress default sets this to Monday). Every other day of the week pushes the calendar back another day.</p>



<p>This is a non-issue with the default, weekly calendar view. However, it should be addressed by the plugin author for the monthly layout.</p>



<h2>Features Requests</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While LifePress is geared toward being a journal and tracking calendar, it would be nice if it could pull double-duty and behave like a simple event calendar too. The plugin already allows end-users to add items to future dates, so the core of scheduling events is already in place. To extend this already-existing feature, the plugin could have a notification system. Users should be able to at least get custom emails as a reminder for upcoming events on the schedule. This could make it worthwhile enough for some users to ditch Google Calendar, depending on their use case.</p>



<p>If the plugin wants to continue focusing on being a great journal and tracking calendar, it should have a progress-tracking mechanism built in. It is great to see that I put in my daily 30-minute jog on the calendar, for example. However, it would be even better if I could see that I am hitting my exercise goals on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.</p>



<p>That sort of application is not just relevant to personal exercise regimens. It can be applied to other facets of life or used in business environments.</p>



<p>Overall, it is a good first outing for the plugin. However, there is a lot of potential for more features 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, 15 Dec 2020 21:48:53 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress.org blog: Introducing Learn 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:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=9444";s:7:"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://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/introducing-learn-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:9012:"<p><strong><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a> is a learning resource providing workshops, quizzes, courses, lesson plans, and discussion groups so that anyone, from beginners to advanced users, can learn to do more with WordPress. Learning how to use, build for, and contribute to WordPress is essential for anyone wanting to dive deeper into the software and its community.&nbsp;</strong></p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons aligncenter">
<div class="wp-block-button is-style-outline"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a></div>
</div>



<p>This cross-team initiative is part of the WordPress.org network and features content from contributors from the global community. It will be updated weekly and will help connect new and existing WordPress users with the broader community while they learn.</p>



<img width="632" height="331" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/learn-link-preview.png?resize=632%2C331&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-9457" />



<h2>What can you learn about WordPress?</h2>



<p>On Learn WordPress you can find a range of material and opportunities to use at the time which works for you.</p>



<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/workshops/"><strong>Workshops</strong></a> are practical, skills-based videos that show viewers how to do new things with WordPress, whether you publish, manage, develop with, or contribute to WordPress. Most workshops include quizzes for you to test your newly gained knowledge.</p>



<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/discussion-groups/"><strong>Discussion groups</strong></a> provide an opportunity for further collaborative learning with participants meeting together to discuss the workshop content &#8211; they take place online, either in video calls or Slack and accommodate all time zones.</p>



<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/lesson-plans/"><strong>Lesson plans</strong></a> are guides for facilitators to use while presenting at events or within educational environments. Facilitators will find learning objectives (telling people what they are going to learn), any prerequisite skills, assets such as screenshots and slide decks, and learning assessments.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/courses/"><strong>Courses</strong></a> are a series of interconnected lesson plans to be presented by a facilitator that will strategically focus on defined learning outcomes. Participants can go through these courses individually or as part of a group. After completing the learning, attendees should be able to apply their skills in the real world.</p>



<p>In addition to the wealth of valuable content available on Learn WordPress, the platform provides an opportunity for individuals to learn alongside other community members and become connected with a global network of WordPress users, developers, and contributors.</p>



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</div>



<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCVEqsAbLffeEXhn9T1yBVTMaHIMtlzFj">Why you should use Learn WordPress</a> &#8211; videos from our community.</p>



<h2>How can you get involved?</h2>



<div class="wp-block-buttons aligncenter">
<div class="wp-block-button is-style-outline"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Start learning today!</a></div>
</div>



<p>Learn WordPress is an open-source platform available for anyone to contribute content in any areas mentioned above. <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/contribute/">Find out more about how you can get involved</a> with this initiative.</p>



<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2020/12/09/help-us-promote-learn-wordpress/">Take part in our fun promotion campaigns</a> on social and with your local community.</p>



<p><em>Hundreds of people spanning a number of years have contributed to the development of learning materials. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make Learn WordPress a reality.&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><strong><em>Particular thanks to</em></strong>:</p>



<p><strong><em>Training:</em></strong><em> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/courane01/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>courane01</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azhiyadev/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>azhiyadev</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/geheren/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>geheren</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webtechpooja/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>webtechpooja</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jessecowens/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>jessecowens</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/onealtr/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>onealtr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rastaban/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>rastaban</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/evarlese/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>evarlese</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/manzwebdesigns/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>manzwebdesigns</a></em><br /><strong><em>Meta: </em></strong><em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/coreymckrill/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>coreymckrill</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dufresnesteven/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>dufresnesteven</a>, <em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jonoaldersonwp/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>jonoaldersonwp</a></em></em><br /><strong><em>Community:</em></strong><em> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hlashbrooke/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>hlashbrooke</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/camikaos/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>camikaos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/harishanker/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>harishanker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>angelasjin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nao/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>nao</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/courtneypk/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>courtneypk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>andreamiddleton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rmarks/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>rmarks</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sippis/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>sippis</a></em><br /><strong><em>Marketing: </em></strong><em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>webcommsat</a>,  <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oglekler/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>oglekler</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lmurillom/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>lmurillom</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>yvettesonneveld</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>meher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nalininonstopnewsuk/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>nalininonstopnewsuk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/megphillips91/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>megphillips91</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marks99/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>marks99</a>, <em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marybaum/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>marybaum</a></em></em>, <em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/antialiasfactory/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>antialiasfactory</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/herculespekkas/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>herculespekkas</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chaion07/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>chaion07</a></em><br /><strong><em>Design:</em></strong><em> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>melchoyce</a> </em></p>



<p><em>For a fuller list of the contributors who have been involved in training and Learn WordPress, visit <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2020/08/12/learn-wordpress-is-live/">the initial beta launch post</a>. Thanks to everyone who has been involved to date and will be in the future.&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tag/learnwordpress">#LearnWordPress</a> <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tag/learnwp">#LearnWP</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"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: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:62:"WPTavern: Fast Brings One-Click Checkout to WooCommerce Stores";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108895";s:7:"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:169:"https://wptavern.com/fast-brings-one-click-checkout-to-woocommerce-stores?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fast-brings-one-click-checkout-to-woocommerce-stores";s: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:7203:"<p><a href="https://www.fast.co/">Fast</a>, a startup backed by Stripe, has just added <a href="https://www.fast.co/woocommerce">WooCommerce support</a> to its new <a href="https://www.fast.co/checkout">Fast Checkout</a> experience. The company was co-founded in March 2019, by Domm Holland and Allison Barr Allen, with investment from Stripe, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures, and Global Founders Capital. It has received <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/byepass/company_financials">$22.5M</a> in funding to reduce the friction that remains deeply embedded in login and checkout experiences.</p>



<p>Online shopping almost always involves a lengthy checkout form where customers have to enter passwords, addresses, and payment information nearly every time. This tedious experience is magnified when gift-giving holidays roll around. Fast&rsquo;s founders have set out to solve this problem with products aimed at modernizing the checkout experience to enable one-click purchasing.</p>



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



<p>Fast Checkout launched in September 2020, so if you haven&rsquo;t seen it around yet it&rsquo;s because it is relatively new and was previously limited to a handful of platforms. Expanding support to WooCommerce was a strategic move, as WordPress accounts for&nbsp;<a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress">39.3%</a>&nbsp;of the Alexa top 10 million websites. WooCommerce is running on 18% of the WordPress sites W3techs can detect. Fast CEO Domm Holland said the product&rsquo;s availability to WooCommerce increases the company&rsquo;s addressable market by over 2,500%.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">from today, every single <a href="https://twitter.com/WooCommerce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WooCommerce</a> store can now install 1-click checkout in minutes, so their customers can checkout in seconds &#128640;<br /><br />compared to yesterday, that increases <a href="https://twitter.com/fast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fast</a>' addressable market by over 2,500% <a href="https://t.co/wrqkUnAQVw">pic.twitter.com/wrqkUnAQVw</a></p>&mdash; domm (@domm) <a href="https://twitter.com/domm/status/1338493885245345793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve received inquiries from thousands of sellers asking to add Fast on a variety of e-commerce platforms, including WooCommerce sellers,&rdquo;  Fast CCO Jason Alderman said. &ldquo;We prioritized WooCommerce as it automatically gives millions of new sellers access to Fast.&rdquo; </p>



<p>The company has seen a strong uptick in Fast Login adoption since launch, and Fast Checkout has had a promising debut. </p>



<p>&ldquo;For Fast Checkout, the value of merchandise purchased on the platform has more than tripled each month since launching in September,&rdquo; Alderman said. &ldquo;Although not WooCommerce sellers, Fast merchants such as Gerard and Hardwood Lumber are seeing up to 30% (and rising) adoption rates since deploying Fast Checkout and up to a 10% increase in order volume within just 30 days of implementation.&rdquo;</p>



<p>In order to gain all the benefits of Fast login and checkout, users have to sign up with a new service, which seems like it would be hurdle. Fast has embedded this process within the normal checkout flow so that it doesn&rsquo;t feel like the consumer has to sign up for something new. The first time a shopper makes a purchase on a site using Fast Checkout, they enter their contact information. and payment details as they normally would. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img />Fast Checkout form on mobile for first time checkout </div>



<p>After that purchase, their details are stored and every subsequent checkout experience on any website using Fast Checkout will only require one click. It works regardless of the device or browser used and does not require a password, the same as the Fast Login product.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img />Fast Checkout on mobile purchase complete</div>



<p>Although Fast Checkout and Login are free to use for buyers, getting store owners on board is going to be the primary challenge for Fast. It charges US sellers <a href="https://www.fast.co/pricing">2.9% +&nbsp;30c per transaction</a>. Fast&rsquo;s fees are not quite as steep as the 5% per shipment that Instagram will be charging for the <a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-tests-new-instagram-shopping-checkout-feature-now-in-closed-beta">new Shopping Checkout feature that WooCommerce is testing</a>.  However, it may still be prohibitive for stores with narrow profit margins. Fast also has competition from the multiple one-click checkout extensions available for WooCommerce that do not charge transaction fees. </p>



<p>Fast claims that the one-click checkout button &ldquo;increases conversion, boosts sales, and delights customers&rdquo; If the checkout experience can deliver on those claims, then some store owners may be willing to part with the 2.9% fee in order to capture a larger percentage of the potential customers that are already arriving at their stores, instead of risking cart abandonment with a frustratingly long checkout process. Store owners are looking for any edge in an increasingly competitive landscape where the online retail giants continue to dominate.</p>



<p>The pandemic has caused <a href="https://wptavern.com/tectonic-shifts-in-retail-industry-are-creating-unprecedented-opportunities-for-independent-stores">radical shifts in the retail industry</a>, creating unprecedented opportunities for independent stores. Many WooCommerce developers and store owners have sought help for optimizing their stores after the pandemic caused business to increase exponentially overnight. A product like Fast Checkout is landing at the right time, as consumer spending habits have become forever altered by the rapid acceleration of the essential role of e-commerce for homebound people across the globe.</p>



<p>&ldquo;E-commerce giants have heightened consumers&rsquo; expectations for online shopping,&rdquo; Alderman said. &ldquo;And with the COVID-19 pandemic this year, more people than ever opted to shop online, but many independent businesses were not prepared to prioritize the online experience. By adding Fast Checkout to their stores, businesses of all sizes can access one-click checkout that offers the seamless experience consumers expect (and eliminates shopping cart abandonment that happens to up to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/" target="_blank">80% of potential purchases</a>).&rdquo;</p>



<p>Fast is planning to expand its Checkout support to multiple new platforms in the coming months but did not have any details to share at this time. In addition to providing one-click checkout, Fast centralizes purchases across stores so that users can manage transactions, track shipments, and handle returns through a unified dashboard. Long term, the company is working on launching a universal subscription manager, which Alderman said is currently in development. </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, 15 Dec 2020 06:18:37 +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: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:75:"WPTavern: G2 Components, a From-Scratch Reimagining of WordPress Components";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108342";s:7:"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:193:"https://wptavern.com/g2-components-a-from-scratch-reimagining-of-wordpress-components?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=g2-components-a-from-scratch-reimagining-of-wordpress-components";s: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:7356:"<p>Update <em>some</em> of the things.</p>



<p>That was the goal that Jon Quach, a Principal Designer at Automattic, laid out in the <a href="https://g2components.wordpress.com/2020/11/02/the-path-to-integration/">roadmap for integrating the G2 Components project</a> into Gutenberg and, eventually, core WordPress. The project is a reimagining of the pieces that make the block editor, a &ldquo;from-scratch&rdquo; overhaul of the component system. Updating <em>all of the things</em> or even <em>many of the things</em> at once runs the risk of breaking everything.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Ideally, what should happen is you should update just some of the things in a very controlled and intentional manner,&rdquo; wrote Quach in the post. He likened it transitioning a city, section by section, to solar power until the traditional power factory could be shut down. You convert one piece, test, find problems, and correct them before moving to the next section.</p>



<p>That is the plan for integrating <a href="https://github.com/itsjonq/g2">G2 Components</a> into Gutenberg.</p>



<p>&ldquo;G2 Components is a project that embodies the idea of making user interfaces and user experiences better for others,&rdquo; said Quach. &ldquo;At the moment, it&rsquo;s materialized as a Component System designed to work within the context and environments of Gutenberg and WordPress.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The goal is to provide the resources to improve the Gutenberg project&rsquo;s UI. Components should make it easier to create newer UIs without hacking together code. Quach said the consistency and experiences of the Component System should scale and have a ripple effect throughout the WordPress platform. This will also extend to third-party block developers.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The code components are just the starting point,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My ultimate goal is for this to transcend code and influence and elevate design as well &mdash; creating a unified Design System that enables and empowers folks to craft cohesive and feature-rich UI experiences within the world of WordPress.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Quach believes that platforms have benefited from having similar approaches. He mentioned Material Design by Google as having elevated the Android platform and bringing cohesion across the company&rsquo;s products.</p>



<p>The Gutenberg team has already started integrating the G2 Components into the project. This integration replaces WordPress components (<a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/packages/packages-components/">@wordpress/components</a>) in a controlled manner that should not break existing implementations within the core editor or third-party projects. New components will be swapped in as they become ready. &ldquo;Like flipping on a switch,&rdquo; said Quach.</p>



<p>The following video is an hour-long walkthrough of G2 Components that Quach posted on YouTube:</p>



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

</div>



<p>He routinely posts updates on the <a href="https://g2components.wordpress.com/">G2 Components blog</a>. Alongside those are deeper dives into his design thinking on the project. He also talks about the project on his <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/itsjonq">Twitch stream</a> almost daily.</p>



<h2>What Are Components?</h2>



<img />Screenshot of a component in the <a href="https://g2-components.xyz/">G2 Components Storybook</a>.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Components are everything from buttons to toggles to checkboxes. They are standardized pieces that make up the UI of the block editor. They are available for both core and third-party developers to create what end-users see and interact with. However, there was a problem with how the original component system was built.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The current components aren&rsquo;t built with a system in mind, but rather, to fulfill an immediate need,&rdquo; said Quach. &ldquo;This particular design detail is crucial. A systems-first approach more easily supports the addition of new features, and more importantly, customization!&rdquo;</p>



<p>The new approach is about building a native design system for WordPress. Such a system would allow anyone to build on top of it and create native experiences.</p>



<p>Quach said one of the easiest ways to look at this is from a backend theming perspective &mdash; the Component System also has a theming sub-system. &ldquo;Instead of the traditional method of writing CSS as a &lsquo;skin&rsquo; to layer on top, UI aesthetics can be adjusted through configuration values &mdash; similar to how WordPress can be configured with definitions in the <code>wp-config.php</code> file,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This distinction is important as these values tap directly into the Style system, allowing the styles to load correctly at the right place and at the right time. All without affecting the current environment&rsquo;s styles, and more importantly, not being affected by the current environment&rsquo;s styles.&rdquo;</p>



<p>He was responding to my question on why the component system should be rebuilt from scratch. The idea is to have components that &ldquo;just work&rdquo; in an environment such as the WordPress admin, such as making sure the existence of a WordPress theme&rsquo;s stylesheet does not break components simply by being loaded.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Why rethink, rebuild, and enhance Inputs, Buttons, Modals, Dropdowns, and others?&rdquo; countered Quach in response. &ldquo;So that you the developer don&rsquo;t have to.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>What Does This Mean For Developers?</h2>



<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">Respecting backward-compatibility is something Quach said he took incredibly seriously when designing the architecture of the G2 Components project. He also said it was a part of the integration strategy he proposed.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I had mentioned that this project &rsquo;embodies the idea of making user interfaces and user experiences better for others,'&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Accounting for backward compatibility and supporting third-party migration absolutely falls under the category of user experience.&rdquo;</p>



<p>As the Gutenberg team continues integrating new components, it should not change what developers have already been doing. However, it could open up some new possibilities.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The new Component System will definitely help in the UI department,&rdquo; said Quach. &ldquo;One area I&rsquo;m particularly excited about is the rapid-development/prototyping space. Because these Components are self-contained units, they can be brought into platforms like <a href="https://codesandbox.io/">CodeSandbox</a> and they&hellip;just&hellip;work. You can hit the ground running and rapidly construct and share prototypes (ranging from tiny-yet-mighty to large and in-charge).&rdquo;</p>



<p>He said he has had success in testing component designs and demonstrating ideas for quick feedback. He has also worked from the opposite direction, building complex components in CodeSandbox and bringing them back into the Component System.</p>



<p>&ldquo;As a designer and front-end developer, I cannot stress how efficient, effective, and creatively liberating this &lsquo;micro building&rsquo; workflow is,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;m excited for others to experience as well.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 14 Dec 2020 21:10:46 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:99:"WPTavern: BuddyPress 7.0.0 Adds 3 New Blocks and Admin Screens for Member and Group Type Management";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108753";s:7:"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:239:"https://wptavern.com/buddypress-7-0-adds-3-new-blocks-and-admin-screens-for-member-and-group-type-management?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=buddypress-7-0-adds-3-new-blocks-and-admin-screens-for-member-and-group-type-management";s: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>BuddyPress <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-filippi/">7.0.0</a> &ldquo;Filippi&rdquo; was released this week, following <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-simone-includes-new-twenty-twenty-one-theme-and-improved-editor">WordPress 5.6</a> to ensure compatibility. This version was named for&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://realcheesepizza.com/" target="_blank">Filippi&rsquo;s Pizza Grotto</a>&nbsp;in California. It <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/07/05/wordpress-required-version-update-2/">requires WordPress 4.9+</a>, but sites that are not using the block editor will miss out on many of the new features that make BuddyPress websites easier to customize.</p>



<p>The first set of community blocks was introduced earlier this year, allowing site owners to insert a specific Member or Group into any post or page. Version 7.0.0 adds three new blocks that make it easy to feature a list of members, a list of groups, or embed a public activity post.</p>



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



<p>Blocks make customizations easier for non-technical community managers. Years ago, you would have to write a custom query to display members, groups, or activities anywhere on a page or post. The other option was to install a plugin to do it and use a widget or shortcode to place it somewhere in the content.</p>



<p>The Groups block, for example, lets you select any number of groups using auto-complete, to create a custom list. The block&rsquo;s toolbar has an option for displaying the groups in a list or a grid. In the block settings, users can show or hide group names, select full or thumbnail versions for avatars, and include extra information about the group. </p>



<img />



<h3>New Administration Screens for Member and Group Type Management</h3>



<p>BuddyPress&rsquo; member types and group types&nbsp;are a feature similar to WordPress&rsquo; custom post types. They now have their own management screens in the admin, making them more accessible to community managers who would not be comfortable creating and modifying types without a UI. Member and group types can now be added, edited, and deleted directly in the admin. </p>



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

</div>Source: <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-filippi/">BuddyPress.org 7.0.0 release announcement</a>



<h3>New Default Profile Image for Network Sites</h3>



<p>Version 7.0.0 introduces the capability to add a default profile image for sites in a multisite network as part of the Site Tracking component. This can improve the appearance for the sites directory or the activity stream, when networked sites have not added a custom profile image.</p>



<p>A few other notable improvements in 7.0.0 include the BP Nouveau template pack updated to be compatible with the new Twenty Twenty-One default theme, improvements to the BP REST API, and&nbsp;BuddyPress CLI commands expanded to cover more aspects of community management. Check out the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-7-0-0/">release notes</a> for a full list of changes.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 12 Dec 2020 04:09:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:82:"WPTavern: EditorPlus 2.4 Released, Builds Upon Its ‘Extend Core Blocks’ System";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108825";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"https://wptavern.com/editorplus-2-4-released-builds-upon-its-extend-core-blocks-system?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=editorplus-2-4-released-builds-upon-its-extend-core-blocks-system";s: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:5285:"<p class="has-drop-cap">On Tuesday of this week, Munir Kamal released version 2.4 of his <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/editorplus/">EditorPlus plugin</a>. Aside from a few bugs and making sure the plugin was compatible with WordPress 5.6, he added an icon selector for the Button block and SVG shape overlays for the Image block. This is on top of a new &ldquo;Extend Core Blocks&rdquo; system he added in the previous version.</p>



<p>I last <a href="https://wptavern.com/editor-plus-2-1-overhauls-block-controls-ui-and-adds-lottie-animations">dove into the plugin</a> in early November. In Kamal&rsquo;s world, that may as well have been a lifetime ago. At an almost dizzying pace of development, he has since released three major updates to the plugin with several new features. I continue wondering where he not only finds the time to dedicate to the project for free but also where he keeps getting new ideas. Surely, some of them are coming from his growing user base. The plugin is still relatively young, and it has now passed 2,000 active installs.</p>



<h2>The Extend Core Blocks System</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">When Kamal first built EditorPlus, the idea was to create additional styling options for the WordPress core blocks. Essentially, the plugin allowed end-users to set custom values for CSS properties from an interface in the editor. This can get the average user pretty deep into customization. However, it is still somewhat limiting. There are things that web developers can do with code that go beyond what such a basic interface can do. The question then becomes: <em>how do you provide those advanced methods to users?</em></p>



<p>At the heart of the Extend Core Blocks system, which can be disabled from the plugin&rsquo;s settings screen, the plugin author wanted to push the limits of what is possible with WordPress&rsquo;s existing blocks.</p>



<p>&ldquo;There are different extensions in EditorPlus that offer different features that you can toggle on or off,&rdquo; said Kamal. &ldquo;Like the styling, animations, custom CSS, etc., and now this new one. This extension will offer additional functionalities/features for the core Gutenberg blocks. For example, the &lsquo;list block&rsquo; extended with the option to include icons, split into columns, and more. Similarly, the plan is to extend other core blocks with additional missing features as well.&rdquo;</p>



<img />Creating a two-column team list with icons.



<p>In version 2.3, he created the first set of options with the new system. Starting with the List block, he added columns, options, icons, and several other options. Users can pick and choose from a range of icons from the Font Awesome and Icon Moon libraries.</p>



<img />Adding a &ldquo;blob&rdquo; style to the Image block.



<p>My favorite new feature is the custom &ldquo;blob&rdquo; styles Kamal has added to the Image block. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve simply added 10 SVG shape masks as block styles for the core Image block,&rdquo; he said while also sharing a <a href="https://share.getcloudapp.com/v1u4xR58">demo video</a>.</p>



<p>While I am unsure if I have any immediate uses for blob-shaped images, I am excited about the possibility of other SVG shape masks landing in the future. I am sure there are many potential applications in design where they would be useful. If nothing else, they are fun to tinker around with.</p>



<img />Customizing icons for the Button block.



<p>Perhaps a bit more practical, Kamal added new icon options for the Button block. Like the List block, users can choose from both the Font Awesome and Icon Moon libraries. They can also select left or right alignment, change the background and foreground colors, round out the background with a border-radius option, and control the spacing.</p>



<p>There are a couple of other block-related plugins with similar icon options. However, having them baked into EditorPlus was a good decision. Most of the plugin&rsquo;s users will likely find themselves ditching other block plugins with so much available through one.</p>



<p>Kamal remained tight-lipped about any specific upcoming features in 2.5 and beyond. However, he did say that he would be continuing to build upon the Extend Core Blocks system. If his work thus far is any indication, it will be interesting to see what new options he brings to the other WordPress blocks.</p>



<h2>Background Options</h2>



<img />Adding an SVG background image to the Cover block.



<p class="has-drop-cap">While the new Extend Core Blocks system has been the focus of the last couple of releases, Kamal has added several other features. One of the biggest that he has pushed out is a set of new background options for every core block, which includes the following:</p>



<ul><li>Insert image via URL.</li><li>Background attachment option.</li><li>Background placement option.</li></ul>



<p>At this point, with EditorPlus, users can nearly do anything they need to do with backgrounds. The biggest boost of customizability comes with the image URL option, which means that users can even input a data URI for SVG patterns. <a href="https://www.heropatterns.com/">Hero Patterns</a> has a ton of options to choose from for anyone who wants to give it a spin.</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, 11 Dec 2020 21:35:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:96:"WPTavern: GitHub Introduces Darkmode, Discussions for Public Repositories, and Dependency Review";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108775";s:7:"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:233:"https://wptavern.com/github-introduces-darkmode-discussions-for-public-repositories-and-dependency-review?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=github-introduces-darkmode-discussions-for-public-repositories-and-dependency-review";s: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:3026:"<p>GitHub Universe, the company&rsquo;s annual marquee product and community event, took place this week, bringing users a flurry of new features. Dark mode is now in public beta and can be activated under the <a href="https://github.com/settings/appearance">Settings</a> menu or set to follow system preferences. </p>



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



<p>Discussions is a new feature that GitHub unveiled at its Satellite event in May to facilitate questions and open-ended conversations. The company has been testing it with open source communities like <a href="https://github.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby/discussions">Gatsby</a> and <a href="https://github.com/laravel/framework/discussions">Laravel</a> to iron out bugs ahead of the public launch. Discussions currently allows users to customize categories, transfer and pin discussions, and convert issues into discussion threads. Mobile support is coming soon.</p>



<p>Participants on Discussions can search or sort conversations by newest, top, answered, and unanswered. Threads can be upvoted for better exposure and a sidebar widget displays the &ldquo;most helpful&rdquo; users. Discussions are essentially a modernized forum, with a little bit of gamification sprinkled in. for good measure.  </p>



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



<p>Project maintainers for WordPress plugins, themes, and tools hosted on GitHub may want to explore Discussions to see if it could benefit their communities. The format is more approachable for less technical participants who may not be familiar with GitHub issues. </p>



<p>Building on the existing&nbsp;<a href="https://help.github.com/en/github/visualizing-repository-data-with-graphs/listing-the-packages-that-a-repository-depends-on#about-the-dependency-graph">dependency graph</a> and <a href="https://help.github.com/en/github/managing-security-vulnerabilities/about-security-alerts-for-vulnerable-dependencies">security alerts</a> features, GitHub is introducing dependency review as a way to help developers catch vulnerable code before it gets added to their projects. Dependency review displays the following information for each pull request:</p>



<ul><li>which dependencies were added, removed, or updated</li><li>release dates</li><li>how many projects use these components</li><li>vulnerability information for each dependency</li></ul>



<p>The beta for the dependency review feature is now open to all public repositories and will be gradually rolled out across GitHub in the next few weeks.</p>



<p>Other notable announcements include the ability to auto-merge pull requests when using protected branches, improvements to continuous delivery support, and GitHub Sponsors for companies, which allows organizations to use their existing billing to donate to open source developers and projects. Check out the full details in the <a href="https://github.blog/2020-12-08-new-from-universe-2020-dark-mode-github-sponsors-for-companies-and-more/">announcement summary</a> from the 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:"Fri, 11 Dec 2020 04:42:17 +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: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:42:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 7.0.0 “Filippi”";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=316067";s:7:"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://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-filippi/";s: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:13194:"<p class="has-text-align-center">This major release introduces new administration screens to manage your Member &amp; Group Types <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f64c.png" alt="🙌" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



<div class="wp-block-button aligncenter"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-background no-border-radius" href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.7.0.0.zip">Get BuddyPress 7.0.0</a></div>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>We are very excited to announce the immediate availability of&nbsp;<strong>BuddyPress 7.0.0</strong>&nbsp;code-named &#8220;<strong>Filippi</strong>&#8220;. You can get it clicking on the above button, downloading it from the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">WordPress.org plugin directory</a>&nbsp;or checking it out from our&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/branches/7.0">Subversion repository</a>.</p>



<p><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f449.png" alt="👉" class="wp-smiley" /> <em>If you’re upgrading from a previous version of BuddyPress, it’s always a good idea to back-up your WordPress database and files ahead of time.</em></p>



<p>You can review all of the changes in this 7.0.0 release in the&nbsp;<a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-7-0-0/">release notes</a>. Below are a few of the key features we believe you are going to love!</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">You can now manage your Member Types and/or Group Types right from your WordPress Dashboard</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/bp-types-illustration.png"><img width="1043" height="492" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/bp-types-illustration.png" alt="Illustration showing how to access to the BP Types Admin areas." class="wp-image-316087" /></a></div>



<p>Playing with BP Types just became much easier! The Member Types and Group Types were primarily introduced in BuddyPress as features for advanced users, just like the WordPress Custom Post Type feature. Thanks to the two new&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/09/21/bp-types-admin-ui/">WordPress Administration Screens</a>, adding, editing and deleting Member &amp; Group Types has never been so easy! Now you can set up BP Types using custom code or by simply using the Administration interfaces.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s watch a demo about how it looks like for <strong>Member Types</strong>!</p>



<a href="https://cldup.com/YbQ4VLuax3.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fullscreen</a>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">3 new BP Blocks for your WP Posts &amp; Pages</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/bp-new-blocks.png"><img width="678" height="380" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/bp-new-blocks.png" alt="Illustration showing the BuddyPress Blocks category inside the Block Editor Inserter." class="wp-image-316092" /></a></div>



<p>3 new BP Blocks are now available via your WordPress Editor. From the BuddyPress blocks category of the WordPress Block Inserter, you can pick a BP Block to feature a list of members, a list of groups or embed a public BuddyPress Activity into your post or page. Read more about it in this&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/10/14/three-new-blocks-to-expect-in-buddypress-7-0-0/">development note</a>.</p>



<p>Here&#8217;s a quick video showing you how to insert a list of Members profile images into your home page.</p>



<a href="https://cldup.com/pVH1gao77N.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fullscreen</a>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">A default profile image for the sites of your network</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/default-blavatar.png"><img width="1099" height="771" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/default-blavatar.png" alt="Illustration of the BuddyPress Sites directory" class="wp-image-316102" /></a><em>Follow the white arrow to discover the new default profile image for sites.</em></div>



<p>The Site Tracking component now has a default profile image it can use to make your Sites loop prettier if some of them have not customized their WordPress Site Icon. Multisite WordPress configurations will be able to find it when displaying the Sites directory. Read more about it in the&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/meet-the-new-default-avatar-for-sites/">development note</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BP Nouveau is ready for Twenty Twenty-One <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f3a8.png" alt="🎨" class="wp-smiley" /></h2>



<a href="https://cldup.com/9C2ImNubyC.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fullscreen</a>



<p>You love the latest default WordPress Theme, so do we! It’s important for us to make sure the BP Nouveau template pack looks great in the default themes included in the WordPress package. This is the first of the many improvements we are bringing to our default Template Pack.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BP REST API improvements</h2>



<div><span class="dashicons dashicons-rest-api"></span></div>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://developer.buddypress.org/bp-rest-api/">Developer documentation</a>&nbsp;has been updated according to the latest improvements we’ve brought to the BuddyPress REST API.</p>



<p>To name two: get the groups the logged in user is a member of, and create a blog when BuddyPress is activated on a network of WordPress sites. Read this&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/11/14/buddypress-rest-api-whats-new-in-7-0-0/">development note</a>&nbsp;to learn about all the others.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Improved support for WP CLI</h2>



<div><span class="dashicons dashicons-arrow-right-alt2"></span></div>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>WP-CLI is the command-line interface for WordPress. You can update plugins, configure multisite installs, and much more, all without using a web browser. In 7.0.0, you will be able to use new BuddyPress CLI commands to manage BuddyPress Group Meta, BuddyPress Activity Meta, activate or deactivate the BuddyPress signup feature and create BuddyPress-specific testing code for plugins.</p>



<p>Discover more about it from this&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/10/09/wp-cli-buddypress-2-0/">developer note</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Under the hood</h2>



<div><span class="dashicons dashicons-admin-generic"></span></div>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p>7.0.0 includes more than 70 changes such as image lazy loading support, multiple Member Type assignment, a Docker ready development environment to improve your BuddyPress experience as users, and as contributors to our project.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Many thanks to the 55 contributors who helped us build &amp; translate BuddyPress 7.0.0</h2>



<div><span class="dashicons dashicons-buddicons-buddypress-logo"></span></div>



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<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oztaser/">Adil Oztaser (oztaser)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/">Boone B Gorges (boonebgorges)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sbrajesh/">Brajesh Singh (sbrajesh)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/corsky/">corsky</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dancaragea/">Dan Caragea (dancaragea)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dcavins/">David Cavins (dcavins)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/devnik/">devnik</a>,<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dilipbheda/">Dilip Bheda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dd32/">Dion Hulse (dd32)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dragoeco/">dragoeco</a>,<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kebbet/">Erik Betshammar (kebbet)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/etatus/">etatus</a>, <a href="https://github.com/ExoGeek/">Didier Saintes (ExoGeek)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/f2010525/">诗语 (f2010525)</a>,<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mamaduka/">George Mamadashvili</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mociofiletto/">Giuseppe (mociofiletto)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hareesh-pillai/">Hareesh</a>,<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iamthewebb/">iamthewebb</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nobnob/">Javier Esteban (nobnob)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/">Jb Audras (audrasjb)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/">John James Jacoby (johnjamesjacoby)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joost-abrahams/">Joost Abrahams (joost-abrahams)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/k3690/">k3690</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/knutsp/">Knut Sparhell (knutsp)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laxman-prajapati/">Laxman Prajapati</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lidialab/">Lidia Pellizzaro (lidialab)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marbaque/">marbaque</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/geckse/">Marcel Claus (geckse)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marioshtika/">marioshtika</a>,<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markscottrobson/">Mark Robson (markscottrobson)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">Mathieu Viet (imath)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mercime/">mercime</a>,&nbsp; <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/immeet94/">Meet Makadia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tw2113/">Michael Beckwith</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/man4toman/">Morteza Geransayeh (man4toman)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/morenolq/">morenolq</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/n33d/">N33D</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oddev56/">oddev56</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/DJPaul/">Paul Gibbs (DJPaul)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/walbo/">Petter Walbø Johnsgård (walbo)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/psmits1567/">Peter Smits (psmits1567)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pooja1210/">Pooja N Muchandikar (pooja1210)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/raruto/">Raruto</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/r-a-y/">r-a-y</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/espellcaste/">Renato Alves (espellcaste)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/scipi/">scipi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/scottopolis/">Scott Bolinger (scottopolis)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shanebp/">shanebp</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shawfactor/">shawfactor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sjregan/">sjregan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/netweb/">Stephen Edgar (netweb)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tharsheblows/">tharsheblows</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobifjellner/">Tor-Bjorn Fjellner (tobifjellner)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vapvarun/">Varun Dubey (vapvarun)</a> &amp; <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/podporawebu/">wp24.cz (podporawebu)</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BuddyPress <strong>Filippi</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img width="150" height="150" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2019/09/pizza.png" alt="" class="wp-image-308073" /></div>



<p>7.0.0 is code-named <strong>&#8220;Filippi&#8221;</strong> after <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://realcheesepizza.com/" target="_blank">Filippi&#8217;s Pizza Grotto</a> in lovely San Diego, California, USA. The &#8220;Grotto&#8221; is in the back room of an Italian grocery and butcher shop in Little Italy. Tall pizza lovers will have to watch out for the Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, but the red-and-white-checked-tablecloth atmosphere and piled-high pizza is worth it!</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Feedback is always welcome <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f60d.png" alt="😍" class="wp-smiley" /></h2>



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<p>Receiving your feedback &amp; suggestions for future versions of BuddyPress genuinely motivates and encourages our contributors. Please share your feedback about this version of BuddyPress in the comments area of this post. And of course, if you&#8217;ve found a bug: please tell us about it into our <a href="https://buddypress.org/support/">Support forums</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, 10 Dec 2020 22:00:07 +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:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:80:"WPTavern: State of the Word 2020 Scheduled for December 17, with Virtual Q&amp;A";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108628";s:7:"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:193:"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2020-scheduled-for-december-17-with-virtual-qa?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=state-of-the-word-2020-scheduled-for-december-17-with-virtual-qa";s: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:5941:"<p>WordCamp US 2020, previously scheduled for October, was cancelled due to <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-us-2020-canceled-due-to-pandemic-stress-and-online-event-fatigue">pandemic stress and online event fatigue</a>. Organizers did not opt for running it as an online event, but Matt Mullenweg&rsquo;s annual State of the Word address will be delivered virtually this year. It will be streamed on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WordPress/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/wordpress">YouTube</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wordpress">Twitter</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20201217T08&p0=224&msg=State+of+the+Word+2020&font=slab&csz=1">Thursday, Dec 17th, 2020&nbsp; at 1600 UTC</a>.</p>



<p>In previous years, the State of the Word has been one the most highly anticipated keynotes at WordCamp US. Attendees pack into the venue&rsquo;s auditorium in anticipation of hearing about all of the highlights and milestones the WordPress community has achieved over the past year. Mullenweg often uses the time to recast his vision for the project and deliver important announcements. </p>



<p>This year has been unlike anything we have experienced before, but one thing has remained constant &ndash; WordPress&rsquo; phenomenal growth continues, as other major open source CMS&rsquo;s are slowly declining. It is currently sitting at <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress">39.3%</a> of the Alexa top 10 million,&nbsp;4.2% higher than November 2019, according to Joost de Valk&rsquo;s biannual <a href="https://joost.blog/cms-market-share-november-2020-analysis/">analysis</a> of the CMS market share. de Valk attributes much of that growth to WooCommerce, which accounts for more than 18% of all the WordPress sites W3techs can detect. </p>



<p>Despite the global upheaval caused by the coronavirus, WordPress&rsquo; development has remained steady. More than 605 people contributed to the last major release (5.6) and there were 805 for the previous release (with 38% of them being new contributors.) In addition to reinventing WordCamps for the new virtual event frontier, the community team has also <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2020/08/12/learn-wordpress-is-live/">launched</a> the <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a> platform to make educational resources more globally available, placing a new emphasis on training. The platform is cracking open a world of WordPress knowledge that was previously relegated to more limited in-person audiences.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Since we&rsquo;ve collectively come to the realization that talks and training content can be delivered and consumed asynchronously, there will be less need to use the high-bandwidth time of physical events to passively watch a talk where we aren&rsquo;t actively engaging with others,&rdquo; WordPress community manager Hugh Lashbrooke said in a <a href="https://hugh.blog/2020/12/03/building-community-in-a-post-covid-world/">post</a> with predictions on post-COVID community building. &ldquo;The focus of these valuable meetings will rather be on interpersonal connection and mutual learning through active participation.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Lashbrooke&rsquo;s predictions recognize a friction that has always existed at WordCamps: the &ldquo;hallway track&rdquo; is more engaging and more popular than most of the talks given at events. It&rsquo;s the interpersonal connection that people crave more than turning up for sessions that are usually being recorded anyway.</p>



<p>To those who have been homebound for the better part of this year, it may feel as though the world is standing still. But the WordPress community has put many meaningful changes in motion in response to the pandemic&rsquo;s unique challenges. Despite all the uncertainty, WordPress is moving forward like a steady ship, with reliable improvements to the software and the community, thanks to the goodwill and cooperation of its unwavering base of contributors. This stability is worthy of commendation among this year&rsquo;s milestones and is a testament to the maturity of the project.</p>



<h3>Join the Virtual Q&amp;A by Submitting a Pre-Recorded Video</h3>



<p>Matt Mullenweg will be running the Q&amp;A portion of his address virtually this year, with pre-recorded videos of questions from the audience. WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/state-of-the-word-2020/">outlined</a> the instructions for participating:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>To take part, record a video of you asking your question to Matt on your computer or phone (landscape format, please). Don&rsquo;t forget to include your name and how you use WordPress! Try to keep your video to under a minute so Matt can answer as many questions as possible. </p></blockquote>



<p>There are some positive aspects of this method but also a few drawbacks. It can create a more polished and efficient experience of Q&amp;A where the audience is less likely to have to sit through long, rambling questions. It also allows equal opportunity for people living in all time zones to submit a question.</p>



<p>On the other hand, the questions will be screened and pre-selected, allowing more preparation time for the answers. A live Q&amp;A offers the opportunity to catch the person off guard and get answers that might not be delivered the same way in a different format. Pre-recorded videos have a few trade-offs but they may be the best option we have for this event.</p>



<p>The deadline to submit video questions is Friday, December 11, 2020. Haden recommends participants upload their videos to YouTube as &ldquo;<a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177">unlisted</a>&rdquo; and send a link to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ask-matt@wordcamp.org">ask-matt@wordcamp.org</a>.&nbsp;</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, 10 Dec 2020 05:57:20 +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: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:93:"WPTavern: WordPress 5.6 “Simone” Includes New Twenty Twenty-One Theme and Improved Editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108446";s:7:"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:219:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-simone-includes-new-twenty-twenty-one-theme-and-improved-editor?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-5-6-simone-includes-new-twenty-twenty-one-theme-and-improved-editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9657:"<img />Nina Simone<br />License: CC0 | Credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nina_Simone_geeft_een_interview_in_het_Hilton_in_Amsterdam_in_het_kader_van_haar_nieuwe_album_%27Pastel_Blues%27,_NL-HlmNHA_1478_03720_K.JPG">Noord-Hollands Archief / Fotoburo de Boer</a>



<p class="has-drop-cap">WordPress 5.6 &ldquo;Simone,&rdquo; named in honor of American performer and civil rights activist Nina Simone, was <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/">released today</a> and is now available for download. The release was led by an <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-development-kicks-off-with-all-women-release-squad">all-women release squad</a>, a first in WordPress history. The new version includes many enhancements for the block editor, accessibility improvements, application password support for the REST API, and a new default theme.</p>



<p>This release saw contributions from 605 volunteers who were involved with almost 350 Trac tickets and over 1,000 pull requests on GitHub.</p>



<p>The following women formed the release squad for the 5.6 release:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Release Lead:</strong> Josepha Haden. Cohort: Chlo&eacute; Bringmann and Angela Jin.</li><li><strong>Release Coordinator:</strong> Dee Teal. Cohort: Thelma Mutete and Laura Nelson.</li><li><strong>Triage Lead:</strong> Tonya Mork.</li><li><strong>Core Tech Lead:</strong> Helen Hou-Sand&igrave;. Cohort: Amy Kamala and Ebonie Butler.</li><li><strong>Editor Tech Lead: </strong>Isabel Brison. Cohort: Chandrika Guntur, Anchen le Roux, and Rebecca Hum.</li><li><strong>Design Leads:</strong> Ellen Bauer and Tammie Lister. Cohort: Anyssa Ferreira, Estela Rueda, Tracy Apps, and Sophia DeRosia.</li><li><strong>Design Tech Lead:</strong> Shital Marakana.</li><li><strong>Accessibility Lead:</strong> Sarah Ricker. Cohort: Hauwa Abashiya.</li><li><strong>Marketing and Communications Leads:</strong> Abha Thakor and Yvette Sonneveld. Cohort: Nalini Thakor, Meher Bala, Olga Gleckler, Larissa Murrillo, Michelle Frechette, Breann McDede, and Afshana Diya.</li><li><strong>Documentation Lead:</strong> Shawntelle Coker. Cohort: Daisy Olsen, Meher Bala, and Winstina Hughes.</li><li><strong>Documentation Review Lead:</strong> Michele Butcher-Jones. Cohort: Nidhi Jain and Laura Byrne Cristiano.</li><li><strong>Default Theme Design Lead:</strong> Mel Choyce-Dwan. Cohort: Ellen Bauer.</li><li><strong>Default Theme Development Lead:</strong> Carolina Nymark. Cohort: Kelly Choyce-Dwan&nbsp;and Jessica Lyschik.</li><li><strong>Default Theme Wrangler:</strong> Jessica Lyschik.</li><li><strong>Test Lead: </strong>Monika Rao. Cohort: Allie Nimmons.</li><li><strong>Support Lead:</strong> Bet Hannon.</li></ul>



<p>At times, the 5.6 development cycle felt a bit rocky. Block-based <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-release-team-pulls-the-plug-on-block-based-widgets">widgets</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/navigation-screen-sidelined-for-wordpress-5-6-full-site-editing-edges-closer-to-public-beta">nav menus</a>, features expected to ship, were punted for a second time to a future release. These were hard decisions, but good leadership means making tough calls to hold off on features that are not ready for production.</p>



<p>&ldquo;You know, I was really hopeful for it too, and that last-minute call was one I labored over,&rdquo; said Josepha Haden after pushing block-based widgets back. &ldquo;When I last looked, it did seem close to ready, but then more focused testing was done and there were some interactions that are a little rough for users. I&rsquo;m grateful for that because the time to discover painful user experiences is before launch rather than after!&rdquo;</p>



<p>Despite dropping what would have been major transitional features from the classic WordPress theming paradigm in preparation for WordPress 5.7&rsquo;s expected site editor, the release still has a lot to offer.</p>



<h2>Block Editor Enhancements</h2>



<img />New dropdown for selecting block pattern category.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The Gutenberg plugin development team continues to make small but vital improvements to the block editor. They have also tacked on many new features in the past few months. Features from Gutenberg versions 8.6 &ndash; 9.2 are included in the update, along with bug fixes and performance improvements from 9.3 and 9.4.</p>



<p>Much of the work this development cycle has been focused on the upcoming site editor. There was some initial hope that a beta version of it would land in the 5.6 release. It was a part of the proposed scope. However, the feature is still months away from being ready. This is not a bad thing. It needs more time to mature, and there should be no rush in integrating a feature that affects so many pieces of the platform.</p>



<p>What end-users will see with this update is a more polished editor. Whether it is extra options for blocks or a dropdown select for block pattern categories, hundreds of minor changes have all led to a better overall experience.</p>



<p>WP Tavern has covered nearly every major Gutenberg plugin release this cycle &mdash; <em>looks like we missed 8.8, sorry</em>. Catch up with anything you missed about editor changes from the following posts:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-6-adds-cover-block-video-positioning-and-updates-block-patterns">Gutenberg 8.6 Adds Cover Block Video Positioning and Updates Block Patterns</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-7-adds-minor-changes-updates-block-pattern-designs-and-continues-full-site-editing-work">Gutenberg 8.7 Adds Minor Changes, Updates Block Pattern Designs, and Continues Full-Site Editing Work</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-9-brings-block-based-widgets-out-of-the-experimental-stage">Gutenberg 8.9 Brings Block-Based Widgets Out of the Experimental Stage</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-0-brings-major-improvements-to-navigation-screen-and-query-block">Gutenberg 9.0 Brings Major Improvements to Navigation Screen and Query Block</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-1-adds-patterns-category-dropdown-and-reverts-block-based-widgets-in-the-customizer">Gutenberg 9.1 Adds Patterns Category Dropdown and Reverts Block-Based Widgets in the Customizer</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-2-adds-video-tracks-improvements-to-columns-and-cover-blocks">Gutenberg 9.2 Adds Video Tracks, Improvements to Columns and Cover Blocks</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-3-provides-indicator-of-where-full-site-editing-is-going-a-future-without-widgets-and-customizer-screens">Gutenberg 9.3 Provides Indicator of Where Full-Site Editing Is Going, a Future Without Widgets and Customizer Screens</a></li><li><a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-9-4-introduces-button-width-selector-and-typography-controls-for-list-block">Gutenberg 9.4 Introduces Button Width Selector and Typography Controls for List Block</a></li></ul>



<h2>Twenty Twenty-One Theme</h2>



<img />Inserting a Twenty Twenty-One block pattern into a post.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Twenty Twenty-One, <a href="https://wptavern.com/first-look-at-twenty-twenty-one-wordpresss-upcoming-default-theme">the new default theme</a> for the upcoming year, takes full advantage of all the latest and greatest features of the block editor. While last year&rsquo;s Twenty Twenty theme had a successful launch, the development team behind the new default has had more time to explore building themes in the block era.</p>



<p>The theme makes use of more visual artistry. It will not be for everyone. It offers a wide range of color schemes for end-users, but it lends itself best to bloggers and other creators who prefer a bit of flair with their website&rsquo;s design.</p>



<p>The best thing is that it pushes the envelope with the block patterns feature, which was not available when Twenty Twenty landed a year ago. Older default themes will be <a href="https://wptavern.com/past-twenty-wordpress-themes-to-get-new-block-patterns">getting the block-pattern treatment</a>. However, Twenty Twenty-One will be the first default built with custom patterns in mind from the get-go.</p>



<p>For users who cannot wait for the site editor to land in WordPress, expected in some form in the 5.7 release, there is an alternate <a href="https://wptavern.com/twenty-twenty-one-blocks-theme-launching-as-a-separate-project">Twenty Twenty-One Blocks</a> theme to tinker with.</p>



<h2>Application Passwords for the REST API</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Despite being a part of the core platform since 2015, the REST API has lacked support for application passwords. Such a feature is vital for third-party applications to communicate with WordPress. Previously, requests had to be run through cookie and nonce-based authentication. Else, they would need to use the legacy XML-RPC API. This limitation has also affected the mobile WordPress development teams, making it tough to support the block editor, which relies on the REST API.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-6-to-introduce-application-passwords-for-rest-api-authentication">application passwords feature</a> will make it easier for applications to make API requests as well as request and revoke credentials.</p>



<p>The REST API promised a future for all types of applications built upon and around WordPress. However, this vision has not panned out over the years on a broad scale. With a major limiting factor removed, perhaps there is still hope for robust applications in the coming years.</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, 09 Dec 2020 00:07:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:38:"WPTavern: Automattic Acquires MailPoet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108663";s:7:"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/automattic-acquires-mailpoet?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=automattic-acquires-mailpoet";s: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:3584:"<p>Automattic has <a href="https://www.mailpoet.com/blog/mailpoet-joins-woocommerce/">acquired MailPoet</a>, a popular email marketing solution for WordPress, to give WooCommerce store owners more integrated email management capabilities in the admin. The plugin is used by more than 300,000 websites for everything from building a mailing list to managing transaction and abandoned cart emails. The nine-year old company is now a team of 11 that will be joining Automattic.</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/mailpoet/">MailPoet</a> launched in 2011 under the name WYSIJA (&ldquo;What you send is just awesome&rdquo;), a branding misstep that founder and CEO Kim Gjerstad readily <a href="https://freemius.com/blog/interview-kim-gjerstad-mailpoet/">acknowledged</a> as &ldquo;a terrible idea.&rdquo; The name was difficult to spell and remember. It was changed early on but the company was stuck with the &ldquo;WYSIJA&rdquo; slug in the WordPress plugins directory, a common issue for many plugins that have rebranded. </p>



<p>When MailPoet version 3 was released in 2017, the company was finally able to get the &ldquo;mailpoet&rdquo; slug in the plugin&rsquo;s URL on WordPress.org. Version 2, which still has more than 100,000 users, has support for multisite and uses the old email designer, among other <a href="https://kb.mailpoet.com/article/189-comparison-of-mailpoet-2-and-3">differences</a>. MailPoet 2 has received security updates for the past three years and plans to continue these following the acquisition.</p>



<p>Gjerstad reported that nearly a quarter of MailPoet users are running WooCommerce stores. The plugin&rsquo;s developers have been <a href="https://www.mailpoet.com/woocommerce-email-marketing/">expanding its WooCommerce functionality</a> over the past three years with features that help store owners catch customers&rsquo; emails at checkout, measure revenue per email, send automated emails using purchase data based on products purchased or product categories, customize store emails, and recover abandoned carts. </p>



<p>Earlier this year MailPoet <a href="https://www.mailpoet.com/blog/mailpoet-smtp-plugin/">introduced its own SMTP solution</a> to ensure emails sent from the plugin land in recipients&rsquo; inboxes, instead of flagged as spam. This silent background feature includes store emails as well, bringing higher deliverability without users having to depend on separate SMTP plugins.</p>



<p>In WooCommerce&rsquo;s acquisition <a href="https://woocommerce.com/posts/better-email-marketing-woocommerce-welcomes-mailpoet/">announcement</a>, CEO Paul Maiorana said adding MailPoet &ldquo;helps accelerate our roadmap toward a fully-integrated commerce experience.&rdquo; Last year Maiorana and Gjerstad met at WordCamp U.S. and exchanged ideas about a partnership.</p>



<p>&ldquo;As our conversation progressed in the following months, we came to realize that we shared a common vision for stores; with store owners being able to access email right in their dashboard,&rdquo; Gjerstad said.</p>



<p> Maiorana said Automattic&rsquo;s initial focus of the acquisition is to work together on improving the experience for WooCommerce users, but the company plans to &ldquo;evolve our collaboration in a way that can benefit the entire WordPress community.&rdquo; MailPoet&rsquo;s FAQ&rsquo;s on the announcement reiterate that all WordPress users will continue to be able to use the plugin, even if they do not have a WooCommerce store. There are no immediate changes planned for the plugin&rsquo;s features.</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, 09 Dec 2020 00:00:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:46:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 5.6 “Simone”";s:7:"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=9325";s:7:"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:42:"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/";s: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:58916:"<p>Meet Simone, our latest and greatest WordPress release. Named for the legendary performer Nina Simone, who is known for tunes like &#8220;Feeling Good&#8221;, &#8220;Young, Gifted and Black&#8221;, and &#8220;Four Women&#8221;. Fire up a playlist with her best work and read on to discover what we have in store for you. </p>



<img width="632" height="633" src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/wordpress-5-6_cover-a11y.jpg?resize=632%2C633&ssl=1" alt="WordPress 5.6 Simone with a photo of Nina Simone" class="wp-image-9416" />



<div class="wp-block-cover has-background-dim"><div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container">
<p class="has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-large-font-size">Welcome to WordPress 5.6</p>
<h3 class="has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color">Sharing your stories has never been easier.</h3>
</div></div>



<p>WordPress 5.6 brings you countless ways to set your ideas free and bring them to life. With a brand-new default theme as your canvas, it supports an ever-growing collection of blocks as your brushes. Paint with words. Pictures. Sound. Or rich embedded media.</p>



<img width="632" height="234" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/WordPress5-6-1.jpeg?resize=632%2C234&ssl=1" alt="colored circles" class="wp-image-9346" />



<h3>Greater layout flexibility</h3>



<p>Bring your stories to life with more tools that let you edit your layout with or without code. Single column blocks, designs using mixed widths and columns, full-width headers, and gradients in your cover block—make small changes or big statements with equal ease!</p>



<h3>More block patterns</h3>



<p>In some themes, preconfigured block patterns make setting up standard pages on your site a breeze. Let the power of patterns streamline your workflow and save you clicks. Plus, share these features with clients, editors, and more.</p>



<h3>Better video captioning</h3>



<p>To help you add subtitles or captions to your videos, you can now upload them within your post or page. This makes it easier than ever to make your videos accessible for anyone who needs or prefers to use subtitles.</p>



<img width="632" height="120" src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/WordPress5-6-2.jpeg?resize=632%2C120&ssl=1" alt="black vertical line" class="wp-image-9347" />



<h2>Twenty Twenty-One is here!</h2>



<a href="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/TT1-Screenshots-Compressed.png?ssl=1"><img width="632" height="714" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/TT1-Screenshots-Compressed.png?resize=632%2C714&ssl=1" alt="Examples of block patterns available in Twenty Twenty-One." class="wp-image-9426" /></a>



<p>Twenty Twenty-One is a blank canvas for your ideas, and the block editor is the best brush. It is built for the block editor and packed with brand-new block patterns you can only get in the default themes. Try different layouts in a matter of seconds, and let the theme’s eye-catching, yet timeless design make your work shine.&nbsp;</p>



<p>What’s more, this default theme puts accessibility at the heart of your website. It conforms to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/accessibility/">WordPress accessibility-ready guidelines</a> and addresses several more specialized standards from the <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG2AAA-Conformance">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AAA</a>. It will help you meet the highest level of international accessibility standards when you create accessible content and choose plugins which are accessible too!</p>



<h3>A rainbow of soft pastels</h3>



<a href="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/Rainbow-Compressed.png?ssl=1"><img width="632" height="167" src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/Rainbow-Compressed.png?resize=632%2C167&ssl=1" alt="A mobile screenshot of each included color palette in Twenty Twenty-One, going in ROYGBIV order." class="wp-image-9424" /></a>



<p>Perfect for a new year, Twenty Twenty-One gives you a range of pre-selected color palettes in pastel, all of which conform to AAA standards for contrast. You can also choose your own background color for the theme, and the theme chooses accessibility-conscious text colors for you — automatically!</p>



<p>Need more flexibility than that? You can also choose your own color palette from the color picker.</p>



<img width="632" height="151" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/WordPress5-6-3.jpeg?resize=632%2C151&ssl=1" alt="colored circles" class="wp-image-9351" />



<h2>Improvements for everyone</h2>



<h3>Expanding auto-updates</h3>



<p>For years, only developers have been able to update WordPress automatically. But now you have that option, right in your dashboard. If this is your first site, you have auto-updates ready to go, right now! Upgrading an existing site? No problem! Everything is the same as it was before.</p>



<h3>Accessibility Statement&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Even if you’re not an expert, you can start letting others know about your site’s commitment to accessibility! The new <a href="https://github.com/10degrees/accessibility-statement-plugin">feature plugin</a> includes template copy for you to edit and publish, and it’s written to support different contexts and jurisdictions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3>Built-in Patterns</h3>



<p>If you’ve not had the chance to play with block patterns yet, all default themes now feature a range of block patterns that let you master complex layouts with minimal effort. Customize the patterns to your liking with the copy, images, and colors that fit your story or brand.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="632" height="185" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/12/WordPress-5-6-4.jpeg?resize=632%2C185&ssl=1" alt="colored and textured rectangles" class="wp-image-9352" />



<h2>For developers</h2>



<h3>REST API authentication with Application Passwords</h3>



<p>Thanks to the API’s new Application Passwords authorization feature, third-party apps can connect to your site seamlessly and securely. This new REST API feature lets you see what apps are connecting to your site and control what they do.&nbsp;</p>



<h3>More PHP 8 support</h3>



<p>5.6 marks the first steps toward WordPress Core support for PHP 8. Now is a great time to start planning how your WordPress products, services, and sites can support the latest PHP version. For more information about what to expect next, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/11/23/wordpress-and-php-8-0/">read the PHP 8 developer note</a>.</p>



<h3>jQuery</h3>



<p>Updates to jQuery in WordPress take place across three releases 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7. As we reach the mid-point of this process, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-jquery-update-test/">run the update test plugin to check your sites for errors</a> ahead of time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you find issues with the way your site looks ( e.g. a slider doesn’t work, a button is stuck — that sort of thing), install <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/enable-jquery-migrate-helper/">the jQuery Migrate plugin</a>.</p>



<h3>Check out the Field Guide</h3>



<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/11/20/wordpress-5-6-field-guide/">Read about the latest version of WordPress in this guide.</a> It highlights developer notes for each change in the release.&nbsp;</p>



<div class="wp-block-cover has-background-dim"><div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container">
<p class="has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-large-font-size">“It’s a new day, it’s a new life for me&#8230;.and I’m feeling good.”</p>
<h3 class="has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color">~Nina Simone</h3>
</div></div>



<h2>The Squad</h2>



<p>The WordPress 5.6 release comes to you from an all-women and non-binary identifying release squad:  </p>



<ul><li><strong>Release Lead:</strong> Josepha Haden (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">@chanthaboune</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Chloé Bringmann (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/">@cbringmann</a>) and Angela Jin (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/">@angelasjin</a>).</li><li><strong>Release Coordinator:</strong> Dee Teal (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thewebprincess/">@thewebprincess</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Thelma Mutete (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thelmachido/">@thelmachido</a>) and Laura Nelson (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurora/">@laurora</a>).</li><li><strong>Triage Lead:</strong> Tonya Mork (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hellofromtonya/">@hellofromtonya</a>).&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Core Tech Lead:</strong> Helen Hou-Sandì (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/helen/">@helen</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Amy Kamala (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/amykamala/">@amykamala</a>) and Ebonie Butler (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/metalandcoffee/">@metalandcoffee</a>).</li><li><strong>Editor Tech Lead:</strong> Isabel Brison (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/isabel_brison/">@isabel_brison</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Chandrika Guntur (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cguntur/">@cguntur</a>), Anchen le Roux (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anchenlr/">@anchenlr</a>), and Rebecca Hum (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rebasaurus/">@rebasaurus</a>).</li><li><strong>Design Leads:</strong> Ellen Bauer (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/elmastudio/">@elmastudio</a>) and Tammie Lister (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed/">@karmatosed</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Anyssa Ferreira (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anyssa/">@anyssa</a>), Estela Rueda (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/estelaris/">@estelaris</a>), Tracy Apps (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tray/">@tray</a>), and Sophia DeRosia (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eringoblog/">@eringoblog</a>).</li><li><strong>Design Tech Lead:</strong> Shital Marakana (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shital-patel/">@shital-patel</a>).</li><li><strong>Accessibility Lead:</strong> Sarah Ricker (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sarahricker/">@sarahricke<strong>r</strong></a>).&nbsp;Cohort: Hauwa Abashiya (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azhiyadev/">@azhiyadev</a>).</li><li><strong>Marketing &amp; Communications Leads:</strong> Abha Thakor (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/">@webcommsat</a>) and Yvette Sonneveld (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/">@yvettesonneveld</a>).&nbsp;Cohort: Nalini Thakor (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nalininonstopnewsuk/">@nalininonstopnewsuk</a>), Meher Bala (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/">@meher</a>), Olga Gleckler (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oglekler/">@ogleckler</a>), Larissa Murrillo (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lmurillom/">@lmurillom</a>), Michelle Frechette (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/michelleames/">@michelleames</a>), Breann McDede (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmcdede/">@bmcdede</a>), and Afshana Diya (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afshanadiya/">@afshanadiya</a>).</li><li><strong>Documentation Lead: </strong>Shawntelle Coker (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sncoker/">@sncoker</a>). Cohort: Daisy Olsen (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/daisyo/">@DaisyO</a>), Meher Bala (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/">@meher</a>), Winstina Hughes (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/planningwrite/">@planningwrite</a>).</li><li><strong>Documentation Review Lead:</strong> Michele Butcher-Jones (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/m_butcher/">@m_butcher</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Nidhi Jain (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jainnidhi/">@jainnidhi</a>), Laura Byrne Cristiano (<a href="https://wordpress.org/support/users/newyorkerlaura/">@newyorkerlaura</a>).</li><li><strong>Default Theme Design Lead:</strong> Mel Choyce-Dwan (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/">@melchoyce</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Ellen Bauer (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/elmastudio/">@elmastudio</a>).</li><li><strong>Default Theme Development Lead:</strong> Carolina Nymark (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/poena/">@poena</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Kelly Choyce-Dwan (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryelle/">@ryelle</a>) and Jessica Lyschik (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu/">@luminuu</a>).</li><li><strong>Default Theme Wrangler:</strong> Jessica Lyschik (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu/">@luminuu</a>).</li><li><strong>Test Lead:</strong> Monika Rao (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/monikarao/">@monikarao</a>).&nbsp; Cohort: Allie Nimmons (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alliennimmons/">@alliennimmons</a>).</li><li><strong>Support Lead:</strong> Bet Hannon (<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bethannon1/">@bethannon1</a>).</li></ul>



<p>As always, this release reflects the hard work of 605 generous volunteer contributors. They collaborated on nearly 350 tickets on Trac and over 1,000 pull requests on GitHub.</p>



<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zgrkaralar/">&#214;zg&#252;r KARALAR</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/1naveengiri/">1naveengiri</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/a5hleyrich/">A5hleyRich</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aaroncampbell/">Aaron D. Campbell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/">Aaron Jorbin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aaronrobertshaw/">aaronrobertshaw</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/abderrahman/">abderrahman</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/">Abha Thakor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/abhijitrakas/">Abhijit Rakas</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pokhriyal/">Abhishek Pokhriyal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/acosmin/">acosmin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/adamsilverstein/">Adam Silverstein</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zieladam/">Adam Zielinski</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/addiestavlo/">Addie</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/adriandegrafreak/">Adri&#225;n de Grafreak</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/adriantirusli/">Adrianti Rusli</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afshanadiya/">Afshana Diya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chaion07/">Ahmed Chaion</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/elgameel/">Ahmed Elgameel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ajensen/">ajensen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ajitbohra/">Ajit Bohra</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/atachibana/">Akira Tachibana</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aktasfatih/">aktasfatih</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aljullu/">Albert Juh&#233; Lluveras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/albertomake/">albertomake</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/xknown/">Alex Concha</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/akirk/">Alex Kirk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cawa-93/">Alex Kozack</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ajlende/">Alex Lende</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/viper007bond/">Alex Mills</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alexstandiford/">Alex Standiford</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alexstine/">alexstine</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/allancole/">allancole</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alliennimmons/">Allie Nimmons</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ambienthack/">ambienthack</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpamitkumar/">Amit Dudhat</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/amolv/">Amol Vhankalas</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/amykamala/">Amy Kamala</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anandau14/">Anand Upadhyay</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anchenlr/">Anchen le Roux</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anlino/">Anders Nor&#233;n</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nosolosw/">Andr&#233; Maneiro</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afercia/">Andrea Fercia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/">Andrea Middleton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/baicusandrei/">Andrei Baicus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/andraganescu/">Andrei Draganescu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aduth/">Andrew Duthie</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nacin/">Andrew Nacin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azaozz/">Andrew Ozz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rarst/">Andrey "Rarst" Savchenko</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afragen/">Andy Fragen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/apeatling/">Andy Peatling</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/andy/">Andy Skelton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/andystitt829/">Andy Stitt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/akissz/">Angel Hess</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/">Angela Jin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpgurudev/">Ankit Gade</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ankitmaru/">Ankit Panchal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/annezazu/">Anne McCarthy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/antpb/">Anthony Burchell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ahortin/">Anthony Hortin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/antonlukin/">Anton Lukin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/antonisme/">Antonis Lilis</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anuj2/">anuj2</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/anyssa/">Anyssa Ferreira</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/apedog/">apedog</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/apermo/">Apermo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/archduck/">archduck</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/archon810/">archon810</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aristath/">Ari Stathopoulos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arippberger/">arippberger</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arjendejong/">arjendejong</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arnaudban/">ArnaudBan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arpitgshah/">Arpit G Shah</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/passoniate/">Arslan Ahmed</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/akkspro/">Arslan Ahmed Kalwar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/asvinballoo/">Asvin Balloo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tacitonic/">Atharva Dhekne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/austyfrosty/">Austin Passy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/austin880625/">austin880625</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/avixansa/">avixansa</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ayesh/">ayesh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ayeshrajans/">Ayesh Karunaratne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/backups/">BackuPs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/barry/">Barry</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bartczyz/">Bart Czyz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bduclos/">bduclos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/beafialho/">Beatriz Fialho</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/benmeredithgmailcom/">Ben Meredith</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kau-boy/">Bernhard Kau</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bernhard-reiter/">Bernhard Reiter</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bethannon1/">Bet Hannon</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bethsoderberg/">Beth Soderberg</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bgermann/">bgermann</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hareshlive/">Bhagvan Mangukiya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bhautikvirani/">bhautikvirani</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bananastalktome/">Billy S</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/birgire/">Birgir Erlendsson (birgire)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/">Birgit Pauli-Haack</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bobbingwide/">bobbingwide</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boldgrid/">BoldGrid</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/">Boone Gorges</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ibdz/">Boy Witthaya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bradyvercher/">Brady Vercher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kraftbj/">Brandon Kraft</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bpayton/">Brandon Payton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmcdede/">Breann McDede</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmillersw/">Brent Miller</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/brentswisher/">Brent Swisher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/brianhenryie/">Brian Henry</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/brianhogg/">Brian Hogg</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bridgetwillard/">bridgetwillard</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/brijeshb42/">brijeshb42</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/burhandodhy/">Burhan Nasir</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/icaleb/">Caleb Burks</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/calin/">Calin Don</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cvoell/">Cameron Voell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/campusboy1987/">campusboy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/carike/">Carike</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/poena/">Carolina Nymark</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/carolinegeven/">Caroline</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ceyhun0/">ceyhun0</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chadreitsma/">Chad Reitsma</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cguntur/">Chandrika Guntur</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cpapazoglou/">Charalampos Papazoglou</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chetan200891/">Chetan Prajapati</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chexwarrior/">chexwarrior</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chintan1896/">Chintan hingrajiya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chipsnyder/">Chip Snyder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/">Chloé Bringmann</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chouby/">Chouby</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alexandec/">Chris Alexander</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chrisvanpatten/">Chris Van Patten</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chriscct7/">chriscct7</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ctmartin0/">Christian Martin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/christophherr/">Christoph Herr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vimes1984/">Christopher Churchill</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chunkysteveo/">chunkysteveo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/claudiulodro/">Claudiu Lodromanean</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/claytoncollie/">Clayton Collie</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/collizo4sky/">Collins Agbonghama</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/commeuneimage/">Commeuneimage</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/copons/">Copons</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/salzano/">Corey Salzano</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cranewest/">cranewest</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/littlebigthing/">Csaba (LittleBigThings)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ctmartin/">ctmartin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidszabo/">D&#225;vid Szab&#243;</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/daisyo/">Daisy Olsen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/danfarrow/">Dan Farrow</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/danielbachhuber/">Daniel Bachhuber</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/talldanwp/">Daniel Richards</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mte90/">Daniele Scasciafratte</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/danieltj/">danieltj</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dantahoua/">dantahoua</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dkotter/">Darin Kotter</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dmchale/">Dave McHale</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davilera/">David Aguilera</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidanderson/">David Anderson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbaumwald/">David Baumwald</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dgwyer/">David Gwyer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dlh/">David Herrera</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dshanske/">David Shanske</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/get_dave/">David Smith</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidjlaietta/">David Wolfpaw</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbinda/">david.binda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davisshaver/">Davis Shaver</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dd32/">dd32</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/p00ya/">Dean</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dkarfa/">Debabrata Karfa</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thewebprincess/">Dee Teal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/deepaklalwani/">Deepak Lalwani</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dekervit/">dekervit</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/demetris/">demetris (Demetris Kikizas)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/denis-de-bernardy/">Denis de Bernardy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/valendesigns/">Derek Herman</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/designer023/">Designer023</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dfenton/">dfenton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dharm1025/">Dharmesh Patel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dharmin16/">Dharmin Shah</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dhruvin/">Dhruvin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dhulwells/">Dhul Wells</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dietpawel/">dietpawel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dilipbheda/">Dilip Bheda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dingo_d/">dingo-d</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/djzone/">DjZoNe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dogwithblog/">dogwithblog</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ocean90/">Dominik Schilling</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/donmhico/">donmhico</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/donsony/">donsony</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dossy/">Dossy Shiobara</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dpacks/">dpacks</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/raubvogel/">Dr. Ronny Harbich</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dratwas/">dratwas</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/drewapicture/">Drew Jaynes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dsifford/">dsifford</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dushakov/">dushakov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dushanthi/">dushanthi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dyrer/">dyrer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/elrae/">Earle Davies</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/metalandcoffee/">Ebonie Butler</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ediamin/">Edi Amin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ellatrix/">Ella van Durpe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/elmastudio/">Ellen Bauer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/enej/">Enej Bajgorić</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nrqsnchz/">Enrique S&#225;nchez</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/epiqueras/">epiqueras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kebbet/">Erik Betshammar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/erikjandelange/">erikjandelange</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/folletto/">Erin 'Folletto' Casali</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eringoblog/">eringoblog</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eroraghav/">eroraghav</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/estelaris/">Estela Rueda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/etoledom/">etoledom</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thegp/">EugeneBos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/circlecube/">Evan Mullins</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fabifott/">Fabian</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fabiankaegy/">Fabian K&#228;gy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gaambo/">Fabian Todt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/felipeelia/">Felipe Elia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/flixos90/">Felix Arntz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ferkho/">Ferenc Forgacs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mista-flo/">Florian TIAR</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/flymike/">flymike</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/francina/">Francesca Marano</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/frank-klein/">Frank Klein</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fjarrett/">Frankie Jarrett</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fullofcaffeine/">fullofcaffeine</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ecgan/">Gan Eng Chin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/garrett-eclipse/">Garrett Hyder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/garyc40/">Gary Cao</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/garyj/">Gary Jones</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pento/">Gary Pendergast</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gchtr/">gchtr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/soulseekah/">Gennady Kovshenin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/subscriptiongroup/">George</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/georgestephanis/">George Stephanis</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/geriux/">geriux</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/glauberglauber/">Glauber Mota</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/glendaviesnz/">glendaviesnz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/goldenapples/">goldenapples</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gziolo/">Greg Zi&#243;łkowski</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/guidooffermans/">guidooffermans</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gumacahin/">gumacahin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hvar/">H-var</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hakre/">hakre</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/happiryu/">happiryu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hareesh-pillai/">Hareesh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/isharis/">Haris Zulfiqar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/harrym/">harrym</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/harshbarach/">harshbarach</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azhiyadev/">Hauwa Abashiya</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hazdiego/">Haz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/helen/">Helen Hou-Sandí</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/henrywright/">Henry Wright</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/herregroen/">Herre Groen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hoasi/">HoaSi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hongnizzle/">Hong Nga Nguyen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/howdy_mcgee/">Howdy_McGee</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hlashbrooke/">Hugh Lashbrooke</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iandunn/">Ian Dunn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/igorradovanov/">Igor Radovanov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gsayed786/">Imran Sayed</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ingereck/">ingereck</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/">Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iqbalbary/">iqbalbary</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ireneyoast/">Irene Strikkers</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/isabel_brison/">Isabel Brison</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jagirbaheshwp/">jagirbaheshwp</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/whyisjake/">Jake Spurlock</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/twentyzerotwo/">Jake Whiteley</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jamescollins/">James Collins</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jameskoster/">James Koster</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jnylen0/">James Nylen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jamesros161/">James Rosado</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jameslnewell/">jameslnewell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/janthiel/">Jan Thiel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/javidalkaruzi/">Janvo Aldred</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jaredcobb/">Jared Cobb</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jaswrks/">Jason Caldwell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/madtownlems/">Jason LeMahieu (MadtownLems)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/javorszky/">javorszky</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jaydeep-rami/">Jaydip Rami</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/">Jean-Baptiste Audras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffmatson/">Jeff Matson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jffng/">Jeff Ong</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/">Jeff Paul</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffikus/">jeffikus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jellypixel/">jellypixel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeremyfelt/">Jeremy Felt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeremyescott/">Jeremy Scott</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeremyyip/">Jeremy Yip</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeroenrotty/">Jeroen Rotty</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeryj/">jeryj</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeslen/">Jeslen Bucci</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu/">Jessica Lyschik</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jfoulquier/">jfoulquier</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jimyaghi/">jimyaghi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jipmoors/">Jip Moors</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/">Joe Dolson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joemcgill/">Joe McGill</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joelclimbsthings/">joelclimbsthings</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joelyoder/">joelyoder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joen/">Joen Asmussen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johannadevos/">Johanna de Vos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnbillion/">John Blackbourn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnny5/">John Godley</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/">John James Jacoby</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jb510/">Jon Brown</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/psykro/">Jonathan Bossenger</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jonathanstegall/">Jonathan Stegall</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/spacedmonkey/">Jonny Harris</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jonoaldersonwp/">Jono Alderson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joostdevalk/">Joost de Valk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jordesign/">jordesign</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/koke/">Jorge Bernal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorgefilipecosta/">Jorge Costa</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joseaneto/">joseaneto</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshlevinson/">Josh Levinson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shelob9/">Josh Pollock</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshuatf/">joshuatf</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tai/">JOTAKI, Taisuke</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joyously/">Joy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jsnajdr/">jsnajdr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jrf/">Juliette Reinders Folmer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/junaidbhura/">Junaid Bhura</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/justinahinon/">Justin Ahinon</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/justlevine/">justlevine</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kadamwhite/">K. Adam White</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kevin940726/">Kai Hao</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/trepmal/">Kailey (trepmal)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/akabarikalpesh/">Kalpesh Akabari</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karthikbhatb/">Karthik Bhat</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kasparsd/">Kaspars</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryelle/">Kelly Dwan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kellychoffman/">Kelly Hoffman</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kelsu02/">Kelly R</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kellybleck/">kellybleck</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kellylawrence/">kellylawrence</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/khag7/">Kevin Hagerty</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kharisblank/">Kharis Sulistiyono</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kipperlenny/">Kipperlenny</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kirilzh/">Kiril Zhelyazkov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kburgoine/">Kirsty Burgoine</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kishanjasani/">Kishan Jasani</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ixkaito/">Kite</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kittmedia/">KittMedia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kjbenk/">kjbenk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kjellr/">Kjell Reigstad</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/knutsp/">Knut Sparhell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/komagain/">komagain</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/obenland/">Konstantin Obenland</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/">Krupa</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kbjohnson90/">Kyle B. Johnson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/landau/">landau</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lmurillom/">Larissa Murillo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/latifi/">latifi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/newyorkerlaura/">Laura Byrne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurora/">Laura Nelson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laxman-prajapati/">Laxman Prajapati</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/leogermani/">leogermani</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gamerz/">Lester Chan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/leutrimh/">Leutrim Husaj</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/limera1n/">lim3ra</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lpointet/">Lionel Pointet</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/llizard/">llizard</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/louislaugesen/">Louis</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lucagrandicelli/">Luca Grandicelli</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/_luigi/">Luigi Cavalieri</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lukecavanagh/">Luke Cavanagh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lumne/">Lumne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mager19/">mager19</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/onemaggie/">Maggie Cabrera</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mahesh901122/">Mahesh Waghmare</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mailnew2ster/">mailnew2ster</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shamimmoeen/">Mainul Hassan Main</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/malinajirka/">malinajirka</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/manzwebdesigns/">manzwebdesigns</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mkaz/">Marcus Kazmierczak</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marekhrabe/">Marek Hrabe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chaton666/">Marie Comet</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marijnkoopman/">Marijn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tyxla/">Marin Atanasov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/">Marius Jensen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markjaquith/">Mark Jaquith</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markparnell/">Mark Parnell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markscottrobson/">Mark Robson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marks99/">Mark Smallman</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mapk/">Mark Uraine</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markoheijnen/">Marko Heijnen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markshep/">markshep</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/m-e-h/">Marty Helmick</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marybaum/">Mary Baum</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wetah/">Mateus Machado Luna</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">Mathieu Viet</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matveb/">Matias Ventura</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webdevmattcrom/">Matt Cromwell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gothickgothickorguk/">Matt Gibson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattkeys/">Matt Keys</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/">Matt Mullenweg</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattwiebe/">Matt Wiebe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattchowning/">mattchowning</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pfefferle/">Matthias Pfefferle</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattoperry/">mattoperry</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mayankmajeji/">Mayank Majeji</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meaganhanes/">Meagan Hanes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/megphillips91/">Meg Phillips</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/">Meher Bala</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/">Mel Choyce-Dwan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mgol/">mgol</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mgrenierfarmmedia/">mgrenierfarmmedia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/michael-arestad/">Michael Arestad</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tw2113/">Michael Beckwith</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/m_butcher/">Michele Butcher-Jones</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/michelleames/">Michelle Frechette</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mcsf/">Miguel Fonseca</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mihdan/">mihdan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikeschroder/">Mike Schroder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikelopez/">mikelopez</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikeyarce/">Mikey Arce</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dimadin/">Milan Dinić</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/milana_cap/">Milana Cap</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eemitch/">Mitchell Bennis</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mmarco9/">mmarco9</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/batmoo/">Mohammad Jangda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/monikarao/">Monika Rao</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mopsyd/">mopsyd</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/morganestes/">Morgan Estes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gwendydd/">Morgan Kay</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/man4toman/">Morteza Geransayeh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/computerguru/">mqudsi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mreishus/">mreishus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrgrt/">mrgrt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrjoeldean/">mrjoeldean</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mukesh27/">Mukesh Panchal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/munyagu/">munyagu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/musicaljoeker/">musicaljoeker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mweichert/">mweichert</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/n5hzr/">n5hzr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nabilmoqbel/">Nabil Moqbel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nalininonstopnewsuk/">Nalini Thakor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/naoki0h/">Naoki Ohashi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nao/">Naoko Takano</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nateinaction/">Nate Gay</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nathanatmoz/">Nathan Johnson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/navanathbhosale/">Navanath Bhosale</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/naveenkharwar/">Naveen Kharwar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lcyh78/">Neil James (lcyh78)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nendeb55/">nendeb</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/krstarica/">net</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arealnobrainer/">Netravnen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nicomollet/">nicomollet</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jainnidhi/">Nidhi Jain</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nielslange/">Niels Lange</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ntsekouras/">Nik Tsekouras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nikolam/">Nikola</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nbachiyski/">Nikolay Bachiyski</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/njbrown/">njbrown</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nlpro/">nlpro</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/noahtallen/">Noah Allen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/noahshrader/">noahshrader</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nourma/">nourma</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oakesjosh/">oakesjosh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oguzkocer/">oguzkocer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oglekler/">Olga Gleckler</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/alshakero/">Omar Alshaker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/omarreiss/">Omar Reiss</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oolleegg55/">oolleegg55</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/optimizingmatters/">Optimizing Matters</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ov3rfly/">Ov3rfly</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ovann86/">ovann86</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ovenall/">ovenall</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oxyc/">oxyc</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/paaljoachim/">Paal Joachim Romdahl</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jhonqwerty/">pabloselin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/paddy/">Paddy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pankajmohale/">Pankaj Mohale</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/swissspidy/">Pascal Birchler</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/casiepa/">Pascal Casier</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pbearne/">Paul Bearne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pbiron/">Paul Biron</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pabline/">Paul Bunkham</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/paulschreiber/">Paul Schreiber</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/paulstonier/">Paul Stonier</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pschrottky/">Paul Von Schrottky</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pedromendonca/">Pedro Mendon&#231;a</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pentatonicfunk/">pentatonicfunk</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pputzer/">pepe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pekz0r/">Peter Elmered</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/psmits1567/">Peter Smits</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/peterwilsoncc/">Peter Wilson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnstonphilip/">Phil Johnston</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pierlo/">Pierre Gordon</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/decrecementofeliz/">Pilar Mera</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wppinar/">Pinar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boniu91/">Piotrek Boniu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pishmishy/">pishmishy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pkvillanueva/">pkvillanueva</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/prashanttholia/">prashanttholia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pratikkry/">Pratik K. Yadav</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/presskopp/">Presskopp</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/presstoke/">presstoke</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/prionkor/">prionkor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/psealock/">psealock</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/puneetsahalot/">Puneet Sahalot</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/itsjonq/">Q</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rachelbaker/">Rachel Baker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rajanit2000/">Rajan Vijayan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rajeshsingh520/">rajeshsingh520</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ramiy/">Rami Yushuvaev</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jontyravi/">Ravi Vaghela</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ravipatel/">ravipatel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rebasaurus/">rebasaurus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/redstar504/">redstar504</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/regankhadgi/">Regan Khadgi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/renehermi/">Rene Hermenau</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/retlehs/">retlehs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/retrofox/">retrofox</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/riaanlom/">riaanlom</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/youknowriad/">Riad Benguella</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ribaricplusplus/">ribaricplusplus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/richtabor/">Rich Tabor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rnaby/">Rnaby</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/noisysocks/">Robert Anderson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/miqrogroove/">Robert Chapin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kreppar/">Rodrigo Arias</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rogerlos/">rogerlos</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/roikles/">roikles</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rolfsiebers/">Rolf Siebers</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ronakganatra/">Ronak Ganatra</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/roo2/">roo2</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rtagliento/">rtagliento</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bookdude13/">Ryan Fredlund</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryankienstra/">Ryan Kienstra</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rmccue/">Ryan McCue</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/welcher/">Ryan Welcher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/soean/">S&#246;ren Wrede</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sabrinazeidan/">Sabrina Zeidan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/saeedfard/">Saeed Fard</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/salvoaranzulla/">salvoaranzulla</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/samful/">Sam Fullalove</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sswebster/">Sam Webster</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/otto42/">Samuel Wood (Otto)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sanzeeb3/">Sanjeev Aryal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/saqibameen/">Saqib Ameen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sarahricker/">Sarah Ricker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sarayourfriend/">sarayourfriend</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sawanoboly/">sawanoboly</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/scarolan/">scarolan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/l3rady/">Scott Cariss</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code/">Scott Reilly</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/scribu/">scribu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/scruffian/">scruffian</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/seanpaulrasmussen/">seanpaulrasmussen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sebastianpisula/">Sebastian Pisula</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sebsz/">SeBsZ</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/senning/">Senning</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergeybiryukov/">Sergey Biryukov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yakimun/">Sergey Yakimov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergioestevao/">SergioEstevao</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shaunandrews/">shaunandrews</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sncoker/">Shawntelle Coker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shital-patel/">Shital Marakana</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shramee/">shramee</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sresok/">Simon Resok</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sirreal/">sirreal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/smerriman/">smerriman</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/snapfractalpop/">snapfractalpop</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sproutchris/">sproutchris</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/stulab/">St&#233;phane Treilhou</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/metodiew/">Stanko Metodiev</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/garubi/">Stefano Garuti</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sabernhardt/">Stephen Bernhardt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dufresnesteven/">Steve Dufresne</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sterndata/">Steven Stern (sterndata)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/stevenlinx/">stevenlinx</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/stoyangeorgiev/">Stoyan Georgiev</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sudoshreyansh/">sudoshreyansh</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/smub/">Syed Balkhi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/szaqal21/">szaqal21</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed/">Tammie Lister</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/utz119/">TeBenachi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/techboyg5/">techboyg5</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tellyworth/">Tellyworth</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thefarlilacfield/">thefarlilacfield</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thelmachido/">Thelma Mutete</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thib3113/">thib3113</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thijsvanloef/">thijsvanloef</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webzunft/">Thomas M</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thomasplevy/">Thomas Patrick Levy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/thomaslhotta/">thomaslhotta</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/timhavinga/">Tim Havinga</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hedgefield/">Tim Hengeveld</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sippis/">Timi Wahalahti</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/timothyblynjacobs/">Timothy Jacobs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/timotijhof/">TimoTijhof</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tkama/">Tkama</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tmdesigned/">tmdesigned</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobiasbg/">TobiasBg</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobifjellner/">tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn Fjellner)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hellofromtonya/">Tonya Mork</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/toro_unit/">Toro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/torres126/">torres126</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zodiac1978/">Torsten Landsiedel</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/itowhid06/">Towhidul I Chowdhury</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tray/">tracy apps</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/treibstoff/">treibstoff</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/trisha_cornelius/">Trisha Cornelius</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dinhtungdu/">Tung Du</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tzafrir/">tzafrir</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desaiuditd/">Udit Desai</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/grapplerulrich/">Ulrich</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/uxkai/">uxkai</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/valentinbora/">Valentin Bora</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/contact-banker/">Varun Sharma</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vcanales/">vcanales</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ravivaddweb/">vidhiaddweb</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vinayakanivase/">Vinayak Anivase</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vinita29/">Vinita Tandulkar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/usestrict/">Vinny</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/virgodesign/">virgodesign</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webmandesign/">WebMan Design &#124; Oliver Juhas</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/webmigrates/">Webmigrates Technologies</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/">Weston Ruter</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/earnjam/">William Earnhardt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/williampatton/">williampatton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/planningwrite/">Winstina Hughes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wittich/">wittich</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/worldweb/">worldweb</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/y_kolev/">Y_Kolev</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yansern/">Yan Sern</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yoavf/">Yoav Farhi</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yscik/">yscik</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fierevere/">Yui</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/">Yvette Sonneveld</a>, and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zebulan/">Zebulan Stanphill</a>.



<p></p>



<p>In addition, many thanks to all of the community volunteers who contribute in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/">support forums</a>. They answer questions from people across the world, whether they are using WordPress for the first time, or they’ve been around since the first release all the way back in 2003. These releases are as successful as they are because of their efforts!</p>



<p>Finally, thanks to all the community translators who helped make WordPress 5.6. available in 38 languages at the time of release. Our community translators are hard at work ensuring more languages are on their way (70 are already at 90%). If contributing to WordPress appeals to you, it’s easy to learn more. Check out <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/">Make WordPress</a> or the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">core development blog</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 08 Dec 2020 23:45:03 +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: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:42:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 2020 Survey 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:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=315969";s:7:"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://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-2020-survey-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:44558:"<p>The BuddyPress 2020 survey was published the same day we released <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/05/buddypress-6-0-0/">BuddyPress 6.0.0 &#8220;iovine&#8217;s&#8221;</a> (May 13, 2020). Now that we are about to release our next major release (<a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/12/buddypress-7-0-0-rc2/">7.0.0 will be delivered in the coming days</a>), it is time to share with you the survey results.</p>



<p>First, many thanks to all the respondents who participated to this survey <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f60d.png" alt="😍" class="wp-smiley" />. Doing so you contributed to give the BuddyPress Core Team informations about how the plugin is used, could be used and how its usage is evolving. Some of the questions we asked are directions we&#8217;re considering for the plugin (eg: <a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=315969&action=edit#q-9">Q9</a>, <a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=315969&action=edit#q-10">Q10</a>, <a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=315969&action=edit#q-17">Q17</a>), so your inputs are very important to us.</p>



<p>As no questions were required, it&#8217;s difficult to be 100% accurate about how many people took the survey. So we were at least (we also took the survey <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f609.png" alt="😉" class="wp-smiley" />) <strong>483</strong> from <a href="https://buddypress.org/feed/#survey-map">all over the world</a> as it&#8217;s the highest number a question was replied to.</p>



<p>Most of the questions were leaving participants the choice to select more than one reply, this is why if you sum up the percentage results you&#8217;ll often find more than 100% <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f601.png" alt="😁" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<p>When we had data about a previous survey we made in 2018, we compared the 2020 results with them and calculated the differences between both years percentages. We thought it could be interesting to see how some results are evolving.</p>



<span id="more-315969"></span>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-1"><em>1. How are you using BuddyPress?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>483</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">I use BuddyPress on my own site</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>72.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>74.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-1.6%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">I build BuddyPress sites for others</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>35.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>32.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>2.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>I develop BuddyPress themes</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>13.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>9.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><strong><span class="has-inline-color">3.6%</span></strong></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>I develop BuddyPress plugins</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>15.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>13.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>2.1%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">I host BuddyPress sites</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>15.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>14.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>0.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Other</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>9.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.5%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: between 2018 &amp; 2020 the &#8220;<em>I build BuddyPress sites, themes, and plugins.</em>&#8221; choice disappeared.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s interesting to see BuddyPress plugin and theme developers replied more  to this survey. Another explanation could be there are possibly more people extending or designing for BuddyPress <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f64c.png" alt="🙌" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-2"><em>2. What types of BuddyPress sites have you built?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>409</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td>Academic</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>33.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Artistic</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>18.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Gaming</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>14.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Generic</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>30.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Religious</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>10.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Scientific</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>14.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Sports</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>10.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Other</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>33.5%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: data from 2018 is missing.</p>



<p>The &#8220;Other&#8221; reply was often chosen. When looking deeply into these replies, we discovered some interesting types, eg: Health / Medical / Therapist communities, Recipe sharing sites, Intranet &amp; Business networks, Non-profit / charity / solidarity / ecological communities, Social Marketplaces, Dating platforms, Local municipality information center / local life / Administration sites and some specific communities like private or restricted ones.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-3"><em>3. How do you host your production sites using BuddyPress?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>414</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Shared Hosting</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>44.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>52.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-7.6%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Virtual Private Server</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>30.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>30.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>-0.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Dedicated Server</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>22.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>18.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Managed WordPress Hosting</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>23.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>15.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>8.3%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Cloud-based Services</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>18.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>12.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>5.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Other</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>6.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>3.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>2.6%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p>Looks like Managed WordPress Hosting plans are increasing <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f914.png" alt="🤔" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-4"><em>4. How do you set up BuddyPress in your WordPress installations?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>427</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP in domain root</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>68.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>74.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-6.4%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP in physical subdirectory folder</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>19.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>15.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP in physical subdomain</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>15.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>9.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>5.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>WP Multisite in domain root &#8211; BP Network-activated</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>20.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>11.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>8.9%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in subsite (subdirectory) &#8211; BP Network-activated</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>11.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>6.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in subsite (subdomain) &#8211; BP Network activated</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>11.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>7.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in domain root &#8211; BP activated only on the main network site</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>9.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>3.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>6.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in subsite (subdirectory) &#8211; BP activated on a subsite of the network</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>9.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>5.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in subsite (subdomain) &#8211; BP activated on a subsite of the network</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>9.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">WP Multisite in domain root &#8211; the constant BP_ENABLE_MULTIBLOG is defined in your wp-config.php file to spread BuddyPress on all sites of the network</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>12.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>7.8%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: between 2018 &amp; 2020 the &#8220;WP Multisite with BuddyPress Multi-Network&#8221; choice disappeared.</p>



<p>Multisite configurations are slightly increasing while regular WordPress configurations are a bit less used.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-5"><em>5. What BuddyPress components/features are always or almost always activated in your site/s?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>428</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Everytime</th>
                <th>Sometimes</th>
                <th>Never</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Account Settings</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>74.5%</td>
                <td>11.9%</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>91.8%</td>
                <td>6.5%</td>
                <td>1.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-17.3%</strong></span></td>
                <td>5.4%</td>
                <td>2.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Activity Streams</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>64.3%</td>
                <td>17.5%</td>
                <td>6.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>75.0%</td>
                <td>20.9%</td>
                <td>4.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-10.7%</strong></span></td>
                <td>-3.4%</td>
                <td>2.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Extended Profiles</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>70.1%</td>
                <td>16.4%</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>86.6%</td>
                <td>12.1%</td>
                <td>1.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-16.5%</strong></span></td>
                <td>4.3%</td>
                <td>2.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Friend Connections</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>73.4%</td>
                <td>22.2%</td>
                <td>11.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>62.9%</td>
                <td>26.5%</td>
                <td>10.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>10.5%</strong></span></td>
                <td>-4.3%</td>
                <td>0.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Private Messaging</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>55.1%</td>
                <td>22.9%</td>
                <td>8.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>67.6%</td>
                <td>25.4%</td>
                <td>7.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-12.5%</strong></span></td>
                <td>-2.5%</td>
                <td>1.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Site Tracking</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>37.6%</td>
                <td>24.8%</td>
                <td>20.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>56.3%</td>
                <td>25.4%</td>
                <td>18.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-18.7%</strong></span></td>
                <td>-0.6%</td>
                <td>1.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">User Groups</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>55.4%</td>
                <td>23.8%</td>
                <td>8.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>64.1%</td>
                <td>26.0%</td>
                <td>10.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-8.7%</strong></span></td>
                <td>-2.1%</td>
                <td>-1.1%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p>I must say I was a bit surprised by the fact the Friends component was the only one which usage increased between 2018 and 2020 <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f633.png" alt="😳" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-6"><em>6. What theme/s have you activated for your site/s using BuddyPress?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>398</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Free WP theme</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>37.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>22.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>15.2%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Free WP theme with custom BP CSS and/or template modifications</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>18.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>14.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Free WP theme and I add custom BP CSS and/or template modifications</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>22.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>14.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>8.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Commercial WP theme</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>35.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>32.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>3.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Commercial WP theme with custom BP CSS and/or template modifications</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>32.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>38.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-6.4%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">I create a brand-new WP theme and write my own custom BP CSS and template modifications using BP theme compat</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>22.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>19.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>2.3%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p>Free WordPress themes without any customizations got the highest result: this proves using BuddyPress out of the box can be enough to power a great looking community site.</p>



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<h2 id="q-7"><em>7. Which BuddyPress Template Pack is your theme supporting in your production sites?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>384</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>BP Nouveau Templates (introduced in BP 3.0.0)</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>63.3%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>BP Legacy Templates (introduced in BP 1.7.0)</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>28.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>BP Standalone theme like the bp-default theme (introduced in BP 1.2.0)</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>13.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>I don’t know</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>25.8%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018</p>



<p>1 respondent out of 4 don&#8217;t know what Template Pack is active on their website. As the BP Nouveau Template pack is used by default, there&#8217;s a good chance it&#8217;s the one these people are using. FYI: If you want to switch between available Template Packs, you can go into your WordPress Dashboard and activate the BuddyPress Options tab of the Settings &gt; BuddyPress administration page to do so.</p>



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<h2 id="q-8"><em>8. Which BuddyPress template files do you customize for your own or third-party themes?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>377</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Never</th>
                <th>Sometimes</th>
                <th>Everytime</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td>Activity templates</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>36.6%</td>
                <td>31.6%</td>
                <td>22.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Blogs templates</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>38.5%</td>
                <td>29.7%</td>
                <td>19.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Group templates</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>32.9%</td>
                <td>31.0%</td>
                <td>21.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>Member templates</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>26.8%</td>
                <td>31.0%</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>30.0%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>Stylesheet files</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>29.4%</td>
                <td>26.0%</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>29.4%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>JavaScript files</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>39.5%</td>
                <td>28.4%</td>
                <td>15.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>BuddyPress Email templates</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>32.6%</td>
                <td>30.0%</td>
                <td>25.2%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-9"><em>9. What do you prefer: using a BP Template Pack that lets you use most WordPress themes or use a BuddyPress specific theme ?</em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>375</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>BP Template Pack</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>58.1%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>BuddyPress specific theme</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>41.9%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018.</p>



<p>Building a great BuddyPress theme as a replacement to our good old BP Default theme is something we are considering a lot. It&#8217;s important for us to remember that a lot of you like the fact BuddyPress doesn&#8217;t require a specific theme to run and needs to look as nice as possible inside your active WordPress theme.</p>



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<h2 id="q-10"><em><em>10. Would you test/use a new theme made by the BuddyPress team?</em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>377</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>Yes</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>57.2%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>No</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>11.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Maybe</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>31.4%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-11"><em><em><em>11. What features would you look for in a new BuddyPress theme?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>380</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>More BuddyPress customization options</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>85.5%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Compatible with bbPress</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>51.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Compatible with WooCommerce</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>44.7%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018</p>



<p>Got it! FYI: BP Nouveau has a specific panel into your customizer you should check. One of the comments you made was asking for a way to reorder the Member navigation, BP Nouveau has a section for it <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f448.png" alt="👈" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



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<h2 id="q-12"><em><em><em>12. When do you test your sites, themes, and/or plugins with BuddyPress releases?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>396</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Trunk</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>15.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>11.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>BP Beta 1</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>14.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>10.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>4,9%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>BP Release Candidate 1</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>11.4%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>7.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>3.9%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">BP Stable Release</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>43.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>55.9%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>-12.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>A month after stable release</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>29.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>19.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>9.5%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Never</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>19.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>15.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Other</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>8.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>4.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>3.8%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p>The results the Beta and RC pre-release got is encouraging. We really need to have more beta-testers to avoid bad surprises when you upgrade BuddyPress. We&#8217;ve tried to ease the way you can test BuddyPress with the BP Beta Tester plugin, but I guess we still need to work on ways to help you help us <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f469-1f3fb-200d-1f4bb.png" alt="👩🏻‍💻" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



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<h2 id="q-13"><em><em><em>13. If you do beta test BuddyPress, what method do you use?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>236</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td>I use the SVN repo 
(<code>svn co https://buddypress.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/</code>)</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>31.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>I use the read-only Github mirror
(<code>git clone git://buddypress.git.wordpress.org/</code>)</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>46.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>I use the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/">BP Beta Tester plugin</a></strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>51.3%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018</p>



<p>Looks like the BP Beta Tester plugin is the most used tool to beta test BuddyPress. This seems great! But the results might be a bit over rated. When looking deeply into it, some of you replied they were <strong>never</strong> beta-testing BuddyPress while using the BP Beta Tester plugin <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f928.png" alt="🤨" class="wp-smiley" />. The goal of the BP Beta Tester plugin is to ease the beta/RC testing&#8230;</p>



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<h2 id="q-14"><em><em><em>14. If you installed bbPress, how did you set it up with your BuddyPress site/s?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>311</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Sitewide forums only</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>34.7%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>28.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>6.4%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Group forums only</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>29.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>29.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Sitewide and Group forums</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>55.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>57.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-2.6%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




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<h2 id="q-15"><em><em><em>15. How do you keep updated with the latest in BuddyPress development?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>355</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Years &amp; evolution</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Subscribed to <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com">bpdevel.wordpress.com</a></strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>27.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>23.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>4.3%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3"><strong>Viewed changelog for each release in <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/">codex.buddypress.org/releases</a></strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>47.0%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>49.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color"><strong>-2.6%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Checking <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org">buddypress.trac.wordpress.org</a> regularly</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>25.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>22.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>3.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/buddypress">@buddypress</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/buddypressdev">@buddypressdev</a>, and/or <a href="https://twitter.com/bptrac">@bptrac</a></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>23.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>19.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>3.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Slack: <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/buddypress">#buddypress</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/buddypress-commits">#buddypress-commits</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/buddypress-firehose">#buddypress-firehose</a> and/or <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/buddypress-newtickets">#buddypress-newtickets</a></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>15.5%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>12.2%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>3.3%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td rowspan="3">Other</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>16.1%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018</td>
                <td>11.8%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>2018 to 2020</td>
                <td>4.2%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: between 2018 &amp; 2020 the &#8220;Checking buddypress.org/support regularly.&#8221; choice disappeared.</p>



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<h2 id="q-16"><em><em><em>16. Case Studies: We&#8217;d like to feature how you are using BuddyPress in your current sites at BuddyPress.org. If you’re interested in sharing your BP story, please leave your name, email address, and your BP site URL.</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>40</strong>.</p>



<p>Many thanks to the 40 participants who shared their names, emails, and sites URL. We&#8217;ll try to contact you to share about your use cases on this website. It&#8217;s great to see how you&#8217;re using BuddyPress <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f4aa.png" alt="💪" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="q-17"><em><em><em>17. BuddyPress is a large plugin with optional components (3MB zipped). There&#8217;s a proposal to reconstitute BuddyPress as core + members only and improved upon with new functionalities and API&#8217;s among others for new BP plugins to hook into. The current optional components like groups, friends, private messaging, etc. can be migrated into separate plugins which can be activated as needed. What do you think?</em></em></em></h2>



<p>Number of respondents: <strong>407</strong>.</p>




    <table class="has-fixed-layout">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Possible replies</th>
                <th>Year</th>
                <th>Results</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td><strong>Keep BuddyPress as is: core + members and optional components</strong></td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td><span class="has-inline-color"><strong>43.2%</strong></span></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Break down BuddyPress: BuddyPress = core + members, optional components as BP plugins</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>35.6%</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>I don&#8217;t know</td>
                <td>2020</td>
                <td>21.1%</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>




<p><strong>NB</strong>: this question wasn&#8217;t asked in 2018</p>



<p>Ok. Thanks a lot for your replies, using optional components as separate add-ons is not something you are ready for <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/72x72/1f607.png" alt="😇" class="wp-smiley" />.</p>



<div class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 id="survey-map">BuddyPress is used from all over the world!</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT067Mc1bnQPTdiwZzzZj7Kn1Y2V22aJxJnvy13rN2DXg27awoA_GXPJvX0uv2He8udDL_bLjCeUv7M/pubhtml?gid=1888221811&single=true"><img width="1024" height="639" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/12/survey-participants-1024x639.png" alt="" class="wp-image-316008" /></a></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:"Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:45:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:76:"WPTavern: Easy WP SMTP 1.4.3 Patches Sensitive Data Disclosure 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:30:"https://wptavern.com/?p=108630";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:197:"https://wptavern.com/easy-wp-smtp-1-4-3-patches-sensitive-data-disclosure-vulnerability?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=easy-wp-smtp-1-4-3-patches-sensitive-data-disclosure-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:3019:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/">Easy WP SMTP</a> has patched a vulnerability that allows attackers to capture the password reset link from the plugin&rsquo;s debug log file and gain unauthorized access to the site. The plugin is used by more than 500,000 WordPress sites to configure and send all outgoing emails via a SMTP server so they are less likely to end up in recipients&rsquo; junk/spam folders. </p>



<p><a href="https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/10494">WPScan</a> categorized the vulnerability as a &ldquo;sensitive data disclosure:&rdquo;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>The plugin has an optional debug log file generated with a random name, located in the plugin folder and which contains all email messages sent. However, this folder does not have any index page, allowing access to log file on servers with the directory listing enabled or misconfigured. This could allow attackers to gain unauthorised access to the blog by reseting the admin password by getting the reset link from the log.</p></blockquote>



<p>Easy WP SMTP version  1.4.3 contains the fix, adding an empty &ldquo;index.html&rdquo; file to the plugin&rsquo;s folder to prevent anyone from browsing the files (even if the Option -Indexes is missing on that server). Users are advised to update immediately, as the vulnerability has already been exploited in the wild. Several users took to the plugin&rsquo;s support forums to <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/security-issue-with-debug-log/">report</a> attempts on their sites.</p>



<p>Jerome Bruandet, a security researcher from NinTechNet, reported the vulnerability and published a <a href="https://blog.nintechnet.com/wordpress-easy-wp-smtp-plugin-fixed-zero-day-vulnerability/">post</a> explaining how an attacker might access the debug log where the plugin writes all the email messages sent by the site. Using author archive scans, the hacker can find a username and then send a password reset email that gets intercepted via the Easy WP SMTP debug log file:</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img />Easy WP SMTP log file &ndash; source: <a href="https://blog.nintechnet.com/wordpress-easy-wp-smtp-plugin-fixed-zero-day-vulnerability/">NinTechNet</a></div>



<p>At the time of publishing, approximately 51.8% of users are on 1.4.x versions of the plugin. Without a more specific breakdown, it&rsquo;s not clear how many users have updated to the patched 1.4.3 version. Approximately <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/advanced/">59,000 sites</a> have downloaded the plugin today, leaving many installations still vulnerable.</p>



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



<p>This is another case where automatic background updates on plugins can quietly save the day. Users who have auto-updates enabled for plugins have already received the fix. Administrators for older installations of WordPress or sites where auto-updates have been disabled will need to update manually as soon as possible.</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, 07 Dec 2020 20:56:37 +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: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:42:"WordPress.org blog: State of the Word 2020";s:7:"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=9296";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/state-of-the-word-2020/";s: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:717:"<p>State of the Word is an annual keynote address delivered by the project co-founder, Matt Mullenweg. Catch this year&#8217;s keynote in the video below!</p>



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

</div>



<h3>New to State of the Word?</h3>



<p>If this is your first time hearing of this talk, you’re in luck! Check out previous recordings below.</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2019/11/03/2019-state-of-the-word/">State of the Word 2019 &#8211; WordCamp US, St. Louis</a></li><li><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2018/12/27/state-of-the-word-2018/">State of the Word 2018 &#8211; WordCamp US, Nashville</a></li><li><a href="https://wordpress.tv/tag/state-of-the-word/">All recordings</a></li></ul>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:55:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"Josepha";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s: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:"Thu, 07 Jan 2021 17:42:48 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Thu, 07 Jan 2021 17:30:08 GMT";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:4:"x-nc";s:9:"HIT ord 1";s:16:"content-encoding";s:2:"br";}}s:5:"build";s:14:"20130911040210";}