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";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:65:"WordPress.org blog: Leap into 2024 with these Site Editor Tools";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=16658";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/leap-into-2024-with-these-site-editor-tools/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8226:"<p>The Site Editor gives you a powerful way to visually create every part of your site and tell your story. It lets you handle everything from big stylistic changes to simple copy updates all in a single place. To help you make the most of this new way to WordPress, here are a few standout tools and features you’ll want to try.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Command Palette</h3>



<p>Think of the Command Palette as the ultimate shortcut tool, letting you do more with less clicks and without needing to remember where each option might be. It’s available across the editing experience, whether you’re switching between templates in the Site Editor or toggling open settings in the Post Editor, with specific contextual options depending on where you are.<strong> </strong>You can use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows to activate it and get started.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you think of a command that doesn’t exist yet that would help with your workflow, open a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/new/choose">feature request issue</a> so we can consider adding it.</p>







<p class="is-style-default"><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/09/12/core-editor-improvement-commanding-the-command-palette/"><em>Read more</em></a><em> about everything you can do with the Command Palette, including a </em><a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/site-editor-command-palette/#list-of-available-commands"><em>list of available commands</em></a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Style Book</h3>



<p>The Style Book helps you see all the blocks on your site as you style them. It’s built into the Styles section and can be toggled on/off as you’d like. This is especially useful when you’re aiming for design consistency for a client, trying to see how a change might impact a block that might not be visible, or wanting to get a different look at how a style variation will switch things up.</p>



<p>Work is also underway for the next WordPress release to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/56800">integrate the Style Book into Style revisions</a> to allow for an at-a-glance view of changes made. </p>







<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/how-to-use-the-wordpress-stylebook-with-your-block-theme/"><em>Learn more</em></a><em> about how best to use the Style Book.</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Styling shortcuts</h3>



<p>Sometimes you get a design just right—the color contrast, the perfect padding, the exact font size. Instead of needing to manually recreate the design or copy/paste the block to fill in with new content, you have two powerful options built into the editing experience: copy/paste styles and apply styles globally for all instances of the desired block.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Copying and pasting styles is perfect for more nuanced and smaller changes, like headings on a landing page that you intentionally want to be distinct. Applying changes globally is best for blocks like buttons and for changes that are likely to work well across layouts, like setting a specific border radius and color. This helps keep the creativity flowing and makes achieving design consistency across your site much easier.</p>







<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/02/01/core-editor-improvement-strengthening-style-options/"><em>Read more</em></a><em> about the various styling options available.&nbsp;</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Distraction free mode</h3>



<p>Just like an artist might need to take a few steps back to view their in-progress artwork, sometimes we need to get a different view of our site before diving back in. Distraction free offers you that alternate perspective with a pared-down experience that lets you focus purely on creating, like:</p>



<ul>
<li>Hiding the top toolbar until one intentionally hovers over where it typically sits.</li>



<li>Removing many of the top toolbar buttons.</li>



<li>Automatically closing any open sidebars, like block settings and list view.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Hiding the insertion point indicator, reducing visual clutter.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Hiding the block toolbar for individual blocks.</li>
</ul>



<p>It’s worth noting that this mode can be used when writing posts and pages too! For an added bonus and more views of your site, you can use the preview options to see how your site might look across different devices.</p>







<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/distraction-free-mode/"><em>Learn more</em></a><em> about making the most out of Distraction free mode.&nbsp;</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Patterns</h3>



<p>Patterns are a collection of blocks that make it simple to add complex layouts and designs to any WordPress site without starting from scratch. They save time by reducing duplication and ensuring consistency. You can create your own, use theme-provided patterns, or <a href="https://wordpress.org/patterns/">lean on the Pattern Directory</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You can also specify whether to sync your patterns so that one change applies to all parts of your site, or to keep them unsynced so you can customize each instance. For any patterns you create, you can assign categories to make them easy to find and organize. Use the Inserter with easy filtering options to add patterns to your content, and head to the dedicated Patterns section in the Site Editor to create or edit patterns to your liking.&nbsp;</p>







<p><a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/creating-your-own-custom-synced-or-non-synced-patterns/"><em>Learn more</em></a><em> about creating patterns.&nbsp;</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">List View</h3>



<p>List View is the go-to tool for navigating between layers of your content, selecting exactly what you need, and getting a sense of how everything fits together. Similar to the Style Book and Distraction free mode, you can toggle it on/off as you’d like. It’s currently visible in the Top Toolbar and will remain open as you navigate through your site. Beyond providing a simple view of the layers of your site, there are more recent additions to List View that makes the tool even more powerful:</p>



<ul>
<li>See previews of your images for Image and Gallery blocks reflected in List View to make it easier to find what you need.</li>



<li>The Escape key deselects blocks to make it easier to purely preview your content without any blocks selected.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Lean on a keyboard shortcut for duplicating blocks quickly: CMD+Shift+D for Mac or Control + Shift + D for Windows.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Drag and drop blocks at any level directly within List View.</li>



<li>Rename Group blocks and have the custom name reflected in List View for improved organization.</li>
</ul>



<p>Here’s how a few of these improvements come together:</p>







<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/list-view/"><em>Learn more</em></a><em> about using List View. </em></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p>As you explore these tools, remember that, except for the Style Book, you can use these features when writing posts and pages too. Expect the Site Editor and other tools to evolve with each release. To get a sneak peek at what’s planned for the next major WordPress release in March, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/12/07/roadmap-to-6-5/">check out the roadmap</a> and stay tuned. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Subscribe to WordPress News</h3>



<p>Join other subscribers and receive WordPress news directly in your inbox. </p>


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<p><em>Thank you to the contributors who collaborated on this post: <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eidolonnight/">Nicholas Garofalo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurlittle/">Lauren Stein</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joen/">Joen Asmussen</a></em>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:35:53 +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:8:"annezazu";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:71:"Akismet: 20 Lead Generation Tips &amp; Best Practices That Work in 2024";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://akismet.com/?p=283573";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:65:"https://akismet.com/blog/lead-generation-tips-and-best-practices/";s: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:40655:"<p>Does your team spend hours (or even days) creating content, optimizing your website, and investing in marketing campaigns only to fall short of your quarterly&nbsp;goals?</p>

<p>You&#8217;re not alone. Lead generation is a constant challenge for businesses of all sizes and industries, but there&#8217;s a solution. A focused lead generation strategy attracts high&#8209;quality leads, converts them into customers, and ultimately grows your&nbsp;business.</p>

<p>Here are 20 tried&#8209;and&#8209;proven lead generation tips and best practices that can up your game in 2024 and&nbsp;beyond.</p>


<span id="more-283573"></span>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Define your ideal customer profile&nbsp;(ICP)</h2>


<p>An ideal customer profile (ICP) is an informative blueprint that outlines the specific characteristics and needs of the customers who stand to benefit the most from your product or service.&nbsp;</p>



<p>ICPs cover aspects like demographics, and psychographics that offer a 360-degree view of your ideal customer&#8217;s persona. Insights into your target customer’s age, location, values, and desires help you create tailored strategies that resonate deeply with your audience.&nbsp;</p>


<p>The result? Reduced marketing waste, satisfied customers, and greater return on investment&nbsp;(ROI).</p>

<p>Here are some <a href="https://offers.hubspot.com/customer-profile-templates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">templates from HubSpot</a> to get&nbsp;started.</p>


<img width="814" height="626" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image.png" alt="customer profile template with information like demographics and behaviors" class="wp-image-283577" />


<p>Targeted lead generation strategies that keep an ideal customer in mind are like precision tools that allow you to reach the right audience and speak directly to their unique&nbsp;worldview.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Use market research to know your audience inside and&nbsp;out</h2>


<p>Market research involves gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data and insights about your target audience, competitors, and industry trends to guide your lead generation strategy.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Think surveys, focus groups, in&#8209;depth interviews, social media listening, and competitive analysis. These are just a few market research methods that provide nuggets into consumer behavior and&nbsp;preferences.</p>

<p>Comprehensive market research pinpoints your target audience, the marketing channels they use, and what they’re interested&nbsp;in.</p>

<p>Some tips on conducting market&nbsp;research:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Define clear objectives</strong>. Set specific research objectives. Determine what you want to learn about your audience, competitors, and industry trends to get focused and actionable&nbsp;results.</li>

<li><strong>Use multiple methods</strong>. Combine multiple methods to get a more holistic view of your&nbsp;audience.</li>


<li><strong>Segment your audience</strong>. Divide your target audience into segments based on demographics, psychographics, or other relevant criteria.&nbsp;</li>


<li><strong>Engage your audience</strong>. Encourage customer feedback and reviews. Engaging with your audience through surveys or feedback shows you value their&nbsp;opinions.</li>

<li><strong>Evaluate competitors</strong>. Study your competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Identify gaps in the market that your product or service fills, and use this knowledge to differentiate&nbsp;yourself.</li></ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Solve problems and attract leads with valuable blog&nbsp;content</h2>

<p>Create blog content that answers your target audience&#8217;s questions and builds trust and authority. This content positions your brand as a reliable source of valuable information, driving leads to your&nbsp;website.</p>

<p>Blogging is powerful — most respondents in a <a href="https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogging-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survey</a> reported that it drives results like website traffic, brand awareness, and, of course, lead&nbsp;generation.</p>


<img width="1200" height="600" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-1.png" alt="pie chart that shows 80% of bloggers are driving results in 2023" class="wp-image-283578" />


<p>Not sure where to start? Create valuable blog content with these&nbsp;tips:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Use research to back it up</strong>. Support your content with data and research from credible sources. You gain authority and credibility this&nbsp;way.</li>

<li><strong>Make it product&#8209;led, but not sales&#8209;y</strong>. Address your audience&#8217;s pain points and questions while subtly showcasing how your product or service can fit into a solution. The focus should be on providing the solutions, not a hard sell of your&nbsp;offer.</li>

<li><strong>Keep the call to action (CTA) subtle</strong>. Guide readers to take action in a friendly and non&#8209;intrusive way. Use CTAs that spark engagement, like inviting them to read more content on your&nbsp;blog.</li>

<li><strong>Use stories and examples</strong>. Incorporate real&#8209;life stories and examples that illustrate the points you&#8217;re making. Your content will be more relatable and easier to&nbsp;understand.</li>

<li><strong>Solve specific problems</strong>. Focus on solving one or two specific problems in each blog post rather than trying to cover too much ground. Reading becomes more enjoyable and in&#8209;depth as a&nbsp;result.</li></ul>


<p>Content marketing is one of the most proven lead generation best practices. It consistently delivers strong results and can be used in a variety of ways. If this isn’t yet a priority, consider making it one in the near&nbsp;future.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Use lead magnets and gated content to capture&nbsp;leads</h2>

<p>Have you ever seen one of those pop&#8209;up offers promising you a valuable resource like an eBook, report, webinar, or template in exchange for your email address? Those are lead&nbsp;magnets.</p>


<img width="1600" height="833" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-2.png" alt="WordPress VIP lead capture with a form and CTA to read a report" class="wp-image-283579" />



<p>Lead magnets and gated content act as friendly invitations for your audience to exchange their contact information for something of value.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Offering relevant and informative resources captures quality leads and shows your willingness to provide solutions. You can then use the data to send targeted offers and build a relationship with your&nbsp;audience.</p>


<p>Make sure your lead magnet is high-quality, is relevant to your audience, and aligns with your overall content strategy.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Design the lead magnet and pitch your gated content in a way that provides value to the reader, not as a pushy sales&nbsp;tactic.</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Reduce friction on your lead capture forms&nbsp;</h2>


<p>Simplify the information you request from potential leads. It reduces the time and effort required for users to submit their information. The result is a better experience that results in higher conversion&nbsp;rates.</p>

<p>Here’s what a lead gen form looks like from&nbsp;Litmus:</p>


<img width="1067" height="879" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-3.png" alt="lead capture from Litmus with a form that includes email, name, job title, and a few other fields" class="wp-image-283580" />


<p>Include this information in your lead capture&nbsp;form:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Name</strong>. Ask for the visitor&#8217;s first name to personalize your&nbsp;communication.</li>


<li><strong>Email address</strong>. This is the most crucial information for contact and follow-up.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>You could end your form right here and likely get the maximum conversion rate possible. However, the effectiveness of your campaigns that follow this lead capture may hinge upon knowing a bit more about the visitor to segment communications.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If this is the case, you may consider asking a few more questions, like:&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li><strong>Company name (if applicable)</strong>. The user&#8217;s company helps sales reps understand how to approach a lead and can provide you with better data about who’s responding to your&nbsp;offers.</li>

<li><strong>Job title (if applicable)</strong>. The user&#8217;s role within their company is valuable for segmenting and tailoring your&nbsp;messaging.</li>


<li><strong>Location (optional)</strong>. The location is useful for regional targeting or understanding your audience better.&nbsp;</li>


<li><strong>Industry or interest (if applicable)</strong>. If your lead generation efforts are specific to certain industries or interests (or even product lines), include a dropdown menu or checkboxes for users to select from to tailor your&nbsp;communication.</li>

<li><strong>How they heard about you (optional)</strong>. Understand how users discovered your brand to get insights into your marketing channels&#8217;&nbsp;performance.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Replace CAPTCHA with an AI anti-spam solution&nbsp;</h2>



<p>CAPTCHAs are those annoying puzzles or tests you often come across online that require you to prove you&#8217;re not a robot by solving them.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These <em>do </em>serve an important purpose, however. Anti-spam solutions stop unwanted or malicious content or actions, like spam comments and emails, from infiltrating websites.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Unfortunately, CAPTCHAs lead to a poor user experience and potential drop&#8209;offs from your most important visitors. A study shows that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/17/why-annoying-captcha-is-still-big-for-google-e-commerce-in-bot-battle.html">19% of adults</a> in the United States abandoned online transactions in 2021 when CAPTCHAs&nbsp;appeared.</p>


<p><a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet is a powerful anti-spam service</a> that detects and blocks spam comments, form submissions, and other unwanted interactions <strong>without requiring users to complete a puzzle, check a box, or jump through a hoop</strong>. Its <a href="https://akismet.com/features/">key features</a> include real-time spam detection, comment moderation, protection against harmful links, and the ability to learn and adapt to new spam patterns.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1600" height="824" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-4.png" alt="Akismet website with information about the zero-friction tool" class="wp-image-283581" />


<p>Visitors find a trustworthy and safe environment on your website thanks to these features. It creates a positive user experience, increases engagement, and improves the chances of converting visitors into&nbsp;leads.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Let prospects test your product with free trials or&nbsp;demos</h2>


<p>Free trials or demos give prospects a taste of your tool by allowing them to experience its features and benefits firsthand before making a commitment. Types of free trials include:&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li><strong>Limited&#8209;time trial</strong>. Users access the full product for a limited period, after which they subscribe or&nbsp;purchase.</li>

<li><strong>Feature&#8209;limited trial</strong>. Users can access the product&#8217;s basic features for free but upgrade to access advanced&nbsp;functionalities.</li>

<li><strong>Demo or guided tour</strong>. Prospects get a walkthrough of the product&#8217;s capabilities, often with a sales representative explaining its&nbsp;value.</li></ul>



<p>Jetpack’s AI Assistant, <a href="https://jetpack.com/ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an AI writing tool</a> built directly into the WordPress editor, offers a variation of the limited-time trial using credits.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1600" height="740" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-5.png" alt="plan options for Jetpack AI" class="wp-image-283582" />



<p>This is a strong offer because it explains the benefit right in the first sentence, “Try our AI Assistant for free to <strong>boost your content creation.</strong>”&nbsp;</p>



<p>They’re also transparent about long-term pricing with the paid information directly next to the free trial breakdown.&nbsp;</p>


<p>The goal is to make prospects feel comfortable, informed, and excited about your product during this phase. Think about ways you can adjust your trials or language to feel safer for&nbsp;prospects.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Showcase your value proposition with compelling case&nbsp;studies</h2>


<p>A value proposition is a clear statement that explains how your product or service solves a specific problem or fulfills a need for your target audience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>SaaS marketers often use case studies to boost sales. Why? Because they provide real-world examples of how your solution addresses similar challenges for other customers. They work as social proof.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Here’s a case study from&nbsp;Mailchimp:</p>


<img width="851" height="688" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-6.png" alt="case study page from Mailchimp with a video" class="wp-image-283583" />



<p>The video immediately makes the case study personal.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The case study also highlights stats and customer quotes, which further increase its perceived authority.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1081" height="465" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-7.png" alt="Mailchimp landing page with stats and testimonials" class="wp-image-283584" />


<p>It’s also skimmable. Mailchimp breaks down the case study with headers like “The challenge” and “The tools”. The word length also falls just under 1,000&nbsp;words.</p>

<p>Balancing emotions and hard data in case studies connects with the audience while providing compelling evidence to back up your value&nbsp;proposition.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Turn satisfied customers into brand&nbsp;advocates</h2>


<p>Convert happy customers into brand advocates by using their positive experiences to spread the word about your brand through recommendations, reviews, and social sharing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Your existing customers are a powerful source of credibility and influence. This approach works for lead generation because it taps into the trustworthiness of online reviews — <a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">46% of consumers</a> consider them as reliable as personal recommendations from friends or family.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Want to encourage&nbsp;reviews?</p>

<p>Try sending a reminder email to encourage people to leave reviews. Make the process as simple as possible. For example, you might include a button that navigates directly to the review&nbsp;form.</p>

<p>You could also incentivize customers by allowing them to enter a drawing to win a $100&nbsp;voucher.</p>


<p>Once customers leave reviews, repurpose them as posts on social media platforms.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Create a referral program&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Referral programs are systems where brands reward existing customers for recommending a product or service to others.&nbsp;</p>


<p>People trust recommendations from friends and family members, so word&#8209;of&#8209;mouth marketing can lead to higher conversion rates and improved brand&nbsp;loyalty.</p>


<p>PayPal, for example, has a popular referral program.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1223" height="817" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-8.png" alt="landing page about PayPal's referral program" class="wp-image-283585" />


<p>If you refer it to someone, you and they earn $10. It’s a win&#8209;win situation — you get up to $100, and PayPal gets more&nbsp;customers.</p>


<p>But a referral program only works well if you offer the right incentives.&nbsp;</p>


<p><a href="https://info.saasquatch.com/rs/162-BJJ-156/images/StateOfReferralMarketing-SaaSquatch-V1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> shows that dollar credit is the most common referral program reward type, used in over 50% of programs for promoters and referred friends. Other incentives include percent discounts, gift cards, subscription time, cash, and&nbsp;points.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">11. Invest in user&#8209;generated content to build&nbsp;credibility</h2>

<p>User&#8209;generated content (UGC) is any content created by unpaid contributors — typically customers or users — rather than the brand&nbsp;itself.</p>


<p>UGC works well — <a href="https://715411.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/715411/TINT%20-%20Downloads/State_of_Social_and_UGC_2023_TINT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> shows that prospective customers consider it the most trustworthy content.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Why? UGC highlights genuine insights and experiences to create a sense of credibility and&nbsp;reliability.</p>


<p>Chipotle’s entire social feed, for example, is full of UGC.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="739" height="1600" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-9.png" alt="Chipotle Instagram account featuring lots of user-generated content" class="wp-image-283586" />


<p>Three ways to generate&nbsp;UGC:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Run a giveaway or contest</strong>. A contest encourages customers to share their experiences with your product or service in exchange for a chance to win a prize. It builds engagement and highlights real user satisfaction and&nbsp;enthusiasm.</li>

<li><strong>Use a branded hashtag</strong>. Branded hashtags invite customers to share their content. These hashtags make UGC easily discoverable, increasing its reach and&nbsp;impact.</li>

<li><strong>Collaborate with creators and influencers</strong>. Content creators and influencers help your UGC reach a broader audience. These individuals often have dedicated and engaged followers who trust their recommendations and&nbsp;experiences.</li></ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">12. Use social listening to engage with potential&nbsp;leads</h2>


<p>Social listening involves monitoring social media channels and online platforms to track and analyze conversations, mentions, and trends related to your brand or industry in real-time.&nbsp;</p>



<p>People now spend an average of <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two and a half hours</a> on social media every day.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="730" height="466" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-10.png" alt="graph showing minutes per day spent on social media over an 11-year span" class="wp-image-283587" />


<p>Social listening allows you to tune in to conversations, identify leads, and engage with potential customers you might have otherwise&nbsp;missed.</p>


<p>Set up alerts to receive notifications about specific keywords or mentions. Social listening also gives you more visibility into brand sentiment.&nbsp;</p>


<p>The result is a more proactive approach in your lead generation process — you can respond quicker, initiate conversations, and nurture potential leads through proactive&nbsp;engagement.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">13. Expand your reach with cross&#8209;promotion&nbsp;partnerships</h2>

<p>Cross&#8209;promotion partnerships, also known as brand collaborations, are two brands joining forces to promote each other. These partnerships are powerful because they introduce your brand to a new audience that&#8217;s likely to already be interested in what you&nbsp;offer.</p>


<p>Let&#8217;s say you sell fitness gear, and you team up with a healthy snack brand.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Both kinds of products are used by people interested in improving their health.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Your fitness-loving customers might discover those tasty snacks, and their snack fans might want your awesome gear. These collaborations boost both brands’ visibility and trustworthiness.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">14. Use influencer marketing to reach new&nbsp;audiences</h2>

<p>Collaborate with individuals who have a significant and engaged following in your niche or industry to tap into their established audience and&nbsp;credibility.</p>

<p><a href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/ebooks/Influencer_Marketing_Benchmark_Report_2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">90% of respondents</a> in a survey consider influencer marketing to be&nbsp;effective.</p>


<p>Skincare brand, La Roche Posay, for example, collaborates with Dr. Mamina Turegano, MD, a TikTok influencer and certified dermatologist.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="739" height="1600" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-11.png" alt="TikTok video of a collaboration between a doctor and skincare brand" class="wp-image-283588" />



<p><a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJwVy6yb/">Source</a></p>


<p>Dr. Marina&#8217;s expertise adds a lot of authority to the content, making it a powerful tool in reaching and engaging a specific&nbsp;audience.</p>


<p>Her content is not just promotional —&nbsp;she delivers real value to her followers and backs up her advice with knowledge and experience.</p>


<p>Collaborate with influencers who fit your brand and resonate with your audience for better&nbsp;results.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">15. Host a virtual summit to build thought&nbsp;leadership</h2>


<p>Virtual summits are online events where experts share insights on a specific topic over multiple sessions or days.&nbsp;</p>


<p>These events establish credibility, build trust, and increase industry authority, positioning you as a go&#8209;to source for information and&nbsp;solutions.</p>

<p>Adobe Summit, for example, is a hybrid virtual summit for customers who use Adobe&#8217;s digital experience&nbsp;tools.</p>


<img width="1134" height="940" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-12.png" alt="Adobe Summit landing page with information about the event" class="wp-image-283589" />



<p>When hosting a virtual summit, follow Adobe&#8217;s lead by inviting authoritative speakers who are experts in your field.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1600" height="1393" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-13.png" alt="Adobe Summit page with information keynotes" class="wp-image-283590" />



<p>Promote the event well in advance. Adobe, for example, promotes the summit at least six months ahead of time. This builds anticipation and attracts a larger audience.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Also, they provide sneak peeks of the sessions, allowing their audience to gauge whether the summit is worth&nbsp;attending.</p>


<img width="800" height="625" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-14.png" alt="list of sessions from Adobe Summit" class="wp-image-283591" />



<p>To make sure virtual summits help you get new leads, use smart tactics like sign-up forms, materials people can download, and chances for attendees to connect with each other.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These tricks help you collect info and generate leads from attendees and keep these prospects engaged even after the summit.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">16. Create a podcast series to showcase your&nbsp;expertise</h2>

<p>Podcasts are the new frontier for brand visibility and engagement. Currently, <a href="https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2021-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">38% of Americans</a> over age 12 —109 million people — listen to podcasts monthly. They provide a unique platform to share insights, connect with audiences, and establish authority in a format that&#8217;s both convenient and increasingly&nbsp;popular.</p>

<p>Bloomberg, for example, has a podcast that focuses on financial and economic insights. It positions the brand as a trusted source for expert analysis and helps it stay connected with its&nbsp;audience.</p>


<img width="1798" height="878" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image12.png" alt="Bloomburg Masters in Business podcast" class="wp-image-283592" />


<p>Here are some tips for creating an engaging podcast&nbsp;series:</p>


<ul><li>Focus on a specific topic or niche that aligns with your brand&#8217;s expertise and target audience&#8217;s&nbsp;interests.</li>

<li>Outline episodes, create a content calendar, and build a consistent posting&nbsp;schedule.</li>

<li>Share your podcast episodes on social media, your website, and through email marketing to reach a wider&nbsp;audience.</li>

<li>Invite industry experts or guests relevant to your niche to provide diverse&nbsp;perspectives.</li>

<li>Optimize your podcast titles, descriptions, and keywords to improve discoverability on podcast&nbsp;platforms.</li>

<li>Maintain a regular publishing schedule, so your audience knows when to expect content and what each episode will&nbsp;include.</li></ul>


<p>A podcast is a great way to establish your brand&#8217;s authority, connect with your audience, and tap into the growing&nbsp;trend.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">17. Use webinars to educate and engage potential&nbsp;leads</h2>


<p>Webinars are online seminars or workshops that allow you to present information, interact with your audience in real time, and provide valuable education on a specific topic or subject.&nbsp;</p>


<p>A study by the Content Marketing Institute showed that <a href="https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/b2b-2023-research-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">47% of B2B marketers</a> said webinars produced the best results in 2021. It’s easy to see why: they offer an interactive learning experience and encourage engagement which builds your authority and relationship with potential&nbsp;leads.</p>

<p>AI&#8209;powered content tool, Clearscope, for example, hosts regular webinars with industry&nbsp;experts.</p>


<img width="895" height="853" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-15.png" alt="Clearscope webinars list on their website" class="wp-image-283593" />


<p>Here are some tips on getting webinars&nbsp;right:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Choose relevant topics</strong>: Focus on topics that address your audience&#8217;s challenges and interests to ensure engagement and&nbsp;relevance.</li>

<li><strong>Create an interactive Q&amp;A session</strong>. Include interactive Q&amp;A sessions to encourage audience participation and address their specific&nbsp;queries.</li>

<li><strong>Invite experts</strong>. Collaborate with industry experts or influencers to lend credibility and attract a wider&nbsp;audience.</li>


<li><strong>Promote it</strong>. Promote your webinar on social and through email.&nbsp;</li>


<li><strong>Follow up</strong>. Follow up with attendees and provide additional resources or offers to guide leads further down the sales&nbsp;funnel.</li></ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">18. Engage and qualify leads with live chat operators and&nbsp;bots</h2>


<p>Live chat operators and bots qualify leads by having conversations with website visitors.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They ask questions to figure out if a visitor is a good fit for your product or service. If they are, the bots send those leads to the right place for follow-up.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Lead qualification ensures you focus your sales and marketing efforts on individuals who are genuinely interested and likely to convert into paying customers. A strong focus increases efficiency and increases conversion&nbsp;rates.</p>

<p>Tailor bots with specific filters and ask relevant questions. Qualifying questions&nbsp;include:</p>


<ul><li>What brings you to our website&nbsp;today?</li>

<li>Are you looking for a specific product or&nbsp;service?</li>

<li>What is your marketing budget or price&nbsp;range?</li>

<li>When do you plan to make a decision or&nbsp;purchase?</li>

<li>Have you used similar products/services&nbsp;before?</li>

<li>Do you have any specific requirements or&nbsp;preferences?</li></ul>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">19. Use retargeting to bring back lost&nbsp;leads</h2>


<p>Retargeting involves displaying tailored advertisements to individuals who’ve previously visited your website or engaged with your brand but didn&#8217;t take the desired action.&nbsp;</p>


<p>It reminds potential customers of their initial interest and gives them a second chance to convert, ultimately improving conversion rates and&nbsp;ROI.</p>


<p>Suppose you visit Old Navy&#8217;s website, browse through some clothing items, but leave without making a purchase. Later, you start seeing Old Navy ads showing the exact items you looked at.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="585" height="602" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-16.png" alt="retargeting ad from Old Navy" class="wp-image-283594" />


<p>That&#8217;s retargeting in action — it gives you a nudge to come back and complete your purchase. It&#8217;s a smart lead gen strategy to re&#8209;engage lost prospects and turn potential customers into actual&nbsp;ones.</p>

<p>Retargeting only works when you don’t overdo it. Strike a balance and provide relevant, personalized content that genuinely reconnects with the audience&#8217;s interests and&nbsp;needs.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">20. Target key decision makers with account&#8209;based&nbsp;advertising</h2>

<p>An account&#8209;based marketing strategy creates customized lead generation campaigns just for important leads to win their&nbsp;business.</p>


<p>A targeted focus leads to optimal use of resources, a direct link to key decision makers, and increased chances of landing big deals.&nbsp;</p>


<p><a href="https://www.gartner.ca/en/sales/insights/b2b-buying-journey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gartner’s research</a> shows that the typical buying group for a complex B2B solution involves six to ten decision makers. Account&#8209;based advertising targets these decision makers with specific ads and messages to address their unique needs and&nbsp;concerns.</p>

<p>Here’s an example of an Indeed ad that targets decision makers at&nbsp;Pepsi:</p>


<img width="1202" height="624" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-17.png" alt="ad from Indeed targeting Pepsi employees" class="wp-image-283595" />


<p>So, how do you create ads that speak to these&nbsp;individuals?</p>

<p>Start with their challenges. Understand what keeps them up at night and tailor your messaging to provide solutions to these issues. Focus on the benefits of your product or service that directly address their&nbsp;concerns.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What about lead conversion? What are proven best&nbsp;practices?</h2>


<p>You&#8217;ve attracted leads to your business —&nbsp;what now? Focus on converting these leads into loyal customers. Here are some best practices to maximize your lead conversion rate:</p>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Follow up with leads to maintain their&nbsp;interest</h3>


<p>Following up with leads reminds them about your business and shows you care about their needs. Persistence matters — studies suggest it can take <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2021/03/18/how-to-follow-up-with-sales-leads">seven to ten interactions</a> for a lead to become a customer.&nbsp;</p>


<p>When sending follow&#8209;up emails, keep them brief, upbeat, and focused on offering something valuable to the lead. Short and positive messages ensure your communication stays engaging and increase the chances of turning leads into loyal&nbsp;customers.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Develop a lead scoring system to prioritize&nbsp;leads</h3>


<p>A lead scoring system is a method of evaluating and ranking leads based on their level of interest and likelihood to convert into customers. You identify the best prospects by assigning numerical values to different attributes and behaviors.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You focus your efforts and resources on leads with the highest conversion potential with this system.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Scoring leads allows you to optimize your time and resources and maximize your return on investment. Consider these lead scoring&nbsp;tips:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Set thresholds</strong>. Define specific criteria a lead must meet to be considered &#8220;sales ready,&#8221; like a minimum score indicating high interest or&nbsp;engagement.</li>

<li><strong>Establish rules</strong>. Create rules for how leads are scored based on actions, like opening emails, visiting pricing pages, or downloading&nbsp;resources.</li>

<li><strong>Assign points</strong>. Assign numerical values to different lead behaviors, with higher scores for actions that show stronger interest or intent to&nbsp;purchase.</li>

<li><strong>Review and adjust</strong>. Monitor and refine your lead scoring system as you gather more data and insights to ensure&nbsp;accuracy.</li>

<li><strong>Collaborate with sales</strong>. Establish what constitutes a qualified lead and adjust scoring criteria accordingly to improve lead handoffs and&nbsp;conversions.</li></ul>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Use a CRM to manage and track your&nbsp;leads</h3>


<p>A customer relationship management (CRM) tool, like <a href="https://jetpackcrm.com/">Jetpack CRM</a>, is your go-to for staying organized with leads. It keeps all lead info in one place, simplifies communication, and automates tasks.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="1600" height="784" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/image-18.png" alt="Jetpack CRM homepage with the text " />



<p>With Jetpack CRM, sort and track leads, follow their interactions, and watch their journey closely. This makes it easier to give them personalized attention, prioritize who to reach out to, and nurture leads. Plus, it provides smart data to make decisions that boost your chances of converting prospects into loyal customers.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Implement email marketing to nurture&nbsp;leads</h3>


<p>Stay in touch with potential customers through email marketing and provide them with valuable content, updates, and offers that keep your brand top of mind.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Delivering tailored messages at the right time guides leads through the buying journey and builds trust.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Divide your leads into groups based on interests, behaviors, or demographics to send relevant content to each segment. Use personalization techniques to address leads by name and tailor content to their needs and&nbsp;preferences.</p>

<p>Develop informative and engaging content that addresses your leads&#8217; pain points and interests. You can offer blog posts, eBooks, webinars, or exclusive offers. Set up automated email sequences that deliver a series of messages over time. Gradually introduce leads to your brand, products, and&nbsp;services.</p>

<p>Focus on solving problems and providing value in your emails. Show leads how your offerings benefit them with success stories, testimonials, and case&nbsp;studies.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Use customer feedback to improve your sales&nbsp;process</h3>

<p>Gather feedback from customers through surveys, reviews, and direct communication. Encourage honest opinions about their experience with your sales team and product. Here&#8217;s how to make the most of the feedback you&nbsp;get:</p>


<ul><li><strong>Analyze responses</strong>. Review the feedback to identify recurring themes, issues, or areas for improvement. Look for patterns in what customers appreciate and where they face&nbsp;challenges.</li>

<li><strong>Prioritize feedback</strong>. Categorize feedback into critical issues that need immediate attention and areas for long&#8209;term improvement. This ensures you tackle the most pressing concerns&nbsp;first.</li>

<li><strong>Adjust your sales approach</strong>. Based on feedback, refine your approach. Train your sales team to address common concerns and&nbsp;objections.</li></ul>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Follow up with customers to encourage repeat business and&nbsp;referrals</h3>


<p>Stay in touch with your customers to build an ongoing relationship. A thank-you message after their purchase and asking how their experience was is always a great place to start.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Also, keep them in the loop by letting them know about any new deals or products. If they have questions or issues, provide excellent support. Encourage them to refer friends by offering rewards and making it simple. Staying connected and showing appreciation keeps your customers loyal and earns new ones through their&nbsp;recommendations.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently asked&nbsp;questions</h2>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What are some common lead generation mistakes to&nbsp;avoid?</h3>


<p>Common lead generation mistakes include not defining your target audience, neglecting data quality, and relying on a single lead generation channel. Failing to nurture leads, ignoring customer feedback, and neglecting mobile optimization can also hinder success.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Make sure you measure and analyze your lead generation efforts so you can optimize them. Don&#8217;t forget personalization and adapt to evolving trends. Lead generation is more effective when you avoid these&nbsp;mistakes.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">How can I improve my lead capture forms to maximize&nbsp;conversions?</h3>

<p>Streamline the form by keeping it concise and requesting only essential information. Use a clear and compelling call&#8209;to&#8209;action (CTA) that conveys value and implement autofill and smart form features to reduce user effort. It’s also a good idea to A/B test different form layouts and CTA text to identify what resonates best with your audience.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lastly, reassure users about data security and provide social proof, like trust badges or testimonial snippets, to boost confidence. Regularly analyze form performance and iterate based on insights to optimize for higher&nbsp;conversions.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Should I use CAPTCHA on lead capture&nbsp;forms?</h3>

<p>No, using traditional CAPTCHA can frustrate users and reduce conversion rates. Instead, use AI&#8209;driven anti&#8209;spam solutions like Akismet. This powerful tool filters out spam submissions while providing a seamless experience for genuine users. It also helps you maintain the security of your forms without subjecting users to the inconvenience and frustration of&nbsp;CAPTCHA.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What is Akismet, and how can it help with form conversion&nbsp;rates?</h3>

<p>Akismet is an AI&#8209;powered anti&#8209;spam solution. It improves form conversion rates by filtering out spam submissions, ensuring you capture only legitimate leads. Eliminating CAPTCHA challenges streamlines the lead capture process and creates a user&#8209;friendly and frictionless experience. With fewer barriers, visitors are more likely to fill out forms, resulting in higher conversion&nbsp;rates.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What types of companies generally use&nbsp;Akismet?</h3>

<p>Akismet is a trusted choice for a wide range of companies, from small businesses and bloggers to ecommerce sites and <a href="https://akismet.com/enterprise/">large enterprises</a>. Over 100 million sites use it to combat spam, making it a go&#8209;to solution. Microsoft, <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/convertkit-customerstory/">ConvertKit</a>, Bluehost, and many others rely on Akismet, attesting to its credibility and reliability in fighting&nbsp;spam.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Akismet: AI&#8209;powered anti&#8209;spam for lead generation&nbsp;forms</h2>


<p>Lead generation forms are the lifeblood of any business that wants to convert website visitors into potential customers. But spam submissions create a challenging user experience and lead to missed opportunities.&nbsp;</p>


<p>That&#8217;s where Akismet steps in as a reliable, AI&#8209;powered anti&#8209;spam solution. Integrating Akismet ensures a smoother, spam&#8209;free experience that ultimately improves conversion rates. Try it out today and focus on what matters most — nurturing high&#8209;quality&nbsp;leads.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 27 Dec 2023 14:15:03 +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:8:"Rob Pugh";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:92:"HeroPress: Being useful to people, with WordPress – Être utile aux autres, avec WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=6298";s:7:"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:148:"https://heropress.com/essays/being-useful-to-people-with-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=being-useful-to-people-with-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26756:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/122223-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: I started by going back to my roots." /><div class="wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container">
<p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#fr">Cet essai est également disponible en français.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hi-computer">Hi Computer</h2>



<p>I was born in 1996, straddling the X and Y generations. I had the good fortune to live a happy childhood where I was very much supported by my parents, each in their own way, in my passions. They both taught me to trust myself and to try things out, for which I&#8217;m very grateful. When I was a child, personal computers were already democratized, but many people didn&#8217;t have one. This was my case until I was 10, when my parents decided to buy one.</p>



<p>Upon gaining access to my first computer, I was intrigued by how it works and the possibilities it offered. It allowed me to explore new creative way (so much time on Pivot Animator) and introduced me to the realm of online games! Unfortunately for my parents, my experimentation led to the death of two computers.</p>



<p>I had a strong fondness for browser games like Travian, Shakes &amp; Fidget, Hordes… It was this passion that led me into the world of content creation for the web. Spending a substantial amount of time on these games&#8217; forums, a friend and I created our first forum for our gaming guild. Using an online forum creation tool, we could inject some code for customization—a kind of initiation into Content Management Systems (CMS) and coding for me! I remember thoroughly enjoying it, investing a lot of time in managing this small, private forum.</p>



<p>In 2011, as I entered high school, I finally obtained what felt like a treasure trove to me at that time &#8211; my very own personal computer! Enthused by graphic design, I began crafting visuals using a portable version of Photoshop, mainly for the gaming forums where I spent a significant amount of time. I dedicated myself to creating banners, avatars, and wallpapers centered around the game themes that united us, providing these creations for my friends and forum users.<br /></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discover-a-new-world">Discover a new world</h2>



<p>I had a strong desire to pursue this creative path, so in 2014, I opted for a web design program in Laval. The curriculum covered a wide array of skills: programming, mathematics, graphics design, photography, video editing, among others. I&#8217;ve consistently found mathematical and logical areas challenging, making the foundational aspects of the course in these subjects quite laborious for me. Conversely, I derived immense enjoyment from everything connected to graphic design.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_571a4b-06"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1-discover-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Man looking through the eye piece of a video camera." class="kb-img wp-image-6320" /></div>



<p>My first encounter with WordPress came during an internship related to my studies. The company I joined specialized in selling products online through a small e-commerce platform they had internally built using WordPress and WooCommerce. My tasks involved managing the website: integrating visuals, updating content, configuring plugins, improving the interface using a page builder, and handling product management. It evoked a similar feeling to when I first created my gaming blog—there was a multidisciplinary spirit and a creative vibe. I enjoyed this hybrid approach that blended both creativity and technical aspects.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-leveling">Leveling</h2>



<p>At the end of 2016, I made a move to settle in the south of France and initiated my first freelance endeavor alongside pursuing additional training in web design at Aix-Marseille University. My freelance work involved various graphic design projects and community management tasks. Despite realizing the challenges of generating sufficient income, I remained motivated by the sense of independence and freedom. I began experimenting with WordPress through personal projects. Over the course of two years, I self-educated extensively. I ventured into managing web hosting and a small server, acquainted myself with Linux and Ubuntu, learned to customize themes, and made simple PHP additions. I navigated through trial and error, learning from mistakes, and gradually honed my overall understanding of the tool, becoming better at adapting it to suit my needs.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_5dc9a3-bf"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2-leveling-1024x1024.jpg" alt="View down old European street from the third floor window," class="kb-img wp-image-6321" /></div>



<p>During a second company internship, I embarked on creating a website where I developed my first custom theme using PHP templates and a few custom fields. It was simple, but I felt quite proud to build a theme &#8220;from scratch&#8221; without relying on page builders or additional tools. Shortly after, a significant milestone occurred in my freelance journey: I sold my first website! It was an e-commerce platform built on WordPress and WooCommerce for a local publishing house. This venture introduced me to new challenges such as SEO, ensuring site security, and providing client training in WordPress usage and essential plugins for the site. I felt incredibly proud to apply my skills to a tangible project and gain professional recognition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-team-up">Team Up</h2>



<p>After that project, I wanted a change. I liked working on my own, but I felt very lonely. Every day felt the same, and I struggled to stay motivated. After feeling excited about selling my first &#8216;real&#8217; web project, things started to feel like a series of failures, which stressed me out because my savings were running low. I sent out my resume hoping to find a job that suited me. I had a few interviews with digital service companies (named ESN in French), and it was disheartening. I felt like my wide range of skills didn&#8217;t matter, and whenever I talked about WordPress, they said it wasn&#8217;t &#8216;technical&#8217; enough.</p>



<p>After six months of searching, I finally found a job I was excited about at a web agency in Avignon. It felt like I&#8217;d been looking for a long time, but now I see I was lucky to find this opportunity quickly. I started as a front-end developer and mostly worked on WordPress projects, doing various tasks like crafting or customizing themes, configuring or developing plugins, keeping websites running smoothly, training clients and agency staff. Collaborating with complementary roles where everyone understood each other’s tasks was so nice. Finding a common way to handle different missions was so exciting! This team synergy, the great diversity of tasks, sharing our experiences and perspectives, greatly boosted my motivation and skill development.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_8ff45f-a9"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/3-teamup.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/3-teamup-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Office space with tables covered with computer monitors." class="kb-img wp-image-6322" /></a></div>



<p>I worked for four years in this agency, whose strategy evolved significantly as its size exploded (from 20 to 100 employees in three years). Choices tended towards large, architectured projects with less hybrid solutions. Over time, I felt less connected to the agency&#8217;s decisions and the kind of clients they had. I wondered about the meaning and impact of my work. Was I making things better for people? Was what I did ethical? In the end, did it really matter? </p>



<p>For a while, I&#8217;ve been interested in eco-design, privacy, and web quality topics. I&#8217;ve been reading a lot of articles written by folks that resonated to me (like Framasoft, Designers Éthiques, Whodunit, Opquast&#8230;). There was a stark disparity between my professional experience and their meaningful discourse. The work atmosphere also changed; I didn&#8217;t feel the teamwork that I enjoyed when I first started, but more like a &#8216;fog&#8217; of disagreements and noises.</p>



<p>This was tough for me: I worried about going to work and had trouble sleeping. I truly felt like my time was slipping away. I left in March 2023, and what a good decision it was!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-for-better">Shifting for better</h2>



<p>I started by going back to my roots; I need to slow down, reassess my desires to figure out where I stand, to do something different. I return to Brittany and settle in Saint-Malo near my family. My primary desire is to reclaim my time. Seven years in the South… what I missed the most was the sea. I know I had the Mediterranean nearby, but strangely it didn&#8217;t have the same effect on me. I&#8217;ve always wanted to surf, so I buy an old used board, a wetsuit, and I go into the water almost every day! It clears my mind and boosts my confidence. I&#8217;ve never been much of an athlete, but this really resonates with me.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m not particularly skilled with my hands, nor have I learned how to do things. I want to learn, with ecological and sustainable issues in mind. I sign up for participatory workshops and meet incredibly interesting people. We share our experiences, our knowledge, life moments… and it feels good.</p>



<p>I start reading a lot again &#8211; science fiction, fantasy, essays, classics, and discussions on forums, especially those on wordpress.org.</p>



<p>I come across a discussion about creating a WordPress site using a smartphone. &#8220;Wait, is something like this possible?&#8221; Through the conversation, I notice the name of a contributor: <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/alice-robert-and-wordpress/">Mark-Andrew</a>. I visit his site and I&#8217;m blown away; the guy creates sites for people who need them for free, &#8220;Free Websites for good Humans.&#8221; It&#8217;s simple, yet I find it incredibly inspiring. For me, Mark-Andrew has found a way to give meaning to his skills and align it with his lifestyle.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_f15404-e9"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-shifting-1.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-shifting-1-1024x512.jpg" alt="Two pictures in one.  On the left, someone surfing in the distance.  On the right a man holding a wooden framework." class="kb-img wp-image-6324" /></a></div>



<p>That&#8217;s what I want to do. I&#8217;ve learned a lot about the WordPress ecosystem, and I continue to learn every day. Why not try to help those in need with this open, free, and community-oriented solution? That would make sense!</p>



<p>This is the path I want to travel &#8211; to make this accessible solution available to all who need it to express themselves and create. Furthermore, I want to contribute to the WordPress community. I&#8217;m considering starting with translations into French, but I hope to also contribute to the new site editor, which I find simply fantastic. We&#8217;ll see how it goes!</p>



<p>WordPress taught the jack-of-all-trades kid to trust himself and feel useful. For that, thank you. And thank you, Mark-Andrew; I hope we&#8217;ll meet for a surfing session (On the water or the asphalt as you wish).</p>



<p>Thank you for taking the time to read me <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60a.png" alt="😊" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



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<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="fr">Être utile aux autres, avec WordPress</h1>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salut-internet">Salut Internet</h2>



<p>Je suis né en 1996, à cheval entre la génération X et Y. J&#8217;ai eu la chance de vivre une enfance heureuse où j&#8217;ai été très soutenu par mes parents, chacun à sa manière, dans mes passions. Ils m&#8217;ont tous deux appris à me faire confiance et à essayer des choses, pour cela, je conçois beaucoup de gratitude à leur égard.  Quand j&#8217;étais enfant, l&#8217;informatique pour le grand publique était déjà démocratisé, mais beaucoup de gens n&#8217;avaient pas d&#8217;ordinateur personnel. Ce qui fut mon cas jusqu&#8217;à mes 10 ans où mes parents en on acquit un.</p>



<p>Lorsque j&#8217;ai eu accès à ce premier ordinateur, j&#8217;ai tout de suite été intéressé par son fonctionnement et ce que je pouvais faire avec. Cela m&#8217;a donné accès à de nouvelles activités créatives (que de temps passé sur Pivot Animator) et aussi à l&#8217;univers du jeu sur PC ! Malheureusement pour mes parents, mes expérimentations ont conduit à la mort de deux ordinateurs. J&#8217;aimais beaucoup les jeux sur navigateur (Travian, Shakes &amp; Fidget, Hordes…) et c&#8217;est cet engouement qui m&#8217;a mis le doigt dans l&#8217;engrenage de la création de contenu pour le web. Je passais pas mal de temps sur les forums de ces jeux, et j&#8217;ai créé avec un ami un premier forum pour notre guilde de joueurs. Nous utilisions un outil en ligne de création de forum dans lequel nous pouvions injecter un peu de code pour la personnalisation. Ma toute première expérience avec un CMS et du code en somme ! Je me souviens avoir adoré ça et passé un temps fou sur ce petit forum privé.</p>



<p>En 2011, arrivant au lycée, j&#8217;ai enfin eu accès au saint Graal, mon propre ordinateur personnel ! Je m&#8217;intéressais à la création graphique, et j&#8217;ai commencé à produire des visuels avec une version portable de Photoshop, toujours pour les forums de jeux sur lesquels je passais du temps. Je créais pour mes amis et des utilisateurs : des bannières, des avatars et fonds d&#8217;écrans sur les thèmes des jeux qui nous rassemblaient.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tellement-de-choses-a-apprendre">Tellement de choses à apprendre</h2>



<p>J&#8217;avais envie de continuer sur cette voie créative et je me suis orienté en 2014 vers une formation de création pour le web à Laval. La palette de compétence enseignée était assez vaste : programmation, mathématiques, infographie, photographie, vidéo… J&#8217;ai toujours eu du mal avec les domaines mathématiques et logiques, et le socle de la formation sur ces sujets étaient assez laborieux pour moi. En revanche, je prenais beaucoup de plaisir à tout ce qui rapportait à la création graphique.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_2c4713-e3"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1-discover-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Man looking through the eye piece of a video camera." class="kb-img wp-image-6320" /></div>



<p>Ma première utilisation de WordPress s&#8217;est présentée lors d&#8217;un stage lié à ma formation. L&#8217;entreprise que j&#8217;avais rejoint vendais des produits en ligne sur un petit e-commerce qu&#8217;ils avaient créé en interne avec WordPress et WooCommerce. J&#8217;avais pour tâche de m&#8217;occuper du site : intégrer des visuels, mettre à jour les contenus, configurer des plugins, ajuster l&#8217;interface avec un constructeur de page, gérer les produits…  Je retrouvais le même sentiment que lorsque j&#8217;avais créé mon premier blog de jeu, un esprit multidisciplinaire et un sentiment très créatif. J&#8217;aimais beaucoup cette approche très hybride de la création et de la technique.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-premiers-essais">Premiers essais</h2>



<p>Fin 2016, je suis parti m&#8217;installer dans le sud de la France où j&#8217;ai commencé ma première activité de freelance en parallèle d&#8217;une formation supplémentaire sur la création pour le web de l&#8217;université d&#8217;Aix-Marseille. Je réalisais quelques missions de création graphique et de community management. Je me suis rendu compte qu&#8217;il était difficile de dégager des revenus suffisants, mais j&#8217;étais motivé par les sentiments d&#8217;indépendance et de liberté. J&#8217;ai commencé à tester et à expérimenter sur WordPress à travers des petits projets personnels. Pendant deux ans, j&#8217;ai appris en autodidacte. Je me suis essayé à la gestion d&#8217;un hébergement web puis d&#8217;un petit serveur, j&#8217;ai découvert Linux et Ubuntu, j&#8217;ai appris à personnaliser des thèmes, à faire quelques ajouts simples en PHP. Je tâtonnais, je faisais des erreurs, je corrigeais… Petit à petit, je forgeais ma culture générale sur l&#8217;outil et j&#8217;arrivais de mieux en mieux à l&#8217;adapter à mes besoins.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_4071c3-b2"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2-leveling-1024x1024.jpg" alt="View down old European street from the third floor window," class="kb-img wp-image-6321" /></div>



<p>Au cours d&#8217;un second stage en entreprise, je réalisais un site pour lequel je développais mon premier thème sur mesure avec des templates PHP et quelques champs personnalisés. Il était vraiment très simple, mais j&#8217;étais assez fier de bâtir un thème &#8220;from scratch&#8221; sans constructeur de page ni outils supplémentaires. Peu après, j&#8217;ai vécu une grande étape dans mon expérience de freelance : j&#8217;ai vendu un premier site internet ! Un e-commerce basé sur WordPress et WooCommerce pour une petite maison d&#8217;édition locale. Je me suis confronté à de nouvelles problématiques : Le SEO, la sécurité, la formation du client à l&#8217;usage de WordPress et des plugins supplémentaires sur lesquels reposait le site. J&#8217;étais super fier de mettre mes compétences au service d&#8217;un projet concret et de cette reconnaissance professionnelle.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-travailler-en-equipe">Travailler en équipe</h2>



<p>Après ce projet, j&#8217;ai eu besoin de changement. J&#8217;étais content d&#8217;être indépendant dans mon travail, mais je me sentais très seul. Les journées se ressemblaient beaucoup et je n&#8217;arrivais plus à trouver la motivation pour continuer. Après l&#8217;euphorie d&#8217;avoir vendu mon premier &#8220;vrai&#8221; projet web, j&#8217;avais l&#8217;impression d&#8217;être dans une spirale d&#8217;échecs et ça me stressait d&#8217;autant plus que mes économies commençaient sérieusement à s&#8217;amenuiser. J&#8217;ai diffusé mon CV en espérant trouver un poste qui puisse me correspondre. J&#8217;ai eu quelques entretiens avec des recruteurs d&#8217;entreprise de services numériques (ESN) et c&#8217;était franchement déprimant. J&#8217;avais le sentiment que mon profil touche-à-tout était sans valeur, et à chaque fois que je parlais un peu de WordPress, on me rétorquait que ce n&#8217;était pas assez &#8220;technique&#8221;. </p>



<p>Après six mois de recherche, j&#8217;ai finalement trouvé un poste qui me faisait super envie dans une agence web à Avignon. J&#8217;ai eu l&#8217;impression que cette période de recherche avait été très longue. Mais rétrospectivement, je me sens chanceux d&#8217;avoir eu cette opportunité aussi rapidement. </p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_6c0ba1-95"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/3-teamup.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/3-teamup-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Office space with tables covered with computer monitors." class="kb-img wp-image-6322" /></a></div>



<p>J&#8217;ai démarré en tant que développeur front-end et j&#8217;ai travaillé en majorité sur les projets WordPress qui comportaient beaucoup de missions différentes : développement ou personnalisation de thèmes, développement ou configuration de plugins, maintenance régulière des sites, formation des clients, formations des collaborateurs de l&#8217;agence…  Je trouvais trop bien de bosser avec des métiers complémentaires où chaque personne avait une bonne compréhension du travail des autres. Je découvrais un référentiel commun pour effectuer des missions différentes, c&#8217;était tellement enthousiasmant ! Cette synergie d&#8217;équipe, la grande diversité des missions, le partage de nos expériences et de nos points de vue ont beaucoup boosté ma motivation et ma montée en compétence. </p>



<p>J&#8217;ai travaillé quatre ans dans cette agence dont la stratégie a beaucoup évolué tandis que sa taille explosait (de 20 à 100 collaborateurs en trois ans). Les choix se portaient plutôt sur des gros projets architecturés avec des solutions moins hybrides. Petit à petit, je me suis de moins en moins retrouvé dans les décisions et la typologie de clients de l&#8217;agence. Je me posais beaucoup de question sur le sens de mon travail et l&#8217;impact de celui-ci. Est-ce que j&#8217;apportais des solutions pour améliorer la vie des gens à mon échelle ? Est-ce que ce que je produisais était éthique ? À la fin, est-ce que c&#8217;était si important ?</p>



<p>Depuis un bon moment, je m&#8217;intéressais aux sujets de l&#8217;éco-conception, de la vie privée, de la qualité web. Je lisais beaucoup d&#8217;articles écris par des associations, des entreprises et des acteurs du numérique qui m&#8217;inspiraient (Framasoft, Designer Éthiques, Whodunit, Opquast…). Je ressentais un énorme décalage entre mon expérience professionnelle et leurs discours qui avaient tellement de sens pour moi. L&#8217;ambiance de travail, elle aussi, avait complètement changé, je ne ressentais plus la synergie qui m&#8217;avait tant plu à mon arrivée, mais une espèce de &#8220;brouillard&#8221; de frictions, de cacophonie. <br />Cette situation était très difficile à vivre pour moi : j&#8217;angoissais à l&#8217;idée d&#8217;aller travailler et je dormais très mal. J&#8217;avais vraiment cette sensation que mon temps m&#8217;échappait. Je suis parti en mars 2023, et quelle bonne décision !</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retrouver-du-sens">Retrouver du sens</h2>



<p>Je commence par revenir aux sources, j&#8217;ai besoin de ralentir, de poser mes envies pour savoir où j&#8217;en suis, de faire autre chose. Je rentre en Bretagne et je m&#8217;installe à Saint-Malo près de ma famille. Mon premier désir, c&#8217;est de me réapproprier mon temps. Sept ans dans le sud… ce qui m&#8217;a manqué le plus c&#8217;est la mer. Je sais bien que j&#8217;avais la méditerranée à côté, mais étrangement ça ne me fait pas le même effet. J&#8217;ai toujours eu envie de faire du surf, alors j&#8217;achète une vieille planche d&#8217;occasion, une combinaison, et je vais à l&#8217;eau presque tous les jours ! Ça me vide l&#8217;esprit et me donne confiance en moi, je n&#8217;ai jamais été un grand sportif, mais là, j&#8217;accroche.</p>



<p>Je ne suis pas vraiment doué de mes mains, on ne peut pas dire que j&#8217;ai appris à le faire non plus. Je veux apprendre, avec les problématiques de l&#8217;écologie et du soutenable en tête. Je m&#8217;inscris à des chantiers participatifs et je rencontre des gens tellement intéressants. On partage notre expérience, nos savoirs, des moments de vie… et ça fait du bien.</p>



<p>Je recommence à lire beaucoup, des livres de science-fiction, de fantasy, des essais, des classiques, mais aussi des discussions sur des forums et notamment ceux de wordpress.org.</p>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image6298_33c6f2-eb"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-shifting-1.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-shifting-1-1024x512.jpg" alt="Two pictures in one.  On the left, someone surfing in the distance.  On the right a man holding a wooden framework." class="kb-img wp-image-6324" /></a></div>



<p>Je tombe sur une discussion concernant la création de site WordPress avec un smartphone. &#8220;Tiens c&#8217;est possible un truc pareil ?&#8221; Au fil de la discussion, je vois passer le nom d&#8217;un contributeur : <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/alice-robert-and-wordpress/">Mark-Andrew</a>. Je visite son site et je prends une claque, le gars produit des sites gratuitement pour les personnes qui en ont besoin &#8220;Free Websites for good Humans&#8221;. C&#8217;est tout simple, mais je trouve ça super inspirant. Pour moi, Mark-Andrew a trouvé comment donner du sens à ses compétences et à accorder le tout avec son mode de vie.</p>



<p>C&#8217;est ça que je veux faire. J&#8217;ai énormément appris sur l&#8217;écosystème WordPress et je continue chaque jour, pourquoi ne pas essayer d&#8217;en faire bénéficier ceux qui en auraient besoin ? Cela aurait du sens !<br />Voilà le chemin sur lequel je veux voyager, rendre accessible cette solution ouverte, gratuite et communautaire à tous ceux qui en ont besoin pour s&#8217;exprimer et créer. Pour aller plus loin, j&#8217;ai aussi envie de contribuer à la communauté WordPress, je pense commencer par la traduction en français, mais j&#8217;espère avoir le plaisir de contribuer aussi au nouvel éditeur de site que je trouve juste génial. On verra bien !</p>



<p>WordPress à appris au gamin touche-à-tout à se faire confiance et se sentir utile. Alors pour ça, merci. Et merci Mark-Andrew, j&#8217;espère qu&#8217;on se rencontrera pour une session glisse.</p>



<p>Merci d&#8217;avoir pris le temps de me lire <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60a.png" alt="😊" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
</div></div>
<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/being-useful-to-people-with-wordpress/">Being useful to people, with WordPress &#8211; Être utile aux autres, avec WordPress</a> appeared first on <a 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, 27 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +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:"Quentin Le Duff";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:77:"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 69: Reflections on State of the Word";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"https://wordpress.org/news/?post_type=podcast&p=16654";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/episode-69-reflections-on-state-of-the-word/";s: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:10692:"<p>In this episode, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy reflects on the recent 2023 State of the Word, which took place in Madrid, Spain, and some of the highlights of the work across the WordPress open source project.</p>



<p><em><strong>Have a question you’d like answered? You can submit them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org">wpbriefing@WordPress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Credits</h2>



<p>Host:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a><br />Editor:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/">Dustin Hartzler</a><br />Logo:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/javiarce/">Javier Arce</a><br />Production:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bjmcsherry/">Brett McSherry</a><br />Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Show Notes</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/state-of-the-word-2023-recap/">State of the Word Recap</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/05/17/wordpress-contributor-mentorship-program-pilot-program-proposal/">WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program: Pilot Program Proposal</a></li>



<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/">WordPress Developer Blog</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/12/22/wordpress-end-of-year-celebrations/">WordPress End of Year Celebrations!</a></li>



<li><strong>Small List of Big Things</strong>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/openverse/2023/12/11/introducing-enhanced-content-safety-features-on-openverse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introducing Enhanced Content Safety Features on Openverse</a>&nbsp;&#8211; Introducing new features for enhanced content safety on Openverse. </li>



<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/alert-wordpress-security-team-impersonation-scams/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alert: WordPress Security Team Impersonation Scams</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2023/12/02/join-the-plugin-review-team/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join the Plugin Review Team!</a> &#8211; The Plugin Review Team is looking for new members; the deadline to apply is on December 31, 2023.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcripts</h2>



<span id="more-16654"></span>



<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Josepha:</strong> Hello everyone, and welcome to the WordPress Briefing. The podcast where you can catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project, some insight into the community that supports it, and get a small list of big things coming up in the next two weeks. I’m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>



<p>[00:00:28] (Intro music)&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:00:40]&nbsp;<strong>Josepha:</strong> We wrapped up State of the Word earlier this month, and while I was sitting there being the only person to clap for the love of cake, I realized just how much we have been able to accomplish this year. And on the one hand, I shouldn&#8217;t be surprised.</p>



<p>After all, progress is radical over time yet incremental in time. But all told, 2023 has been a big year for WordPress. There&#8217;s been some radical progress in a few places. There are the things you know because you&#8217;ve heard them all year. You heard them in State of the Word.</p>



<p>We turned 20, for instance. We shipped three on-time releases. We had three well-organized flagship events, and we prototyped essential parts of phase 3. But there&#8217;s a lot of work that happens outside of flagship events and software releases, and I&#8217;d like to highlight a few examples of operational excellence in our community and ecosystem.</p>



<p>[00:01:31] <strong>Josepha:</strong> First highlight goes to the contributors who are building community. Going back to 2021, we&#8217;ve been working to bring people back together in person.</p>



<p>And in that year, we had 19 events. In 2022, we had 24 events, so a modest increase of just over 30%. But then, in 2023, the WordPress community banded together on a campaign to reignite passion in our Meetup groups and encourage playfulness in our WordCamp planning. And not only did we see a 57% increase in active Meetup groups, But we also saw a 116% increase in WordCamps, 54 WordCamps in all. That&#8217;s about a third of the way to our all-time annual high of 142.</p>



<p>And to complement these in-person opportunities, Learn also shipped 104 pieces of new content and hosted 258 online workshops because location should never be a barrier to entry for joining WordPress.&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:02:32] <strong>Josepha:</strong> Second highlight goes to the contributors who are managing our directories. We do have a lot of directories. We have Plugins, Themes, Photos, Block plugins. We got a lot.</p>



<p>And I&#8217;m sure that everyone saw the consistent and borderline pleading calls to join the Plugin team this year. And for folks who&#8217;ve been around a bit, you probably recall a similar set of consistent and pleading calls to join the Theme team a few years back. Concurrent with the work to refill that contribution pipeline, folks over in Meta and across the project generally, were working on automating as many checks as possible, loosening guidelines where it was reasonable, and modernizing as many processes as we could.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m happy to share that the theme wait time is at a historic low, with their longest wait sometimes just at a week. And as anxious as I am about the plugin wait times, we&#8217;re actually seeing a lot of progress there as well. As we follow a process similar to the one that we did on themes, I imagine it&#8217;s only gonna get better. So, in 2023, we&#8217;ve onboarded six new team members. And since September, the number of plugins awaiting initial review has been cut in half.</p>



<p>And then coming up in Q1 of 2024, we&#8217;ll have a project focused entirely on automating as many checks as possible. So I still need you, but I also need you to know that your work there matters and is having an impact.</p>



<p>[00:03:55] <strong>Josepha:</strong> The third highlight goes to the contributors who are doing outreach. This year, we launched a mentorship program with an 89% completion rate because we&#8217;ve seen time and again that our most prolific contributors had someone at the start that they felt safe asking dumb questions with. We launched and nurtured the developer blog, which was a need identified by the community because there was no place for intermediate and advanced developers to get excited about their cool explorations. And there were 53 posts there this year with thirteen thousand views, which is a 251% increase for the record, which is a ridiculous increase, but it&#8217;s a lot. Thirteen thousand views is a lot.</p>



<p>We have focused on documentation as we suggested in Porto of 2022. And marketing, I know not always our favorite topic, but marketing, our ability to talk about ourselves to more than just ourselves, has increased dramatically this year.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Not only have we started rolling out a modern design across our website, but we also are present and engaged on eight different platforms with 20-plus episodes of this very podcast and also video content that netted us seven and a half million views this year. That&#8217;s a lot of numbers, and there&#8217;s a post that goes with it.</p>



<p>[00:05:10] <strong>Josepha:</strong> Check out the show notes. But if you&#8217;re not gonna check out the show notes because you listen to this on Pocket Casts or Google or something, go to make.WordPress.org/project, and it&#8217;ll be over there. But the point is, it&#8217;s been a banner year for the software, and I am grateful for every tester, designer, and developer that showed up for it. But I also know that what makes WordPress truly irreplaceable is our ecosystem, and it&#8217;s contributions like this and the contributors who do them that make our ecosystem vibrant and responsive and thriving on into the future.</p>



<p>So, thank you all for the contributions you make to WordPress. Thank you for the shining example of how to do open source at scale, and thank you for another great year together.&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:06:04] <strong>Josepha:</strong> Which brings us now to our small list of big things. It is indeed a small this time. First up, I would like to introduce our enhanced content safety features on Openverse. By default, search results now exclude openly licensed media containing sensitive textual content. But this new feature adds additional filtering based on titles, tags, and descriptions of the work as well.</p>



<p>[00:06:27] <strong>Josepha:</strong> The second thing on our small list of big things is that there is just a general alert. There&#8217;s a WordPress security team impersonation scam that&#8217;s going on out there. The team is aware of multiple ongoing phishing scams impersonating both the WordPress team and the WordPress security team in an attempt to convince administrators to install a plugin on their website which contains malware. I&#8217;ll include a link to that post just in case you have anyone that you think might need to be aware of that, but also all of our site administrators know. Like, WordPress is not gonna email you asking for passwords or anything ever. </p>



<p>[00:07:02] <strong>Josepha:</strong> And item number three, I would like you to join the Plugin review team. I know I just said it in the body of the episode. But, the Plugin review team is looking for new members still who believe in our mission of guiding plugin authors in responsibly transforming their innovative ideas into reality and ensuring a great WordPress plugin experience for end users. There is a deadline to apply; it&#8217;s December 31st. And so you can get that done over the holidays, over a glass of eggnog if that&#8217;s how you choose to celebrate whatever it is that you do. </p>



<p>And that&#8217;s it for your small list of big things.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Don&#8217;t forget to follow us on your favorite podcast app or subscribe directly on WordPress.org/news. You&#8217;ll get a friendly reminder whenever there&#8217;s a new episode. If you liked what you heard today, share it with a fellow WordPresser. Or, if you had questions about what you heard, you can share those with me at wpbriefing@WordPress.org. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. See you again in a couple of weeks.&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:"Tue, 26 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Brett McSherry";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:49:"Do The Woo Community: Goodbye 2023 and Hello 2024";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78744";s:7:"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:48:"https://dothewoo.io/goodbye-2023-and-hello-2024/";s: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:345:"<p>As we look at the past year, and what 2024 holds, we are growing even more globally and elevating more voices. </p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/goodbye-2023-and-hello-2024/">Goodbye 2023 and Hello 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 21 Dec 2023 13:12:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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: #104 – Thomas Fanchin on Community Engagement in WordPress Sponsorship";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=151915";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/104-thomas-fanchin-on-community-engagement-in-wprdpress-sponsorship";s: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:42029:"Transcript<div>
<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>



<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, community engagement in WordPress sponsorship.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast, player of choice, or by going to WPTavern.com forward slash feed forward slash podcast. And you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>



<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea, featured on the show. Head to WPTavern.com forward slash contact forward slash jukebox, and use the form there.</p>



<p>So on the podcast today, we have Thomas Fanchin. Thomas is a WordPress enthusiast and is the partnership manager for Weglot, which is a solution for translating websites, not limited to WordPress.</p>



<p>His role means that he&#8217;s immersed in the WordPress community. He&#8217;s passionate about connecting with, and learning from, others in the community. Thomas talks on the podcast about Weglot&#8217;s involvement in WordPress initiatives and events.</p>



<p>We get into how they decide what to sponsor, and what they hope to get in return. Thomas discusses the difficulties in tracking the effectiveness of marketing efforts at events. They&#8217;ve tried all manner of approaches, and we chat about the complex nature of measuring the return on investment, and whether it&#8217;s enough to have brand visibility as the only outcome.</p>



<p>The conversation turns to the unique engagement opportunities within the WordPress and open source community. And whether these events are different from other, more corporate, events held elsewhere.</p>



<p>Weglot operates both within and beyond the WordPress ecosystem, and Thomas shares the company&#8217;s focus on adaptability and replication in other communities. While profitability comparisons between WordPress and Shopify events are not easy to measure, thomas acknowledges both platforms are strong partners for Weglot, expressing interest in engaging with new content management systems and communities.</p>



<p>Thomas wants to explore some innovative sponsor initiatives beyond typical events in the near future. He thinks that guest posts, supporting meetups, and sharing personal expertise might be potential ways for companies to effectively engage in the WordPress space.</p>



<p>But not everything is new, and Thomas talks about Weglot&#8217;s approach towards flagship events, like WordCamp Asia and WordCamp US. They are hard at work already figuring out what they&#8217;re going to bring along, and how they&#8217;re always trying to think outside of the box.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in learning about the intricacies of sponsorship, the impact of sponsored engagements at events, and the future landscape of sponsor initiatives within the WordPress community, this episode is for you.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, you can find all of the links in the show notes by heading to WPTavern.com forward slash podcast, where you&#8217;ll find all the other episodes as well.</p>



<p>And so, without further delay, I bring you Thomas Fanchin.</p>



<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Thomas Fanchin. Hello, Thomas.</p>



<p>[00:03:46] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Hey. How&#8217;s it going?</p>



<p>[00:03:48] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Good, thank you. Very nice to have you on the podcast. We&#8217;ve intended to do this podcast before, but we had some gremlins and so we finally got to it. And I appreciate you staying the course, Thomas. Really appreciate it.</p>



<p>Just to give people some context, we&#8217;re going to be talking a little bit about sponsorship, perhaps about events today. But I guess it would be important to give you an opportunity to say who you are, and why your voice matters in this space. So a little time for a bio. Would you just tell us, Thomas, who you are and what your background is with WordPress. Who you work for, that kind of thing.</p>



<p>[00:04:17] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Oh gosh. That&#8217;s a lot of information. I&#8217;m going to try to stay brief. Who am I? I work at Weglot, as a partnership manager there. My day to day task consisting interacting with tech partners, but also a lot with communities, including WordPress.</p>



<p>I started my journey within WordPress during my time when I was a student. I wanted to create a website. It was a pet website, back in the days I wanted to launch my own business. So that&#8217;s how I discovered WordPress. But I didn&#8217;t know anything about the community. I was trying to do everything by myself.</p>



<p>When I started to work at Weglot, that&#8217;s when I started to interact a little bit with people from the community, meetup organiser, WorldCamps, organisers. But also just people doing podcasts and other things, inside of WordPress. Once you get to interact with people inside of the WordPress community, you&#8217;re just always going to talk with a lot of people, and do a lot of stuff around WordPress. So that&#8217;s how I got into where I&#8217;m right now today</p>



<p>[00:05:23] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We should probably explain exactly what Weglot does, because people may or may not understand what it does. But obviously it puts you squarely in the international localisation space. So just give us a, again, almost like a bio for Weglot. What does it do?</p>



<p>[00:05:36] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Yeah. So Weglot is basically a transition plugin, that allow you to translate our website into multiple language. It&#8217;s super simple plugin to use. It&#8217;s easy to set up. If you ever want to try it, just go for it and let us know what are your thoughts about it?</p>



<p>[00:05:52] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, so we&#8217;re going to talk a little bit today about the WordPress community, and about decisions that Weglot have made, in terms of where their endeavors lie. Obviously, every company in the WordPress space would love to grow and grow, and one of the ways that people do that is to sponsor events. They might sponsor particular online events, or WordCamps, and things like that.</p>



<p>So we&#8217;re going to dig into that a little bit. We&#8217;re not talking about what you&#8217;re going to do in the future, that&#8217;s up to you to decide. But in the past, what kind of things have Weglot done to get themselves out there in front of the WordPress community?</p>



<p>[00:06:27] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> We have sponsored quite a few WordCamps and meetups, in the past. During my first year, we&#8217;ve sponsored around 50 WordCamps, and it was almost the same with the meetups. Like, we sponsored maybe 30 meetups, something like that. Which was great. There was definitely a lot of logistic behind it.</p>



<p>And back then, we were thinking about becoming global sponsors. Because at some point it was hard for us to keep up with all the events, and for logistic matters too. We thought about it. And also, we were starting to think, yeah, what&#8217;s the next big move? What can we do more? What can we do better?</p>



<p>So we tried the global sponsorship, for two years now. It was also super interesting. With the global sponsorship came also new challenges. We also started to invest more into Five for the Future. I would say, yeah, we&#8217;re still super invested and trying to support more initiatives, and support more of the WordPress community.</p>



<p>[00:07:31] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> When you sit down with all of the decision makers in Weglot, how do you decide what it is that you are going to do? Because, obviously I&#8217;m not a sponsor, I have never sponsored anything, but I&#8217;ve spoken to quite a few people from different companies. And if we just take the example of WordCamp, let&#8217;s just stick with WordCamp and maybe some of the bigger events.</p>



<p>My understanding is that most of the companies who support that with sponsorship, they don&#8217;t generally think about it as something which they can measure a return on investment immediately. So let&#8217;s say that they sponsor, and they put $50,000 into sponsoring a particular WordCamp. They&#8217;re not thinking, okay, we need to get that $50,000 back, or $100,000, or some multiple thereof.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s more about just being a good citizen. Making sure that people are aware that the company exists. And we&#8217;re in financial times at the moment, where every dollar spent is really something that has to be thought about. So I just wondered if you wanted to give us an idea, why do you sponsor? Why have you been a global sponsor? What have you hoped to get out of it, and has it delivered what you wanted?</p>



<p>[00:08:40] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> It&#8217;s another big question. So I&#8217;m going to try to reply with as much elements as I can. I think, first of all, it depends on the company culture. So if you are a company and you were built, or you are based, around one specific community, then it becomes easier for you to just talk about budget for the community support. Because, I mean, the company is originally based around it. Maybe the owners are already aware of what it is.</p>



<p>And if you take, for example, Weglot, for us, the community, it&#8217;s equel feedback. So a lot of people from the team used to do support tickets, back in the days. And a lot of us are still doing it. So it make the connection between the users, the community, the support, which is our frontline, and the company. So it&#8217;s just a connection for us. Which can help us when it comes to decisioning to, yeah, we&#8217;re going to support this, or we&#8217;re going to sponsor this event.</p>



<p>The other part that is also super important, obviously is the visibility part. You mentioned it. It&#8217;s super important for us to be visible, for people to be aware of the product, of what it does.</p>



<p>And there is also the giving back part. Because obviously you are a company, you are growing and it&#8217;s good. But when you grow, you make the community also, the people that help you to grow, grow with you. So basically, it&#8217;s like creating a win win situation between your company growth, and the community.</p>



<p>I think when you combine the three, it&#8217;s let&#8217;s say, easier to set up budget, and to have this type of discussion. And it also depends maybe on your marketing strategy too. We can get into that.</p>



<p>For us, we divided into two type of strategies. So there is growth marketing, and there you have some KPIs, and it&#8217;s based on performance. And you have brand marketing. Brand marketing is not based on performance. But the Weglot brand, it&#8217;s combined with community, and with events. So we cannot dissociate both, which is good for us as a brand, and good also for the community. And it&#8217;s not based on performance.</p>



<p>The thing that mattered to us, is that the product, again, is visible. And when someone think about multilingual, we want him to think about Weglot. We know that there are agencies, freelancers, partners, people within the WordPress space, but also outside of the WordPress space, who think about Weglot, because they have met us somewhere in Asia, during WordCamp Asia, or at an event five years ago, or at a meetup, or during a conference. But it&#8217;s hard to track that. But we know that it&#8217;s working.</p>



<p>[00:11:23] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> When you say you know that it&#8217;s working, is that just an intuition that you anecdotally hear that people, when you maybe ask them, where did you hear about us? It may have been that they can link back to a sponsorship at a particular event. Or, is it more anecdotal than that? You just get a sense that there&#8217;s an uptick in sales immediately after events, and things like that.</p>



<p>[00:11:43] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Yeah. I think the tracking part is really hard to measure. We&#8217;ve tried a couple of things in the past, like coupon deals. It didn&#8217;t work out. We tried QR code too, because I know like a lot of us are trying to flash the QR code, and it wasn&#8217;t the best solution too. We tried to have people fill up forms. It wasn&#8217;t the best solution. And in terms of logistic, it&#8217;s just super hard to maintain.</p>



<p>I know some companies are trying like this massive gift by participating an event, by entering your actual information, and so on. But I&#8217;m not sure that it has the best return on investment for them. It&#8217;s more a visibility thing, I think. I&#8217;m not sure. Maybe it&#8217;s working. If it&#8217;s working, it&#8217;s awesome and it&#8217;s cool. But I think it&#8217;s more a visibility matter.</p>



<p>I think there is no real tracking that you can set up to measure this type of action. Which is why we separate both, and you have growth marketing and brand marketing. Both goals are set aside.</p>



<p>[00:12:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We are in a very interesting community, in that we&#8217;re quite unique I think. The open source movement, but WordPress particular. In that we turn up to these events, and we know that there&#8217;s going to be sponsors there, and we may interact with those sponsors. But on some level, the open source, the nature of open source has this kind of no sponsorship feel to it, if you know what I mean? There&#8217;s this kind of, everything is free, and we give our time for free, and all of that kind of thing.</p>



<p>So I just wonder if you collide with that. You turn up to these events, you&#8217;ve paid a lot of money to be a part of the sponsorship area, and maybe the crowd that have turned up are not, you know, that willing to engage with you. Maybe in a different environment, a much more corporate environment, people would be willing to make that trade a little bit more, and they might be more willing to come and talk with you, because, I don&#8217;t know, they&#8217;ve got a different agenda.</p>



<p>Do you sense that a little bit? Is there something about this community which makes it harder to advertise towards them? And if that&#8217;s the case, I presume that you have to keep juggling that.</p>



<p>[00:13:45] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> I guess the goal is to try to be really innovative, in a way that people come and interact with you. So, it&#8217;s really your role, as a sponsor to try to make sure that you do not cross a certain line. And that everything that you put out there, in terms of content, the booth, the people that are here, the people with whom you are working to, are aligned with the community culture, with the company culture too. That way you make sure that people come and interact with you.</p>



<p>I don&#8217;t see people as really like hostile toward us. Working at Weglot for the past five years, I&#8217;ve only had positive feedback about what we do inside of a community, and also about the product itself. From time to time, people don&#8217;t like it. It&#8217;s totally fine. And it&#8217;s good, because that way you can, yeah, like amazing feedbacks. To be honest, I don&#8217;t see anything wrong within the community and how it&#8217;s working out. From my perspective, and from the sponsor perspective too, I don&#8217;t know about what others might think, but that&#8217;s just my thoughts.</p>



<p>[00:14:57] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> In your introduction, when you were describing Weglot, you mentioned that WordPress is one aspect of that. But I&#8217;m reading between the lines, I could be wrong. Is it the case that Weglot operates outside the WordPress ecosystem as well? And if that&#8217;s the case, do you have a different approach to your marketing in the different markets? So firstly, let&#8217;s answer that question. Does it operate outside of WordPress? And if the answer to that is yes, what kind of things do you bolt onto? Is it other CMSs, or what?</p>



<p>[00:15:25] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> So the two founders of Weglot, they always had these goals of creating a solution for translation, that could be used on any website on the market. That was the purpose of the tool. We started to launch it on WordPress, but we also made a version for Shopify. And now you have this general integration that you can use on any website. And so the answer is yes. You can use Weget outside of WordPress.</p>



<p>Regarding question two, I think it&#8217;s a similar approach. It might be because of the company culture, and because of where we started. WordPress is like a big part of what we do inside of different communities. We believe that what we are doing here is really positive. And if something is working, and it&#8217;s positive, what you are going to try to do is to replicate it in other communities.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s really what we try to do, but at the same time, of course, you need to adapt yourselves to the other communities. Because, I don&#8217;t know, maybe it&#8217;s not the same people inside of a community. Maybe it&#8217;s more like corporate people. Maybe it&#8217;s people that are not interested about open source. Maybe it&#8217;s people who don&#8217;t know at all about how to code. I don&#8217;t know. There is various communities out there. And yeah, I would say like, we try to adapt ourself, and at the same time we try to replicate what&#8217;s working.</p>



<p>[00:16:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> This is going to be a difficult question to answer, potentially, because you may not have the numbers hand. But do you know if, let&#8217;s take the example of Shopify. Do you know if Shopify gives Weglot a greater level of profitability? For every dollar spent on events, or on advertising on Facebook, or Google, or whatever it may be, wherever those dollars get spent. Do you know if there is a greater profitability in one of those communities, than there is in another?</p>



<p>[00:17:15] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> That&#8217;s the big question. What I can say is that WordPress and Shopify, they are one of our big partners, with a strong attachment to WordPress. Because when the two founders launch Weglot, it was during WordCamp Paris. So that&#8217;s what I can say.</p>



<p>I don&#8217;t have the specific numbers in mind, but it&#8217;s true that there is a lot of new communities and new CMSs out there that are emerging. And it&#8217;s definitely super interesting to interact with them for me as a partner manager. And to discover new CMSs, new communities, that comes with new people from like various communities out there.</p>



<p>[00:17:54] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So we&#8217;ve spent quite a bit of time talking about sponsoring events, but obviously sponsoring could be in all sorts of different directions. And I think you mentioned things like Five for the Future. I&#8217;m wondering if that&#8217;s something that Weglot explore. So, you know, if you&#8217;re listening to this podcast and you are working for a company, and you&#8217;re trying to think of innovative, interesting ways, and obviously you could sponsor a WordCamp, that one&#8217;s fairly straightforward.</p>



<p>Are there any other things that you do? So for example, do you sponsor particular individuals to contribute to the code base? Do you sponsor some smaller events like meetups, or anything like that? Do you do things like Five for the Future, or any other things that we may not have heard of? So anything outside the normal typical WordPress events.</p>



<p>[00:18:34] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> I think it&#8217;s a quite interesting topic, because I think like everyone within the WordPress space, like companies, they can do like various innovative initiatives. We are all like super, super busy with our agendas. But you could contribute by providing, I don&#8217;t know, guest posts, content in the areas where you are an expert. For example, for us it would be like multilingual.</p>



<p>So if you have a content team, or people from your content team that could help others. You could also, let&#8217;s say, help meet up organisers with their venues. At Weglot, from time to time, there is like this marketing community. They come to have breakfast at Weglot in the morning. It&#8217;s not cool for the employees because you get to work and everybody is eating, and you need to work. You could also do that.</p>



<p>From a personal standpoint, I did a couple of talks during meetups, around multilingual. I mean, I&#8217;m not the best. I&#8217;m sure there is plenty of people with more knowledge than me. But I have my own expertise, and my experience, and I can share it. And so far I&#8217;ve received just positive feedbacks. There is various stuff that you could do at a personal level inside of a company.</p>



<p>And yeah, of course we are also doing Five for the Future. We are sponsoring, I think, right now, three contributors inside of the community team, and the Polyglot team too. It&#8217;s quite interesting. It&#8217;s something totally new for us. We never did it in the past. And what we try to have various people who are really enthusiastic about the community, and who loves to do plenty of stuff. It will be like, I don&#8217;t know, recruitment, just someone that would come like to the Weglot team and work. We try to have the same type of people with whom we&#8217;re collaborating there, which is awesome.</p>



<p>We also supported, you mentioned meetups, we also supported a few meetups in different ways, because we try to always adapt the budget. And also the way that we support those meetups, because some of them, they need money for the venue. Other needs equipment. And there is like layers of people out there who have specific needs, so we try to adapt ourself.</p>



<p>We&#8217;re also doing something quite interesting. There&#8217;s the Weglot community there, where we invite our ambassadors, inside of the company, for one or two days. And they get to meet everyone from the company, and they get to teach about what they do inside of specific communities, and how it helps Weglot.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s super interesting because it helps the company culture. When you are growing, and you have more and more people coming inside of the company, it&#8217;s interesting to learn the basics, but also to understand what we are doing inside of WordPress, or inside of other communities too.</p>



<p>Because obviously for us, it&#8217;s simple. We know what the community is about. We know what we&#8217;re doing. We know what&#8217;s WordPress, what&#8217;s a meetup, what&#8217;s a WordCamp. But maybe like for others, it&#8217;s a little bit more, not hard to understand, but there is less visibility on this type of action. Which is why it&#8217;s super interesting to have community people to come and just interact with the team.</p>



<p>One thing that is quite interesting, because you mentioned that we are present on different communities, and we also have different ambassadors. And this year we&#8217;re making a community day in March, if I&#8217;m right. If I&#8217;m wrong, my event manager is going to be mad at me. And some of them will be outside of WordPress. And they would meet each other and attend like conference during the day, and teach to each other what they do in different space. And also about their approach, because it&#8217;s not the same approach. So it&#8217;s going to be quite interesting to have those type of interaction. But yeah, maybe I&#8217;m being too long.</p>



<p>[00:22:12] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> No, that&#8217;s really interesting. You mentioned the ambassadors. Who are they then? it sounds like they&#8217;re people who are closely aligned with what you do, but not employees. They&#8217;re just people that use your services and products, but they&#8217;re not on the payroll. But they&#8217;re willing to give some of their time over to your endeavors. That&#8217;s interesting.</p>



<p>[00:22:28] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Yeah. The ambassador program is something that we have put together because we started to sponsor quite a few WordCamps. And it was hard for us to be able to travel from point A, to point B, to point C. You could imagine having an event in France, another one in Spain, and another one in England. So it&#8217;s hard to commute. At the end you would be like totally tired. And it&#8217;s not the goal. The goal is, of course, to have a nice balance between personal life and work life.</p>



<p>We found out that there was plenty of people who were attending WordCamps, and were willing to do it for companies like us. We tried to find some community people who shared the same thoughts as we do, inside of Weglot. Love the product, want to talk about it, and want to participate inside of a community, That&#8217;s how it started.</p>



<p>Now we have a few ambassadors who are working with us. We try now, since this year, it&#8217;s the first time that we did the community day, so we try to have the ones that are representing us in like various countries, to come up in Paris with us and discuss with the team.</p>



<p>[00:23:40] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s a really nice initiative. I like that. I also just like the fact that there&#8217;s people who are so into what you do as a product, that they&#8217;re willing to donate their time. It&#8217;s almost like a little microcosm of the WordPress project inside the Weglot project. You&#8217;ve got volunteers who are helping you out. Yeah. That&#8217;s fascinating.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m going to just encourage the listeners of the podcast to go to the show notes, and I&#8217;m going to link to a piece on the make.wordpress.org website by Cate DeRosia. It was published on the 29th of November 2023, and it&#8217;s called, Should We Allow Sponsor Demo Rooms or Tracks at Events. I&#8217;m also going to link to a piece over on Post Status by Marieke van de Rakt. The name of that piece escapes me at the moment. But it was all about the WordPress community getting divided into participants on the one hand, and sponsors and companies on the other hand.</p>



<p>And I&#8217;m interested about this. I&#8217;m interested to know from your perspective. Now we&#8217;ve talked a little bit about how you make a return on investment, or whether that&#8217;s necessary or not. But I&#8217;m wondering if, as the years have gone on, you mentioned that you&#8217;ve been involved in WordPress for five years or more. Have you still got the same excitement for attending these kind of events, or do you wish there to be some kind of change?</p>



<p>And in Cate DeRosia&#8217;s piece, she&#8217;s basically saying, do we need to think a little bit outside of the box in order to get sponsors to attend these events? It sounds, the undercurrent, I guess is that it&#8217;s harder than ever to get the sponsors, enough sponsors, to cover the cost of the events.</p>



<p>So I&#8217;m just wondering if the people in the comments, you have any ideas on how your sponsor dollars could be spent? Such that you feel you&#8217;re getting more value than you are at the moment.</p>



<p>[00:25:21] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> From a personal point of view, it&#8217;s definitely super amazing to be able to travel to this event. Because you get to travel from all over the globe, thanks to WordPress, which is super cool. I&#8217;ve never been in Asia, and I went to Bangkok earlier this year, which was awesome.</p>



<p>And you get to spend time there with people with whom you have a close relationship now, thanks to WordPress. And people with whom you are friends now during this event, and that you&#8217;re not probably going to meet throughout the year, which is just amazing.</p>



<p>And from a, more of a sponsor level, I would say maybe five years ago there was more engagement. If you take an event like WordCamp Europe, we&#8217;ve talked a little bit about it, let&#8217;s talk about it again here. Yeah there were for sure like, maybe more participants and more engagement in WordCamp Europe in Berlin, than maybe now the last WordCamp Europe in Athens. It was like a really huge event, with way more sponsors than five years ago.</p>



<p>People I believe, at least that&#8217;s my thoughts, were a little bit lost with all the sponsors, and all the tracks, and everything that was happening. It was still an amazing event. I love it. It was awesome. But yeah, maybe there was a little bit less engagement.</p>



<p>And there were also other events, like in Asia, where it was just like WordCamp Asia, was just amazing. I&#8217;ve spoke with so many people that were interested about the product, about what we do. And it was something new, because it was the first time too. So I guess we&#8217;ll see like this year, next year, and the coming years how it&#8217;ll evolve. But I&#8217;m sure it could be positive.</p>



<p>Yeah, maybe right now there is less engagement. But if we go back to the beginning of this conversation, I think the job of a lot of sponsors here, is to try to be innovative to attract people. It could be your booth. It could be the activities that we are doing.</p>



<p>I think right now it is just, we are at a stage where we should all start to think about outside of the box, and think about crazy ideas that we could put together, to have people come interact with your product. But also with what you do inside of a company.</p>



<p>[00:27:44] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, I think Cate&#8217;s piece really is raising that question. So, maybe it&#8217;s off the back of data saying what you&#8217;ve just said, where the engagement is maybe down. And it&#8217;s curious that you found that the engagement was up in WordCamp Asia. So maybe that&#8217;s because they were doing things differently. Maybe they had a different, just a whole different approach, and they&#8217;re trying innovative new things. Certainly speaking to some of the organisers, that was very much the intent, was to try out some new things. And from your perspective, that seems to work.</p>



<p>But as attendees of the events will know, the ticket price is incredibly low. And that is largely offset by sponsors. And so if sponsors, like Weglot, determine that the engagement, it&#8217;s going down. Maybe we shouldn&#8217;t sponsor this particular event. That then jeopardises the event in the future. So Cate&#8217;s piece, I guess, is trying to figure out if there are things which would attract the sponsors.</p>



<p>So she&#8217;s suggesting things like demo rooms, and various other things are suggested in the chat. But she&#8217;s thinking things like, could we have a standalone room just for demos, for sponsors? Would it be possible to offer them different kind of packages? What would those packages contain? Could there be maybe some, I don&#8217;t know, an event which is at the end of the event as a whole, where the sponsors get up and get to give away prizes or something like that.</p>



<p>The point is thinking out the box. And we did an episode a few weeks ago, which again I&#8217;ll link to in the show notes, where we&#8217;re talking about next gen events. And all of that, again, seems to be talking about a picture of, these events are after the pandemic at least. We&#8217;re struggling to get them back. We&#8217;re struggling for the sponsors to be interested. We&#8217;re struggling to get the numbers back. And so being innovative matters.</p>



<p>Do you think that you&#8217;ll be, in the next five years, sponsoring these events at the same level, or do you have an intuition that you&#8217;ll be going your own route and trying things own way?</p>



<p>[00:29:32] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Yeah. If we&#8217;re talking about the flagship events, I know that next year we will still support all of them, which is great. I already know that for WordCamp Europe, we are going to have a really nice booth there. And everyone is right now working to be as innovative as possible, to make sure that everyone has a super nice experience entering into the Weglot booth. I hope it&#8217;s going to be amazing.</p>



<p>In WordCamp Asia, I know that we are working right now on the booth, the concept and everything that we&#8217;re going to do there, which is awesome. And I think it&#8217;ll be the same for WordCamp US.</p>



<p>On a more global perspective, I know that this year, we are not going to be global sponsors. But the reason behind it, is that we want to diversify the way that we support WordPress. And we are going to try to invest more into new initiatives, but also into contribution space, and into Five for the Future.</p>



<p>But yeah, it doesn&#8217;t mean that we are stopping anything. We are still going to support the flagships, and other WordCamps too. We are going to be just more selective into the WordCamps that we are supporting.</p>



<p>But I think, for us, it&#8217;s more the logistics behind supporting like all the events. It was hard to follow up. And we always had that goal in mind, that if we were going to be global sponsor, we wanted to have someone representing us in all the WordCamps.</p>



<p>And unfortunately, we were not able to maintain that. It&#8217;s cool, not cool, but it&#8217;s like amazing to support all these events. But you need to make sure that, at least you have someone out there, and not only is there like an empty table with no goodies or with some goodies and no one there.</p>



<p>And even the logistic behind like sending goodies in like, all the places in the world, it&#8217;s like crazy. And we were lucky. Now we have our event manager who is working with us, and she put together an amazing program for the goodies itself. So it was like something that she set up only for that. And we were able to work with ambassadors from a lot of places, which is also like super cool, because now we have more and more people working with us. But still it was hard for us to be able to be present everywhere, as we wanted to. So it&#8217;s part of the reason why. What was the initial question again? Maybe I got lost.</p>



<p>[00:31:57] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it was really about whether or not you see the landscape in the next five years being the same as in the last five years. So, obviously money is tight everywhere.</p>



<p>[00:32:07] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> I was speaking about this year, and about how we were going to support also like meetups too. So, I&#8217;m in touch with some meetup organisers too, and we&#8217;re going to support their meetups.</p>



<p>I know that a lot of sponsors are struggling, and as we talk about it earlier, it&#8217;s hard to keep a track on everything that we&#8217;re doing. And for sure, if there is room for new types of sponsorship, or new types of visibility action that we can put together, it would be awesome.</p>



<p>The thing that you have to keep in mind, is that it&#8217;s cool to have these new ideas, but we need to make sure that it aligns with the community. And that we don&#8217;t cross that line that we spoke about earlier. The more that people are positive about the new ideas that we have, and the better it is for us, because it means more people are going to engage.</p>



<p>The last thing that you want to have is to put out there like some, I don&#8217;t know, new ideas, or new things to get more visibility. And what is going to happen is that you have less engagement, and then sponsors are going to be, okay, it&#8217;s not working. There is less engagement than before.</p>



<p>[00:33:13] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. I think the endeavor at the moment seems to be to try a lot of these new ideas out on what they&#8217;re calling next gen events. Whether that name will stick around or not, I don&#8217;t know. But the intention, really, is to try these out on the smaller events. So try out some new things, try a different approach at a variety of different events. Who knows what that will be, but there was an example of a much smaller, newer event in the UK not that long ago. See how they go, and see if any of the ideas from those can percolate up into the bigger events, possibly.</p>



<p>But you&#8217;re right, you risk alienating the community at your peril. If at the end of the day you go over a boundary that the community seemingly can&#8217;t tolerate, then you risk polluting the entire river, which would be a complete disaster.</p>



<p>So I guess we&#8217;re going to see. Let&#8217;s see how these things change in the future. Let&#8217;s see how companies cope with the realities of post 2023. Over the next few years, see what their purse strings are like, and let&#8217;s hope these events are continued to be sponsored by companies like Weglot.</p>



<p>Thomas, just a quick one. If anybody has listened to this and thought, do you know what, I&#8217;m struggling with the same sorts of things, it would be nice to chat to Thomas, see if there&#8217;s any alignment. Maybe there&#8217;s some sort of opportunities to work together. Where would be the best place to get in touch with you?</p>



<p>[00:34:24] <strong>Thomas Fanchin:</strong> Maybe on LinkedIn. You could all reach out to me on LinkedIn. I&#8217;m not posting every day, but i&#8217;m really reachable by message. So if anyone wants to reach out, talk about WordPress, talk about Five for the Future, or contribution, or you have a new podcast idea, you&#8217;re looking for support. Or you just want to discuss a little bit about partnership, feel free to reach out to me there.</p>



<p>I also have a Twitter account. It&#8217;s my name, so Thomas Fanchin. Have a look at it on both LinkedIn and Twitter. You will find me, I&#8217;m almost sure.</p>



<p>And otherwise, you could just reach out to the support team. If you want to reach out, support@weglot.com, and just say that you want to talk with Thomas, and I would be tagged. So that&#8217;s also easy if you want to reach out to me. So yeah, it up to you.</p>



<p>[00:35:14] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Thank you Thomas. I really appreciate you talking to me on the podcast today. Thanks so much indeed.</p>
</div>



<p>On the podcast today we have <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-fanchin-b31333137/">Thomas Fanchin</a>.</p>



<p>Thomas is a WordPress enthusiast and is the partnership manager for <a href="https://www.weglot.com/">Weglot</a>, which is a solution for translating websites, not limited to WordPress. His role means that he’s immersed in the WordPress community. He’s passionate about connecting with, and learning from, others in the community.</p>



<p>Thomas talks on the podcast about Weglot&#8217;s involvement in WordPress initiatives and events. We get into how they decide what to sponsor and what they hope to get in return.</p>



<p>Thomas discusses the difficulties in tracking the effectiveness of marketing efforts at events. They’ve tried all manner of approaches, and we chat about the complex nature of measuring the return on investment, and whether it’s enough to have brand visibility as the only outcome.</p>



<p>The conversation turns to the unique engagement opportunities within the WordPress and open source community, and whether these events are different from other, more corporate, events held elsewhere.</p>



<p>Weglot operates both within and beyond the WordPress ecosystem, and Thomas shares the company&#8217;s focus on adaptability and replication in other communities. While profitability comparisons between WordPress and Shopify events are not easy to measure, Thomas acknowledges both platforms as strong partners for Weglot, expressing interest in engaging with new content management systems (CMS) and communities.</p>



<p>Thomas wants to explore some innovative sponsor initiatives beyond typical events in the near future. He thinks that guest posts, supporting meetups, and sharing personal expertise might be potential ways for companies to effectively engage with the WordPress space.</p>



<p>But not everything is new, and Thomas talks about Weglot&#8217;s approach towards flagship events like WordCamp Asia and WordCamp US. They are hard at work already figuring out what they’re going to bring along and how they’re always trying to think outside the box.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in learning about the intricacies of sponsorships, the impact of sponsor engagement at events, and the future landscape of sponsor initiatives within the WordPress community, this episode is for you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links</h2>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/">Five for the Future</a></p>



<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/">Translate WordPress</a></p>



<p><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/11/29/should-we-allow-sponsor-demo-rooms-or-tracks-at-events/">Should We Allow Sponsor Demo Rooms or Tracks at Events?</a></p>



<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/podcast/80-angela-jin-on-how-and-why-wordcamps-might-change-in-the-future">Angela Jin on How and Why WordCamps Might Change in the Future</a></p>



<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/podcast/98-marieke-van-de-rakt-on-uniting-the-wordpress-community-for-a-stronger-future">Marieke van de Rakt on Uniting the WordPress Community for a Stronger Future</a></p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/thomas_fch">Thomas on X</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-fanchin-b31333137/">Thomas on LinkedIn</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:108:"Do The Woo Community: A Post State of the Word Chat with Rocio Valdivia, Pooja Derashri &amp; José Ramón";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78732";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"https://dothewoo.io/a-post-state-of-the-word-chat-with-rocio-valdivia-pooja-derashri-jose-ramon/";s: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:503:"<p>Listen to insights and experiences in the Spanish WordPress community, features and updates announced at SOTW, plus getting involved in the WordPress community. </p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-post-state-of-the-word-chat-with-rocio-valdivia-pooja-derashri-jose-ramon/">A Post State of the Word Chat with Rocio Valdivia, Pooja Derashri &#038; José Ramón</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</a>	.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:50:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:254:"HeroPress: My Journey From an Intern to WordPress Themes Team Reps – मेरो यात्रा: एक प्रशिक्षार्थीबाट वर्डप्रेस थिम्स टीम प्रतिनिधिसम्म";s:7:"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=6254";s:7:"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:184:"https://heropress.com/essays/my-journey-from-an-intern-to-wordpress-themes-team-lead/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-journey-from-an-intern-to-wordpress-themes-team-lead";s: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:59265:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/121923-min.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: Being part of WordCamps is like unlocking a door to a whole new world." /><p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#nepali">यो लेख नेपाली भाषामा पनि उपलब्ध छ।</a></p>



<p><em>Writing this essay brings me immense joy!</em>&nbsp;</p>



<p>I am from a remote corner of Nepal, where a unique culture emerged, the tradition of taking computer classes after completing <span title="School Leaving Certificate"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Leaving_Certificate_(Nepal)">SLC</a></span>. It was a time when nearly 2-5% of students embraced this opportunity. I also joined them in the excitement of learning how to use a computer.</p>



<p>Our teacher kept emphasizing the importance of learning how to type. But sometimes, when he wasn&#8217;t around, we would search for the Internet icon, hoping to find interesting things. Sadly, we didn&#8217;t have an internet connection, but we still tried our best.   </p>



<p>Also, in our little learning space, every chance to use a computer felt special. These early experiences, a mix of fear and curiosity, laid the foundation for our technology journey.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It&#8217;s proof of our eagerness to learn, even when resources were limited.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Looking back, those moments of exploring and trying to connect with the wider digital world were like planting seeds of curiosity. Which later grew into a strong love for technology.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-into-my-roots">A Glimpse into My Roots</h2>



<p>Let&#8217;s stroll through my tech journey, from mastering algorithms to leading the WordPress theme team. It all began after completing ISC (Intermediate of Science) and believe it or not, it happened in a government school.</p>



<p>After finishing school, I had to choose a path, and I went with IT. Now, the funny part is, that I was at a friend&#8217;s house one day, and I saw this cool digital ID card. I asked my friend about it, and he said it was the college ID card. At that moment, I thought, <strong>&#8220;If I study IT, I can get a modern ID card like this!&#8221;</strong></p>



<p><strong><em>The interesting twist is that I ended up being the topper in the entrance exam for IT.</em></strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>When I joined, there were only 15-16 students. Surprisingly, only 7 of us made it through the entire degree because many decided to go to India, and some just realized IT wasn&#8217;t their thing. At that time, only a few people were keen on the IT field.</p>



<p>During my studies, programming code seemed like a puzzle to me. It was challenging to wrap my head around it. However, when we started experimenting and learning to give commands, the real-time working of it all was still a mystery.</p>



<p>As I neared the completion of my bachelor&#8217;s degree, technology was booming, and companies began realizing the importance of having a website. Simultaneously, I got involved in some social sector work, and people there started asking about IT. To understand this field better, I participated in IT events, and that&#8217;s when it hit me, I needed to do something significant in this field.</p>



<p>Fast forward, armed with a bachelor&#8217;s in Information Technology from Purbanchal University. In the 3rd &#8211; 4th semester, I wasn&#8217;t entirely sure what I would be working on afterwards.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>But being in this field made me realize that your degree doesn&#8217;t define what you can achieve. It&#8217;s the passion and dedication that truly matter.</em></strong></p>



<p>Following my bachelor&#8217;s, the next step in my journey was pursuing a master&#8217;s degree to become a specialist. This led me to Sikkim Manipal University, where I immersed myself in the world of Information Technology from 2015 to 2017.</p>



<p>Well, it wasn&#8217;t just about learning Computer Science. It was a hands-on experience with a keen focus on the latest technology and software development.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During my time there, I specialized in object-oriented software development, using the newest tools and systems available. The tech adventure included delving into courses like algorithm analysis, web applications programming, and more.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>Providing me with a robust skill set to navigate the ever-evolving tech world.</em></strong></p>



<p>As I lead the WordPress theme team today, my journey from being an intern is a vibrant mix of continuous learning, personal growth, and a profound passion for shaping the digital landscape.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>Join me in this exciting tech adventure, where every challenge is an opportunity to innovate and evolve!</em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attending-and-organizing-my-first-wordpress-meetup">Attending and Organizing My First WordPress Meetup</h2>



<p>Here&#8217;s an interesting part of how I got involved in WordPress. Back then, we used to install WordPress, add content to websites, and get paid NPR 5,000 for a website. We were thrilled with that!</p>



<p>Later on, during the <strong>&#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibeksheel_Nepali">Bibeksheel Nepali</a>&#8221; </strong>movement led by the late <a href="https://kafleg.com.np/an-open-letter-to-matt-mullenweg/"><strong>Mr Ujwal Thapa</strong></a>, I got to know him. We participated in walking events together, covering the stretch from Mechi to Lumbini for a few days.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During that time, Mr. Thapa emphasized the importance of contributing to the community and working together. He taught me that it&#8217;s not just about me learning and earning, everyone should have that opportunity. That changed my entire mindset!</p>



<p>Now, let me take you back to 2010 when I attended my first WordPress meetup. In a gathering of 40-50 people, we discussed the basics of WordPress and how to create a site.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After 2 years in 2012, I got a chance to organise a WordPress meetup. It was there that I discovered someone who created WordPress themes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I was both shocked and enthusiastic! That night, I went home, and searched for &#8220;Catch Themes&#8221; and &#8220;Graph Paper Press,&#8221; and that&#8217;s when my exploration began.</p>



<p>After that, I stopped using themes from others and started exploring Catch Box of Catch Themes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Back then, I had just heard about WordPress and was eager to explore its potential. Little did I know that this casual meetup would mark the beginning of an incredible journey.</p>



<p>But the experience was exhilarating, bringing together WordPress enthusiasts, sharing ideas, and building a sense of community.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong><em>It felt like planting a seed that would grow into something much larger.</em></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-volunteering-in-first-wordcamp-to-leading-contributor-day-in-wc-asia">Volunteering in First WordCamp to Leading Contributor Day in WC Asia</h2>



<p>Now moving into my WordCamp journey!&nbsp;</p>



<p>After completing my bachelor&#8217;s, I came to Kathmandu in 2014. Luckily, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a WordCamp event with the help of Mr. Ujwal Thapa. Knowing the organizers made it easy for me to blend in among them.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It was an exciting experience for me! From that point on, my world has revolved around WordPress, and I haven&#8217;t seen anything quite like it.</p>


<div class="kb-gallery-wrap-id-6254_16174c-0b alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery"><ul class="kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-grid kb-gallery-id-6254_16174c-0b kb-gallery-caption-style-bottom-hover kb-gallery-filter-none kb-gallery-magnific-init"><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/45717552634_4b10a9f688_k.jpg" class="kb-gallery-item-link"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/45717552634_4b10a9f688_k-1024x579.jpg" width="1024" height="579" alt="" class="wp-image-6259" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">WordCamp Biratnagar 2018</div></div></a></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/contributorday_tableleads_organizers.jpg" class="kb-gallery-item-link"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/contributorday_tableleads_organizers-1024x683.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="" class="wp-image-6260" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">Contributor Day table leads and organizers of WC Asia 2023</div></div></a></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ujwal_3.jpg" class="kb-gallery-item-link"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ujwal_3.jpg" width="960" height="720" alt="" class="wp-image-6261" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">Mr Ujwal Thapa speaking in WordPress Meetup</div></div></a></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/with_worpdressers.jpg" class="kb-gallery-item-link"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/with_worpdressers-1024x768.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="" class="wp-image-6262" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">WordCamp Asia 2023</div></div></a></div></li></ul></div>


<p>On to the year 2015, I ventured into the theme reviewing team, delving into the intricate world of WordPress themes. The learning curve was steep, but the satisfaction of contributing to the WordPress ecosystem was unparalleled. Since 2018, I have been working as a team reps.</p>



<p>My WordCamp journey became a tapestry of experiences, from <strong>WordCamp Nepal in 2014</strong> to various international events like <strong>WordCamp Tokyo in 2017</strong>, <strong>WordCamp Bangkok in 2019</strong>, and more.</p>



<p>Further, I got the golden chance to organize <a href="https://biratnagar.wordcamp.org/2018/"><strong>WordCamp Biratnagar 2018</strong></a><strong> </strong>as a lead. At that moment, there were very few companies who relied on WordPress to earn. It was a hassle to convince people to attend and let them know about WordPress. But we made it successful though!</p>



<p>The years rolled on, and by 2023, I found myself organizing <strong>WordCamp Kathmandu </strong>once again, alongside events in Sylhet, Mumbai, and Manila. The swift of WordCamps continued into 2024, with Nepal and Asia taking the spotlight again.</p>



<p>Reflecting on these years, I&#8217;ve not just attended events, I&#8217;ve woven connections, shared laughter, and learned valuable lessons. Also, personal anecdotes, like meeting fellow WordPress enthusiasts in unexpected places, make these WordCamps memorable.</p>



<p>Looking forward, I&#8217;m thrilled about the upcoming WordCamps and the new experiences they&#8217;ll bring. Each event adds something special to my journey with WordPress, like a unique stroke on a canvas. The adventure goes on, driven by my love for WordPress and the incredible community that makes it all meaningful.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growth-in-career-from-volunteer-to-full-time-wordpress">Growth in Career From Volunteer to Full-time WordPress</h2>



<p>In the vibrant world of WordPress, I wear multiple hats with pride. By day, I&#8217;m a WordPress Developer and Theme Reviewer, channeling my passion into crafting digital experiences that stand out. </p>



<p>My role as a team representative for the WordPress.org themes team, contributing full-time isn&#8217;t just a job, it&#8217;s a joyous commitment that I hold close to my heart.</p>



<p><strong><em>Adding a special touch to this journey is the honor of being sponsored by Rank Math.&nbsp;</em></strong></p>



<p>This collaboration with <a href="https://rankmath.com/"><strong>Rank Math</strong></a><strong> </strong>goes beyond the professional, it&#8217;s a shared dedication to the vibrant WordPress community that fuels my passion.</p>



<p>Now, let me share a bit about how this sponsorship unfolded. Well, <strong>Rank Math </strong>was on the lookout for someone to sponsor, and in that pivotal moment, I had the privilege of connecting with <strong>Bhanu Ahluwalia</strong>, the Co-founder of Rank Math.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Our conversation became more than just a chat; it became the catalyst that made the sponsorship a reality. Working full-time suddenly transformed from a dream to a tangible experience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Beyond the lines of code, my free time transforms into moments of contribution. I find comfort in adding my touch to the WordPress documentation team, weaving words that guide fellow enthusiasts through the vast WordPress landscape.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>My involvement extends:</strong></p>



<ul>
<li>As a WordCamp speaker</li>



<li>Organize WordCamp as a lead organizer</li>



<li>Volunteer in different WordCamps and tech events</li>



<li>Worke in diverse fields like core contributions, and translation, and even dived into theme/plugin development.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>If you&#8217;re curious about my take on these standards, you can catch a glimpse of my <a href="https://wordpress.tv/speakers/ganga-kafle/">WordCamp presentation video</a>.</strong></p>



<p>But my WordPress journey isn&#8217;t confined to screens, it extends to the heartbeat of meetups and open-source platforms. Actively participating and engaging with the community is not just a routine, it&#8217;s a source of inspiration and connection.</p>



<p>When I&#8217;m not crafting code or contributing, you&#8217;ll find me at the seat of WPEntire, my WordPress blog, sharing insights and experiences. It&#8217;s not just a blog, it&#8217;s a canvas where my WordPress journey finds another expressive outlet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-10-years-of-volunteering-and-getting-sponsored-by-rank-math">10 Years of Volunteering and Getting Sponsored By Rank Math</h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve been part of the WordPress community for more than ten years, volunteering and sharing my love for technology. It&#8217;s been an exciting journey, from learning the ropes to contributing to a global community.</p>



<p>Being a volunteer isn&#8217;t just about coding; it&#8217;s a personal adventure of growth and connection. Every bit of code feels like a step in a journey filled with innovation and learning.</p>



<p>A significant part of this journey has been the support from Rank Math. Their sponsorship isn&#8217;t just financial help; it&#8217;s a vote of confidence. It encourages me to keep contributing to a community that has become a vital part of my life.</p>



<p>This collaboration with Rank Math goes beyond code. It&#8217;s a shared belief in WordPress and the power of working together. As I look back at the past ten years, I see a story of learning, growing, and building friendships.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Every WordCamp and meetup is like adding a stroke to my WordPress story. I&#8217;m excited about what the future holds, and the support from Rank Math adds a personal touch to my journey with WordPress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-gateway-to-explore-the-world">A Gateway to Explore the World</h2>



<p>Being part of WordCamps is like unlocking a door to a whole new world. It&#8217;s not just about learning techie stuff, it&#8217;s about meeting people from all over and discovering how big and diverse our world is.</p>



<p>Imagine a big gathering where folks who love working with WordPress come together. It&#8217;s like a big family reunion but with people from different countries and cultures. In this mix, we share ideas, solve problems, and learn from each other.</p>



<p>For me, WordCamps has been a game-changer. They go beyond talking about websites. They help us understand each other&#8217;s worlds.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When I spoke at WordCamp Manila and WordCamp Mumbai, it wasn&#8217;t just about WordPress tricks. It was about learning how people in different places use WordPress to solve unique challenges.</p>



<p>At WordCamp Asia, being in charge of a team with people from all over was a bit like having a superhero squad. We had different skills and backgrounds, and that made us strong. It taught me that when we bring our unique strengths together, amazing things happen.</p>



<p>But WordCamps aren&#8217;t just about work. They&#8217;re about making friends from places you&#8217;ve never been. Sharing stories about how we do things in our hometowns and realizing that even though we&#8217;re different, we&#8217;re also pretty similar.</p>



<p>So, WordCamps have become more than just events for me. They&#8217;ve opened up a whole world of friendships, learning, and exploring different cultures. It&#8217;s like having a passport to a global community where everyone speaks the language of WordPress and friendship.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-thoughts">My Thoughts</h2>



<p>Sure, if you&#8217;re in the IT field, you can find internships on your own by doing some research. Don&#8217;t hesitate to apply and use your resources.</p>



<p>For those interested in WordPress, consider spending 3-6 months as an intern. Instead of just thinking about money, focus on learning and gaining experience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>WordPress is not just for blogs, it&#8217;s also a place for programming where you can make money. Depending on your skills, you can find jobs in writing, front-end development, and more.</p>



<p>Surprisingly, you can even work as an HR for US companies while living in Nepal without being there physically. Being a developer is also not too difficult. If you work within the WordPress community, companies might sponsor you.</p>



<p>Remember, as WordPress grows, more companies will want people like you. Technology and WordPress are always changing. For developers, it means earning in new ways. For others, it&#8217;s a chance for something new; bloggers can improve their blogs, and writers can create fresh content.</p>



<p>So, WordPress offers opportunities for everyone involved. Ways of working and patterns might change, but you’ll never be outdated!</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="nepali">मेरो यात्रा: एक प्रशिक्षार्थीबाट वर्डप्रेस थिम्स टीम प्रतिनिधिसम्म</h2>



<p>यो निबन्ध लेख्दा मलाई अपार आनन्द मिलेको छ !</p>



<p>म नेपालको एउटा दुर्गम कुनाबाट आएको हुँ, जहाँ एक अनौठो संस्कृतिको उदय भयो, एसएलसी पूरा गरेपछि कम्प्युटर कक्षा लिने परम्परा। यो एक समय थियो जब लगभग २-५% विद्यार्थीहरूले यो अवसरलाई अँगालेका थिए!</p>



<p>हाम्रा शिक्षकले टाईपिङ्ग गर्न सिक्नुको महत्त्वलाई जोड दिनुहुन्थ्यो तर कहिलेकाहीँ, जब उहाँ वरपर हुनुहुन्थ्यो, हामी रोचक चीजहरू फेला पार्ने आशामा इन्टरनेट आइकनको प्रयोग गर्थ्यौं। दुर्भाग्यवश, हामीसँग इन्टरनेट जडान थिएन, तर हामीले अझै पनि सक्दो प्रयास गर्थ्यौं।&nbsp;</p>



<p>हाम्रो सानो सिक्ने ठाउँमा, कम्प्युटर प्रयोग गर्ने हरेक मौका विशेष महसुस गर्थ्यौं। यी प्रारम्भिक अनुभवहरू, डर र जिज्ञासाको मिश्रणले हाम्रो टेक्नोलोजी यात्राको जग बसाल्यो।</p>



<p>यो हाम्रो सिक्न उत्सुकताको प्रमाण हो, स्रोतहरू सीमित हुँदा पनि।</p>



<p>फर्केर हेर्दा, अन्वेषण गर्ने र फराकिलो डिजिटल संसारसँग जोडिने प्रयास गर्ने ती क्षणहरू जिज्ञासाको बीउ रोप्ने जस्तै थिए। जुन पछि प्रविधिप्रतिको बलियो प्रेममा परिणत भयो।</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-म-र-धर-तलहर-म-एक-झलक">मेरो धरातलहरुमा एक झलक</h2>



<p>प्रबिधि बिषयमा बिज्ञता हासिल गर्नदेखि वर्डप्रेस थिम टोलीको नेतृत्व गर्नेसम्मको मेरो प्राविधिक यात्रामा घुमौं। यो सबै ISC पूरा गरेपछि सुरु भयो र पत्याउनुहोस् वा नपत्याउनुहोस् , यो एक सरकारी विद्यालयमा भयो।</p>



<p>स्कूल सकिएपछि, मैले बाटो रोज्नुपर्&#x200d;यो, र म आईटीसँग गएँ। अब, रमाइलो पक्ष के हो, म एक दिन साथीको घरमा गएको थिएँ, र मैले त्यस दिन साथीको राम्रो डिजिटल आईडी कार्ड देखे। मैले मेरो साथीलाई यसको बारेमा सोधें, र उसले यो कलेजको परिचयपत्र हो भन्यो। त्यो पल, मैले सोचे, &#8220;यदि मैले आईटी पढे भने, मैले पनि&nbsp; यस्तो आधुनिक आईडी कार्ड पाउछु!&#8221;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>चाखलाग्दो ट्विस्ट यो हो कि म IT को लागी प्रवेश परीक्षामा टपर पनि भएँ।</p>
</blockquote>



<p>म भर्ना हुँदा १५-१६ जना मात्र विद्यार्थी थिए। अचम्मको कुरा के छ भने, हामीमध्ये ७ जनाले मात्रै पूरा डिग्री हासिल गर्&#x200d;यौं किनभने धेरैले भारत जाने निर्णय गरे, र कतिपयले केहि समय पछि IT उनीहरूको कुरा होइन भन्ने महसुस गरे। त्यसबेला आईटी क्षेत्रमा थोरै मानिस मात्रै इच्छुक थिए । धेरैको रोजाई इन्जिनियर हुने हुन्थो।</p>



<p>मेरो अध्ययनको क्रममा, प्रोग्रामिङ कोड मलाई के हो के हो जस्तो लाग्थ्यो। मेरो दिमागमा सहजै बस्नु चुनौतीपूर्ण थियो। जब हामीले प्रयोगशालामा प्रयोग गर्न थाल्यौं, आदेशहरू दिन सिक्यौं, त्यै पनि त्यो अझै रहस्यमय थियो ।</p>



<p>जब मेरो स्नातक डिग्री पूरा गर्ने समय नजिक थियो, टेक्नोलोजी फस्टाउँदै थियो, र कम्पनीहरूले वेबसाइट हुनुको महत्त्व महसुस गर्न थाले। यससँगै म केही सामाजिक क्षेत्रको काममा संलग्न भएँ र त्यहाँका मानिसहरूले IT बारे सोध्न थाले। यस क्षेत्रलाई अझ राम्ररी बुझ्नको लागि, मैले IT कार्यक्रमहरूमा भाग लिएँ, र जब यसले मलाई छोयो, मैले यस क्षेत्रमा केही महत्त्वपूर्ण गर्न आवश्यक ठानेको थिए ।</p>



<p>पूर्वाञ्चल विश्वविद्यालयबाट सूचना प्रविधिमा स्नातक हासिल गरे। पहिला तेश्रो चौथो सेमेस्टर सम्म पनि पछि&nbsp; म पछि के काम गर्नेछु भनेर पूर्णतया निश्चित थिएन।</p>



<p><strong>तर यस क्षेत्रमा भएकोले मलाई तपाईको डिग्रीले तपाईले के हासिल गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ भनेर परिभाषित गर्दैन भन्ने महसुस गरायो। यो जोश र समर्पण हो जुन साँच्चै महत्त्वपूर्ण छ।</strong></p>



<p>मेरो स्नातक पछि, मेरो यात्राको अर्को चरण एक विशेषज्ञ बन्नको लागि मास्टर डिग्री पछ्याउँदै थियो। यसले मलाई सिक्किम मणिपाल विश्वविद्यालयमा पुर्यायो, जहाँ मैले २०१५ देखि २०१७ सम्म सूचना प्रविधिको संसारमा डुबें।</p>



<p>यो कम्प्यूटर विज्ञान सिक्ने बारेमा मात्र थिएन। यो नवीनतम प्रविधि र सफ्टवेयर विकासमा गहिरो ध्यान अनुभव गराउने थलो थियो।</p>



<p>त्यहाँ मेरो समयको दौडान, उपलब्ध नयाँ उपकरण र प्रणालीहरू प्रयोग गरेर वस्तु-उन्मुख सफ्टवेयर विकासमा विशेषज्ञता हासिल गरें। मैले यहाँ धेरै प्रोग्रमिंग भाषाहरु र अन्य कुराहरु सिके ।</p>



<p>यसले मलाई सधैं विकसित हुँदै गइरहेको प्राविधिक संसारमा हिनडुल गर्नको लागि बलियो सीप प्रदान गर्दै थियो।</p>



<p>आज मैले वर्डप्रेस थिम टोलीको नेतृत्व गर्नु, इन्टर्नबाट मेरो यात्रा निरन्तर सिकाइ, व्यक्तिगत वृद्धि, र डिजिटल परिदृश्यलाई आकार दिनको लागि गहिरो जोशको जीवन्त मिश्रण हो।</p>



<p>यो रोमाञ्चक प्राविधिक साहसिक कार्यमा मसँग सामेल हुनुहोस्, जहाँ हरेक चुनौती नवीनता र विकास गर्ने अवसर हो!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-म-र-पह-ल-वर-डप-र-स-म-टअपम-सहभ-ग-ह-द-र-आय-जन-गर-द">मेरो पहिलो वर्डप्रेस मिटअपमा सहभागी हुँदै र आयोजन गर्दै</h2>



<p><br />यहाँ म कसरी वर्डप्रेसमा संलग्न भएँ को एक रोचक कहानी छ। त्यसबेला, हामीले वर्डप्रेस स्थापना गर्ने, वेबसाइटहरूमा सामग्री थप्ने र साइटका लागि नेपाली ५,000 लिने गर्दथ्यौं। हामी त्यो संग रोमाञ्चित भयौ!</p>



<p>पछि स्वर्गीय <a href="https://kafleg.com.np/an-open-letter-to-matt-mullenweg/">उज्वल थापाको</a> नेतृत्वमा भएको ‘<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibeksheel_Nepali">विवेकशील नेपाली</a>’ आन्दोलनको क्रममा मैले उहाँलाई चिनेँ । मेचीदेखि लुम्बिनीसम्म केही दिनसम्म सँगै हिँड्ने कार्यक्रममा भाग लिए।</p>



<p>सो क्रममा श्री थापाले समुदायमा योगदान र मिलेर काम गर्नुपर्नेमा जोड दिए । उनले मलाई सिक्ने र कमाउने मात्र होइन, सबैले त्यो अवसर पाउनुपर्छ भनेर सिकाए। यसले मेरो सम्पूर्ण मानसिकता परिवर्तन गर्यो।&nbsp;</p>



<p>अब, म तपाइँलाई २०१० मा फिर्ता लैजान चाहन्छु जब मैले मेरो पहिलो वर्डप्रेस भेटघाटमा भाग लिएको थिएँ। करिब ४०-५० व्यक्तिहरूको भेलामा, हामीले वर्डप्रेसको आधारभूत कुराहरू र कसरी साइट सिर्जना गर्ने बारे छलफल गर्यौं।</p>



<p>२०१२ मा २ वर्ष पछि, मैले वर्डप्रेस मिटअप आयोजना गर्ने मौका पाएँ। त्यहाँ मैले वर्डप्रेस थिम सिर्जना गर्ने व्यक्ति हरुलाई चिने ।</p>



<p>म स्तब्ध र उत्साहित दुवै थिएँ । त्यो रात, म घर गएँ, र &#8220;क्याच थिम&#8221; र &#8220;ग्राफ पेपर प्रेस&#8221; खोजेँ र त्यही बेला मेरो अन्वेषण सुरु भयो।</p>



<p>त्यस पछि, मैले अरूबाट बनेका थिमहरू प्रयोग गर्न छोडें र क्याच थिमको थिम क्याच बक्स अन्वेषण गर्न थाले।</p>



<p>त्यसबेला, मैले भर्खरै वर्डप्रेसको बारेमा सुनेको थिएँ र यसको सम्भाव्यता अन्वेषण गर्न उत्सुक थिएँ। यो अनौपचारिक भेटघाटले अविश्वसनीय यात्राको सुरुवात गर्नेछ भन्ने कुरा मलाई कमै थाहा थियो।</p>



<p>तर त्यो बेलाको अनुभव रमाइलो थियो, वर्डप्रेस उत्साहीहरूलाई सँगै ल्याउने, विचारहरू साझा गर्ने, र समुदायको भावना निर्माण गर्ने।</p>



<p><strong>यो एउटा बीउ रोपेको जस्तो महसुस भयो जुन पछि धेरै ठूलो बन्नेछ।</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-पह-ल-वर-डक-य-म-पम-स-वय-स-वक-भएर-सहभ-ग-ह-द-र-वर-डक-य-म-प-एश-य-क-कन-ट-र-ब-य-टर-ड-म-अग-व-ई-गर-द">पहिलो वर्डक्याम्पमा स्वयंसेवक भएर सहभागी हुँदै र वर्डक्याम्प एशियाको कन्ट्रिब्यूटर डे मा अगुवाई गर्दै</h2>



<p>अब मेरो वर्डक्याम्प यात्रामा जाउँ ।&nbsp;</p>



<p>मैले स्नातक पूरा गरेपछि, म २०१४ मा काठमाडौं आएँ। सौभाग्यवश, मैले श्री उज्ज्वल थापाको सहयोगमा वर्डक्याम्प कार्यक्रममा स्वयंसेवक हुने मौका पाएँ। आयोजकहरू चिन्दा मलाई तिनीहरूबीच घुलमिल हुन सजिलो भयो।</p>



<p>यो मेरो लागि एक रोमाञ्चक अनुभव थियो । त्यस बिन्दु देखि, मेरो संसार वर्डप्रेसको वरिपरि घुमेको छ, र मैले यो जस्तो केहि देखेको छैन।</p>


<div class="kb-gallery-wrap-id-6254_db195f-01 alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery"><ul class="kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-grid kb-gallery-id-6254_db195f-01 kb-gallery-caption-style-bottom kb-gallery-filter-none"><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/with_worpdressers-1024x768.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="" class="wp-image-6262" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">WordCamp Asia 2023 </div></div></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ujwal_3.jpg" width="960" height="720" alt="" class="wp-image-6261" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">Mr Ujwal Thapa speaking in WordPress Meetup</div></div></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/contributorday_tableleads_organizers-1024x683.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="" class="wp-image-6260" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">Contributor Day table leads and organizers of WC Asia 2023</div></div></div></li><li class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item"><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner"><div class="kb-gal-image-radius"><div class="kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-land32 kb-has-image-ratio-land32"><img src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/45717552634_4b10a9f688_k-1024x579.jpg" width="1024" height="579" alt="" class="wp-image-6259" /></div><div class="kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption">WordCamp Biratnagar 2018</div></div></div></li></ul></div>


<p>२०१५ मा मैले वर्डप्रेस थिमहरूको जटिल संसारमा खोज्दै थिम समीक्षा टोलीमा प्रवेश गरें। सिक्ने क्रम ठाडो थियो, तर वर्डप्रेस संरचनामा योगदान गरेको सन्तुष्टि अतुलनीय थियो। २०१८ देखि, म टोली नेतृत्वको रूपमा काम गर्दैछु।</p>



<p>मेरो वर्डक्याम्प यात्रा सन् <strong>२०१४ मा वर्डक्याम्प नेपाल</strong>देखि <strong>२०१७ मा वर्डक्याम्प टोकियो</strong>, <strong>२०१९ मा वर्डक्याम्प बैंकक</strong>, र थप अन्य विभिन्न अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय कार्यक्रमहरूसम्मको अनुभवको एउटा भण्डार बन्यो।</p>



<p>यसबाहेक, मेरो नेतृत्वको रूपमा <strong><a href="https://biratnagar.wordcamp.org/2018/">वर्डक्याम्प विराटनगर २०१८</a></strong> आयोजना गर्ने सुनौलो मौका पाएँ। त्यो क्षणमा, त्यहाँ धेरै कम कम्पनीहरू मात्र थिए जसले वर्डप्रेस मा भर परेर कमाउने गरेका थिए। मानिसहरूलाई उपस्थित हुन र उनीहरूलाई वर्डप्रेस बारे जानकारी दिन मनाउनको लागि यो झन्झट थियो। तर हामीले यसलाई सफल बनायौं!</p>



<p>वर्षहरू बित्दै गए, र २०२३ सम्ममा, मैले सिल्हेट, मुम्बई र मनिलाका कार्यक्रमहरूसँगै फेरि एक पटक वर्डक्याम्प काठमाडौंको आयोजना गरेको थिए। वर्डक्याम्पहरुको आँधी २०२४ मा जारी रह्यो, नेपाल र एशियाले फेरि केन्द्र बनायो ।</p>



<p>यी वर्षहरूलाई प्रतिबिम्बित गर्दै, मैले कार्यक्रमहरूमा मात्र भाग लिएको छैन, मैले समुदायको एउटा राम्रो संजाल बुनेको छु, खुसिहरु साझा गरेको छु, र बहुमूल्य पाठहरू सिकेको छु। व्यक्तिगत उपाख्यानहरू, जस्तै अप्रत्याशित ठाउँहरूमा वर्डप्रेसका उत्साहीहरूलाई भेट्दा यी वर्डक्याम्पलाई यादगार बनाउँदछ।</p>



<p>अगाडि हेर्दै, म आगामी वर्डक्याम्पहरु र तिनीहरूले ल्याउने नयाँ अनुभवहरू बारे रोमाञ्चित छु। प्रत्येक घटनाले वर्डप्रेसको साथ मेरो यात्रामा केहि विशेष थप्छ, जस्तै क्यानभासमा अद्वितीय स्ट्रोक। साहसिक कार्य जारी छ, वर्डप्रेसको लागी मेरो प्रेम र यो सबै अर्थपूर्ण बनाउने अविश्वसनीय समुदाय द्वारा संचालित।</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">कर्ममा वृद्धि: स्वयंसेवक सेवामा बाट पूर्ण-समय वर्डप्रेसमा</h2>



<p>वर्डप्रेसको जीवन्त संसारमा, म गर्वका साथ धेरै टोपीहरू लगाउँछु। दिनहुँ, म एक वर्डप्रेस विकासकर्ता र थिम समीक्षक हुँ, मेरो लगाबलाई डिजिटल अनुभवहरू बनाउनमा सहजीकरण गर्दैछ, जुन अलिक फरक देखिन्छ।</p>



<p>WordPress.org थिम टोलीका लागि टोली प्रतिनिधिको रूपमा मेरो भूमिकामा, पूर्ण-समय योगदान गर्नु भनेको जागिर मात्र होइन, यो मेरो हृदयको नजिक रहेको खुशीको प्रतिबद्धता हो।</p>



<p>यस यात्रामा विशेष स्पर्श थप्नु भनेको Rank Math द्वारा प्रायोजित हुनुको सम्मान हो।</p>



<p><a href="https://rankmath.com/">Rank Math</a> सँगको यो सहकार्य जागिर भन्दा बाहिर जान्छ, यो जीवन्त वर्डप्रेस समुदायको लागि साझा समर्पण हो जसले मेरो जोशलाई बढाउँछ।</p>



<p>अब मलाई यो प्रायोजन कसरी भयो भन्ने बारे केही कुरा गर्नुछ।&nbsp; ठिक छ, Rank Math कसैलाई प्रायोजित गर्ने खोजीमा थियो, र त्यो निर्णायक क्षणमा, मैले Rank Math का सह-संस्थापक भानु अहलुवालिया सँग जोडिने सुअवसर पाएको थिएँ।</p>



<p>हाम्रो वार्तालाप कुराकानी मात्र होइन; यो प्रायोजनलाई वास्तविकता बनाउने उत्प्रेरक बन्यो। पूर्ण-समय काम गर्दा अचानक सपनाबाट मूर्त अनुभवमा परिवर्तन भयो।</p>



<p>कोडको रेखाहरू भन्दा बाहिर, मेरो खाली समय योगदानको क्षणहरूमा परिवर्तन हुन्छ। मैले वर्डप्रेस कागजात टोलीमा मेरो विज्ञता थप्दा सान्त्वना पाउँछु, शब्दहरू बुनाई जसले साथीहरुलाई उत्साही बनाउछ र विशाल वर्डप्रेस परिदृश्य मार्फत मार्गदर्शन गर्दछ।</p>



<p>मेरो संलग्नता विस्तार हुन्छ:</p>



<ul>
<li>म वर्डक्याम्प वक्ताको रूपमा उभिएको छु&nbsp;</li>



<li>एक प्रमुख आयोजक रूपमा वर्डक्याम्प संचालन र सफलता पुर्बक सम्पन्न गरेको छु&nbsp;</li>



<li>विभिन्न वर्डक्याम्पहरु र प्राविधिक कार्यक्रमहरूमा स्वयंसेवकको रूपमा सहयोगी हात दिएको छु&nbsp;</li>



<li>वर्डप्रेसको मुख्य फायालमा योगदान, र अनुवाद जस्ता विविध क्षेत्रहरूमा काम गरे, र थिम र प्लगिन विकासमा पनि डुबेको छु&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>यदि तपाइँ यी मापदण्डहरूमा मेरो लिने बारे उत्सुक हुनुहुन्छ भने, तपाइँ मेरो वर्डक्याम्प <a href="https://wordpress.tv/speakers/ganga-kafle/">प्रस्तुतीकरण भिडियोको झलक</a> हेर्न सक्नुहुन्छ।</p>



<p>तर मेरो वर्डप्रेस यात्रा स्क्रिनमा मात्र सीमित छैन, यो भेटघाट र खुला स्रोत प्लेटफर्महरूको मुटुको धड्कनमा विस्तार हुन्छ। सक्रिय रूपमा सहभागी हुनु र समुदायसँग संलग्न हुनु एक दिनचर्या मात्र होइन, यो प्रेरणा र जडानको स्रोत हो।</p>



<p>जब म कोड बनाउँदै वा योगदान गरिरहेको छैन, तपाईंले मलाई <a href="https://www.wpentire.com/">WPEntire</a> को सीटमा भेट्टाउनुहुनेछ, मेरो वर्डप्रेस ब्लग, अन्तर्दृष्टि र अनुभवहरू साझा गर्दै। यो केवल एक ब्लग होइन, यो एक क्यानभास हो जहाँ मेरो वर्डप्रेस&nbsp; यात्राले अर्को अभिव्यक्त दिने ठाउँ फेला पार्छ।</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-१०-वर-षक-स-व-म-rank-math-ब-ट-प-र-य-ज-त-ह-द">१० वर्षको सेवामा Rank Math बाट प्रायोजित हुँदै</h2>



<p>म दशवर्षदेखि वर्डप्रेस समुदायको हिस्सा भएको छु, स्वयंसेवा गर्दै र टेक्नोलोजीको लागि मेरो प्रेम साझा गर्दै। यो एक रोमाञ्चक यात्रा भएको छ, सिक्ने देखि विश्वव्यापी समुदायमा योगदान गर्न सम्म।</p>



<p>स्वयंसेवक हुनु भनेको कोडिङ मात्र होइन; यो वृद्धि र जडान को एक व्यक्तिगत साहस हो । कोडको प्रत्येक अंश नवीनता र सिकाइले भरिएको यात्रामा एक कदम जस्तै महसुस गर्दछ।</p>



<p>यो प्रायोजन आर्थिक सहयोगको बारेमा मात्र होइन, यो मेरो वर्डप्रेस यात्राको व्यक्तिगत अध्याय हो, अविश्वसनीय जडानहरू र साझा प्रतिबद्धतालाई मुख्य आकर्षण गर्दै जसले यस समुदायलाई विशेष बनाउँछ।</p>



<p><a href="https://rankmath.com/">Rank Math</a> संग यो सहयोग र सहकार्य कोड बाहिर जान्छ। यो वर्डप्रेसमा साझा विश्वास र सँगै काम गर्ने शक्ति हो। जब म विगत सात वर्षलाई फर्केर हेर्छु, म सिक्ने, बढ्दै जाने र मित्रता निर्माण गर्ने कथा देख्छु।</p>



<p>प्रत्येक वर्डक्याम्प र भेटघाट मेरो वर्डप्रेस कथामा तलाथप्नु जस्तै हो। म भविष्यमा के हुन्छ भन्ने बारे उत्साहित छु, र Rank Math को समर्थनले वर्डप्रेसको साथ मेरो यात्रामा व्यक्तिगत स्पर्श थप्छ। म खुसि छु ।</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">विश्वलाई अन्वेषण गर्ने एक प्रवेशद्वार</h2>



<p>वर्डक्याम्पको एउटा अंग हुनु भनेको नयाँ संसारको ढोका खोल्नु हो। यो प्राविधिक सामानहरू सिक्ने मात्र होइन, यो सबै ठाउँका मानिसहरूलाई भेट्ने र हाम्रो संसार कति ठूलो र विविध छ भनेर पत्ता लगाउने बारेमा पनि हो।</p>



<p>एउटा ठूलो जमघटको कल्पना गर्नुहोस् जहाँ वर्डप्रेससँग काम गर्न मन पराउने मानिसहरू एकसाथ आउँछन्। यो एउटा ठूलो पारिवारिक पुनर्मिलन जस्तो छ तर विभिन्न देश र संस्कृतिका मानिसहरूसँग। यस मिश्रणमा, हामी विचारहरू साझा गर्छौं, समस्याहरू समाधान गर्छौं, र एकअर्काबाट सिक्छौं।</p>



<p>मेरो लागि, वर्डक्याम्पहरु एक खेल-परिवर्तक भएको छ। तिनीहरू वेबसाइटहरूको बारेमा कुरा गर्न बाहिर जान्छन्। तिनीहरूले हामीलाई एकअर्काको संसार बुझ्न मद्दत गर्छन्।</p>



<p>जब मैले वर्डक्याम्प मनिला र वर्डक्याम्प मुम्बईमा बोले, यो केवल वर्डप्रेस बारेमा मात्र थिएन। यो विभिन्न ठाउँहरूमा मानिसहरूले अनौठो चुनौतीहरू समाधान गर्न वर्डप्रेस प्रयोग गर्ने तरिका सिक्ने बारेमा पनि थियो।</p>



<p>वर्डक्याम्प एशियामा एक टोलीको इन्चार्ज हुनु भनेको सुपरहिरो भएको जस्तो थियो। हामीसँग विभिन्न सीप र पृष्ठभूमिहरू थिए, र यसले हामीलाई बलियो बनायो। यसले मलाई सिकायो कि जब हामी हाम्रो अद्वितीय शक्तिहरू सँगै ल्याउँछौं, आश्चर्यजनक चीजहरू हुन्छन्।</p>



<p>तर वर्डक्याम्पहरु कामको बारेमा मात्र होइन। तिनीहरू तपाईं कहिल्यै नगएको ठाउँहरूबाट साथीहरू बनाउने बारेमा पनि हुन्। हामी हाम्रो गृहनगरमा कसरी काम गर्छौं भन्ने बारे कथाहरू सुनाउदै र महसुस गर्दै कि हामी फरक भए तापनि, हामी पनि धेरै समान छौं।</p>



<p>त्यसो भए, वर्डक्याम्पहरू मेरो लागि घटनाहरू भन्दा बढी भएका छन्। तिनीहरूले मित्रता, सिक्ने, र विभिन्न संस्कृतिहरू अन्वेषण गर्ने सम्पूर्ण संसार खोलेका छन्। यो विश्वव्यापी समुदायमा पासपोर्ट भएको जस्तै हो जहाँ सबैले वर्डप्रेस र मित्रताको भाषा बोल्छन्।</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-म-र-भ-वन-हर">मेरा भावनाहरू</h2>



<p>पक्का, यदि तपाईं आईटि क्षेत्रमा हुनुहुन्छ भने, तपाईंले केही अनुसन्धान गरेर आफैंमा इन्टर्नशिपहरू फेला पार्न सक्नुहुन्छ। लागू गर्न र आफ्नो स्रोतहरू प्रयोग गर्न नहिचकिचाउनुहोस्।</p>



<p>वर्डप्रेसमा रुचि राख्नेहरूका लागि, एक इन्टर्नको रूपमा ३-६ महिना खर्च गर्न तयार हुनुहोस्। पैसाको बारेमा मात्र सोच्नुको सट्टा, सिक्ने र अनुभव प्राप्त गर्नमा ध्यान केन्द्रित गर्नुहोस्।</p>



<p>वर्डप्रेस ब्लगहरूको लागि मात्र होइन, यो प्रोग्रामिङको लागि ठाउँ पनि हो जहाँ तपाईं पैसा कमाउन सक्नुहुन्छ। तपाइँको सीपको आधारमा, तपाइँ लेखन, डिजाईन विकास गर्न, र थप मा काम पाउन सक्नुहुन्छ।</p>



<p>अचम्मको कुरा के छ भने, तपाईं शारीरिक रूपमा त्यहाँ नभई नेपालमा बसेर अमेरिकी कम्पनीहरूमा एचआरको रूपमा काम गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ। विकासकर्ता बन्न पनि गाह्रो छैन। यदि तपाइँ वर्डप्रेस समुदाय भित्र काम गर्नुहुन्छ भने, कम्पनीहरूले तपाइँलाई प्रायोजित गर्न सक्छन्।</p>



<p>याद गर्नुहोस्, वर्डप्रेस बढ्दै जाँदा, धेरै कम्पनीहरूले तपाईंजस्ता मानिसहरू चाहन्छन्। टेक्नोलोजी र वर्डप्रेस सधैं परिवर्तन हुँदैछ। विकासकर्ताहरूको लागि, यसको अर्थ नयाँ तरिकामा कमाइ हुन्छ। अरूको लागि, यो केहि नयाँ को लागी एक मौका हो; ब्लगरहरूले आफ्नो ब्लगहरू सुधार गर्न सक्छन्, र लेखकहरूले नयाँ सामग्री सिर्जना गर्न सक्छन्।</p>



<p>त्यसोभए, वर्डप्रेसले संलग्न सबैका लागि अवसरहरू प्रदान गर्दछ। काम गर्ने तरिका र ढाँचाहरू परिवर्तन हुन सक्छ, तर तपाईं कहिल्यै पुरानो हुनुहुने छैन!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/my-journey-from-an-intern-to-wordpress-themes-team-lead/">My Journey From an Intern to WordPress Themes Team Reps &#8211; मेरो यात्रा: एक प्रशिक्षार्थीबाट वर्डप्रेस थिम्स टीम प्रतिनिधिसम्म</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 20 Dec 2023 02:15:00 +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:11:"Ganga Kafle";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:109:"Gutenberg Times: State of the Word, Redesign Developer resources, Block Theme updates — Weekend Edition 278";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=26698";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:114:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/state-of-the-word-redesign-developer-resources-block-theme-updates-weekend-edition-278/";s: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:23618:"<p>Howdy, </p>



<p>2023 is coming to the end. This is the last edition for 2023, as I take a few vacation days over the Holidays and be with ailing family members. In January, it&#8217;ll be six years of almost weekly news about the block editor, and its progress into a first class site building tool. Thank you for being a faithful subscriber to the Gutenberg Times, and all your encouraging comments over all those years.</p>



<p>For a highlight reel of 2023, I recommend you watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7M4mBVgP3Y&t=1s">the recording of the State of the Word 2023 by Matt Mullenweg</a>, if you missed it on the live stream. It was a great presentation with an outlook for 2024 and beyond. If you are not the video-watching type, you&#8217;ll also find quite a few links to Recap posts below. </p>



<p>Wishing you and yours festive Holidays, and a prosperous, healthy and happy New Year! </p>



<p>Yours, 💕<br /><em>Birgit</em></p>






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<p><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p>



<div class="wp-block-sortabrilliant-guidepost"><ul><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-word-press-release-information">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</a><ul><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-state-of-the-word">State of the Word</a><ul><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#2-list-of-recap-posts-from-around-the-word-press-space">List of Recap posts from around the WordPress space</a></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#3-q-amp-a-after-state-of-the-word-2023">Q &amp; A after State of the Word 2023</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#1-gutenberg">Gutenberg Updates</a></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#5-strong-upcoming-events-strong">Upcoming events</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#0-p">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</a></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#7-theme-development-for-full-site-editing-and-blocks">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</a></li><li><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/feed/#3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </a></li></ul></div>
</div></div>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="0-word-press-release-information">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="1-state-of-the-word">State of the Word</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7M4mBVgP3Y&t=1s"><strong>State of the Word</strong> recording</a> is available on YouTube. </p>



<p>What stood out for me in terms of what&#8217;s coming next year?Here is my list: </p>



<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://wordpress.org/data-liberation/">Data Liberation</a></strong> is a massive initiative. Empowering users to take their site with them from one CMS to another is such a pain right now. It&#8217;s not only from Squarespace or Wix to WordPress, it&#8217;s also from one WordPress host to another, and also from one-Page Builder to Core. A giant step towards an open web. <a href="https://github.com/wordpress/data-liberation"> GitHub repository</a> and WP Slack channel:  <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C069AKUBPHB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">#data-liberation</a>.</li>



<li>The promise of connecting the Block editor to Custom fields is intriguing. <strong>Mario Santos</strong> posted a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/53300#issuecomment-1808020238">proposal for the first iteration in WordPress 6.5</a>. </li>



<li>The <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/discussions/categories/interactivity-api"><strong>Interactivity API</strong></a>, has been mentioned in a few Weekend Editions. It has been used internally for a few core blocks, in WordPress 6.4 and  will become a public API in WordPress 6.5. </li>



<li><strong>Patterns </strong>will become first class citizens of the site editor with their upcoming partially syncing feature. It means you can change the styling of a pattern that&#8217;s used over multiple pages without updating the content. </li>



<li><strong><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/">WordPress Playground</a></strong> will also change how we preview and develop for WordPress. We use it as another way to work with the <a href="https://github.com/bph/gutenberg/discussions/81">Gutenberg Nightly</a>. </li>



<li>Mullenweg revealed that <strong>WordCamp US </strong>will be in <strong>Portland, Oregon </strong>with two contributor days and a two &#8211; day conference, <strong>September 17 &#8211; 20, 2024</strong>. Sounds like an exciting new format!  Furthermore, I am excited about more WordCamps in 2024, especially in Europe with the shorter travel distances for me now. For now, I only have plans to be at <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/">WordCamp Asia</a> in Taipei, Taiwan and <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2024/">WordCamp Europe </a>in Torino. </li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-list-of-recap-posts-from-around-the-word-press-space">List of Recap posts from around the WordPress space</h4>



<p><strong>Matt Mederios</strong> was probably the first to publish a <strong><a href="https://thewpminute.com/state-of-the-word-2023/">State of the Word 2023 Recap</a>. </strong></p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ioanamuresan"><strong>Ioana Mureşan</strong> </a>wrote the article on the WPTavern <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2023-hola-wordpress"><strong>State of the Word 2023: ¡Hola WordPress!</strong></a> and includes demo videos from the talk so you can review them in due time. I bookmarked this article for later reference, too. </p>



<p><strong>Joost de Valk</strong> wrote for the Post Status blog: <a href="https://poststatus.com/state-of-the-word-2023-excitement-all-around/"><strong>State of the Word 2023: excitement all around!</strong></a></p>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/tomwillmot"><strong>Tom Willmot</strong></a>, CEO of Human Made, published his recap: <a href="https://humanmade.com/wordpress-for-enterprise/state-of-the-word-2023-takeaways-for-enterprise/"><strong>State of the Word 2023: Takeaways for Enterprise</strong></a>. </p>



<p><strong>Courtney Robertson</strong> posted here recap for GoDaddy: <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/resources/news/wordpress-state-of-the-word-2023"><strong>WordPress State of the Word 2023</strong></a></p>



<p><strong>Torque Magazine</strong> also reported on the event: <a href="https://torquemag.io/2023/12/envisioning-the-future-of-wordpress-state-of-the-word-2023/"><strong>Envisioning the Future of WordPress: State of the Word 2023</strong></a></p>



<p>Last but no least, there is the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/state-of-the-word-2023-recap/"><strong>State of the Word 2023 Recap</strong></a> on the WordPress.org site by <strong>Nicholas Garofalo</strong></p>



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-q-amp-a-after-state-of-the-word-2023">Q &amp; A after State of the Word 2023</h4>



<p>The recording of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S01uBD2pyQY"><strong>Q &amp; A portion of the State of the Word</strong></a> is also available on YouTube. Due to time constrains , only a few questions, could be answered. Matt Mullenweg started answering the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/12/12/overflow-questions-from-state-of-the-word-2023/">overflow questions</a> online. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="1-gutenberg">Gutenberg Updates</h3>



<p><strong><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v17.3.0-rc.1">Gutenberg 17.3 RC 1</a></strong> is available now for testing. The stable release is scheduled for Dec. 20, 2023. Release lead is <strong>Madhu Dollu</strong>, JavaScript Developer at Automattic. </p>



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<p><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong> interviewed <strong>Matias Ventura</strong> to get the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWN5Vyq3pRE"><strong>WordPress Gutenberg &#8211; The Inside Story!</strong></a> If you haven&#8217;t been around the project for that long, listening to the two of them discuss the Genesis of the project and its early days, gives you a great insight in how decisions were made, about the scope and the four phases of the project. The list of chapters makes it possible to view the one hour and twenty minutes video in several sittings. It&#8217;s a fabulous conversation where both men bring in context and can look at bigger pictures. You might not agree with some decisions made, but listening to Ventura, you will be in a better place understanding the context of decisions in terms of user experience and use cases, and their place in the project. </p>



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWN5Vyq3pRE"><img width="652" height="197" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-12-at-16.46.31.png?resize=652%2C197&ssl=1" alt="Matias Ventura in a conversation with Jamie Marsland. " class="wp-image-26733" /></a>



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<p class="has-accent-color has-light-background-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-d02c05917781faad43b455819cf71f89">🎙️ Latest episode:  <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-93-gutenberg-17-1-command-palette-data-views-and-grid-layout/">Gutenberg Changelog #93 – Gutenberg 17.1, Command Palette, Data Views and Grid Layout</a> &#8211; a chat with <strong>Isabel Brison</strong></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="5-strong-upcoming-events-strong">Upcoming events</h3>



<p><strong>Dec 19th, 23 &#8211; 16:00 UTC</strong> : <a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/297143342/"><strong>Developer Hours: Modern WordPress development with the wp-scripts package</strong></a></p>



<p><strong>Jan 16, 24 &#8211; 21:00 UTC</strong> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/23/hallway-hangout-lets-explore-wordpress-6-5/"><strong>Hallway&nbsp;Hangout: Let’s explore WordPress 6.5</strong></a></p>



<a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/297143342/"><img width="600" height="338" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/image.png?resize=600%2C338&ssl=1" alt="Announcement graphic of the next Developer hours on Dec 19 at 16:00 UTC " class="wp-image-26749" /></a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="0-p">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</h2>



<p><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong> found that WordPress users have trouble understanding the interdependency between global width and custom content width with Block themes and created <a href="https://www.pootlepress.com/2023/12/beginners-guide-to-customizing-page-width-options-in-wordpress-gutenberg/"><strong>Beginners Guide to Customizing Page Width Options in WordPress Gutenberg</strong></a>. &#8220;The page width options in WordPress Gutenberg, combined with the ability to set these values in global styles in block themes, offer an unprecedented level of control and flexibility in web design.&#8221; Marsland wrote. </p>



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<p>In his video, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyYgMdrXJiY"><strong>Creating a one-page website</strong></a>, <strong>Wes Theron</strong> takes you through the steps on building a one-page website with WordPress. Theron starts with a discussion of what kind of content would be placed on a one-page website, goes through an example of a business website, and walks through the various steps on how to add each section to a page.</p>



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<p><strong>Thomas Zwirner</strong> created a single block plugin called <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/download-list-block-with-icons/"><strong>Download list with icons</strong></a>. It provides you with a block to manage a download list with file type-specific icons. No configuration is necessary. The Block can be used immediately after installation.</p>



<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/download-list-block-with-icons/"><img width="652" height="236" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-14-at-17.44.30.png?resize=652%2C236&ssl=1" alt="Screenshot of the download list block" class="wp-image-26758" /></a>



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<p><strong>Jacob Martella</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/ViewFromTheBox/status/1732075066727288918">introduced </a>the <a href="https://crosswindsframework.com/">Crosswind Framework</a>, a set of tools, out of the box templates, patterns, and themes and additional blocks for your building websites with WordPress and the Site Editor. Its promise is a complete, nocode way to build websites. </p>



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<p>The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/create-block-theme/"><strong>Create Block Theme</strong></a> plugin by WordPress core contributors has received an update: with improved child theme export, increases consistency over the plugin pages and forms, and regularly updated Google Fonts available locally. </p>



<p><strong>Ganesh Dahal</strong> recently published a <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/12/05/a-walk-through-tutorial-on-using-create-block-theme-plugin/"><strong>A walk-through tutorial on using the Create</strong></a> Block Theme plugin, that should help you get started and take full advantage of the Theme building plugin. </p>



<p>Brian Gardner shared the updates for his themes: <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/frost/"><strong>Frost</strong></a> - is now sporting, among other refinements,  a progress bar pattern, better shadow presets, hover styles in theme.json.  The Power Studio<a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/powder-studio/"><strong> Theme</strong></a> just landed in the WordPress theme repository and offers a wide variety of wireframe patterns, styles, and templates, and color choices inspired by Tailwind CSS. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="7-theme-development-for-full-site-editing-and-blocks">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</h2>



<p>At WordCamp Vancouver,  <strong>Flynn O&#8217;Connor</strong> gave a talk on <strong><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2023/11/13/exploring-block-themes/">Exploring block themes</a></strong>, that is now available on WordPress TV. From the description: &#8220;This session provides an exploration of block themes, the modern approach to building in WordPress. We will examine how block themes differ from traditional PHP-based themes and highlight their core components, including theme.json. Reviewing the advantages of block themes and how they empower users to easily customize the visual appearance of their websites without touching the code. This session offers valuable insights into the world of block themes and their impact on the future of WordPress development.&#8221; </p>




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<div class="toolbelt-video-wrapper"></div>
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<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> made a call for response in the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C015GUFFC00/p1702356362566639">#fse-outreach-experiments </a>channel: <strong><a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C015GUFFC00/p1702356362566639">Opportunity to share your theme building workflow with contributors working on theme tooling</a></strong>. McCarthy already identified about 30+ theme builders who were active in the channel before. If you want to participate in the initiative, chime in on the Slack thread, or email me at pauli@gutenbergtimes.com. </p>



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<p><strong>Maggie Cabrera</strong> shared her experience on being co-developer lead for the 2024 default theme in an <a href="https://onemaggie.com/2023/12/open-letter-to-a-future-default-theme-lead/"><strong>Open letter to a future default theme lead</strong></a>. &#8220;While most of the work will be reviewing contributors’ work, the key part of your role is keeping an eye on the big picture and being ready to make high-level decisions. You won’t always have the answers, but you will have people around you to help you figure out the best outcome.&#8221; she wrote. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Ellen Bauer</strong> gives you a view behind the scenes, and shares <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXq6pp7IvIE"><strong>how she creates patterns for a WordPress Block Theme</strong></a>. She first shows you her pattern building workflow and then builds a project pattern. </p>




<p><strong> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2022&#8221;</a> </strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly.  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/"><em>The index 2020 is here</em></a></p>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </h2>



<p><strong>Nick Diego</strong> announced the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/12/15/developer-resources-gets-a-refresh/">Developer Resources redesign going public.</a> The design is now block theme based and allows for much better on page navigation and helps developers with breadcrumbs and expandable right side navigation. Developer Resources are available via <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/">developer.WordPress</a>.org and houses all Handbooks for Block Editor, Themes, Plugins, Playground, and Common APIs. </p>



<img width="652" height="311" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-16-at-13.18.58.png?resize=652%2C311&ssl=1" alt="Screenshot of developer.wordpress.org" class="wp-image-26771" />



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<p><strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong> recording his tutorial on the <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2023/12/15/new-wordpress-developer-apis-the-interactivity-api/"><strong>Interactivity API, as new WordPress API </strong></a>now experimental and hopefully becoming a public API in WordPress 6.5. &#8220;he main goal of the Interactivity API is to provide a standard and simple way to handle the frontend interactivity of Gutenberg blocks. This standard would make it easier for developers to create rich, interactive user experiences, from simple cases like counters or popups to more complex features like instant search, or carts and checkouts. In this session, you will learn more about this new developer API, through a live&#8221; Bossenger wrote in the tutorial&#8217;s description. </p>



<a href="https://wordpress.tv/2023/12/15/new-wordpress-developer-apis-the-interactivity-api/"><img width="652" height="369" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-16-at-14.40.40.png?resize=652%2C369&ssl=1" alt="Still image from the Tutorial Video " class="wp-image-26784" /></a>



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<p>Also at WordCamp Vancouver, Ryan Welcher talked about <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2023/11/13/extending-wordpress-using-the-slotfill-system/"><strong>Extending WordPress using the SlotFill&nbsp;system</strong></a> - &#8221;The SlotFill system can be used to extend blocks and the UI for the Block Editor and Site Editor screens, making it a critically important tool for any WordPress developer. This talk will take a deep dive into how this system works, show how and where you can currently extend WordPress, and finally, how to create your own custom SlotFills!&#8221;</p>




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</div>




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<p><strong>Bartosz Gadomski</strong> wrote a post about <a href="https://bartoszgadomski.com/filtering-the-theme-json-file-values-such-as-default-color-palette-and-other-global-styles-in-wordpress/"><strong>Filtering the theme.json file values (such as default color palette and other global styles) in WordPress</strong></a> and dives deeper into the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/10/filters-for-theme-json-data/">four new filters</a> available since WordPress 6.1 to access values programmatically. </p>




<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. <br />Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know.</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>




<p class="has-text-align-right has-small-font-size"><em>Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? Don&#8217;t hesitate to send <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">them via email</a> or send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph</em>. </p>



<p class="has-text-align-right has-small-font-size">For questions to be answered on the <a href="http://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast">Gutenberg Changelog</a>, send them to <a href="mailto:changelog@gutenbergtimes.com">changelog@gutenbergtimes.com</a></p>



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<p>Featured Image: Palace Neptuno, Madrid, with State of the Word 2023 displays.</p>



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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 16 Dec 2023 13:45:30 +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:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:30:"Matt: What’s in My Bag, 2023";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"https://ma.tt/?p=101009";s:7:"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:35:"https://ma.tt/2023/12/the-bag-post/";s: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:16401:"<img width="604" height="340" src="https://i0.wp.com/ma.tt/files/2023/11/2023-11-bag-1024x576.jpeg?resize=604%2C340&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-107037" />



<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/16-inch">16” M3 Max MacBook Pro</a>, with all the memory and storage. I went from carrying two laptops earlier in the year, a 14” as well to just this. I like the Space Black color because it’s novel but might go back to silver next time. Brand new so just a few stickers so far!</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09V4LZS9S/?tag=photomatt08-20">Black Magic Mouse</a>, steady and useful when I’m doing lots of emails. Looking to replace this, as it uses Lightning. At home I’ve been using the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z81WS5L/?tag=photomatt08-20">Mojo Pro Performance Silent Gaming Mouse</a> because it’s wired and quiet when you click, so something wireless and quiet could be nice for when on the go… I do like the gestures of the Magic Mouse though. I&#8217;ll be testing out some new mice over the holidays.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P8CNRK1/?tag=photomatt08-20">Universal Airplane Phone Holder</a>, also good along with #4 for mounting an iPhone for using the <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213244">Continuity camera</a> or <a href="https://ma.tt/files/2023/11/IMG_1637-scaled.jpg">selfies</a> (after taking that he said &#8220;please don&#8217;t go to jail&#8221;). Also super cheap, &lt;$20 for two.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5S7X6BN/?tag=photomatt08-20">Capstone Continuity Camera mount for MacBook laptops</a>, easy way to mount your iPhone to your laptop to use as a webcam. Looks amazing, but a bit of a pain, which is why I’m excited about #6.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MF6TJLW/?tag=photomatt08-20">Anker 655 USB-C 8-in-1 Hub</a>. I use this mostly for Ethernet, but since everything is USB-C now I can also use this with either phone or the iPad. I seem to have bad luck with USB hubs, I’m always burning through them, but this one has lasted a while. This thing is heavy! I could go smaller/lighter here.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM8V52PG/?tag=photomatt08-20">Opal Tadpole webcam</a>, this is the <a href="https://opalcamera.com/">Opal</a> product everyone has been waiting for. Quality close to iPhone at a smaller size, plugs in via USB-C so you don’t have to worry about connectivity or charging, doesn’t need any special software, looks amazing. Only fits a laptop though, not a bigger monitor. The way the cable works is really clever, great design.</li>



<li>This is one of my most delightful new additions, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083SCPFQK/?tag=photomatt08-20">Pixel G1s RGB Video Light</a>, it can cast warm light for a Zoom call or you can send it to a specific color to enhance the ambience of room for a party. It can rotate through a rainbow of colors. I ended up giving this to all my friends, and now when we&#8217;re in the same place we can instantly vibe out a room with two or three of these devices, and turn off any unpleasant default lighting a space may have. It charges via USB-C, natch. Hat tip: <a href="https://rjwalters.info/">Robb Walters</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://pro.ultimateears.com/pages/ue-premier">UE Premier custom headphones</a>. The best aural experience you can have. Invest the time in visiting an audiologist to get earphones and earplugs customized for your ears.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9W11QM?tag=photomatt08-20">Belkin Rockstar headphone splitter</a>, great for sharing audio with others, especially if they have #8.</li>



<li>Small USB-C to 1/8th inch converter, to be extra though <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09F8M9PDG/?tag=photomatt08-20">upgrade to this one from Belkin with power</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKGR5B76/?tag=photomatt08-20">Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 Multi Charging Cable</a>, nice compact all-in-one I’ve been playing with. They make some <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/RollingSquare/page/FAB0F15F-9BCA-46AF-A453-A2157CD94CC9?tag=photomatt08-20">other interesting accessories</a>. A 100w Swiss army knife of cables, and the thing they do combining Lightning and Micro-USB is so cool.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C85BVS5V/?tag=photomatt08-20">Baseus has made a retractable 100w/5a USB-C beautiful cord</a>. This is probably the one you’ll want to carry around. Someday it will replace all other cables when we achieve USB-C nirvana.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JG2YRFB/?tag=photomatt08-20">Chafon USB-C multi-cable is my ultimate workhorse</a>, what I use the most. It’s available at different lengths. I like the way the attachments can be moved around, but there is some fragility being entered at every connection so I like to travel with these not linked so they don’t bend or break.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY8Q69DC?tag=photomatt08-20">Tiny Miisso 6000mah battery pack with cables built in</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C34DL6Z7/?tag=photomatt08-20&th=1">Pixel Fold</a>. I always try to have an Android device for testing and the pixel fold has been a interesting one, because I found myself using it in ways that feel like sci-fi. Reading a book on the Kindle where you can turn the pages it&#8217;s really nice. It&#8217;s just a fun tool.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1N7SGMZ/?tag=photomatt08-20&th=1">Pixel Buds Pro</a>, they sound remarkably good. Airpods for Android.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHWRXH8B/?tag=photomatt08-20">Airpods Pro</a>, now with USB-C as God intended. I have a little robot on mine. Just amazing, and how great that you can buy them anywhere in the world. This is the first thing I’d replace if I lost it.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-15-pro">iPhone 15 Pro</a>, now that it has USB-C, my favorite iPhone ever. No notes.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9CHYOU/?tag=photomatt08-20">Maruman N196A Nemosine Notebook</a>, great paper. I have a small Pilot Couleur pen tucked into the spiral binding. Both brands are Japanese and I think I picked them up on a trip there, probably at the amazing <a href="https://store.tsite.jp/daikanyama/english/">Daikanyama T-Site</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q5VZ8PU/?tag=photomatt08-20">OHTO Needle Point Knock 0.7mm pen</a>, a nice daily driver. I was carrying around a <a href="https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/ballpoint-pens_cod19971654707127749.html">Montblanc Heritage Egyptomania Doué ballpoint pen</a> but I lost it somewhere.</li>



<li><a href="https://ugmonk.com/pages/analog">Notecards from Ugmonk Analog</a>. I really enjoy everything they make, great company, I keep these on every desk as well. These cards are often what drives my day.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B495319/?tag=photomatt08-20">Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, finally with USB-C</a>! I prefer the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7TLZF4/?tag=photomatt08-20">Oasis</a>, but they inexplicably haven’t updated it to be USB-C, so I carry the Paperwhite instead.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJLF3QVN/?tag=photomatt08-20">11-inch iPad Pro</a>, always great in a pinch. I have the pen in case I magically develop an ability to draw and the keyboard and alway-connected 5G makes this great for hopping on Slack or <a href="https://texts.com/">Texts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-35w-foldable-compact-dual-usb-c-port-wall-charger-for-iphone-ipad-macbook-air-samsung-smartphones-tablets-and-more-white/6504662.p?skuId=6504662">35w dual USB-C charger, from Insignia</a> I probably picked up at Best Buy. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N94ZVFX/?tag=photomatt08-20">Here is a 40w Amazon alternative I recommend and usually carry</a>. This is one of the items I give away the most, so I must have given away my Highsay version.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091Z6JNX4/?tag=photomatt08-20">Ugreen 100w 4-port compact charger</a>, this is what I break out when I want to charge my laptop quickly.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H6PJDWB/?tag=photomatt08-20">Belkin 37-Watt Dual USB Car Charger</a>, I use this very rarely now but it’s great in a pinch, especially on older cars that have very weak USB ports.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG9192B4/?tag=photomatt08-20">Epicka travel adapter</a>. Nice that it has some built-in ports, but I rarely use them. I probably should switch back to the smaller and lighter Muji adapter.</li>



<li><strong>Still my favorite power cable:</strong> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVW27Y1Y/?tag=photomatt08-20">Baseus 60w</a>. I tried the higher watt models, they didn&#8217;t always work on planes. This is a 6-foot extension cord and can charge a laptop directly. Really a joy. When they do an all-USB-C version I&#8217;ll probably upgrade..</li>



<li><a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MT0H3AM/A/apple-watch-magnetic-fast-charger-to-usb-c-cable-1-m">Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger</a>, of course with USB-C</li>



<li>This year, I’ve been focused more on my overall health. As I’m getting into the habit of moving my body everyday, the <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-ultra-2/">Apple Watch Ultra 2</a> has been motivating because it’s great at letting me know how much I don’t run. Jokes aside, I’m a data person so seeing the numbers of my habits have helped me optimize my goals.&nbsp;</li>



<li>A candle can make a space feel cozy. Though I don’t travel with my own candle, I like to have my trusted <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLRLH25/?tag=photomatt08-20">Rechargeable Candle Lighter</a>. Light fire with USB!&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MF60UC/?tag=photomatt08-20">Swiss Army Card</a>, let’s talk about cool gadgets. I use every feature of this card on a regular basis during my travels. It’s incredibly compact and slim. I’ve had to reorder this card a couple of times because they will confiscate the tiny knife.&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KYTR0HM/?tag=photomatt08-20">Petzl e+LITE Headlamp</a>, as a former boy scout, I’m always prepared for anything including a potential blackout.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://lockpicktools.com/folding-pocket-set/">Lockpick set</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VW8QH4N/?tag=photomatt08-20">Carabiner</a> is always good to have on hand.</li>



<li>You know, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HS3JKDC/?tag=photomatt08-20">Disposable mask</a> is just good practice. This mask shape is my favorite and very comfortable.&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0062ALC9U/?tag=photomatt08-20">Immunity Throat Spray</a> was recommended to me by Paul Stamets. I’m not sure if it’s a placebo, but I haven’t gotten sick. Thus, 3 sprays twice a day will keep the doctor away… for me at least.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Lately, I’ve been curious about the quality of air. I carry the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YY7BH2W/?tag=photomatt08-20">Aranet4 CO2 monitor</a> to gain insight about different spaces.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthybuildings/2021/09/09/impacts-of-indoor-air-quality-on-cognitive-function/">Higher CO2 literally makes your brain slower</a>!</li>



<li>Winter is coming… <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FD7W4SD/?tag=photomatt08-20">BioDerma Chapstick</a> is my go-to for dry lips.&nbsp;</li>



<li>I must admit I don’t really eat the mints from this <a href="http://www.marunao.com/cms_en/products/308/">Marunao Mint Case</a>. However, I have a high admiration for this elegantly crafted case. It has a soft finish feel and a satisfying magnetic closure.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKMY834?tag=photomatt08-20">Kikkerland Red Plaid Earphone Case</a> is where I store my custom molded ear plugs.&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DX1G5YM?tag=photomatt08-20">SmartMouth travel packets</a> was the best recommendation I received in 2019. It really tackles mouth hygiene well for all day freshness.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Cloth card holder / wallet, simple minimalist way to carry some extra cards and a few bills. I believe <a href="https://tim.blog/">Tim</a> uses one of these as well.</li>



<li><a href="https://twitter.com/helenhousandi/status/746057671531429889">WordPress ring</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.sea2see.org/products/treviso-sun?variant=20495073771618">Sea2See Sunglasses.</a> Sunglasses made from recycled plastic collected from the ocean. I discovered this from a goodie bag at the <a href="https://brilliantminds.co/">Brilliant Minds conference</a> and have since purchased more to have it everywhere I go.</li>



<li>Small plastic holder I got from my sister that helps me carry around stickers without them getting crinkled.</li>



<li>Hermes business card holder. There are some occasions where exchanging business cards is a ritual. Also great to wedge it in a door jamb to keep it from autolocking.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Passport, never leave home without it. Always be ready for adventure! My passport photo is actually AI-generated, because, why not? We live in the metaverse.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.sleepmastereurope.com/">Eye Mask</a>. I like these because the material feels nice on the skin and the wraparound is excellent for blocking out the light and some sound since it covers your ears. Great for sleeping or just needing a moment away from overstimulating environments. Similar one <a href="https://us.drowsysleepco.com/products/eye-mask">here</a> (the version I have doesn’t appear readily available outside of Europe).&nbsp;</li>



<li>REI Goretex mittens. They’re shell liners, lightweight and water resistant. The ones I have are an older version and no longer in stock. <a href="https://www.rei.com/product/194829/rei-co-op-minimalist-gtx-mittens-20?color=BLACK">Version 2.0 available.</a> There&#8217;s no bad weather, only bad clothing.</li>



<li>Gloves, nice in the winter but I carry them year round in case I need to carry wood or something. Also the fingertips have the conductive material that makes it touchscreen compatible for devices.</li>



<li>This is a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035N09CS/?tag=photomatt08-20">grey wool buff</a>, which works as a scarf, a hat, or an eye cover if I’m trying to sleep. I tried this out because of one of <a href="http://tynan.com/gear2017">Tynan’s also-great gear posts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/m-gore-windstopper-thermo-beanie-100391">Gore Thermo Beanie</a>, my favorite feature are the slits by the ears for sunglasses. Kept my eyes and ears protected while in Antarctica with Tim. He and I recorded a podcast episode in our tent talking about our personal fears, bucket lists, and more. <a href="https://pca.st/qmwhc7zz">Have a listen</a>!</li>



<li><a href="https://aersf.com/collections/backpacks/products/fit-pack-3">Aer Fit Pack 3 backpack</a>, embroidered black-on-black with Automattic and WordPress logos. I upgraded this year from version 2 to 3, which changed some of the interior pockets a bit, and most notably added outside side pockets, which I have found super useful. This is the bag that makes it all work.</li>
</ol>



<p>Not pictured: <a href="https://flipperzero.one/">Flipper Zero</a>, which was actually in my pocket and I forgot to put it in the photo. I have found this device really handy and fun to play with, just a delightful piece of technology.</p>



<p>Here&#8217;s what I was rocking earlier in the year:</p>



<img width="604" height="453" src="https://i0.wp.com/ma.tt/files/2023/11/bag-early-2023-1024x768.jpg?resize=604%2C453&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-106304" />



<p>I&#8217;m not going to label it all, just posting for posterity. It&#8217;s mostly the same except I gave up on carrying around the Airpods Max, the grippy tripod, and haven&#8217;t found a great disco phone light yet.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:43:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:104:"Do The Woo Community: Resources and Opportunities in WordPress for Speaking, Contributing and Connecting";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78697";s:7:"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:66:"https://dothewoo.io/wordcamps-resources-jobs-supporting-community/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:423:"<p>WordCamp opportunities, supporting underrepresented and connecting the WordPress community with resources and sites.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/wordcamps-resources-jobs-supporting-community/">Resources and Opportunities in WordPress for Speaking, Contributing and Connecting</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</a>	.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:31:11 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66:"HeroPress: Better Development With WordPress, WP Photos, And More!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=6201";s:7:"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:171:"https://heropress.com/better-development-with-wordpress-wp-photos-and-more/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=better-development-with-wordpress-wp-photos-and-more";s: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:9783:"<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/839655ae1936ee3c0.52974282-1024x768.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Boy in a boat on a Bangladesh beach at sunset." /><div class="kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id6201_381c02-47 alignnone kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout"><div class="kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top kb-theme-content-width">

<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column6201_11d963-76 inner-column-1"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6201_1ef628-4f wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://heropress.com/">HeroPress.com</a> &#8211; <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-taught-better-developer/">How WordPress Taught Me To Be a Better Developer</a></h2>





<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<img width="300" height="300" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ed_finkler-300x300.jpg" alt="Ed Finkler" class="wp-image-999" /></div>



<p>Ed Finkler was a WordPress developer for a long time and then moved on to &#8220;real programming&#8221;. He&#8217;s on the of few that still have respect for The WordPress Way, and is grateful for what it taught him.</p>



<p><em>Ultimately what I find most satisfying in life is not the particular actions I’ve chosen, but <strong>the impact they have upon the people around me</strong>.</em></p>



<p>Ed&#8217;s essay is <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-taught-better-developer/">available</a> on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress.com</a>.</p>
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<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6201_a44261-b0 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://hallwaychats.com">WPPhotos.Info</a></h2>





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<img width="300" height="225" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/975656edaa198dd64.92618733-scaled-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6206" /></div>



<p>This week&#8217;s <a href="https://wpphotos.info">WPPhotos Info</a> is called &#8220;<a href="https://wpphotos.info/thermosolar-plant/">Thermosolar plant in Seville</a>&#8220;. </p>



<p>This photo was taken by <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/nilovelez/">Nilo Velez</a> and it is the thermosolar plant inside the Heineken factory in Seville. They use it to boil water and save energy when they are making beer.</p>



<p><a href="https://wpphotos.info/thermosolar-plant/">Read more of the story at WPPhotos.info!</a></p>
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<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6201_646446-89 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://wppodcasts.com">WP Podcasts</a></h2>






<a href="https://wppodcasts.com"><img src="https://heropressnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pocket_casts_single_315.png" alt="Pocket Casts image" class="wp-image-4316" /></a>




<p>There were <em>eighteen</em> WordPress podcast episodes released this week! There&#8217;s also a new podcast this week, <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/the-wordpress-edge/">The WordPress Edge</a>!</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://underrepresented-in-tech.castos.com/episodes/our-thoughts-on-feminism#new_tab">Our Thoughts on Feminism</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/underrepresented-in-tech/">Underrepresented in Tech</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wp-tonic-show-a-wordpress-podcast.castos.com/episodes/891-wp-tonic-this-week-in-wordpress-saas-the-challenges-of-building-kadencewp-on-wordpress#new_tab">#891 – WP-Tonic This Week in WordPress &amp; SaaS: The Challenges of Building KadenceWP On WordPress</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/wp-tonic/">WP-Tonic</a></li>



<li><a href="https://unbilleteachattanooga.com/episodio-240/#new_tab">Episodio 240: Así nos lo montamos para ir a tantos eventos</a> de <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/un-billete-a-chattanooga/">Un billete a Chattanooga</a></li>



<li><a href="https://share.transistor.fm/s/2ca52c75#new_tab">State of the Word 2023</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/the-wp-minute/">The WP Minute</a></li>



<li><a href="https://viewsource.fm/s2/5#new_tab">We want to see more releases like WordPress 6.4</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/viewsource/">viewSource</a></li>



<li><a href="https://dothewoo.io/page-builders-documentation-and-an-scaling-for-swifties/#new_tab">Page Builders, Documentation and an Scaling for Swifties</a></li>



<li>Posted onDecember 8, 2023 <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/do-the-woo-a-woocommerce-podcast/">Do the Woo &#8211; A WooCommerce Podcast</a></li>
</ul>



<p>There are new episodes every single day, so be sure to stop by <a href="https://wppodcasts.com">WPPodcasts.com</a> and search for things that interest you!</p>
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<h2 id="wpphotos" class="kt-adv-heading6201_fc6775-27 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos">WP Photos</a></h2>



<p>Here are some of the great photos submitted to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos">WPPhotos</a> project this week!</p>




<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2246576df3eb751b6.70554510-2048x1536-1.jpg"><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2246576df3eb751b6.70554510-2048x1536-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6229" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/sharankrishna/">sharankrishna</a>



<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/13965785a624c15b8.38688020-scaled.jpeg"><img width="768" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/13965785a624c15b8.38688020-768x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-6226" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/sheelagc44/">sheelagc44</a>



<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/84657976a91e6c58.90548471-scaled.jpg"><img width="576" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/84657976a91e6c58.90548471-576x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6224" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/vishalrana2404/">vishalrana2404</a>



<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/257657926fd43a316.15730428-scaled.jpeg"><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/257657926fd43a316.15730428-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-6228" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/devtanbir/">Tanbir Ahmod</a>



<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/497657723b56b1e82.88549465-scaled.jpg"><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/497657723b56b1e82.88549465-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6225" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/smrajib/">smrajib</a>



<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/40665771219281808.24779285-scaled.jpg"><img width="1024" height="689" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/40665771219281808.24779285-1024x689.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6227" /></a><a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/anildulal/">anildulal</a>




<p></p>



<p>Be sure to check out the <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/">hundreds of other great photos</a>!</p>
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<p></p>



<p>The header photo for this post is a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/">CC0</a> licensed <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/photo/839655ae19/">photo</a> by <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/ardhrubo/">Dhrubo</a> from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/">WordPress Photo Directory</a>.</p>






<p>That&#8217;s it for this week! If you&#8217;d like to get this post in your email every week, <a href="https://heropressnetwork.com/newsletter">make sure you sign up</a>!</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/better-development-with-wordpress-wp-photos-and-more/">Better Development With WordPress, WP Photos, And More!</a> appeared first on <a 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:"Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +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:"";}}}}}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:94:"Do The Woo Community: A Post Mortem Marketing Analysis of Black Friday aka Stuff You Should Do";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78693";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"https://dothewoo.io/a-post-mortem-marketing-analysis-of-black-friday-aka-stuff-you-should-do/";s: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:453:"<p>Adam and Emma discuss the importance of conducting a post-mortem analysis after a major marketing campaign, such as Black Friday.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-post-mortem-marketing-analysis-of-black-friday-aka-stuff-you-should-do/">A Post Mortem Marketing Analysis of Black Friday aka Stuff You Should Do</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 14 Dec 2023 11:47:49 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:54:"Matt: Podcast with Texts founder Kishan and Techcrunch";s:7:"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:23:"https://ma.tt/?p=109295";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"https://ma.tt/2023/12/kishan-techcrunch/";s: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:1280:"<p><a href="https://kishanbagaria.com/">Kishan Bagaria</a> and I had chance to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/13/why-automattic-spent-50m-on-texts-com/">catch up with Alex Willhelm on the Techcrunch Equity podcast</a>, it&#8217;s a bit of a time travel since we recorded this on November 28<sup>th</sup> and there has been a ton of activity in the messaging space including the whole <a href="https://www.techmeme.com/231211/p17#a231211p17">Beeper Mini launch and smackdown from Apple</a>. However it&#8217;s worth listening to get to know Kishan and hear some of Automattic&#8217;s broader, long-term strategy in this space. </p>



<p>To give our current take with regards to iMessage: Right now we run on desktop only, basically automating Apple&#8217;s first-party app. This obviously won&#8217;t work on iOS or Android. With every network we support we want to have a good, non-adversarial relationship that puts the user first, with the utmost standards for privacy and security, and understanding the principles and values each network is trying to uphold. We&#8217;re watching this space unfold very closely, and trying to help where we can. Check out the episode here:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div>    <div></div>    </div>
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<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 Dec 2023 03:35:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:43:"WordCamp Central: 2023 Annual Meetup Survey";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=4810030";s:7:"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://central.wordcamp.org/news/2023/12/2023-annual-meetup-survey/";s: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:1760:"<p>In November, we launched the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/11/17/announcing-the-2023-annual-meetup-survey/">Annual Meetup Survey</a>. This year, we propose a unified survey for all Meetup members and organizers. Because of lack of time, we were not able to coordinate the translation to other languages as we did in previous editions, and I&#8217;d love to apologize to all meetup members and organizers who were waiting for the survey to be available in their languages. Next year we&#8217;ll plan it in advance.</p>



<p>Please take a moment to complete the <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey">Annual Meetup Survey</a> – even if you haven’t participated in a meetup recently! This survey is an important opportunity to share your feedback on WordPress meetups in 2023 and how we can improve the program in the future. Even if you did not attend meetup events in 2023, your input is valuable! The survey takes less than 5 minutes to fill out, and the results will help strengthen WordPress meetups in the years to come.</p>



<p>We hope to achieve a 100% response rate among Meetup organizers and members around the world, and get actionable insights about two challenges that the WordPress ecosystem is facing right now:</p>



<ul>
<li>How can we increase the number of WordPress events?</li>



<li>How can we increase the number of WordPress users worldwide?</li>
</ul>



<p>The survey will remain open until January, Dec 14, 2024.</p>



<p>To open the survey in a new tab, please use the following link: <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey</a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:06:44 +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:6:"Isotta";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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: #103 – Emma Young on Exploring WordPress, the Software, the Events and the Community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=151850";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/103-emma-young-on-exploring-wordpress-the-software-the-events-and-the-community";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48040:"Transcript<div>
<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>



<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case getting excited about WordPress.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to WPTavern.com forward slash feed forward slash podcast. And you can copy that URL into most podcast players. If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea, featured on the show. Head to WPTavern.com forward slash contact forward slash jukebox, and use the form there.</p>



<p>So on the podcast today, we have Emma Young. Emma is the head of content for Hostinger, and is on the podcast today to chat through her new found love of WordPress and the community which surrounds it.</p>



<p>Emma&#8217;s journey is quite inspirational. From having almost no experience with WordPress just a few years ago, she&#8217;s now immersed deeply in all that WordPress has to offer. Just over a year ago, she&#8217;d been using WordPress a little, but that was it. Then she found employment in the space and has been to all three 2023 flagship WordCamps, as well as the WordPress Community Summit. So the whole conversation is colored with this newness, and energy, which is quite infectious.</p>



<p>We explore the delicate balance between profitability and community values in her job. Emma sheds light on Hostinger&#8217;s commitments in the WordPress space, and how they tread the tight rope of being a good community citizen while still turning a profit.</p>



<p>We also delve into the company&#8217;s recent involvement in WordPress events and WordCamps, discussing the benefits they have reaped from these. It&#8217;s things like brand awareness and invaluable feedback from the community. Emma&#8217;s passion for networking and continuous improvement is evident as she shares her personal experiences. We discussed the inclusive nature of the WordPress community and the various pathways individuals with different personality types can follow to feel at home. Emphasizing the ample opportunities available for everyone to contribute.</p>



<p>We get into the collaborative nature of the WordPress community, exploring the cameraderie, philanthropy, and human connections that thrive within WordPress events and projects. Emma shares her insights from her recent involvement in helping to organize WordCamp Europe, and her dedication to contributing to documentation.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re looking for a way to find your place in the WordPress community, this podcast is for you.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re interested in finding out more, You can find all of the links in the show notes by heading to WPTavern.com forward slash podcast, where you&#8217;ll find all the other episodes as well.</p>



<p>And so without further delay, I bring you Emma Young.</p>



<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Emma Young. Hi Emma.</p>



<p>[00:03:34] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Hello.</p>



<p>[00:03:35] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Very nice to have you on the podcast today. We are going to talk about the WordPress community. We&#8217;re really going to hone in on the community, and Emma&#8217;s recent contributions. Her journey very recently, in really getting stuck into WordPress events and all of that kind of thing.</p>



<p>Before we get into that Emma, I wonder if you wouldn&#8217;t mind just spending a moment, giving us your bio. You can go as far back as you like. But I guess, given that this is a WordPress podcast, maybe if we center it around WordPress and the community and so on.</p>



<p>[00:04:04] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah. So just briefly, I had a lot of failed attempts at WordPress blogs growing up. But they were a lot of fun, and I think led me to content in general, and where I got probably the most involved in the WordPress community. So yeah, all of that leading to traveling to different places, and ending up working for Hostinger, where I used WordPress every single day.</p>



<p>Which led to, I don&#8217;t know, diving feet first, head first, whole body first into the WordPress community earlier this year. One thing just led very nicely to the other. It was just this nice little circle, universe kind of shoving me towards the WordPress community. And me just jumping, or kind of like slowly running, like on the beach, like the 90s rom com, like with open arms and the community just being like, welcome.</p>



<p>I guess really started diving in last year with the contributions to the docs team. Somebody introduced, hey have you ever heard of Five for the Future? Have you ever heard of contributing to WordPress?</p>



<p>And I was like, what, you could do that? Yeah, let&#8217;s look into it. It&#8217;s super easy. Signed up, and then, you know, I love documentation. I love words. I love everything that the docs team stands for. And then I just got super obsessed with it. What else do you need? What else can I do? And that was mid last year. And then I think since then, I don&#8217;t know, I feel like we&#8217;ll unfold a lot more of that in this podcast. I don&#8217;t want to give too many spoilers. Yeah, I don&#8217;t really have that much bio before that time.</p>



<p>[00:05:25] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay. That&#8217;s totally fine. It sounds as if you were, I&#8217;m going to use the phrase digital nomad. I could be completely wrong in that intuition. But is there a bit of that? Were you using WordPress over the last decade, as a way of earning a living whilst doing things in different parts of the globe? Or was it more of a hobby thing? You definitely mentioned that you&#8217;d used WordPress repeatedly, but I don&#8217;t know on what level that was helping supplement what you were doing.</p>



<p>[00:05:49] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, like on a personal level, I wasn&#8217;t making any money. It was more like blogs and trying to give my family a little bit, family and friends a little insight into what I was doing. But digital nomad is for sure a great way to put it. I don&#8217;t stay put in one place. I think for a while there, it was like every six months we were moving. I actually live out of my suitcase right now as well. But with all of that, most of the jobs that I had was using WordPress in one way or another. So it&#8217;s always been like a common denominator through all of my travels and work.</p>



<p>[00:06:18] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Do you know what? I&#8217;ve never heard the idea of a website to keep your parents updated. And yet, that&#8217;s such an obvious way of doing things. I had a period of time where I was roaming the world, and the internet simply didn&#8217;t exist. You know, you had to go through pains of getting on an international call, which inevitably was really difficult to achieve.</p>



<p>But yeah, the idea of creating a blog or something, with imagery and descriptions of what you&#8217;re doing that your parents and, well, anybody that is interested in what you&#8217;re up to. Yeah, that seems like a really perfect use case.</p>



<p>So you mentioned that the last year has really been the time where you&#8217;ve got stuck into it. Is that because of a collision with a job that you&#8217;ve taken on, or anything like that? Or was it intentional from your part, which then led to a job? Which way round did that go?</p>



<p>[00:07:03] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> The chicken and the egg. Both. I don&#8217;t know. The job I guess was the reintroduction into it, which made me go from just using WordPress slightly, and daily work activities. And for the blog, I think, really jumping into the WordPress community.</p>



<p>Started working at Hostinger. I&#8217;m head of content for their marketing team. And majority of what I do is providing educational content to help people with their WordPress sites. So it was a very easy transition to hear like, oh wait, you can just do this for WordPress, and you can help twice as many people. If it&#8217;s easier for somebody to use WordPress, then it&#8217;s going to be easier for the people that are looking at our tutorials.</p>



<p>So while it first came through my company, that was just kind of like the door. And then when we started learning about WordCamp and participating in that, that was kind of, oh, what&#8217;s Five For the Future? How do you contribute? How do you actually help out with all of this? What are some problems you can help with? That was the second part, but that&#8217;s definitely been a huge part of it.</p>



<p>[00:08:02] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Given the nature of this podcast, it would be great if we don&#8217;t make this slide into an advert for Hostinger, but I think we should dive into that a little bit. What is the position of Hostinger, vis a vis WordPress? I mean, it is a hosting company and obviously we all know that WordPress is incredibly popular with hosting companies, because of the benefits that it has. The fact that it&#8217;s free and open source, and they can offer it to their customers and so on.</p>



<p>What is the position that they&#8217;ve got? Do they send you to events in order to promote? Do they send you to events in order to network? And also you mentioned the kind of content that you create. Is it specifically aligned to Hostinger&#8217;s implementation of WordPress? Or is it a bit of, okay, here&#8217;s just how to use WordPress more generally. So it&#8217;s not necessarily tied to, well, you must be on Hostinger to make use of this article and so on.</p>



<p>[00:08:49] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah. It&#8217;s gonna be interesting to try to teeter the line. But yeah, so Hostinger&#8217;s managed WordPress hosting is what we offer. And WordCamps are all of the above. I guess you could say. Yes, we go there to help the community. We also go there for feedback. We go there to promote as well, and to network.</p>



<p>But I think everything can be boiled down to majority of our users use WordPress. So if WordPress isn&#8217;t working well, and isn&#8217;t continuing to improve and have innovation and have new features, then nobody&#8217;s going to want to use it. So then what are the people that use Hostinger going to want to use?</p>



<p>That is the foundation of their site. While you do need hosting, obviously to get your site online, WordPress being the majority of, what&#8217;s that? I don&#8217;t know what the statistic is these days, around 48% of users online, or 51%. It&#8217;s still a majority, at least halfway. So that is a priority for us as a company, you know. So we want that to be the best that it can be, because it&#8217;s the first line of the first iteration, the first foundation that everybody else is going to use, and we can build on top of that.</p>



<p>[00:09:53] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> What do you have as your content workflow? What is the process of deciding which pieces of content you&#8217;re going to create next? You know, is it driven by support? Is it just driven by ideas that your team have? What&#8217;s going on there?</p>



<p>[00:10:06] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, so it&#8217;s been quite a few years that we&#8217;ve had support, but also tutorials. So we have like SEO content, that anybody can kind of search for if they have some type of query or problem. And then we have support that&#8217;s geared specifically for our users, like how to exactly do this with our dashboard.</p>



<p>But focusing more on the SEO content. Yeah, it&#8217;s just for anybody. It doesn&#8217;t matter if you&#8217;re using this company or that company. It&#8217;s just as long as you use WordPress. How to set something up, how to get the best out of it, how to recover from the most recent Google updates so that like your site&#8217;s still optimised.</p>



<p>Basically anything from a complete beginner to like, okay, which plugin is the better one for this very specific use that you want it for. Just anything underneath that umbrella.</p>



<p>[00:10:53] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I&#8217;ve always thought it would be really difficult for a company like you to pitch where it puts its content, and how it portrays itself at events and things like that. Because clearly you have to be profitable, you have to pay your staff. And so that&#8217;s really important. Without that, the business collapses, and there would be no content of any description.</p>



<p>But on the other hand, the WordPress community, unlike I think lots of other commercial communities, there is this sense of open source, and not being quite so aggressive with the advertising. Just a conversation about that really. How do you pitch these things? How do you decide, okay, we&#8217;re going to do one Hostinger related piece of content for every three WordPressy pieces of content?</p>



<p>When we show up at events we&#8217;re going to set a certain amount of people on the booth, and they&#8217;re obviously assigned to promoting the product, and getting people to sign up. But then we&#8217;ll also put two of them out, and they were not connected to the booth, that kind of thing. So let&#8217;s just chat that through. How does Hostinger manage that difficult tightrope walk?</p>



<p>[00:11:51] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> That&#8217;s actually a great question. I think it all comes down to like open source. Obviously, this is my personal opinion, but like the idea of open source and helping each other. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. It&#8217;s been something that&#8217;s been in my life, I guess, since before I can remember. Both my parents worked for open source companies as well, and products.</p>



<p>Yeah, I think that&#8217;s kind of why I like Hostinger so much. Because the end goal, as much as you&#8217;re saying like, marketing is to make money. Every company wants to make money. As much as we&#8217;re like, oh, the money&#8217;s not important, it is. But there is a line, and at the end of the day the biggest focus is on the client, and on the customer, and the person that&#8217;s reading the tutorial.</p>



<p>Is this actually even helpful for them? Do they even care what this is about? Are you just regurgitating from SERPs, like from the top 10 things that pull up? Or are you actually checking the steps, making sure that you&#8217;re actually going to get to the solution as fast as possible? And are you answering all of these questions before they even become a problem, so that it&#8217;s all there prepared for you?</p>



<p>And at least for my content team, that is our mission and vision. That we want anybody who reads this to not have to like scroll all the way to the bottom after the history of everything, but just to actually help.</p>



<p>And I think that&#8217;s the nice thing about this line, is that&#8217;s what the WordPress community is about. That&#8217;s what open source project, everything is just working towards a similar goal. At the end of the day it&#8217;s just, was it helpful? And did it solve somebody&#8217;s problem?</p>



<p>And if we happen to make money along the way, awesome. But not all of our content is out there to make money. Some of it, yes. But a lot of it, it&#8217;s just there to answer your question. Hey, if you have a problem, we can help you because we&#8217;ve done it X amount of times before with different content.</p>



<p>[00:13:30] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I would imagine if you&#8217;ve been attending some of the bigger WordPress events in the last couple of years, you will have seen the presence of Hostinger. Because you&#8217;ve been fairly aggressive with the, you know, you&#8217;ve been sponsoring a lot. You&#8217;ve been taking some of the big sponsorship packages, and things like that.</p>



<p>And I know you&#8217;ve only been there for a short amount of time. So this might be out of your wheelhouse. But I was curious as to when that process began. I don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s been going on for years and years and years, or if it&#8217;s a much more recent push to be part of the WordPress community. So my intuition, my feeling, is that it&#8217;s really over the last two, two and a half years that Hostinger has become more focused on this. So just very quickly, is that right? Have I got that about right?</p>



<p>[00:14:09] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, pretty much. Not this year, but last year was the first time that we actually, you know, participated in WordCamps, flagship ones. And then also more local ones. But, yeah, you&#8217;re right. The last two years, pretty much.</p>



<p>[00:14:22] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We have quite a broad audience, but there&#8217;s definitely product owners, and hosting company representatives listening to this podcast. And very often when we get into conversations about this kind of thing, we talk about the fact that there isn&#8217;t really an ROI on attending WordPress events.</p>



<p>And often it&#8217;s a sunk cost, you know, you&#8217;re going, you&#8217;re showing your face, you&#8217;re talking to an already converted crowd in many ways. Those people are, you know, they&#8217;ve been in the WordPress space for a long time, they&#8217;ve figured out what hosting it is that they want.</p>



<p>I just wondered what your intuition was around that. Is attendance at those kind of events, is it more about just making your presence felt, being a good citizen, showing up. Rather than, okay, we&#8217;re going to definitely come out of this with 100, 200, 300 new customers. Because I&#8217;m guessing that isn&#8217;t really what comes out of it.</p>



<p>[00:15:08] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Wow, that would be amazing. I think the biggest thing that we can call a win is the first years WordCamps to this one is, people are not being like, who are you guys? Never heard of you before. And it&#8217;s like, I&#8217;m going to come check out your booth. Like that is a big win just for branding, you know.</p>



<p>Another one is, I don&#8217;t think the intention is to go in there and be like, we have to get a thousand new customers. But in a sense, we can grow quite a bit and, you know, reap the benefits of like a snowball effect by getting feedback from everybody that&#8217;s there.</p>



<p>Like you said, everybody has a niche, or something specific that they work on, and they&#8217;re the expert of. And then they can give us feedback on, and we can improve from there. And in the long run, yeah, we can benefit from that. But it&#8217;s not like short term and boom, boom, boom.</p>



<p>[00:15:48] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, it&#8217;s not a quick win, is it? I remember the first time I saw your logo was at WordCamp Europe, and you had one of the big booths. So obviously, in my head, there was a bit of disconnect there. I&#8217;m thinking, woah, I know that is a very sizable investment, but also I&#8217;ve not heard of that company before. Whereas all the other ones who&#8217;d made the similar investment, and indeed the ones that were on the slightly smaller booth shall we say, I&#8217;d heard of all of them. So that was just curious to me.</p>



<p>And then I went to another event, and there you were again. And so it repeated itself. I feel that&#8217;s the game, isn&#8217;t it. It&#8217;s the long game. It&#8217;s about being recognised. It&#8217;s about showing up. Not necessarily, as you said, trying to get that return on investment, although that would be brilliant.</p>



<p>And so for product owners who are new into the space, I guess there is some lesson to learn there. Those WordPress events, I think sometimes people show up expecting that kind of return on the investment. And often it maybe isn&#8217;t the case. But the long tail of showing up again and again, I could reel off lots and lots of companies who have benefited from that.</p>



<p>Although it is a bit of a hidden benefit, and it won&#8217;t necessarily go on this year&#8217;s profit and loss spreadsheet. It might in the end be worthwhile doing. And I&#8217;m guessing, the fact that you&#8217;re still doing it is proof that you believe there is a benefit to it, albeit it isn&#8217;t entirely tangible.</p>



<p>[00:17:05] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, exactly. And it&#8217;s definitely like a learn from, I don&#8217;t want to say mistakes because if you&#8217;re learning from it. But learning from your past experiences, and what are you going to tweak this time? What are we going to do better? What are we going to stop? Because, oh, shouldn&#8217;t have done that.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s something that, you don&#8217;t get like a nice checklist that is like, hey, you&#8217;re new to WordPress and the community, do this, this and this. It&#8217;s kind of like, good luck. And the networking helps, because like especially with community, you can get help from other people that have been in there longer, and can give us advice.</p>



<p>We&#8217;ve gotten a lot of advice from people in the community. I think one of the best things about it is, in everyday life we have our competitors, other hosting companies. But then at WordCamps, and more community focused events, it&#8217;s like on pause.</p>



<p>And me and Courtney from GoDaddy had some dinner, you know. GoDaddy people we&#8217;re just like, I think this is the best way to showcase the beauty of WordPress communities. It&#8217;s like Monday, game on. But today like, hey girl, how&#8217;s it been? So like I said, that&#8217;s even on pause.</p>



<p>We learned from that, and it was advice from other people that it was hey, you can&#8217;t look at it as in like, how many people come to your booth? How many hosting plans did you sell? This, this or that. It&#8217;s, hey, but look at it in this way, and look at all the doors that you&#8217;re opening in the future. And I think people that are coming into this should really remember that when they&#8217;re like what did we get from sponsoring this WordCamp? It&#8217;s not just about that.</p>



<p>[00:18:20] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I think that there are quite a few pitfalls. If you are new to the community, and let&#8217;s say that you&#8217;ve been, well, let&#8217;s keep talking about events. Let&#8217;s say that you&#8217;ve been attending events in other walks of life. So nothing to do with open source, or anything like that, specifically WordPress.</p>



<p>It may be that the etiquette, for want of a better word, is slightly different. And there may be pitfalls that you fall into. And I think it is kind of good to have a plan going into that first set of events, just to take the temperature of the room a little bit, and try to figure out what other people are doing.</p>



<p>It just feels a little bit more community related at WordPress events. Well, obviously there&#8217;s a real great opportunity to sell if you wish to. But it does feel that the aggressive sales side of things is not quite so obvious. And you&#8217;ve just pointed to the fact that you put your weapons down, for want of a better phrase. Once the event closes for the night, and go out and have dinner with the other people, and talk about what they&#8217;re doing, and try to figure out things.</p>



<p>And then obviously go off into things like contributor day, and literally do the work together. So it&#8217;s not like you&#8217;re just having a chat over a drink, you&#8217;re actually doing work. But, taken your company T-shirt off for a moment and you&#8217;re just friends. So I guess what I&#8217;m trying to say there is, yeah, take the temperature of the room on the first few times that you go, because it may not be what you expect it to be. And your intuitions may be slightly wrong there.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s talk about you for a little bit though, personally. Because I&#8217;m just curious as to what you&#8217;re getting out of all this. You&#8217;ve obviously been doing this for, well, the amount of time that you said, just over a year or something like that. And you also said, I think you said, not just feet first, like whole body first or something like that.</p>



<p>What&#8217;s the deal there? Why so much in the space of time? So just to clarify, my understanding is that a year or so ago, you hadn&#8217;t been to any kind of WordPress event. Now, obviously, with the help of the company that you work for, so we need to know that, you&#8217;ve been to the three flagship events.</p>



<p>So you went to WordCamp Asia, you went to WordCamp Europe, WordCamp US. You&#8217;ve been to WordCamp Madrid, which is really big. You know, it&#8217;s not one of the smaller ones. Why so much? I mean, maybe the answer is simply, well, that&#8217;s my job. But it feels like there&#8217;s more to it than that.</p>



<p>[00:20:22] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> It actually isn&#8217;t my job. Now I kind of adapted to that role because I like it, you know. But, I still do run the content team, you know. Organic traffic, woo. But yeah, I think my first flagship, my first WordCamp in general was a flagship.</p>



<p>And it was the beginning of this year, just in January, in Bangkok. And the first time I was ever going to be there. I had been contributing and I was like, yeah yeah, great. You know, I can really help out with this because I like it. I think I was doing it on my spare time, not work time. And it just happened to work very parallel, and overlap with work, that they were like, if she enjoys, it this is perfect.</p>



<p>But then I was, I don&#8217;t know what came over me, but I was like, let&#8217;s just not go. But let&#8217;s volunteer. Let&#8217;s do, I had no idea what that meant. I&#8217;ve never been to a WordCamp. Let&#8217;s also volunteer at the one that probably has the most hype, because it&#8217;s the first one after the pandemic.</p>



<p>And then, I don&#8217;t know, I had public speaking PTSD from being inside my house for three years, only talking to people through the screen. And I kind of challenged myself, and I volunteered as an interviewer. I was like, let&#8217;s just not go to an event where you have to mingle, but let&#8217;s make it a job. And let&#8217;s actually have to find people and sit down and encourage them to talk me. Let&#8217;s just make my life harder, you know.</p>



<p>And it was the best experience ever. I don&#8217;t even know how to explain how much fun I had from like the first day from volunteers. Meeting colleagues from different countries that also came together to be at this WordCamp.</p>



<p>I just remember walking into like volunteers orientation being like, this was the dumbest thing you&#8217;ve ever done, Emma. Like yeah, you like to travel. Yeah, you like WordPress. Nope, just awkwardly moonwalk out of here and just hide in a corner for the next three days and it&#8217;ll be fine, you&#8217;ll just get fired, it&#8217;s okay.</p>



<p>Yeah, I don&#8217;t know, I think it was Milan who was like, oh hey girl. I was like, oh hey dude. And that was it. That was all it took. Like some dude who I had never met before, just come up to be like, hey girl, what&#8217;s your name is? Just like playing around. And the rest was history.</p>



<p>And I enjoyed that so much that I was like I want more of this. I see the point of this. I see the benefit of this, and it also helps my company on the side. So that&#8217;s, I think what led to, you know, being super involved with WordCamp Europe, and volunteering for that.</p>



<p>I tried to do something different, and put myself in kind of like a learning experience. Instead of volunteering as an interviewer, I was like maybe I can be an MC. Let&#8217;s see how I feel on stage. So maybe one day I could be a speaker, I don&#8217;t know.</p>



<p>And right before that same thing, I was like, this is the dumbest idea Emma. Like, why do you keep doing this to yourself? And then when I went out there, I don&#8217;t even know how to explain it. I was like, this is awesome. Nobody cares if I mess up. Nobody cares if I made a mistake. Nobody realises if I made a mistake. I can be as silly as I want to be. Just as long as I say all the things I&#8217;m supposed to.</p>



<p>And it was to an audience of all the same WordPress nerds is me. We would all geek out on the same thing. I could make all of the same jokes that I would say to somebody that I was having coffee with at WordCamp, but to a huge audience. And they would get it because we have the same interests.</p>



<p>I mean like I&#8217;ve done like calls or workshops and trainings, and I still get like butterflies. I don&#8217;t know, it was just a different experience. I had like zero fears when I was emceeing. That was kind of an internal thing that I was using to see how I would do moving forward.</p>



<p>And the WordPress community, WordCamp&#8217;s helped me kind of work through that. And now it&#8217;s just gone and gone and gone, and now I&#8217;m part of the next WordCamp Europe&#8217;s organising team. And it&#8217;s just crazy that not even a few months ago was the first time I&#8217;d ever been to WordCamp Europe.</p>



<p>[00:23:43] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So in summary, no regrets.</p>



<p>[00:23:46] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Oh, zero. I encourage everybody to do it. Or come find me and I will try to give you the best pep talk there is.</p>



<p>[00:23:52] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> So a couple of things to throw in there. First of all, I suspect that not everybody is the same as you. So you strike me, forgive me if I&#8217;m getting this wrong, but you strike me as fairly outgoing. And maybe the baggage that you were carrying is that you walked into the room. You were more than willing, when Milan walked up to you, you were more than willing to just throw it off and get stuck in. And all it took was for a friendly face to come over and say hi, and that was it. You were off to the races.</p>



<p>But would you say that for somebody who was, let&#8217;s say more introverted, or a little bit more concerned about how the event might go down, they haven&#8217;t done anything like this before. They just want to lurk. Is that okay in your opinion? You know, you don&#8217;t have to be a certain personality type.</p>



<p>And the kind of roles that you took on, I guess it&#8217;s important to say as well, are very public facing. Whereas you really don&#8217;t have to have that as part of your arsenal. It is quite possible to contribute meaningfully, just sitting at a desk with your computer, not necessarily being outgoing or vivacious. Just chatting to the people that are nearby. Concerned with the thing that you&#8217;re concerned with. Could be docs. Could be TV. Could be, I don&#8217;t know, SEO. Could be anything that any of the tables occupy.</p>



<p>So firstly that. You were well equipped for this. But it&#8217;s not necessarily that that needs to be the case for everybody, right?</p>



<p>[00:25:03] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, no, 100%. There were also some people from my team that contributed as well for photography. You know, that&#8217;s a great one if you&#8217;re very into like arts and more creative, where you don&#8217;t have to speak to anybody. Everybody sees it, well, not everybody. But oftentimes when they see a camera at this event, they&#8217;re like, okay, I&#8217;d love to smile for it.</p>



<p>But like you said, with the contributions as well. That&#8217;s one of the best ways to start. You can test out every single thing to see where you are the most comfortable with. Where you feel you can help the most, or where you&#8217;re enjoying helping the most. And it&#8217;s not like an outwardly facing, hey, get on stage, kind of contribution. Maybe you&#8217;re very interested in just writing stuff and testing some things out, or QA-ing a plugin or a theme that somebody wants approved. But very important as well.</p>



<p>And same with volunteering actually. You know, there&#8217;s lots of different teams that you don&#8217;t have to go on stage. You don&#8217;t have to ask people to do interviews. You can simply, if you do want to be a volunteer and help with WordCamps that way, you know, just being somebody who can direct somebody to the bathroom. Or like where the emergency kit is. Or working the lost and found, where you talk to people every once in a while.</p>



<p>If you don&#8217;t want to talk to anybody at all, maybe social media, where you sit behind the laptop and people bring you images and you post on there. You know, there&#8217;s lots of different ways that you can volunteer for the WordCamps that aren&#8217;t as outgoing or extroverted.</p>



<p>But you also don&#8217;t have to do any of that. You can also just go there and enjoy it as an attendee, and talk to people when you want to talk to people. Approach them. If somebody says like, hey, how&#8217;s it going? No, sorry, not now. No one&#8217;s going to take offense to it. I think at one of the WordCamps, they actually had interaction badges.</p>



<p>[00:26:35] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah. It was WordCamp US in San Diego, I think that was right. There was a little indicator on your lanyard, which indicated how open you were to being talked to out of the blue.</p>



<p>[00:26:46] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> And I think that like extra measures like that is helpful. But there&#8217;s a place for everybody. You don&#8217;t have to go as aggressive as I did. You can be a lot more introverted. Even if you want to try, and I encourage you to be a speaker for the first time, to try it. Even as an introvert. Somebody who&#8217;s never, maybe done a presentation to a large group of people, or at all.</p>



<p>We have like different channels on WordPress Slack, and different resources that we try to help encourage people and feel more comfortable, or help you give just the encouragement and pep talk that you need, to even just apply for it. But I think that&#8217;s another beauty about the community is, there is a place for everybody, where you can be more an extroverted person, more of an introvert. Or somebody who&#8217;s half the time extrovert and half the time, like me, has to go hide in a corner for a couple hours. Recharge your battery and then be wooo again.</p>



<p>[00:27:35] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Back on the mission, yeah. I think the WordPress community is really a bit of a microcosm. It is big enough to be a microcosm of the community in general. There are people who are very outgoing. There are people who are not so. There is a task for people who are outgoing. There&#8217;s a task for people who are not outgoing. You don&#8217;t need to fit any particular mold.</p>



<p>But also, I think the bit that you mentioned, and I really can&#8217;t put my finger on why this is, but I do think that the WordPress community is populated by nice people. And so if you do attend, and you do decide to, oh, let&#8217;s say you really push the boat out and you decide to be a speaker. The reception that you&#8217;ll get, I&#8217;m more or less able to guarantee, it will be fabulous.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s not one of those talent shows on TV where you stand up there, do your thing, and then there&#8217;s a panel of people who just sort of scratch their chins and give you some commentary on where you could have improved it. How it could have been better. It&#8217;s really not like that. It&#8217;s the opposite. It&#8217;s like you get a bunch of tens every time. And so, really have that in the back of your mind.</p>



<p>A few minutes ago, though, you said something which stuck in my head and I don&#8217;t even know if you meant to say it, but it was kind of the nub of everything. And you were describing walking into the room for the first time, and you said something along the lines of, I got it. I understood why it mattered. You said something like that.</p>



<p>And I think that&#8217;s really important. Why does it matter? For you, Emma why does contributing, being involved. What is the point of it? Maybe it&#8217;s something that you get out of it. Maybe it&#8217;s going in that direction. Maybe it&#8217;s the other direction. Maybe you feel, okay great, I&#8217;m doing something philanthropic. I&#8217;m doing something which is not for my own benefit, it&#8217;s for the world. What was the meaning of that sentence? Because that is the heart of it, I think.</p>



<p>[00:29:12] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah. Ooh okay. I don&#8217;t actually know. Let me try to unpack this while I use filler words, while I&#8217;m trying to think through my thoughts.</p>



<p>[00:29:21] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I&#8217;ll give you intuitions from my end, if you don&#8217;t mind. I&#8217;ll tell you why I think it&#8217;s important. I have this notion that the web offered the promise of so much. And when it was invented by Tim Berners-Lee and other people, back in the day, nobody really knew what it could be.</p>



<p>But there was this great promise that it could be this fabulous, unifying force. Not only would the world&#8217;s information be accessible, but we&#8217;d be able to communicate with people in a way that, really, the expense was driven down. The ability to communicate would be approaching zero. You needed access to a computer, and nowadays a mobile phone.</p>



<p>And so the promise was just such a radical departure from everything that humanity had had before. And then part of that culture, right at the beginning, was free and open source. Now, I know that in the decades since then, large corporations have jumped in and the internet has become a very profitable, noisy place, where it&#8217;s possible to feel, well, it&#8217;s just dominated by giant companies.</p>



<p>And I think, for me, that&#8217;s one of the reasons that I love projects like WordPress. Because it offers that promise from decades ago of what the web could be. Does it cost you anything? Yeah, it&#8217;ll cost you a bit in hosting. Is it broadly free? Yes, it&#8217;s broadly free. Do you have to pay to contribute? No. Can you benefit from other people&#8217;s labour? Yes. Are you required to give back? No. Would it be nice if you did? Yes.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s just this feeling, this wonderful feeling that I can&#8217;t, like I said, put my finger on. But there&#8217;s just something excellent about that whole idea. So there&#8217;s what I think.</p>



<p>[00:30:56] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, I agree. And the entire time we were talking, I was like, what is the word? What word like encompasses everything that you&#8217;re saying, what I&#8217;m thinking. And I&#8217;m like, I can&#8217;t just say community because, come on Emma, you work with words. But it is, like, it&#8217;s it&#8217;s collaborative.</p>



<p>And I like that you brought up communication. I love strategic communication. Different styles of it, between different cultures. And I feel like that is where all of that is a nice melting pot. People from all over the world, people with different things, we all have one thing in common, where all of these things come together, finally. No, maybe not finally.</p>



<p>But like, what a community, what the definition of community in my head, at least, is supposed to be, happens. So we don&#8217;t have to worry about statuses. We don&#8217;t have to worry about the company that you&#8217;ve worked for, we don&#8217;t have to worry about our culture.</p>



<p>Like, we are all there for one reason, and it&#8217;s WordPress. We are all interested in one thing. We all want that one thing to succeed, and it&#8217;s collaborative. Like you were saying, with the way that all the things that the internet promised us, it&#8217;s going to bring us together. It&#8217;s going to be all of these ways to communicate. It&#8217;s going to like, you know, bridge the gap between your grandparents that live in Australia and here.</p>



<p>And it did fix a lot of those things. But then during that adventure and journey, we lost a lot of communication, and a lot of collaboration, and community, and the sense of community. Unless you have one of those, you&#8217;re lucky enough to have one of those in your physical place. This is a place where it can solve that with the bonus addition of, we all just like it.</p>



<p>I think that, in addition to what you were saying earlier with, everybody is genuinely nice people, and good people. There&#8217;s not some malicious agenda on the back of their mind where it&#8217;s like, ha, I&#8217;m gonna be nice to your face, but stab you in the back. Like, there is zero of that, at least from my point of view.</p>



<p>In addition to all of this, it&#8217;s just a nice place to be. You make new friends, you have great conversations, you laugh pretty much for four days straight if you&#8217;re at a live event. If you&#8217;re working online with them, there&#8217;s lots of inside jokes, and it&#8217;s just, I don&#8217;t know, it&#8217;s just community. I can&#8217;t think of a better word.</p>



<p>[00:32:54] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I think I might have the word. I think the word might be humanity.</p>



<p>[00:32:58] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah.</p>



<p>[00:32:59] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> We live in a different world than the world of 30 years ago, before the internet was invented. But it is an enterprise where there&#8217;s a common purpose. I&#8217;ve literally met people at WordCamps who have never used WordPress. I know that sounds strange, but they somehow got themselves to a WordCamp in the past, and they just liked the feeling.</p>



<p>There was something about the attendance of that event, which gave them that warm and fuzzy glow. And so they still attend, and they&#8217;ve never used WordPress. Their intention is not necessarily to ever use WordPress, but they enjoy the camaraderie that they get. They enjoy the fact that they can show up and be a part of that enormous jigsaw puzzle, and help people in a philanthropic way. You don&#8217;t necessarily have to get anything in return. And it&#8217;s just a very human enterprise, I think.</p>



<p>[00:33:47] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah. And all the things that like show up with the events, you know, like the prices aren&#8217;t ridiculous to get a ticket. You don&#8217;t have to go out and separate from people to get food. You grab some food, you sit with some strangers, you introduce yourself to somebody new, or by yourself if you want to. Everything is there, and open, and welcoming.</p>



<p>Yeah, it&#8217;s very different to other conferences, and I like that people that don&#8217;t actually use WordPress or have no intention to, continue to go to these. WordPress is doing something right.</p>



<p>[00:34:18] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Where have you landed then on what you&#8217;re going to be doing? Because obviously you&#8217;re fairly new. You still might have your tendrils out trying to figure out, okay, if I go to another event and there&#8217;s a contributor day, that feels like my thing.</p>



<p>You mentioned that there are things like photography. There are things like docs, which I know you work with words and obviously there&#8217;s a connection there, so maybe that&#8217;s where you&#8217;ve landed. It may be that you want to try other things. What&#8217;s your intuition about that? Where do you think your endeavors will go, if you decide to contribute in the future?</p>



<p>[00:34:43] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yes. So right now most of my, I guess, contributions been going to the organising, for the WordCamp Europe. But before that, it was primarily docs, just because I like it. I like organising. I like just documentation in general, and consistency.</p>



<p>But I do think there was a conversation, quite a few conversations at the community summit, which I also went to, which is maybe not something that happens, I&#8217;ve only been involved for a short amount of time. About like content repurposing, and really like bridging the gap between teams, and merging together, and aligning with each other. I think if I could get more involved with that, to help speed that along or even just give more attention to it. We could help all of the contributions, just not one team specifically improve together.</p>



<p>[00:35:26] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Emma, it&#8217;s been really interesting chatting to you today. Thank you for joining us. If anybody is not entirely sure how much they want to contribute, whether they want to contribute, and they&#8217;ve listened to this and they&#8217;ve been inspired by what you&#8217;ve said, where would be the best place to locate you? I don&#8217;t know, it may be an email address, or a Twitter handle, or a website, or whatever you like.</p>



<p>[00:35:43] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Yeah, probably LinkedIn. I am terrible with Twitter. So I will give you that so you can link it down below, or so people can find me. Because yes, I would definitely just, you can pick my brain, ask me any questions, and I would be more than willing to help and answer in any way.</p>



<p>[00:35:58] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Thank you, Emma Young. Thank you for joining us on the podcast today. I really appreciate it.</p>



<p>[00:36:02] <strong>Emma Young:</strong> Thank you.</p>
</div>



<p>On the podcast today we have <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-sophie-young">Emma Young</a>.</p>



<p>Emma is the Head of Content for Hostinger and is on the podcast today to chat through her new found love of WordPress and the community which surrounds it.</p>



<p>Emma&#8217;s journey is quite inspirational. From having almost no experience with WordPress just a few years ago, she’s now immersed deeply in all that WordPress has to offer. Just over a year ago she&#8217;d been using WordPress a little, but that was it. Then she found employment in the space and has been to all three 2023 flagship WordCamps, as well as the Community Summit. So the whole conversation is coloured with this newness and energy, which is quite infectious.</p>



<p>We explore the delicate balance between profitability and community values in her job. Emma sheds light on Hostinger&#8217;s commitments in the WordPress space and how they tread the tightrope of being a good community citizen, whilst still turning a profit. We also delve into the company&#8217;s recent involvement in WordPress events and WordCamps, discussing the benefits they have reaped from these; it’s things like brand awareness and invaluable feedback from the community.</p>



<p>Emma&#8217;s passion for networking and continuous improvement is evident as she shares her personal experiences. We discuss the inclusive nature of the WordPress community and the various pathways individuals with different personality types can follow to feel at home, emphasising the ample opportunities available for everyone to contribute.</p>



<p>We get into the collaborative nature of the WordPress community, exploring the camaraderie, philanthropy, and human connections that thrive within WordPress events and projects. Emma shares her insights from her recent involvement in helping to organise WordCamp Europe, and her dedication to contributing to documentation.</p>



<p>If you’re looking for a way to find your place in the WordPress community, this podcast is for you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Useful links</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.hostinger.co.uk/">Hostinger</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-sophie-young">Emma&#8217;s LinkedIn</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, 13 Dec 2023 14:53:23 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:59:"Akismet: The 6 Best WordPress Form Builder Plugins Compared";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://akismet.com/?p=283524";s:7:"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://akismet.com/blog/best-wordpress-form-builder-plugins/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:37912:"<p>A well&#8209;designed form can help your website visitors reach out to you, generate new leads, and grow your email list. While you can add forms to your website by writing code, most WordPress website owners use a WordPress form builder to take care of this task. But, with a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/forms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">search for ‘forms’</a> on the WordPress plugin directory retrieving hundreds of results, it can be challenging to know which is the best option for your&nbsp;site.</p>

<p>To help, we&#8217;ve put together this essential guide to WordPress form builders, which will assist you in deciding on the best WordPress form plugin for your site. We&#8217;ll explore the key features any good WordPress form builder plugin should have, look at seven of the top choices, and answer all of your burning questions about WordPress forms. Let&#8217;s dive&nbsp;in!</p>


<span id="more-283524"></span>



<img width="1600" height="1066" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image.jpeg" alt="contact form on a website" class="wp-image-283526" />


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What features should a quality form builder&nbsp;have?</h2>

<p>While each WordPress form plugin offers different features, here are some that all should&nbsp;include:</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">An integration with Akismet to block&nbsp;spam</h3>

<p>Sadly, online forms are a target for bots that attempt to flood your site (and email inbox) with <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/how-to-stop-contact-form-spam-on-wordpress/">contact form spam</a> submissions, which can leave you wading through a sea of spam to find one genuine entry from your&nbsp;visitors.</p>

<p>This makes it essential that your WordPress form plugin defends against spam, and <a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet</a> is the gold&#8209;standard <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/best-anti-spam-wordpress-plugins-compared/">spam protection for WordPress</a>. The service has blocked an astonishing 545,500,000,000+ pieces of spam to&nbsp;date.</p>


<img width="1600" height="787" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image.png" alt="Akismet homepage" class="wp-image-283527" />



<p>Akismet gets to work silently in the background and protects your forms from spam without requiring any form of CAPTCHA or manual user input. Instead, it uses advanced AI technology and one of the world&#8217;s largest anti-spam databases to filter out WordPress form spam. It does all of this with more than 99.9% accuracy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The great news is that most leading WordPress form builders offer an integration with Akismet, so you can easily guard your forms with the best WordPress spam protection available.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Customization options</h3>


<p>Consistency is key when it comes to branding and the visual appearance of your site. A quality WordPress form builder should allow you to easily modify the colors, fonts, and layouts of your forms, so they reflect your brand&#8217;s style and blend seamlessly into the overall design of your&nbsp;site.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Templates for common form&nbsp;types</h3>


<p>Most modern form plugins try to simplify the creation process with a drag-and-drop builder, but it can still take time to add and configure and style exactly what you need.&nbsp;</p>


<p>To help, some solutions offer a range of templates or patterns covering common form types, which act as a great foundation while allowing you the flexibility to adjust and customize as&nbsp;needed.</p>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Notification settings</h3>


<p>Your form builder lets you decide what happens after a visitor clicks submit on your form. For example, do they go to a “thank you” page, see a confirmation message, or get a copy of their submission via&nbsp;email?</p>


<p>For most types of forms, you&#8217;ll also want to ensure that you or a member of your team is promptly notified of new form submissions. So it&#8217;s important to check out the notification options offered by each WordPress form builder.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Most plugins will provide a range of options that allow you to configure the emails you receive each time a form is submitted, as well as choose if you want to send your data to any third&#8209;party services or store the data in your WordPress&nbsp;database.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A review of the best form plugins for&nbsp;WordPress</h2>


<img width="1600" height="686" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-1.png" alt="Jetpack Forms homepage" class="wp-image-283528" />


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. <a href="https://jetpack.com/forms/">Jetpack&nbsp;Forms</a></h3>

<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/forms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack Forms</a> is one of the best WordPress form builders. It works from within the WordPress block editor, making it easy to add forms to any post or page on your&nbsp;site.</p>

<p>Jetpack Forms comes with a large set of patterns that allow you to quickly create common form types, including a basic contact form and registration and feedback forms. You can also build your own from scratch using the handy drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop builder, which allows you to select from a wide range of field&nbsp;types.</p>


<img width="1600" height="741" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-2.png" alt="Jetpack form patterns in a grid" class="wp-image-283529" />



<p>Jetpack’s innovative AI assistant can also be used to help you effortlessly create advanced forms. Just describe the type of form you want, and Jetpack AI will get to work creating it. And you can use the AI Assistant to edit your existing forms. For example, you can ask it to autopopulate a country drop-down, or to add a field for event attendees to let you know their dietary requirements.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="994" height="739" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-3.png" alt="Jetpack AI assistant translating a post" class="wp-image-283530" />



<p>You can use Jetpack Forms to create as many forms as you need and capture unlimited responses. You can also configure email notifications for each one, which are sent using the native WordPress email function.&nbsp;</p>


<p>All form responses are stored in the “feedback” menu of your WordPress dashboard, and you can export them straight to Google Sheets or download them as a CSV file for further analysis. Jetpack Forms also integrates with several popular services, including <a href="https://jetpackcrm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack CRM</a> for contact management and <a href="https://www.creativemail.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Creative Mail</a> for email&nbsp;marketing.</p>

<p>Jetpack is a free WordPress form plugin that lets you match your site&#8217;s design and branding by selecting the background and text color for the block and submit button. You can make form fields mandatory to ensure that you’re collecting the information you need from each visitor, configure a custom confirmation message, or redirect users to a “thank you”&nbsp;page.</p>

<p>Jetpack Forms helps keep form spam at bay with a powerful two&#8209;pronged approach. First, all forms contain a honeypot field, which is designed to trick bots and prevent them from submitting your form in the first place. Jetpack Forms also works seamlessly with Akismet to add invisible AI&#8209;powered spam detection to your site, scan all form submissions to identify spam, and ensure that you only get notified about genuine form&nbsp;submissions.</p>


<p>Like Akismet, Jetpack Forms was built by the team behind WordPress.com, so you know that it&#8217;s a powerful and safe WordPress form builder designed for ease of use. It’s considered one of the best WordPress form plugins available.&nbsp;</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of Jetpack&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>The ability to create forms from within the WordPress&nbsp;editor</li>

<li>A range of templates&nbsp;provided</li>

<li>A drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop form&nbsp;builder</li>

<li>Integration with Akismet for powerful spam&nbsp;filtering</li>

<li>A range of field types including text, date picker, drop&#8209;down, checkbox, and radio&nbsp;buttons</li>

<li>AI&#8209;powered form&nbsp;creation</li>

<li>Mobile responsive&nbsp;designs</li>

<li>Unlimited forms and&nbsp;submissions</li>

<li>Configurable email&nbsp;notifications</li>

<li>Integration with CRM and email marketing&nbsp;services</li>

<li>Google Sheets&nbsp;integration</li>

<li>Customizable actions upon form&nbsp;submission</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of Jetpack&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Jetpack Forms offers a range of powerful features that allow you to create custom forms for free from within the WordPress&nbsp;editor.</li>

<li>The Jetpack form builder works perfectly with Akismet to catch any spam form&nbsp;submissions.</li>

<li>Jetpack Forms is part of the wider Jetpack plugin, which offers a range of useful site management, performance, and security&nbsp;features.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of Jetpack&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Jetpack Forms is designed to meet the needs of the average WordPress site owner, so it doesn’t have some specialty features, such as multipage forms, that are found in many paid WordPress form builder&nbsp;plugins.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>


<p>Jetpack Forms has a simple visual form builder that works within the WordPress editor. It&#8217;s simple to configure your form settings, actions, and design. Plus, patterns and AI-powered tools make it quick and easy to create the perfect form for your needs.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Detailed <a href="https://jetpack.com/support/jetpack-blocks/contact-form/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documentation is available</a>, and you can also access email support from Jetpack&#8217;s Happiness Engineers.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>


<p>Jetpack Forms is part of the<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/"> Jetpack plugin</a>, which is free to download from the WordPress plugin directory. <a href="https://jetpack.com/ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack’s AI Assistant</a> offers 20 free requests, with unlimited requests (for both forms and the many other features offered by Jetpack AI) available for about $8 per&nbsp;month.</p>


<img width="2114" height="1022" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/screen-shot-2023-11-15-at-2.07.06-pm.png" alt="WPForms homepage" class="wp-image-283532" />



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpforms-lite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WPForms</a></h3>


<p>WPForms is a popular plugin for WordPress that helps you create a wide range of forms for your&nbsp;site.</p>

<p>Like most plugins in this list, WPForms is built around an intuitive drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop builder, and offers a range of templates for some of the most popular form types. Once you’ve created your form, you can embed it in any post or page using the WPForms block and tailor its appearance to match your site’s&nbsp;branding.</p>


<p>This WordPress form plugin offers full control over what you do with the data you collect, including the option to send all form submissions by email or store the entries in your database.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Premium versions of WPForms offer integrations with popular email and CRM services, including Mailchimp and Salesforce, along with payment gateways which allow you to create payment&nbsp;forms.</p>


<p>All versions of WPForms integrate with Akismet so that you can keep form entry spam at bay with the leading spam detection plugin for WordPress.&nbsp;</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of&nbsp;WPForms:</h4>


<ul><li>Integration with Akismet to protect your forms from&nbsp;spam</li>

<li>Pre&#8209;made templates for common form&nbsp;types</li>

<li>A drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop form&nbsp;builder</li>

<li>Support for custom field&nbsp;types</li>


<li>Multipage forms</li>


<li>Mobile responsive&nbsp;forms</li>

<li>Unlimited forms and&nbsp;submissions</li>

<li>Advanced customization options, including Webhook support&nbsp;(Pro)</li>

<li>Integrations with popular CRM and email marketing services&nbsp;(Pro)</li>

<li>Email notifications for form&nbsp;entries</li>

<li>A wide range of field types, including file&nbsp;upload</li>

<li>The ability to accept payments&nbsp;(Pro)</li>

<li>Form abandonment notifications&nbsp;(Pro)</li>

<li>Support for a range of complex forms, including surveys, ratings, and polls&nbsp;(Pro)</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of&nbsp;WPForms:</h4>


<ul><li>WPForms uses a drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop interface that simplifies building forms and changing form&nbsp;settings.</li>

<li>WPForms’ premium versions make it possible to use forms to accomplish tasks that go beyond a traditional contact form, including taking payments and creating&nbsp;posts.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of&nbsp;WPForms:</h4>


<ul><li>WPForms does not allow you to create forms from within the WordPress&nbsp;editor.</li>

<li>Some features of WPForms, including advanced field types and integrations with email or CRM systems, are only available in premium versions of the&nbsp;plugin.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>

<p>WPForms’ drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop interface makes the plugin easy to use. Comprehensive documentation is available, and email support is offered for premium&nbsp;customers.</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>


<p>WPForms Light is available in the WordPress plugin directory and allows you to create basic forms for free. Several different premium versions of WPForms are available, which range from the Basic plan at $499 a year to the Elite plan, which unlocks all features, for $599.50 a&nbsp;year.</p>


<img width="1411" height="526" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-5.png" alt="Gravity Forms homepage" class="wp-image-283534" />


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.gravityforms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3. Gravity&nbsp;Forms</a></h2>

<p>Gravity Forms is a well&#8209;known premium form plugin for WordPress that offers a range of advanced&nbsp;features.</p>


<p>Like many WordPress form plugins, Gravity Forms allows you to create forms without any programming knowledge using a drag-and-drop interface.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You can include 30 different field types within your forms to build almost any type — create contact forms, quizzes, surveys, and even user registration forms.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Gravity Forms offers various field types, along with features that allow you to create in a range of styles, including conversational forms or multipage forms. The plugin integrates with many popular services, like email marketing programs, CRM systems, and payment&nbsp;gateways.</p>

<p>Gravity Forms also helps you keep your submissions spam&#8209;free by integrating with Akismet, meaning you can benefit from world&#8209;class AI&#8209;powered spam protection on all the forms on your&nbsp;site.</p>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of Gravity&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>A visual form&nbsp;builder</li>

<li>Akismet&#8209;powered spam&nbsp;protection</li>

<li>Integrations with external services, including email automation tools and payment&nbsp;processors</li>

<li>Customizable notifications, emails, and on&#8209;submit&nbsp;actions</li>

<li>The ability to register users and update profiles through registration&nbsp;forms</li>

<li>Support for quizzes, polls, and&nbsp;surveys</li>


<li>Conditional logic</li>


<li>A variety of field&nbsp;types</li>

<li>Form response analytics&nbsp;tools</li>


<li>Responsive forms</li>



<li>Multipage forms</li>


<li>Conversational style&nbsp;forms</li>

<li>Support for merge&nbsp;tags</li>

<li>Hooks and functions, which allow developers to expand plugin&nbsp;functionality</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of Gravity&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul>
<li>Gravity Forms allows you to create advanced forms using a simple drag-and-drop interface and easily integrates with a range of external services.&nbsp;</li>


<li>There are a wide variety of add&#8209;ons that can expand upon the plugin’s functionality without needing to hire a&nbsp;developer.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of Gravity&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Many form appearance settings can only be customized by using custom CSS or a third&#8209;party&nbsp;plugin.</li>

<li>Unlike the other WordPress form plugins on this list, Gravity Forms does not offer a free&nbsp;version.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>

<p>While Gravity Forms has a drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop form builder, the number of advanced integrations and settings may be confusing if you’re only looking to create simple forms. A <a href="https://docs.gravityforms.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comprehensive knowledge</a> base is available, and all users benefit from email&nbsp;support.</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>


<p>Gravity Forms has a range of <a href="https://www.gravityforms.com/pricing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pricing plans</a>, each of which activates more features and integrations. Plans vary. The Basic plan starts at $59 a year and the Elite plan, which enables all features and integrations, is $259 a year. The anti&#8209;spam integration with Akismet is available on all&nbsp;plans.</p>


<img width="2736" height="1104" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/screen-shot-2023-11-15-at-3.03.19-pm.png" alt="Ninja Forms homepage" class="wp-image-283536" />


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/ninja-forms/">Ninja&nbsp;Forms</a></h2>

<p>Ninja Forms is a popular WordPress form builder that offers a basic, free version alongside a range of premium&nbsp;add&#8209;ons.</p>

<p>Ninja Forms’ free version allows you to create simple forms using a drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop&nbsp;form</p>

<p>builder. The plugin contains a number of templates, or you can select from over 27 different field types to create the perfect custom form for your site. Like all plugins on this list, Ninja Forms allows you to create an unlimited number of forms and places no limit on the number of submissions you can&nbsp;receive.</p>

<p>Ninja Forms offers several different options for notifications, and it allows you to display custom confirmation messages to your users or redirect them to a different page on your site. You can protect any form you create against spam, thanks to its Akismet&nbsp;integration.</p>

<p>The functionality of Ninja Forms can be extended through a large number of official add&#8209;ons, which allow you to add features such as user registration, payment integration, conditional logic, and multistep&nbsp;forms.</p>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of Ninja&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Pre&#8209;built form&nbsp;templates</li>

<li>A drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop form&nbsp;builder</li>

<li>27+ field&nbsp;types</li>

<li>Form customization&nbsp;options</li>

<li>Spam management with&nbsp;Akismet</li>

<li>Ajax form&nbsp;submissions</li>

<li>Conditional logic&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Webhook support&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Front&#8209;end post submissions&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>The ability to create user registration and management forms&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>File uploads&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Form analytics&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Integrations with popular email and CRM services&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>PayPal and Stripe payment integrations&nbsp;(pro)</li>


<li>Hooks and filters, which enable developers to extend functionality&nbsp;</li>
</ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of Ninja&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Ninja Forms automatically uses the colors and fonts from your WordPress theme to help your forms match the look and feel of the rest of your site without the need to use&nbsp;CSS.</li>

<li>The add&#8209;on system that Ninja Forms uses allows you to only pay for the additional features you&nbsp;need.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of Ninja&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>While you can guard against form submission spam using the Akismet integration, this has to be enabled by adding the <a href="https://ninjaforms.com/docs/akismet-anti-spam-action/">Akismet action</a> and selecting the field you wish to protect on each form you&nbsp;create.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>

<p>The drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop builder and simple configuration options offered by Ninja Forms make the plugin generally easy to use. Adding Akismet protection requires several additional steps compared to some other plugins in this list. This may be more complicated than necessary if you just want to create a simple WordPress contact form that’s protected from&nbsp;spam.</p>

<p>A help center is provided for all users, as is support through the plugin’s WordPress support forum. Users with a Ninja Forms membership plan can also access email&nbsp;support.</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>


<p>Ninja Forms has a free version available on the WordPress plugin directory, which allows you to create basic forms. Various paid <a href="https://ninjaforms.com/add-ons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">add&#8209;ons</a> are available to extend the plugin&#8217;s functionality for $49 each. Membership plans are also available, ranging from $99 &#8211; $299 a year, each of which includes a selection of add&#8209;ons and access to premium&nbsp;support.</p>


<img width="1968" height="892" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/screen-shot-2023-11-16-at-10.30.25-am.png" alt="Contact Form 7 listing in the WordPress repository" class="wp-image-283538" />


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contact Form&nbsp;7</a></h2>

<p>Contact Form 7 was one of the first free contact form plugins created for WordPress. You can use Contact Form 7 to create basic WordPress contact forms or more advanced forms with a range of field types like text boxes, check boxes, drop&#8209;downs, file uploads, and dates. You can also set fields as required to help ensure your form submissions aren’t missing essential&nbsp;information.</p>

<p>You’re able to protect fields on any form you create against spam, thanks to Contact Form 7&#8217;s <a href="https://contactform7.com/spam-filtering-with-akismet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Akismet integration</a>. Contact Form 7 allows you to configure the email notifications you receive for each form, as well as set custom confirmation messages displayed to users when they submit your&nbsp;form.</p>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of Contact Form&nbsp;7:</h4>


<ul><li>The ability to create unlimited&nbsp;forms</li>


<li>Unlimited submissions</li>


<li>Email notifications on form&nbsp;submission</li>

<li>Support for file&nbsp;uploads</li>

<li>Form styling via CSS and&nbsp;HTML</li>


<li>Akismet Anti-spam integration&nbsp;</li>
</ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of Contact Form&nbsp;7:</h4>


<ul><li>Contact Form 7 is a lightweight plugin that won’t hinder your site&nbsp;performance.</li>

<li>Because Contact Form 7 is a popular WordPress form plugin, there are a number of third&#8209;party add&#8209;ons that you can use to enhance its&nbsp;features.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of Contact Form&nbsp;7:</h4>


<ul><li>You have to use custom CSS and HTML to style the form, which can make it more challenging to match your&nbsp;brand.</li>

<li>While you can add contact forms you have created to your posts and pages using the Contact Form 7 block, you can&#8217;t create forms from within the WordPress&nbsp;editor.</li>

<li>Contact Form 7 doesn’t store contact form submissions. This means that to use Akismet’s ability to review form submissions, you’ll need an <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/flamingo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">additional plugin</a> that stores entries in your site&#8217;s&nbsp;database.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>

<p>While there is a very <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">active support community</a> on the plugin’s WordPress support forum, along with <a href="https://contactform7.com/docs/">comprehensive documentation</a>, some users may find Contact Form 7 to be more difficult to use than others on this list. It uses text&#8209;based <a href="https://contactform7.com/tag-syntax/">form tags</a> rather than a drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop interface, and you have to style forms through CSS, which might make it difficult for&nbsp;beginners.</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>


<p>Contact Form 7 is available free of charge from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/">WordPress plugin&nbsp;directory</a>.</p>


<img width="1968" height="930" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/screen-shot-2023-11-16-at-10.34.10-am.png" alt="Formidable Forms listing in the WordPress repository" class="wp-image-283539" />


<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/formidable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">6. Formidable&nbsp;Forms</a></h3>


<p>Formidable Forms is a freemium WordPress form plugin built around a drag-and-drop builder. The plugin has an integrated live preview feature that helps you see how your form will look to visitors as you build it.&nbsp;</p>


<p>It offers comprehensive options for form styling and comes with many templates that speed up the process of creating common form types, such as contact forms or review&nbsp;forms.</p>

<p>Both the free and premium versions of Formidable Forms help you keep spam at bay by integrating with Akismet. The plugin&#8217;s premium versions offer integrations with external email marketing and CRM services, as well as a number of additional features that allow you to create a plethora of different form&nbsp;types.</p>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key features of Formidable&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>A drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop form&nbsp;builder</li>

<li>A visual form&nbsp;styler</li>

<li>Unlimited forms and&nbsp;submissions</li>


<li>Form templates</li>


<li>Akismet spam&nbsp;protection</li>

<li>Email notifications and form&nbsp;autoresponders</li>

<li>Fully responsive&nbsp;forms</li>


<li>Field placeholders</li>


<li>File uploads&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Conditional logic&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Multipage forms&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>User registration&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>A range of views, tables, and charts to analyze data&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Form automation&nbsp;(pro)</li>

<li>Integration with third&#8209;party tools&nbsp;(pro)</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pros of Formidable&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Formidable Forms features an advanced form styler that allows you to fully customize the look and feel of your&nbsp;forms.</li>

<li>The premium versions of Formidable Forms enable a wide range of features that allow you to create complex forms and actions without any coding&nbsp;knowledge.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cons of Formidable&nbsp;Forms:</h4>


<ul><li>Your forms are not automatically protected from spam with Akismet, as it has to be enabled on each form you&nbsp;create.</li>

<li>Unlike some WordPress form builders, such as Jetpack Forms, Formidable Forms does not include any integrations with email marketing or CRM services in the free&nbsp;version.</li></ul>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use:</h4>

<p>The plugin&#8217;s drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop interface and visual form styler make Formidable Forms easy to use. A <a href="https://formidableforms.com/knowledgebase/">knowledge base</a> is provided, and support for the free version is offered via the plugin&#8217;s WordPress support forum. Premium users can also access email&nbsp;support.</p>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Pricing:</h4>



<p>Formidable Forms has a basic, free version available from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/formidable/">WordPress plugin directory</a>.<a href="https://formidableforms.com/pricing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Premium versions</a> range from $79 &#8211; $599 per year, with each plan providing additional functionality on top of the base plugin.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Comparison of the top form builder&nbsp;plugins</h2>


<table><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>Jetpack Forms</td><td>WPForms</td><td>Gravity Forms</td><td>Ninja Forms</td><td>Contact Forms 7</td><td>Formidable Forms</td></tr><tr><td>Protect forms from spam with Akismet?</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Drag-and-drop interface?</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Create forms from within the WordPress editor?</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td>CRM and email marketing integration?</td><td>Yes</td><td>Paid only</td><td>Yes</td><td>Paid only</td><td>No</td><td>Paid Only</td></tr><tr><td>Configurable form submission actions?</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Limited</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Built by the team behind WordPress.com?</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td>Cost</td><td>Free&nbsp;</td><td>Limited free version. Paid version plans cost $99 -$599/yr</td><td>$59-$299/yr</td><td>Limited free version. Individual add-ons from $49.Memberships from $99-$299/yr</td><td>Free</td><td>Limited free version, premium versions range from $79-$599 a year.</td></tr></tbody></table>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Factors to consider when choosing a form&nbsp;builder</h2>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Akismet integration</h3>


<p>To keep your WordPress forms spam&#8209;free, it&#8217;s important that the WordPress form builder you choose has an Akismet integration. By using Akismet to protect your forms, you can benefit from an advanced AI&#8209;powered spam filtering system that is trusted by over 100 million sites and boasts 99.9%&nbsp;accuracy.</p>


<img width="1600" height="851" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-6.png" alt="stats about spam blocked and websites protected by Akismet" class="wp-image-283541" />


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of&nbsp;use</h3>


<p>The WordPress form builder you choose should be easy to use for visitors and site administrators alike. For your visitors, this means looking for a WordPress form plugin, like Jetpack Forms, that uses Akismet to protect your forms from spam, so they don&#8217;t have to solve a pesky CAPTCHA before submitting your form.&nbsp;</p>


<p>For site administrators, this means choosing a plugin that offers an intuitive drag&#8209;and&#8209;drop interface and allows you to easily make changes to the appearance and design of your&nbsp;forms.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tools with submission&#8209;based&nbsp;actions</h3>

<p>It’s one thing being able to collect form submissions from your visitors, but it’s also important that you’re able to extract and take action on the information your visitors have given&nbsp;you.</p>

<p>All form plugins in our review allow you to receive email notifications of form submissions, but relying on email notifications alone can require you to manually enter data into a spreadsheet or&nbsp;CRM.</p>

<p>So, you should also look for a form builder, like <a href="https://jetpack.com/forms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack Forms</a>, that stores your submissions in your WordPress admin dashboard, so you can see them in one place. You should also look for a plugin that allows you to easily export data or send it to an external&nbsp;tool.</p>


<img width="1600" height="748" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-7.png" alt="stored responses in Jetpack Forms" class="wp-image-283542" />


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently asked questions about form builder&nbsp;plugins</h2>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What makes a good WordPress form&nbsp;builder?</h3>

<p>Top WordPress form plugins enable you to quickly create a range of different form types to quickly collect appropriate responses for site visitors. The best WordPress form plugin for your site, such as Jetpack Forms, should also integrate seamlessly with <a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet</a> for industry&#8209;leading spam protection that doesn&#8217;t hinder the user&nbsp;experience.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">How much does a good form builder plugin cost on&nbsp;WordPress?</h3>

<p>Many good WordPress form builders, such as <a href="https://jetpack.com/forms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack Forms</a>, are free of charge. Some plugins that offer features for complex forms, such as user registration and integration with payment gateways, have premium options that range from $49&#8209;$599 a&nbsp;year.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Can I block WordPress contact form spam when using a form&nbsp;builder?</h3>


<p>Yes, you can block contact form spam by making sure that your plugin has a honeypot feature like <a href="https://jetpack.com/forms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack Forms</a> and integrates with Akismet — the leading <a href="https://akismet.com/wordpress/">anti-spam solution for WordPress</a>.&nbsp;</p>


<p>This state&#8209;of&#8209;the&#8209;art service uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to analyze submissions in real time without getting in the way of real, human&nbsp;users.</p>

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Should I use CAPTCHA on my contact&nbsp;form?</h3>


<p>If you want to maximize conversions, you should not require users to complete a CAPTCHA.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Researchers from <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/~jurafsky/burszstein_2010_captcha.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> found that CAPTCHAs can drive people away from your forms. The data shows that 29% of users leave a page when confronted with a CAPTCHA. This is particularly concerning if you rely on forms to capture leads or receive valuable customer feedback.&nbsp;</p>



<img width="770" height="925" src="https://akismet455732288.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/image-8.png" alt="CAPTCHA examples prompting users to select red spheres" class="wp-image-283543" />


<p>On average, sites using reCAPTCHA <a href="https://medium.com/rareview/why-your-captcha-is-killing-conversions-f9be6fe17d1f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experience a 3.2% reduction</a> in their conversion rates compared to those that do not, which could significantly impact revenue generated from your&nbsp;site.</p>

<p>CAPTCHAs can also have a significant impact on the accessibility of your forms. Individuals with vision or hearing impairments often find it impossible to complete a CAPTCHA, even with assistive&nbsp;technology.</p>


<p>For these reasons, millions of WordPress site owners have turned to Akismet to protect their sites with world-class, <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/convertkit-customerstory/">non-intrusive spam protection</a>.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">How do I enable the best anti&#8209;spam protection for my contact&nbsp;forms?</h3>

<p>To protect your site with the world&#8217;s leading anti&#8209;spam solution, you need to select a WordPress form builder, like <a href="https://jetpack.com/features/discussion/contact-forms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jetpack Forms</a>, that integrates with Akismet. You&#8217;ll first need to get an Akismet API key. These are available for free if you&#8217;re running a personal blog or through an affordable subscription for commercial&nbsp;sites.</p>


<p>You then need to download and activate the Akismet anti-spam plugin. Some form plugins, like Jetpack Forms, will start protecting your forms with Akismet straight away, whereas, in others, you&#8217;ll need to enable the Akismet spam protection within the plugin&#8217;s settings.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Akismet: AI&#8209;powered anti&#8209;spam for WordPress&nbsp;forms</h2>

<p>Once you&#8217;ve built your website&#8217;s forms, it&#8217;s time to protect them from spam, and <a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet</a> is your complete solution for spam detection and&nbsp;prevention.</p>


<p>Akismet blocks form spam using advanced AI technology that works in the background. It automatically analyzes submissions in real time and lets genuine entries through while discarding spam.&nbsp;</p>


<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">The Akismet plugin</a> is simple to install and configure and works seamlessly with many popular WordPress form builders to protect your site without ever getting in the way of the user&nbsp;experience.</p>


<p>Akismet is a safe, efficient, and secure solution from the team behind WordPress.com and is trusted by some of the biggest companies in the world, including Microsoft and ConvertKit. It has blocked a staggering 545 billion pieces of spam (and counting) with an industry-leading 99.9% accuracy rate.&nbsp;</p>


<p><a href="https://akismet.com/pricing/">Select your plan today</a> and say goodbye to spam&nbsp;forever.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +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:11:"Jen Swisher";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:83:"Do The Woo Community: End of the Year Emerging Tech with Kathy Zant and Dave Lockie";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78681";s:7:"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://dothewoo.io/end-of-the-year-emerging-tech/";s: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:558:"<p>In this episode, Kathy and Dave discuss the influence of AI and blockchain on content creation, the rise of businesses using OpenAI API, and the potential of using blockchain for content authentication. They also explore the options for WordPress content and online identity verification.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/end-of-the-year-emerging-tech/">End of the Year Emerging Tech with Kathy Zant and Dave Lockie</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 13 Dec 2023 12:42:20 +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:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:28:"Matt: State of the Word 2023";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"https://ma.tt/?p=109082";s:7:"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:45:"https://ma.tt/2023/12/state-of-the-word-2023/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:509:"<p>I was really impressed with the warmth of the WordPress community in Madrid, Spain for <a href="https://wordpress.org/state-of-the-word/">State of the Word</a> this year. The in-person crowd had a ton of energy, and we had tens of thousands stream it live on platforms like Facebook and Youtube. If you missed it, and want to hear about all the fun stuff that happened in WordPress in 2023 and what&#8217;s coming for the future, here&#8217;s the video:</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:"Tue, 12 Dec 2023 03:17:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:51:"WPTavern: State of the Word 2023: ¡Hola 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=151746";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2023-hola-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:9062:"<p><br />Exciting day for the WordPress community, as Matt Mullenweg delivered his first State of the Word address from a non-US location. Live from charming Madrid, Spain, he shared annual insights into the WordPress project, celebrating its remarkable 20 year journey and expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the diverse community that propels it forward.</p>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reflecting on the Year&#8217;s Successes:  A Dynamic and Innovative Community </h2>



<p>Matt took a moment to reflect on the achievements within the WordPress ecosystem over the past year. From its humble beginnings as a blogging tool to evolving into a robust website-building platform and now a powerful application framework, WordPress has reached its 20-year milestone (woo-hoo!) with resounding success.</p>



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



<ul>
<li>Noteworthy mentions include WordPress&#8217;s prowess in <em>scalability</em> (as witnessed during <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/burhanhamid_i-couldnt-sleep-last-night-i-was-anxious-activity-7138301063371091969-Je5R?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">Taylor Swift&#8217;s Time Person of the Year announcement</a>  (with 100k requests / second) and <em>security</em>, demonstrated by sites like WhiteHouse.gov and Nasa.gov.</li>



<li>The <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/">WordPress Playground</a> continues to astonish, allowing users to set up a fully functional WordPress site in the browser in a matter of seconds &#8211; showcasing the community&#8217;s spirit of innovation.<br /><br />Here&#8217;s a brief demo (narrated by Adam Zieliński):  </li>
</ul>



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



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong><em>That will never cease to amaze me. [&#8230;] It&#8217;s the closest thing to sci-fi we have going on right now in WordPress.</em></strong></p>
<cite>Matt</cite></blockquote>



<ul>
<li>Introducing the <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyfour/">Twenty Twenty Four</a> theme, a masterpiece with 35 built-in patterns catering to artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking the full potential of Gutenberg. Explore the theme&#8217;s highlights in the image below &#8211; and try it out (<a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyfour/">available in the repo here</a>).</li>
</ul>



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<img width="500" height="279" src="https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Twenty-twenty-four-theme-State-of-the-Word-Madrid-2023-500x279.png" alt="Highlights of the Twenty Twenty Four theme - State of the Word 2023 Madrid" class="wp-image-151785" />Highlights of the Twenty Twenty Four theme



<p>Other highlights included 70 WordCamps in 33 countries, 1.3k new contributors in 2023, the upcoming <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/">WordCamp Asia</a> in Taipei, Taiwan as well as Openverse being awarded the <a href="https://awards.oeglobal.org/awards/2023/open-infrastructure/openverse/">Open Education Award for Excellence in Education Infrastructure</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Peering into the Future: Collaboration and Workflow Environments</h2>



<p>Matías Ventura, WordPress Lead Architect, unveiled the plans for the Site Editor, aiming to enhance the experience for both writers and designers. The focus is now shifting towards collaboration and workflow environments (Phase 3 of the project), with a working prototype already available. While there&#8217;s no concrete timeline, you can dive into the Gutenberg plugin to test these developments and share your feedback on <a href="http://github.com/wordpress/gutenberg">GitHub</a>.</p>



<p>Matías showcased the prototype&#8217;s main features, emphasizing:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Patterns: becoming more versatile </h3>



<p>Explore a new era of <strong>patterns</strong>, allowing users to dive into exciting new features, like: </p>



<p>a. Swapping related patterns</p>



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







<p>b. Applying theme JSON to specific pattern</p>



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







<p>Additionally, Matías announced the creation of a hybrid type of pattern, offering text editing while maintaining control of the global design:</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Custom fields: the best of both worlds </h3>



<p>Offering the ability to connect blocks to <strong>custom fields</strong> seamlessly, bringing together the best of both developer-friendly and user-friendly capabilities:</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Performance: for both creators and visitors </h3>



<p>From a new dashboard tracking Gutenberg commits to editor <strong>performance</strong> improvements, WordPress is gearing up for version 6.5, promising significant speed enhancements:</p>



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



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<img width="500" height="282" src="https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/WP-6.5-faster-that-WP-6.4-State-of-the-Word-Madrid-2023-500x282.png" alt="WP 6.5 faster that WP 6.4 State of the Word Madrid 2023" class="wp-image-151786" />WordPress 6.5 expected to be significantly faster than WordPress 5.4



<p>On the front end performance, Matías shared the team&#8217;s focus is on the <strong>Interactivity API </strong>and demo-ed the improvements &#8211; instant transitions and instant search. You can check it out on <a href="https://wpmovies.dev/">https://wpmovies.dev/</a>. </p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Admin design: your own WordPress</h3>



<p>Empowering users to customize their admin area to fit their unique needs:</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI in WordPress: Playground Blueprints </h2>



<p>Looking ahead, Matt explored the opportunities of AI tools, introducing Playground blueprints on the WordPress site. This feature enables the creation of playground sites using natural language. He encouraged community members to commit to using AI to expand their knowledge:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&#8230;<strong><em> our growth and development will only be limited by our curiosity. </em></strong></p>
<cite>Matt</cite></blockquote>



<p>Related: practicing what he preaches, Matt shared that in order to enhance accessibility, the State of the Word recordings will soon be available in five languages, thanks to AI tools lipsync-ing addresses in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Japanese. Available over the coming few days!</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Charting the Course for 2024: Data Liberation</h2>



<p>Matt emphasized a new focus for 2024:  unlocking the web&#8217;s full potential, by focusing on 1-click data migration &#8211; from other platforms to WordPress and among WordPress sites. He invited community members to join the initiative, and shared that the teams will have all necessary tools at their disposal to deliver on this priority. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SOTW Reveal: WordCamp US Heading to&#8230; </h2>



<p>In an exciting revelation, WordCamp US is set to unfold its magic in Portland, Oregon, for the next two years. Matt describes the city as &#8216;super fun and weird in amazing ways.&#8217;  More to follow from the organisers. </p>



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<p>For a deeper dive into the State of the Word address check out the full recording below:</p>



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

</div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p></p>



<p><strong>Resources mentioned during the address: </strong></p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/">WC Asia 2024</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey">2023 anual meetup survey</a></li>



<li><a href="http://wp.org/meet">wp.org/meet</a></li>



<li><a href="http://wp.org/showcase">wp.org/showcase</a></li>



<li><a href="http://wp.org/remember">wp.org/remember</a></li>



<li><a href="http://developer.wp.org/playground">developer.wp.org/playground</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyfour/">Twenty twenty four theme</a></li>



<li><a href="http://github.com/wordpress/gutenberg">github.com/wordpress/gutenberg</a> </li>



<li><a href="https://wpmovies.dev/">https://wpmovies.dev/</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:"Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:46:45 +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:14:"Ioana Mureşan";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:41:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 12.0.0 “Nonno”";s:7:"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=332130";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"https://buddypress.org/2023/12/buddypress-12-0-0-nonno/";s: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:12104:"<p>We&#8217;re very excited to announce the immediate availability of <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.12.0.0.zip">BuddyPress 12.0.0 “Nonno”</a>, named after the excellent pizza restaurant located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France. Get it now&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">WordPress.org plugin repository</a>, or right from your WordPress Dashboard.</p>



<p>It took the BuddyPress Team almost a year to finish baking the <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&group=resolution&milestone=12.0.0">100 changes</a> to perfection, write the <a href="https://github.com/buddypress/buddypress/tree/master/docs/user" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">user</a> &amp; <a href="https://github.com/buddypress/buddypress/tree/master/docs/developer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">developer</a> documentation resources and build the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-classic/">backward compatibility Add-on</a> that make up our second major release of 2023.</p>



<p>One of these changes is probably the largest shift we have made since BuddyPress was born 15 years ago. </p>



<p>Our new BP Rewrites API solves a <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/4954" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10-year-old issue</a> and allows BuddyPress to comply with the WordPress way of generating rules to analyze requested URLs and route the visitor to the right site content: the&nbsp;<a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/rewrite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WP Rewrite API</a>. Though we have tried to minimize the changes required for BuddyPress plugins and themes to preserve backward compatibility, the following two constraints couldn’t be worked around:</p>



<ul>
<li>WordPress fully analyzes a URL later in the load process than our BP Legacy URL parser</li>



<li>Supporting plain permalinks &amp; customizable slugs required us to completely rethink the way we build BuddyPress URLs</li>
</ul>



<p>Because of these insurmountable limitations, we chose to build the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-classic/">BP Classic Add-on</a> to extend backward compatibility until all of the plugins you use on your site have been updated to use the new system. If you are using one or more third party BuddyPress plugins that have not been updated for the last 4 months or if you are still using the BP Default theme (which was <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/the-future-of-the-bp-default-theme/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deprecated 10 years ago</a>), we strongly advise you to download and activate <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-classic/">BP Classic</a> before upgrading to 12.0.0.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The first step for a Modern BuddyPress</h2>



<p>The <strong>BP Rewrites API</strong> is a massive revolution opening the way for a progressive BuddyPress evolution. Based on 10 years of experience gained through hard work, we are beginning to reimagine what it means to organize and manage communities within WordPress. Here are the immediate benefits of this new API:</p>



<ol>
<li>You can customize each piece of any URL generated by BuddyPress to better reflect your unique community using the new&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/buddypress/buddypress/blob/master/docs/user/administration/settings/urls.md" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">URLs settings screen</a>.</li>



<li>Pretty or plain, BuddyPress just works no matter which option you choose for your permalink settings.</li>



<li>Routing BuddyPress URLs is faster, more reliable, extensible, testable and fully compliant with WordPress best practices.</li>
</ol>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A new &#8220;members only&#8221; community visibility level</h2>



<p>We&#8217;ve heard from BuddyPress end-users that being able to easily restrict access to their community is a necessary feature. And, thanks to the BP Rewrites API, we are now able to make this possible. With this first iteration, a site admin can now choose whether <a href="https://github.com/buddypress/buddypress/blob/master/docs/user/administration/settings/options.md#community-visibility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the community is fully public or is only accessible to logged-in members</a>. In future versions, we hope to add granularity to this choice, so that community administrators can choose to highlight their members but share activities only inside the community&#8217;s &#8220;gates,&#8221; for example.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BP Nouveau is ready for Twenty Twenty-Four</h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<img width="651" height="557" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/12/bp-nouveau-twenty24.png" alt="BP Member's profile screenshot" class="wp-image-332137" /><button class="lightbox-trigger" type="button">
			
				
			
		</button>        <div class="wp-lightbox-overlay zoom" tabindex="-1">
                <button type="button" class="close-button">
                    
                </button>
                <div class="lightbox-image-container"><div class="wp-block-image">
<img src="https://buddypress.org/feed/" alt="BP Member's profile screenshot" class="wp-image-332137" /></div></div>
                <div class="lightbox-image-container"><div class="wp-block-image">
<img src="https://buddypress.org/feed/" alt="BP Member's profile screenshot" class="wp-image-332137" /></div></div>
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<p>The BP Nouveau template pack has been improved to better support Block Themes in general and Twenty Twenty-Four in particular. As shown in the above screen capture, our default template pack now includes a new Priority Navigation feature.</p>



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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">BuddyPress</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>



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</div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="dashicons dashicons dashicons-heart"></span> Many thanks to 12.0.0 contributors</h2>



<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/awol/">awol</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bkaindl/">Bernhard Kaindl (bkaindl)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bouncingsprout/">Ben Roberts (bouncingsprout)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/">Boone B Gorges (boonebgorges)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/btwebdesign/">btwebdesign</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code/">Scott Reilly (coffee2code)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/corzel/">corzel</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/diabolique/">Diabolique</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dj-basstone/">Heikki Paananen (dj-basstone)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/DJPaul/">Paul Gibbs (DJPaul)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/emaralive/">emaralive</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fanly/">Fanly</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fawp/">fawp</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fernandot/">Fernando Tellado (fernandot)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iandunn/">Ian Dunn (iandunn)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iamthewebb/">iamthewebb</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">Mathieu Viet (imath)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/itapress/">itapress</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jaz_on/">Jason Rouet</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/">John James Jacoby (johnjamesjacoby)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kalich5/">Michal Janata (kalich5)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/koenhuybrechts/">koen Huybrechts (koenhuybrechts)</a> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lenasterg">Lena Stergatou (lenasterg)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lidialab/">Lidia Pellizzaro (lidialab)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/magland/">magland</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/makoto-a/">Makoto Akai (makoto-a)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mehrazmorshed/">Mehraz Morshed (mehrazmorshed)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mike80222/">Mike Witt (mike80222)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nekojonez/">Pieterjan Deneys (nekojonez)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/niftythree/">Nifty (niftythree)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nilovelez/">Nilo Velez (nilovelez)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/plugindevs/">Plugin Devs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/psmits1567/">Peter Smits (psmits1567)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/r-a-y/">r-a-y</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rajinsharwar/">Rajin Sharwar (rajinsharwar)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/raviousprime/">raviousprime</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/espellcaste/">Renato Alves (espellcaste)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shailu25/">Shail Mehta (shailu25)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shawfactor/">shawfactor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/slaffik/">Slava Abakumov (slaFFik)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sjregan/">sjregan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/teeboy4real/">teeboy4real</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/upadalavipul/">Upadala Vipul (upadalavipul)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vapvarun/">Varun Dubey (vapvarun)</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="your-feedback"><span class="dashicons dashicons-format-chat"></span>  Your feedback</h2>



<p>Receiving your feedback and suggestions for future versions of BuddyPress genuinely motivates and encourages our contributors. Please <a href="https://buddypress.org/support/topic/buddypress-12-0-0/">share it</a> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png" alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



<p>Thanks a lot for using BuddyPress <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60d.png" alt="😍" class="wp-smiley" /></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Let&#8217;s celebrate &#8220;Nonno&#8221;</h2>



<p>Just like BuddyPress, &#8220;Nonno&#8221; (which means grandfather) has been around for 15 years, its team is very welcoming, caring and friendly; each of its members is committed to offering the best service and delivering the best tasting pizzas of the highest quality to customers. It&#8217;s the perfect place to entertain and have good times with your friends, family, or coworkers.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Enjoy BuddyPress &#8220;Nonno&#8221;</strong></p>



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<a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/12/pizza-nonno-1.jpg"><img width="300" height="300" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/12/pizza-nonno-1.jpg" alt="Nonno pizza" class="wp-image-332132" /></a>



<a href="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/12/pizza-nonno-2.jpg"><img width="300" height="300" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2023/12/pizza-nonno-2.jpg" alt="Spianata piccante pizza" class="wp-image-332131" /></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:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 11 Dec 2023 22:57:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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: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:48:"WordPress.org blog: State of the Word 2023 Recap";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=16617";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/state-of-the-word-2023-recap/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10688:"<p>On December 11, WordPress co-founder <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/">Matt Mullenweg</a> traveled to beautiful Madrid, Spain, to deliver his annual <a href="https://wordpress.org/state-of-the-word/">State of the Word</a> keynote. It was the first time this event took place outside the United States. Against the backdrop of <a href="https://www.palacioneptuno.com/">Palacio Neptuno</a>—an iconic architectural gem and UNESCO World Heritage site—nearly 200 contributors, developers, extenders, and friends of the project came together to hear from Matt, with millions more joining online.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">An introduction from the Executive Director</h2>



<p>Kicking off the event, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a>, Executive Director of the WordPress project, spoke about the community’s heart and spirit as what fuels hope for the future, ensuring the freedoms of the open web for all. She invited Matt on stage with a closing statement of confidence that such values and characteristics will move the project forward into the next 20 years as it has for the last 20.</p>



<img width="1024" height="682" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_36_35.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1" alt="Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Executive Director of the WordPress project, speaking at a podium " class="wp-image-16627" />



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Looking back at 2023</h2>



<p>Taking the stage, Matt shared his excitement about the event being the first international State of the Word. He honored the Spanish WordPress community for hosting, citing their past WordCamp accomplishments. From there, Matt jumped right into a reflection of this year’s notable moments. He recalled the project’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, how the software has evolved, and how much more the community came together this year—doubling the number of WordCamps to 70, taking place in 33 countries.</p>



<div class="wp-block-group has-off-white-2-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow">
<p class="has-text-align-center">We’re always aiming to learn and improve. Tell us how to make meetups better.</p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey?p=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Take the 2023 Meetup Survey</a></div>
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</div>



<p>Matt continued with callouts to several resources on <a href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress.org</a>: the all-new <a href="https://events.wordpress.org/">Events</a> page, the redesigned <a href="https://wordpress.org/showcase/">Showcase</a>, a new <a href="https://wordpress.org/remembers/">WordPress Remembers memorial</a>, and the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/09/openverse-wins-the-2023-oeg-open-infrastructure-award/">award-winning Openverse</a>. He also demoed <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/">WordPress Playground</a>, a tool allowing users to experiment with WordPress directly in their browsers, as well as the versatile <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyfour/">Twenty Twenty-Four default theme</a>.</p>



<img width="1024" height="682" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_35_53.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1" alt="Matías Ventura, Lead Architect of Gutenberg, speaking on stage at State of the Word" class="wp-image-16621" />



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Collaborative editing and more</h2>



<p>Matt recapped the four phases of the Gutenberg project, noting that work has begun on Phase 3: Collaboration before passing the microphone to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matveb/">Matías Ventura</a>, Lead Architect of Gutenberg.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After a quick interlude in Spanish, Matías acknowledged how much progress had been made on the software this year. He spoke about the aim of the Site Editor to become both an exemplary writing environment and a superior design tool while noting improvements to the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/footnotes-block/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Footnotes Block</a>&nbsp;and the ease of&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/distraction-free-mode/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Distraction Free mode</a>.</p>



<p>While there was no set timeline for collaboration and workflows, Matías was excited to share a working prototype in the Editor. He showcased some of the most interesting aspects of collaborative editing, including establishing a sync engine that allows real-time edits to be visible across sessions. He invited contributors to test the prototype in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gutenberg/">Gutenberg plugin</a> and <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/52593">share their feedback in Github</a>.</p>



<p>From there, Matías highlighted other exciting developments, including the emphasis on Patterns and their continued evolution as a powerful tool for workflows, and the ability to connect blocks to custom fields. He was thrilled to speak about performance improvements, noting that work is in progress to make the Editor <a href="https://www.codevitals.run/project/gutenberg">at least twice as fast</a>. Speaking about front-end performance, he shared what’s to come with a <a href="https://wpmovies.dev/">demo of the Interactivity API</a>, showcasing how it can make transitions, search, and other interactions instant—all with standard WordPress blocks and features.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Matías concluded with a look at how the Admin redesign will take cues from the Site Editor, eventually allowing users to shape their WordPress Admin experience based on their unique needs.</p>



<img width="1024" height="684" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_36_09.jpg?resize=1024%2C684&ssl=1" alt="WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg speaking at a podium" class="wp-image-16624" />



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI and Data Liberation</h2>



<p>Matt returned to the stage to expand on the future of WordPress, reinforcing his past advice to <em>learn AI deeply</em>. He expressed his excitement about what can be accomplished with the wealth of AI tools available, how contributors are already experimenting with natural language processing and WordPress Playground to create and build.</p>



<p>Finally, Matt introduced an additional focus for the project in 2024: <a href="https://wordpress.org/data-liberation/">Data Liberation</a>, with the goal to make importing from other platforms into WordPress as frictionless as possible. He spoke about the tendency of content management systems to keep users locked in as part of his motivation to <em>unlock digital barriers</em>. The Data Liberation initiative will work on one-click migration and the export format from WordPress.&nbsp;</p>



<p>More than just tools, Data Liberation reflects the project’s ethos to allow seamless contributions. With that, Matt invited anyone interested to jump into the action, noting a new <a href="https://github.com/wordpress/data-liberation">Data Liberation GitHub repository</a> and forthcoming <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">Making WordPress Slack</a> channels as places to get started.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Questions and answers</h2>



<p>Following the presentation, Matt fielded questions from the live-stream and in-person audiences during an interactive question-and-answer session hosted by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/monchomad/">Jose Ramón Padrón (Moncho)</a>.</p>



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<p>Additional questions from the live session will be answered in a follow-up post on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project">make.WordPress.org/project</a>. Subscribe to our blog notifications to be sure you don’t miss it. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for next year’s <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/">WordCamp Asia</a> (Taipei, Taiwan), <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2024/">WordCamp Europe</a> (Torino, Italy), and WordCamp US (Portland, Oregon, United States).</p>



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<div class="wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular"><div class="tiled-gallery__gallery"><div class="tiled-gallery__row"><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_37_04-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1" /><img alt="" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_36_22-1024x682.jpg?ssl=1" /></div><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_36_31-1024x682.jpg?ssl=1" /></div></div><div class="tiled-gallery__row"><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/sotw-2023-final.006-1024x576.png?ssl=1" /></div><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_34_38-576x1024.jpg?ssl=1" /></div></div><div class="tiled-gallery__row"><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_35_11-1024x682.jpg?ssl=1" /></div><div class="tiled-gallery__col"><img alt="" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_34_45-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1" /><img alt="" src="https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/12/IMAGE-2023-12-11-13_38_08-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1" /></div></div></div></div>



<p><em><em>Thank you to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laurlittle/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>laurlittle</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eidolonnight/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>eidolonnight</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nilovelez/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>nilovelez</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fepr/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>fepr</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>cbringmann</a>, and the many others who made this event and post possible.</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:"Mon, 11 Dec 2023 22:55:46 +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:17:"Nicholas Garofalo";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:77:"WordPress.org blog: WP Briefing: Episode 68: Toward a More Interconnected Web";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"https://wordpress.org/news/?post_type=podcast&p=16569";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/episode-68-toward-a-more-interconnected-web/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14558:"<p>In this episode, WordPress Executive Director, Josepha Haden Chomphosy articulates the vision for a collaborative ecosystem where knowledge sharing and contributions to open source tools lead to a more interconnected and empowered web.</p>



<p><em><strong>Have a question you&#8217;d like answered? You can submit them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wpbriefing@wordpress.org">wpbriefing@WordPress.org</a>, either written or as a voice recording.</strong></em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Credits</h2>



<p>Host:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a><br />Editor:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dustinhartzler/">Dustin Hartzler</a><br />Logo:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/javiarce/">Javier Arce</a><br />Production:&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bjmcsherry/">Brett McSherry</a><br />Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Show Notes</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2022/11/state-of-the-word-2022/">State of the Word 2022</a></li>



<li><a href="https://thephp.foundation/">PHP Foundation</a></li>



<li>Josepha&#8217;s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2022/01/21/big-picture-goals-2022/">Big Picture Goals 2022</a></li>



<li><strong>Small List of Big Things</strong>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-17-1-22-november/">Gutenberg 17.1</a> has been released and is <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gutenberg/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">available for download</a>! The latest release includes new enhancements, bug fixes, and continued work on Phase 3 features.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/11/17/announcing-the-2023-annual-meetup-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Announcing the 2023 Annual Meetup Survey</a> &#8211; The Community team proposed a survey for all meetup members and organizers. Please complete the <a href="https://wordpressdotorg.survey.fm/2023-meetup-annual-survey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annual Meetup Survey</a>  by January 14, 2024– even if you haven&#8217;t participated in a meetup recently!</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/11/29/request-for-feedback-lesson-handbook-pages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Request for feedback: Lesson Handbook pages</a> &#8211; As the Training team progresses towards the 2024 launch of <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/2023/07/07/project-thread-learning-pathways-on-learn-wordpress/">Learning Pathways</a>, they&#8217;re developing a set of content creation guidelines to streamline and scale the process. These guidelines will focus on efficient methods for developing, reviewing, and updating content. To gather input, a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1twvDGmVZsyjBZbi9abiqoA_a2G7O_WNis_iGL2Sccg0/edit#heading=h.srkdcrt4k0v8">Google Doc</a> has been created where you can share your ideas. Please provide your feedback and comments on this document by Tuesday, December 19, 2023.</li>



<li><a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/">WordPress Playground</a> makes WordPress instantly accessible for users, learners, extenders, and contributors.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/11/30/embracing-matrix-for-enhanced-communication/">Embracing Matrix for Enhanced Communication</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Transcripts</h2>



<span id="more-16569"></span>



<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Josepha:</strong> Hello everyone. And welcome to the WordPress Briefing. The podcast where you can catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project, some insight into the community that supports it, and get a small list of big things coming up in the next two weeks. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go.</p>



<p>[00:00:28] (Intro music)&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:00:40] <strong>Josepha:</strong> If you&#8217;re already familiar with the WordPress project, and if you&#8217;re listening to this podcast, I feel like it&#8217;s a safe assumption that you&#8217;re probably also familiar with the fact that we are what&#8217;s considered a free and open source software project. We adhere to the four freedoms of open source. We track bugs in the open, and we believe that knowledge sharing can only improve our products. </p>



<p>But you might not be aware of the other open source projects that are foundational to ours and otherwise are integral to our commitment to the open web. At last year&#8217;s State of the Word, Matt mentioned that one of the coolest things about being a plugin or theme author in WordPress is that you get to run your open source project on the same infrastructure that WordPress runs on. So, no matter whether you have five installs or five thousand, you&#8217;re getting the benefits of our bug trackers, messaging, and network of project sites. But beyond those, which are, of course, near and dear to us, we also support projects like PHP and its foundation. Openverse and its founding organization Creative Commons, and of course, the two that we&#8217;re hearing a lot about this year and next, Playground and Matrix.</p>



<p>[00:01:52] <strong>Josepha:</strong> That&#8217;s a lot of projects and not even a comprehensive list. And honestly, it can seem, I don&#8217;t know, a little weird. Like, we&#8217;re a FOSS CMS, right? You probably know why we contribute back to PHP. It&#8217;s the same reason we ask people to contribute to WordPress. But why are we giving so much time to a media search engine, or a Web Assembly implementation, or even a messaging protocol?</p>



<p>At first glance, there are, of course, a lot of quick and easy answers. For instance, like, open source is open source. Any open source contribution is going to be a good contribution. All open source in the world increases good and freedom in the world. Like, open source is open source. Makes sense, right?</p>



<p>Another quick and easy answer is, you know, they&#8217;re part of us. And that&#8217;s true, definitely, for PHP, like, they&#8217;re part of us, and so we should be contributing back to them. Because we rely on them so much. And then a third quick and easy answer is that we, as the biggest open source CMS on the planet, basically, we can, spare a lending hand. We can offer a little bit of help to those around us.&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:03:03] <strong>Josepha:</strong> And those are all true. I don&#8217;t think that anyone would disagree with any of that. But the thing that ties it all together for me is something that&#8217;s a little harder to see. In the 2022 goals that I posted, I said that my second goal for our year was to support open source alternatives for all site-building necessities.</p>



<p>At the time, I was primarily talking about Openverse and the directory of photos that was being created as a CC-first source. But that also applies to all of our directories. It did then, just as it does now. And Trac, and our vast network of WordPress sites. All the tools we use in order to collaborate with, and lead for, and learn from each other.</p>



<p>I want us to be able to do everything it takes to build an online presence using open source tools and methods because WordPress is just a glorious little microcosm of the interconnected web. It reminds me of this art installation I had the privilege of experiencing. It&#8217;s called Meow Wolf. I went to the one in Denver, but there are a few different installations across the U.S.&nbsp;The one that I went to is this massive art installation, and it is designed to be interactive, but it wasn&#8217;t until you started sharing your experience sharing your knowledge with other people that you realized it was also collaborative, a set of buttons you pushed in one room would cause a light show in some other room.</p>



<p>[00:04:34] <strong>Josepha:</strong> So you were enhancing the experience of strangers in some completely disconnected room to yours, and they couldn&#8217;t distinguish it from an automation or something they did, or just plain old magic. And that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re doing by supporting these other open source tools. Yes, every new open source contribution results in more freedom in the world. Yes, we owe support to the components that got us where we are today. And yes, we absolutely can and should pay it forward. But more importantly than all that, we&#8217;re creating the opportunity for new interactions, new brilliance, and new defenders of the open web every time that we work on these open source products.</p>



<p>[00:05:20] <strong>Josepha:</strong> And it doesn&#8217;t matter if we will ever see any of those people. And it doesn&#8217;t matter if they will ever thank us. What matters is that we see that knowledge like this is worth preserving and worth sharing. Because knowledge shared, information shared is like light. The more you share it, the more there is.</p>



<p>And I want you to be able to take that sharing and use it to light the world. I want you to be able to go out and tell people how open source has changed your life, how WordPress has opened doors for you, or how much these tools have empowered your clients. I want you to remember why you came to WordPress in the first place, and I need you to hear me when I say that I need you here in WordPress today because every little ripple of good that we create makes the world a little more good.</p>



<p>[00:06:12] (Music interlude)&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:06:20] <strong>Josepha:</strong> (SLBT) And now, my friends, that brings us to our time for the small list of big things. I&#8217;ve got a kind of a big list because I always kind of have a big list anymore, but the first thing on my list is Gutenberg 17.1. That has been released and is available for download. It includes several new enhancements, loads of bug fixes, and continues that work on phase three features that we are starting to see come through. If you don&#8217;t have it already, go out and grab it, test it, break it, and tell us what you tested and how it broke things.&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:06:52] <strong>Josepha:</strong> The second thing on my small list of big things is that there is currently an annual meetup survey out. So, we&#8217;ve had an increase in our meetup events, and certainly an increase in the active number of meetup groups that we have, but the community team is proposing a unified survey for all meetup members and organizers, and if you haven&#8217;t participated in it yet go and fill it out. You don&#8217;t have to have actually gone to a meetup event recently in order to take it, but, you know, it might be helpful. Either way, you have until January 14, 2024, to fill that out.</p>



<p>[00:07:30] <strong>Josepha:</strong> The third thing on my small list of big things is a request for feedback. The training team is working toward launching Learning Pathways in 2024. They&#8217;re looking to create a new set of content creation guidelines that enables the learning pathways to scale with a straightforward process for developing, reviewing, and updating that content. There&#8217;s a Google doc for you where you can contribute your ideas, and that doc will be open for feedback through this week and into next week. I believe it closes on Tuesday, the 19th of December, 2023.</p>



<p>[00:08:04] <strong>Josepha:</strong> And then the final thing on my small list of big things is actually, it&#8217;s a dual call-in. I already said with my first one about the Gutenberg plugin: get in there and test it and break it, and then tell us how it broke and what you were doing when you were testing it and broke it. And I encourage you to do that also for Matrix and Playground.</p>



<p>So Playground has been a really big deal all year long. It was a big deal at the end of last year. It showed up for us in November 2022 and has been really just growing in surprising ways all the way through 2023. So if you have not yet seen it, you haven&#8217;t gotten your hands on it yet, it&#8217;s a WordPress installation that is loaded entirely in the browser, totally server-free, and we&#8217;re looking at a couple of new implementations that make it easier for users who are trying to, like, kick the tires of WordPress before they decide, and developers who are wanting to test new pull requests and things like that.</p>



<p>So keep an eye out if it sounds interesting; it is interesting. And wander over and figure out how that&#8217;s working. And the other thing in that last call for collective testing is Matrix. So Matrix is an open source federated messaging protocol, and like so many technology projects out there at the moment, we are trying to make sure that we are preparing ourselves for the future arrival of Web 3 and all of the things that are coming along with current advancements in federated everything and AI and etc., etc.</p>



<p>And so, Matrix is an open source messaging protocol. There are a lot of different ways to get connected. I&#8217;ll share a link to one of the posts in the show notes over on WordPress.org/news. But if you&#8217;re interested in learning a bit about it and you don&#8217;t really want to like figure out what sort of client is comfortable for you to use. There&#8217;s also on-site chat implementations for, I want to say, like 10 or 12 of our largest or most regularly meeting groups that we have. You can go to parts of the website like make.WordPress.org/core/chat and check those out. If you have a WordPress.org account, then you can have access to that on-site chat, and that is it.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s the whole low barrier to entryway of figuring that out with us. Come and break stuff with us, everyone, and tell us how to make it better.&nbsp;</p>



<p>[00:10:33] <strong>Josepha:</strong> And that, my friends, is your small list of big things. Don&#8217;t forget to follow us on your favorite podcast app or subscribe directly on WordPress.org/news. You&#8217;ll get a friendly reminder whenever there&#8217;s a new episode. If you liked what you heard today, share it with a fellow WordPresser. Or, if you had questions about what you heard, you can share those with me at wpbriefing@WordPress.org. I&#8217;m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Thank you for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing, and I&#8217;ll see you again in a couple of weeks.</p>



<p>[00:11:00] (Music outro)&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:"Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Brett McSherry";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:113:"Gutenberg Times: Roadmap 6.5, theme handbook, Course on Data Layer, Create a Slider block – Weekend Edition 277";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=26647";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:117:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/roadmap-6-5-theme-handbook-course-on-data-layer-create-a-slider-block-weekend-edition-277/";s: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:14883:"<p>Howdy, </p>



<p>I am very excited about the State of the Word on Monday and will <a href="https://youtu.be/1MwT9EEkguE">watch the live stream.</a> It will bring everyone in the WordPress space together and imagine the future, building on the fantastic work of contributors, code and no-code a like in the community. Will you watch it? If you do, please let me know what you think and what the most important takeaways were for you. </p>



<p>What else happened in the Block editor space? Scroll down and take a look! </p>



<p>Have a wonderful weekend and be well. </p>



<p>Yours, 💕<br /><em>Birgit</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="0-word-press-release-information">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</h2>



<p><strong>Anne McCarthy </strong>unveiled <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/12/07/roadmap-to-6-5/"><strong>the roadmap for 6.5</strong></a>, detailing the exciting projects and enhancements that lie ahead. Set to launch in March 2023, this release promises a host of new features that will surely elevate your WordPress experience. Accompanied by handy tracking tickets, you can easily stay connected with the development progress. </p>



<p>The Font Library takes the lead, accompanied by other  design tools and features for the site editor such as Revisions enhancements, a mobile-friendly Navigation block, Patterns, and increased support for Classic Themes. Plugin developers might look forward to the new Data Views and APIs for Interactivity, Custom Fields, and Block Binding. The article also highlights developments in plugin and theme rollbacks after automatic updates, improved dependency management, enhanced PHP compatibility, and overall performance enhancements. </p>



<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/12/07/roadmap-to-6-5/"><img width="652" height="367" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FontLibrary.png?resize=652%2C367&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-26669" /></a>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>As mentioned last week, <strong>Anne McCarthy</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Saxon Fletcher</strong> invite you to join them to a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/23/hallway-hangout-lets-explore-wordpress-6-5/"><strong>Hallway Hangout: Let’s explore WordPress 6.5</strong></a>&nbsp;on <strong>January 16 at 21:00 UTC</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p class="has-accent-color has-light-background-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-d02c05917781faad43b455819cf71f89">🎙️ Latest episode:  <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-93-gutenberg-17-1-command-palette-data-views-and-grid-layout/">Gutenberg Changelog #93 – Gutenberg 17.1, Command Palette, Data Views and Grid Layout</a> &#8211; a chat with <strong>Isabel Brison</strong></p>



<p>In his <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2023/12/04/design-share-nov-20-dec-1/"><strong>Design Share: Nov 20-Dec 1</strong></a>, <strong>Joen Asmussen</strong> again shares the work of the WordPress design team. He takes us along with screenshots, short descriptions and link to the GitHub issue or Figma spaces:</p>



<ul>
<li>Events</li>



<li>Drag and Drop</li>



<li>Gallery captions and potential Lightbox behaviors</li>



<li>Revisiting social links</li>



<li>Local nav and breadcrumb</li>



<li>Unified toolbar button sizes</li>



<li>Data views: Grid layout. (&lt;- my personal favorite) </li>
</ul>



<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2023/12/04/design-share-nov-20-dec-1/"><img width="652" height="492" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-17.59.52.png?resize=652%2C492&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-26678" /></a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="0-p">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</h2>



<p><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong>, of PootlePress, <a href="https://twitter.com/pootlepress/status/1731972777266028771">tweeted</a> &#8220;As part of my recent Twenty Twenty Four YouTube video I made 5 different types of websites, and also made the designs available as Themes, using the brilliant Create Block Theme Plugin. They&#8217;ve now been downloaded 231 times&#8221; You can download <strong><a href="https://www.pootlepress.com/free-wordpress-themes/">the free WordPress themes</a></strong>, from his website, for a small donation of your email address. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/nerrad"><strong>Darren Ethier</strong></a> shared what&#8217;s new with Woo and WordPress 6.4 in a <a href="https://twitter.com/nerrad/status/1730989297791099141">thread on X (former Twitter)</a> and illustrates them with  short videos. </p>



<a href="https://twitter.com/nerrad/status/1730992780443357614"><img width="533" height="435" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-18.05.31.png?resize=533%2C435&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-26680" /></a>



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<p><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/ellenbauer">Ellen Bauer</a></strong>, Theme builder at Elma Studio, shows you in her YouTube tutorial <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riuz99A9ZA4"><strong>How to customize the blog template In WordPress</strong></a>, and customize the list of blog post to your liking. Without any developer, you can now adjust the length of the post excerpt, hide date or authors, or add categories and feature image to the listing. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>Plugin developer, <a href="https://twitter.com/rilwis"><strong>Anh Tran</strong></a>, just announced that new Admin page design for <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/falcon/"><strong>Falcon</strong></a>, a plugin that allows its users to customize the WordPress experience and provides access to settings, normally not exposed in the wp-admin space. The list is quite extensive, and you might want to consider using the plugin as  part of the tool box building sites for others. There is always a need to tweak the user interface and customize which WordPress features are exposed to the end user. If you like to check out the source code of the plugin, <a href="https://github.com/elightup/falcon/tree/master">it&#8217;s available on GitHub</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</h2>



<p><strong>Jonathan Desrosiers</strong>, core contributor, sponsored by Bluehost, published a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/12/05/proposal-default-theme-task-force-for-2024/"><strong>Proposal: Default Theme Task Force for 2024</strong></a>, that has its history in discussions at the Community Summit 2023. The task force is to research and implement a better way to update WordPress default themes with the latest features, especially with the site editor and Gutenberg. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Ganesh Dahal</strong> posted <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/12/05/a-walk-through-tutorial-on-using-create-block-theme-plugin/"><strong>a walk-through tutorial on using the Create Block Theme plugin</strong></a>. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/create-block-theme/">plugin </a>is the only tool to create different variations of block themes directly from the Site Editor. Dahal explains each feature and how to use it. </p>




<p><strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2022&#8221;</a>&nbsp;</strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly.  <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/"><em>The index 2020 is here</em></a></p>




<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p>This was mentioned before, and maybe you just read past it.: Over the past few months, <strong>Justin Tadlock </strong>and other theme team members <strong>added new chapters to the WordPress Theme Handbook</strong>, focusing on modern block theming.</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/getting-started/">Getting Started</a></li>



<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/core-concepts/">Core Concepts</a></li>



<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/global-settings-and-styles/">Global Settings and Styles (theme.json)</a></li>



<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/templates/">Templates</a></li>



<li><a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/features/">Features</a></li>
</ul>



<p>The new chapters are part of a big project to update the Theme Handbook. the team still needs more people to help, and you can join by choosing a topic from the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/Documentation-Issue-Tracker/issues/816">GitHub tracking ticket.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </h2>



<p>The course to Learn.WordPress,  <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/course/using-the-wordpress-data-layer/"><strong>Using the WordPress Data Layer</strong></a> is an excellent introduction to the topic with a great example if you are contemplating using the scripts and components outside the block editor for your pages. </p>



<a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/course/using-the-wordpress-data-layer/"><img width="600" height="386" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/WordPress-Data-Layer-Course-Example.jpg?resize=600%2C386&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-26677" /></a>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/johnbillion"><strong>John Blackbourn</strong> </a>started a discussion <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/discussions/55642"><strong>Interactivity API showcase</strong></a> to asked community members to show what they are already building with the Interactivity API. It&#8217;s not the direct way to learn how to use the Interactivity API, but the passion for these new standards by those taking part in the conversation can be quite motivating to learn more. To get started with the Interactivity API, you can follow along the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/trunk/packages/interactivity/docs/1-getting-started.md">Getting started guide</a> or dive deep into the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/trunk/packages/interactivity/docs/2-api-reference.md">API Reference. </a></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/swissspidy"><strong>Pascal Birchler</strong></a>, developer relations engineer at Google,  showcased his <a href="https://twitter.com/swissspidy/status/1733138082591912154">side project on X (former Twitter)</a>. He shares the code of his <a href="https://github.com/swissspidy/media-experiments"><strong>WordPress Media Experiments</strong></a> on GitHub, that allows you to compress Images, auto-convert of  from animated GIFs to video for accessibility or create an image preview of a PDF. There are ten more features already implemented. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>On the Builders site, <strong>Damon Cook</strong> wrote a tutorial on how to <a href="https://wpengine.com/builders/create-a-slider-block/"><strong>create a Slider Block for WordPress with SwiperJS</strong></a>. A Slider block is not available in WordPress out of the box, so Cook closes this gap by walking developers through the various steps of building one, using the <a href="https://swiperjs.com/demos">SwiperJS library.</a> </p>




<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. <br />Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know.</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>




<p class="has-text-align-right has-small-font-size"><em>Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? Don&#8217;t hesitate to send <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">them via email</a> or send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph</em>. </p>



<p class="has-text-align-right has-small-font-size">For questions to be answered on the <a href="http://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast">Gutenberg Changelog</a>, send them to <a href="mailto:changelog@gutenbergtimes.com">changelog@gutenbergtimes.com</a></p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />




<p>Featured Image: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/">CC0</a>&nbsp;licensed&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/photo/816376d5dc/">photo</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/eboxnet/">Vagelis</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/">WordPress Photo Directory</a>.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p class="has-text-align-left"><strong>Don&#8217;t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? </strong></p>



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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 09 Dec 2023 15:02:38 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"HeroPress: Shayda Torabi, New HeroPress Staff, And More!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=6183";s:7:"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:151:"https://heropress.com/shayda-torabi-new-heropress-staff-and-more/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shayda-torabi-new-heropress-staff-and-more";s: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:10831:"<img width="1024" height="1024" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2846572fc1dea2e71.03572528-2048x2048-1-1024x1024.jpeg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Hiking trail across a mountain ridge." /><h1 class="kt-adv-heading6183_571a2b-14 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">HeroPress Network Updates For December 8, 2023</h1>


<div class="kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id6183_08c601-98 alignnone kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout"><div class="kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top kb-theme-content-width">

<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column6183_0a90a0-f7 inner-column-1"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6183_6489f1-15 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">HeroPress News!</h2>



<p>Things are changing at HeroPress, a long slow progress to make something new. Part of the new HeroPress is expanding the team, so that if something happens to me it goes on, so here are a couple new people.</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading6183_2fc9c9-4b wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">New WPPhotos.Info Editor</h3>



<p>Selena Salustri from the Italian WordPress community has taken over the moderation and management of <a href="https://wpphotos.info">WPPhotos.Info</a>.  She recently had <a href="https://wpphotos.info/sunset-camel/">her own photo</a> on the site, and felt inspired to join in!</p>



<h3 class="kt-adv-heading6183_c2f69e-2d wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">New Tip Of The Week Transcriber</h3>



<p>Cecilio Rodriguez from Venezuela has been transcribing recent Tips Of The Week.  He&#8217;s not replacing Evalyn Maina who works on Hallway Chats, just working in different areas.</p>
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<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6183_e4a964-ec wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://heropress.com/">HeroPress.com</a> &#8211; <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/try-something-new/">Try Something New</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<a href="https://heropress.com/essays/try-something-new/"><img width="300" height="300" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/headshot-300x300.png" alt="Shayda Torabi" class="wp-image-710" /></a></div>


<p>Shayda Torabi is from Austin, Texas. Her essay &#8220;<a href="https://heropress.com/essays/try-something-new/">Try Something New</a>&#8221; was prophetic, because in the years after this essay first published she became an entrepreneur and got married deep in the desert. Always striving to try something new.</p>



<p><em>I’m rediscovering my happiness every day thanks to the WordPress community, and I believe you can too.</em></p>



<p>Shayda&#8217;s essay is <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/try-something-new/">available</a> on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress.com</a>.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column6183_f16024-34 inner-column-1"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6183_94136c-97 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://hallwaychats.com">WPPhotos.Info</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<img width="225" height="300" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/646565ee85a2be41.29146495-scaled-1-225x300.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-6189" /></div>


<p>This week&#8217;s <a href="https://wpphotos.info">WPPhotos Info</a> is called &#8220;<a href="https://wpphotos.info/lemon-tree/">Lemon Tree</a>&#8220;. </p>



<p>During his stay in Paraguay, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/benniledl/">!Benni</a> was exploring the Reserva de Recursos Manejados Ybytyruzú, a conservation gem established in 2001. Spanning an impressive 24,000 hectares within the Atlantic Forest, this protected area is shows Paraguay’s preserving natural beauty.</p>



<p><a href="https://wpphotos.info/lemon-tree/">Read more of the story at WPPhotos.info!</a></p>
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<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6183_6d7c6a-0d wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://heropress.com/">Press Releases!</a></h2>


<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<img src="https://heropressnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/pressitwp_logo-300x130.jpg" alt="Press It WP" class="wp-image-4736" /></div>


<p><a href="https://pressitwp.com">PressItWP.com</a> has been a part of the <a href="https://heropressnetwork.com">HeroPress Network</a> for almost a year now, if you ever release Press Releases, please consider <a href="https://pressitwp.com">PressItWP</a>!</p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yoast-unleashes-ai-powered-seo-plugin-slashing-time-investments-for-crafting-vital-elements-of-effective-seo-strategies"><a href="https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GravityMigrate-press-release.pdf#new_tab"><a href="https://newfold.com/newsroom/yoast-unleashes-ai-powered-seo-plugin--slashing-time-investments#new_tab">Yoast unleashes AI-powered SEO plugin, slashing time investments for crafting vital elements of effective SEO strategies</a></a></h2>



<p>Yoast announced AI-powered enhancements to its renowned WordPress SEO plugin that help users write engaging and SEO-optimized titles and meta descriptions for webpages. Using advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques, it generates creative and appealing titles and meta descriptions, captivating audiences while meeting search engine standards.</p>
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<h2 class="kt-adv-heading6183_74e907-d5 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading"><a href="https://wppodcasts.com">WP Podcasts</a></h2>



<a href="https://wppodcasts.com"><img src="https://heropressnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pocket_casts_single_315.png" alt="Pocket Casts image" class="wp-image-4316" /></a>



<p>There were <em>thirty-one</em> WordPress podcast episodes released this week! Also, the Spanish language podcast WordPress Pódcast is coming in English, French, and Catalan!</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wpcoffeetalk.castos.com/episodes/wpcoffeetalk-rytis-lauris#new_tab">WPCoffeeTalk: Rytis Lauris</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/wpcoffeetalk/">WPCoffeeTalk</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.wppodcast.es/podcast/entrevista-tutorias-wordpress-con-josep-moran/#new_tab">[Entrevista] Tutorías WordPress, con Josep Morán</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/wordpress-podcast/">WordPress Pódcast</a></li>



<li><a href="https://dothewoo.io/growing-meetups-at-the-wordpress-community-day-roma-2023/#new_tab">Growing Meetups at the WordPress Community Day, Roma 2023</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/do-the-woo-a-woocommerce-podcast/">Do the Woo – A WooCommerce Podcast</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wppodcasts.com/allowing-ourselves-to-receive-help-from-others/">Allowing Ourselves to Receive Help from Others</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/wp-motivate/">WP Motivate</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wp-tonic-show-a-wordpress-podcast.castos.com/episodes/890-wp-tonic-this-month-in-wordpress-tech-round-table-show-with-special-guest-katie-keith-of-barn2#new_tab">#890 – WP-Tonic This Month in WordPress &amp; Tech Round Table Show With Special Guest Katie Keith of Barn2</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/wp-tonic/">WP-Tonic</a></li>



<li><a href="https://underrepresented-in-tech.castos.com/episodes/end-of-year-3-recap#new_tab">End of Year 3 Recap</a> from <a href="https://wppodcasts.com/podcast/underrepresented-in-tech/">Underrepresented in Tech</a></li>
</ul>



<p>There are new episodes every single day, so be sure to stop by <a href="https://wppodcasts.com">WPPodcasts.com</a> and search for things that interest you!</p>
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<p>The header photo for this post is a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/">CC0</a> licensed <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/photo/2846572fc1/">photo</a> by <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/author/bhuwanroka/">Bhuwan Bdr. Rokaha</a> from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/photos/">WordPress Photo Directory</a>.</p>






<p>That&#8217;s it for this week! If you&#8217;d like to get this post in your email every week, <a href="https://heropressnetwork.com/newsletter">make sure you sign up</a>!</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/shayda-torabi-new-heropress-staff-and-more/">Shayda Torabi, New HeroPress Staff, And More!</a> appeared first on <a 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:"Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:24:51 +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:"";}}}}}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:78:"Do The Woo Community: Page Builders, Documentation and an Scaling for Swifties";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78662";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"https://dothewoo.io/page-builders-documentation-and-an-scaling-for-swifties/";s: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:431:"<p>A look at a couple of polls on page builders and documentation and the WordPressVIP team preparing for an onslaught of Swifties on Time.com.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/page-builders-documentation-and-an-scaling-for-swifties/">Page Builders, Documentation and an Scaling for Swifties</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 08 Dec 2023 12:51:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:60:"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress – November 2023";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=16575";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/the-month-in-wordpress-november-2023/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10455:"<p>November is usually a busy month for the WordPress project, and this year is no different. Following the empowering release of WordPress 6.4, the energy continues to build, setting the stage for the anticipated State of the Word and upcoming projects.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Read on for all the exciting updates that marked the past month.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Get ready for State of the Word</h2>



<img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2023/11/SOTW-Blue.png?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1" alt="State of the Word 2023" class="wp-image-16438" />



<p>Mark your calendars—State of the Word 2023 is approaching fast. In this annual keynote, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg celebrates the progress of the open source project and offers a glimpse into its future.</p>



<p>For the first time in WordPress history, the event will be held outside North America, in the vibrant city of <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/11/state-of-the-word-2023-madrid-spain/">Madrid, Spain, on December 11, 2023</a>.</p>



<p>If you’re unable to attend the State of the Word in person, you can watch it live on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/1MwT9EEkguE?si=TYwAe5qnKA3DlRMX">WordPress YouTube channel</a> or join one of the many community-led watch parties. <a href="https://wordpress.org/state-of-the-word">Find one near you</a> or <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/event-formats/state-of-the-word-watch-parties/">organize one</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-3 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-dark-strokes-grey-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button" href="https://wordpress.org/state-of-the-word/">Learn more about State of the Word 2023</a></div>
</div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet Twenty Twenty-Four</h2>



<p>Along with the release of <a href="https://wordpress.org/download/releases/6-4/">WordPress 6.4</a> “Shirley,” the new default <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/11/introducing-twenty-twenty-four/">Twenty Twenty-Four theme was introduced</a>.</p>



<p>This theme breaks away from the tradition of previous default themes that focused on a specific topic or style. Instead, Twenty Twenty-Four was created to fit any website and explore different use cases for entrepreneurs, artists, and writers.</p>



<p>You’ll find more than 35 beautiful patterns, including full-page patterns for templates like homepage, search, and more. Twenty Twenty-Four boasts the latest site editing capabilities and a sophisticated aesthetic inspired by contemporary design trends.</p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-4 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-dark-strokes-grey-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button" href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?theme=twentytwentyfour">Check out Twenty Twenty-Four now</a></div>
</div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New in the Gutenberg plugin</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/10/whats-new-in-gutenberg-17-0-9-november/">Gutenberg 17.0</a> was released on November 9, 2023. It introduced improvements to the Command Palette, an alternative implementation of the DropdownMenu component, additional visual cues for LinkControl, and various accessibility and performance iterations.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-17-1-22-november/">Gutenberg 17.1</a> shipped on November 22, 2023. In addition to several accessibility and writing flow enhancements, this version brought a new block spacing control in the Quote block.</li>
</ul>



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<a class="wp-block-jetpack-podcast-player jetpack-podcast-player__direct-link" href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/10/episode-64-patterns-in-wordpress/">https://wordpress.org/news/2023/10/episode-64-patterns-in-wordpress/</a>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team updates</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2023/11/30/embracing-matrix-for-enhanced-communication/">WordPress is switching to Matrix</a> in replacement of the Making WordPress Slack. The move stems from the project&#8217;s commitment to implementing a new chat system aligned with WordPress&#8217;s open source values. If you haven&#8217;t already, now is the time to explore Matrix and share your questions.</li>



<li>With phishing scams on the rise, the WordPress Security team is actively monitoring the current threat and has posted <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/alert-wordpress-security-team-impersonation-scams/">an advisory to help you protect your site</a>.</li>



<li>The Plugin Review team is now <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2023/12/02/join-the-plugin-review-team/">reopening applications to join their team</a>. They’re looking for three new members who can improve the state of the plugin review queue and help create a diverse and inclusive team.</li>



<li>Over the past few months, contributors have been working on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/11/22/redesigning-developer-resources-and-a-call-for-testing/">redesigning the WordPress.org Developer Resources</a> section.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/11/06/proposal-2024-major-release-timing/">This post</a> outlines proposed dates for major WordPress releases in 2024.</li>



<li>The Meta team shared an <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/11/22/plugin-directory-preview-button-revisited/">improved version of the plugin preview feature</a>. This version builds on feedback and allows plugin developers to safely test the preview experience for their plugins in a <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/playground/">WordPress Playground</a> environment.</li>



<li>Polyglots and Meta contributors introduced <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/11/29/create-tours-for-make-p2s/">a new plugin called Tour</a>, which enables the creation of tours to guide contributors through a Make WordPress blog.</li>



<li>Are you looking to broaden your knowledge and improve your WordPress skills? See <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/12/01/whats-new-on-learn-wordpress-in-november-2023/">what’s new on Learn WordPress in November 2023</a>.</li>



<li>The latest edition of People of WordPress features back-end web developer <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/people-of-wordpress-artemy-kaydash/">Artemy Kaydash</a> from Ukraine.</li>
</ul>



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



<a class="wp-block-jetpack-podcast-player jetpack-podcast-player__direct-link" href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/10/episode-64-patterns-in-wordpress/">https://wordpress.org/news/2023/10/episode-64-patterns-in-wordpress/</a>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Requests for feedback &amp; testing</h2>



<ul>
<li>The Community team announced the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/11/17/announcing-the-2023-annual-meetup-survey/">2023 Annual Meetup Survey</a>. Both event attendees and organizers are encouraged to provide feedback in this 5-minute survey to help strengthen WordPress meetups in the future.</li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2023/11/23/mobile-team-update-november-22nd/">Version 23.7</a> of the WordPress mobile app for iOS and Android is ready for testing.</li>
</ul>



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



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WordPress events</h2>



<ul>
<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1f9-1f1fc.png" alt="🇹🇼" class="wp-smiley" /> WordCamp Asia opened the <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/the-third-batch-of-tickets-on-sale-now/">third round of ticket sales</a> and announced that <a href="https://asia.wordcamp.org/2024/announcing-our-first-speaker-matt-mullenweg/">their first speaker is WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg</a>. The conference will be held in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 7-9, 2024.</li>



<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1ea-1f1fa.png" alt="🇪🇺" class="wp-smiley" /> WordCamp Europe <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2024/call-for-sponsors/">opened its call for sponsors</a> and <a href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2024/speakers/call-for-speakers/">speakers</a> for their conference slated to take place in Torino, Italy, on June 13-15, 2024.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Don’t miss these upcoming WordCamps:
<ul>
<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1ee-1f1f3.png" alt="🇮🇳" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://ahmedabad.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Ahmedabad 2023</a>, India on December 9, 2023</li>



<li><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1f5-1f1f0.png" alt="🇵🇰" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://lahore.wordcamp.org/2023/">WordCamp Lahore 2023</a>, Pakistan on December 9-10, 2023</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



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



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p><em><strong>Have a story we should include in the next issue of The Month in WordPress? Fill out </strong></em><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/"><strong><em>this quick form</em></strong></a><em><strong> to let us know.</strong></em></p>



<p><em>Thank you to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bernard0omnisend/">Bernard Meyer</a> for contributing to this edition of The Month in WordPress.</em></p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Subscribe to WordPress News</h3>



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	</div></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, 08 Dec 2023 11:20:00 +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:"Reyes Martínez";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:92:"Do The Woo Community: Looking at 2023 and Moving into 2024 with Carl and Zach in Woo DevChat";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78657";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"https://dothewoo.io/looking-at-2023-and-moving-into-2024-with-carl-and-zach-in-woo-devchat/";s: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:454:"<p>Carl Alexander and Zach Stepek, hosts of Woo DevChat at Do the Woo Podcast, end the year 2023 the only way these two could end a year.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/looking-at-2023-and-moving-into-2024-with-carl-and-zach-in-woo-devchat/">Looking at 2023 and Moving into 2024 with Carl and Zach in Woo DevChat</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 07 Dec 2023 14:01:24 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:85:"Do The Woo Community: Share a Question or Comment for the Do the Woo End-of-Year Show";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78650";s:7:"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:27:"https://dothewoo.io/voices/";s: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:367:"<p>Want to share your favorite episode, host or show? Perhaps you have a burning question or comment. Here's your chance.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/voices/">Share a Question or Comment for the Do the Woo End-of-Year Show</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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, 07 Dec 2023 11:34:55 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:70:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 6.4.2 Maintenance &amp; Security 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:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=16562";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:80:"https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/wordpress-6-4-2-maintenance-security-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:6205:"<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WordPress 6.4.2 is now available!</h2>



<p>This minor release features <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&milestone=6.4.2&groupdesc=1&group=resolution&col=id&col=summary&col=status&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&col=keywords&order=priority">7 bug fixes</a> in Core. The fixes include a bug fix for an issue causing stylesheet and theme directories to sometimes return incorrect results.</p>



<p>This release also features one security fix. Because this is a security release, <strong>it is recommended that you update your sites immediately</strong><strong>.</strong></p>



<p>You can <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.4.2.zip">download WordPress 6.4.2 from WordPress.org</a>, or visit your WordPress Dashboard, click “Updates”, and then click “Update Now”. If you have sites that support automatic background updates, the update process will begin automatically.</p>



<p>WordPress 6.4.2 is a short-cycle release. The next major release will be version 6.5 released in early 2024.</p>



<p>For more information on this release, please visit the <a href="https://wordpress.org/documentation/wordpress-version/version-6-4-2/">HelpHub site</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Security updates included in this release</h2>



<p>The security team addressed the following vulnerability in this release.</p>



<ul>
<li>A Remote Code Execution vulnerability that is not directly exploitable in core, however the security team feels that there is a potential for high severity when combined with some plugins, especially in multisite installs.</li>
</ul>



<p>To help the security team and WordPressers around the world, you are encouraged to <a href="https://hackerone.com/wordpress?type=team">responsibly report vulnerabilities</a>. This allows vulnerabilities to be fixed in future releases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you to these WordPress contributors</h2>



<p>This release was led by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/">Aaron Jorbin</a>.</p>



<p>WordPress 6.4.2 would not have been possible without the contributions of the following people. Their asynchronous coordination to deliver maintenance and security fixes into a stable release is a testament to the power and capability of the WordPress community.</p>



<p class="is-style-wporg-props-long"><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin">Aaron Jorbin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wildworks">Aki Hamano</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/atachibana">Akira Tachibana</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/xknown">Alex Concha</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin">Angela Jin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/antonvlasenko">Anton Vlasenko</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/barry">Barry</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/Bernhard%20Reiter">bernhard-reiter</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/icaleb">Caleb Burks</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/coreyw">Corey Worrell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/crstauf">crstauf</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nerrad">Darren Ethier (nerrad)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbaumwald/">David Baumwald</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dmsnell">Dennis Snell</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dd32">Dion Hulse</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kebbet">Erik</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/gaambo">Fabian Todt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/flixos90">Felix Arntz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/priethor">Héctor Prieto</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ironprogrammer">ironprogrammer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/isabel_brison">Isabel Brison</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb">Jb Audras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul">Jeffrey Paul</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu">Jessica Lyschik</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joemcgill">Joe McGill</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnbillion">John Blackbourn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kharisblank">Kharis Sulistiyono</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupalpanchal">Krupal Panchal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kdowns">Kylen Downs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meta4">meta4</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikeschroder">Mike Schroder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mukesh27">Mukesh Panchal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/partyfrikadelle">partyfrikadelle</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/peterwilsoncc">Peter Wilson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/NekoJonez">Pieterjan Deneys</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rawrly">rawrly</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rebasaurus">rebasaurus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/SergeyBiryukov">Sergey Biryukov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hellofromTonya">Tonya Mork</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vortfu">vortfu</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to contribute</h2>



<p>To get involved in WordPress core development, head over to Trac, <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/report/6">pick a ticket</a>, and join the conversation in the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW">#core</a>. Need help? Check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/faq-for-new-contributors/">Core Contributor Handbook</a>.</p>



<p>As a final reminder, The WordPress Security Team will never email you requesting that you install a plugin or theme on your site, and will never ask for an administrator username and password. <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2023/12/alert-wordpress-security-team-impersonation-scams/">Please stay vigilant against phishing attacks</a>.</p>



<p><em>Thanks to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/">@angelasjin</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/team/U02SVSW3U">@desrosj</a> for proofreading.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:03:48 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Aaron Jorbin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:119:"Do The Woo Community: Agency Client Relations, Team Work and Differentiating with Nuno Morgadinho and Jesper Wallmander";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78643";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:117:"https://dothewoo.io/agency-client-relations-team-work-and-differentiating-with-nuno-morgadinho-and-jesper-wallmander/";s: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:520:"<p>Nuno Morgadinho from WidgiLabs and Jesper Wallmander from Wallmander Co chat about their experiences and insights into running a WooCommerce Agency</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/agency-client-relations-team-work-and-differentiating-with-nuno-morgadinho-and-jesper-wallmander/">Agency Client Relations, Team Work and Differentiating with Nuno Morgadinho and Jesper Wallmander</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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 Dec 2023 11:02:26 +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:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:79:"Do The Woo Community: Growing Meetups at the WordPress Community Day, Roma 2023";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=78619";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"https://dothewoo.io/growing-meetups-at-the-wordpress-community-day-roma-2023/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:455:"<p>In this show the organizers for this event share how the idea transpired for the Next-Gen event and the goals to help grow the Italian WordPress meetup community.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; The post <a href="https://dothewoo.io/growing-meetups-at-the-wordpress-community-day-roma-2023/">Growing Meetups at the WordPress Community Day, Roma 2023</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dothewoo.io">Do the Woo - a WooCommerce and WordPress Builder Podcast</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 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:85:"WPTavern: #102 – Artemy Kaydash on Exploring AI and How It Will Alter the Workplace";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"https://wptavern.com/?post_type=podcast&p=151668";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://wptavern.com/podcast/102-artemy-kaydash-on-exploring-ai-and-how-it-will-alter-the-workplace";s: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:41598:"Transcript<div>
<p>[00:00:00] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Welcome to the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley.</p>



<p>Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, how AI is transforming the workplace.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice. Or by going to WPTavern.com forward slash feed forward slash podcast. And you can copy that URL into most podcast players.</p>



<p>If you have a topic that you&#8217;d like us to feature on the podcast, I&#8217;m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea featured on the show. Head to WPTavern.com forward slash contact forward slash jukebox. And use the form there.</p>



<p>So on the podcast today, we have Artemy Kaydash. Artemy is a WordPress and WooCommerce freelance developer who focuses on backend development. After realising his passion lay in back-end work, he shifted his focus from full stack development to creating, supporting, maintaining, and editing WordPress and WooCommerce plugins. He also runs a personal website where he shares his expertise through blogging about WordPress and WooCommerce.</p>



<p>Most of this episode centres around the impact of AI on the landscape of web development. We explore the implications of AI tools for web developers, firstly talking about the way that AI systems have rapidly become somewhat essential and the developer&#8217;s toolkit.</p>



<p>We discussed the pivotal role AI may have in the future and how it could become an indispensable time-saver, relegating many uninteresting tasks from needing to be carried out manually.</p>



<p>We get into the intersection of AI and web development, highlighting the need for developers to adapt and harness the potential of AI tools to remain at the forefront of innovation.</p>



<p>We deliberate on the potential ramifications of AI on job roles within the WordPress space, underscoring the enduring need for human expertise in deciphering customer wishes, refining marketing strategies, and crafting compelling design experiences.</p>



<p>Although Artamy is not sure how the future will unfold, it&#8217;s clear that he sees the present as a pivotal moment in which those who adapt to the realities of AI can flourish, whilst those who do not might be left behind. His perspective allows us to glimpse a future of web development in which AI can be a force for positive change, to be embraced, not feared.</p>



<p>If AI has piqued your curiosity in the past, especially in the WordPress space, this episode is for you.</p>



<p>I am joined on the podcast today by Artemy Kaydash. How are you doing, Artemy?</p>



<p>[00:03:34] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> I&#8217;m doing good. What about you?</p>



<p>[00:03:36] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Good, thank you. Lovely to have you on. We&#8217;re going to talk today about AI, which is a really interesting subject. Something that personally is really fascinating to me. Before we get into that, Artemy, I wonder if you wouldn&#8217;t mind just spending a brief moment giving us your biography. How come you&#8217;re talking on a WordPress podcast today? What is your relationship with WordPress? What do you do for a living? That kind of thing.</p>



<p>[00:03:59] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> So I&#8217;m 24 years old. I&#8217;m a WordPress and WooCommerce freelance developer. I want to underline that I&#8217;m a backend developer. I used to be some kind of a full stack developer, but at some point in my life, I understood that I don&#8217;t like working with front end stuff. So I decided to focus on backend and today I create, support, maintain, and edit WordPress and WooCommerce plugins. That&#8217;s what I do.</p>



<p>I also have a, my personal website, where I blog about WordPress and WooCommerce. Where I share some of my knowledge. Where I teach people how to do some things with WooCommerce and WordPress. You can visit it. It&#8217;s kayart.dev. I guess that&#8217;s all you should know about me,</p>



<p>[00:04:45] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Thank you so much. We will link to any URLs or sites or anything like that we mention. We&#8217;ll make sure to link to them in the show notes. So if you go to WP Tavern and search for this episode, you&#8217;ll be able to find all of the links in there. But we&#8217;re going to have a chat today about AI.</p>



<p>Now, I think I should probably say at the outset, I certainly am no expert in any way about AI. I am just curious. And, I would say more than that, I&#8217;m fascinated by it. I&#8217;m not always particularly enamoured by it. I&#8217;m not entirely sure that it&#8217;s always the best thing to pursue, but I am fascinated by it.</p>



<p>I don&#8217;t know what your credentials are, whether it&#8217;s something that you view Artemy, are you into the technology of this? Do you get yourself in the weeds of any code related to this? Or are you like me somebody that&#8217;s fascinated by what it&#8217;s doing?</p>



<p>[00:05:38] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> I think I&#8217;m more like you, I don&#8217;t know much about how AI works under the hood. I&#8217;m a big fan of philosophy and I think a lot about our future and what&#8217;s ahead of us. So of course, I&#8217;ve been thinking a lot about how AI will change the way we live, the way we work.</p>



<p>So I wrote some posts on LinkedIn about this, especially about the content creators. And you know, I&#8217;m excited but I think that there&#8217;s a lot of hype and marketing around this topic because you know, when I made my first steps in web development in 2017, some people already told me that in a few years there will be no demand in front end developers because, I don&#8217;t know if you ever used the Avocode app.</p>



<p>Avocode allows you to take a PSD template, from Photoshop, and it generates CSS for you. And then we had some tools like Figma, or something like this, that generated CSS on the fly. You create a figure and it generates CSS for it. Even then there were some people that thought that in a few years there will be no demand in HTML and CSS developers. And you know what? We are in 2023 and we still need front end developers.</p>



<p>Front end has become much more complex. We now have things like React, Vue and other front end frameworks. Those tools, they cannot solve these issues. I think that when a new tool comes up that allows you to automate some things, you can go on the next level. You can create much more complex things.</p>



<p>So I think that with AI, at least in the nearest future, that&#8217;s something that&#8217;s going to wait for us. AI will allow us to automate some simple, sometimes stupid, stuff that we hate to do because it&#8217;s boring.</p>



<p>For example, I don&#8217;t like writing HTML and CSS. So if ChatGPT is going to generate HTML and CSS for me, that&#8217;s great, because I want to focus on things that&#8217;s interesting for me. And I don&#8217;t think that, at least at the moment, at least in the state that ChatGPT has now, it can replace me absolutely. It can do some stuff for me, but it cannot replace me fully. That&#8217;s what I think.</p>



<p>[00:07:53] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> That&#8217;s one of the interesting things that we&#8217;ll probably chat through is whether or not we are going to be out of work, because of the advances in AI and the capabilities that they bring. But that&#8217;s a really interesting argument and an argument that I&#8217;m sure many people would share the outcomes that you just suggested. That the AI can increasingly take over the mundane, the uninteresting things that you may well have had to do, but also it allows us to do increasingly more complicated things.</p>



<p>So the things that were available to us as web developers 10 years ago, are no longer the things that we would use anymore. And perhaps in the future AI will enable us to do things as yet unimagined. I guess only the future will tell, but you don&#8217;t have an intuition, certainly at the moment, that anybody using AI could replace a human? You&#8217;re thinking more that it would be able to augment what they can do. Add on to what they can do. Reduce the amount of time it takes them to do things. Have I got that about right? Is that your position?</p>



<p>[00:08:57] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> It absolutely already can replace some people, especially if you&#8217;re talking about some manual stuff like, there are some people that they are paid for, okay, I have an Excel table and I need you to go through every cell and do something with this. And ChatGPT and similar tools, they can do something like this.</p>



<p>So the less intellectual your work is, the more is probability that your work is going to be replaced. So if you want to be in demand, if you want to keep up with these AI tools, you need to work on your intellectual skills, on your soft skills. You have to work on your, way of thinking. And of course, as a law of evolution, you have to adapt. You either adapt or die, unfortunately.</p>



<p>[00:09:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Do you think then that one of the tools that you&#8217;ll have to have in the future? And again, let&#8217;s rewind the clock. If we were to go back 10 years, your suite of tools would be, I don&#8217;t know, some software which enabled you to write the code, plus a bunch of possibly books or online resources to enable you to take that knowledge and put it into your head and so on.</p>



<p>But do you imagine that in the future, using AI will be a prerequisite, an essential tool for anybody, just because, well simply from a time saving point of view, the fact that you don&#8217;t have to research everything yourself, and it may be able to fulfill, let&#8217;s say, a proportion, 50%, 30%, 90% of the tasks that you need to achieve. That will be an essential skill, aside from all the other things you need to know. You have to know how to write in in React. You have to know how to set up a server, whatever it is. But the AI will be your companion sitting there helping you, and it will be necessary because of the time benefits and all of that that it brings.</p>



<p>[00:10:48] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> Absolutely. 10 years ago, there were no package managers, there was no NPM, there was no packages or something like this. And now they are part of our life, and we cannot work without it. So I think that some AI tools, absolutely will be a part of our tool set.</p>



<p>And that&#8217;s fine, that&#8217;s great. They will allow us to do some stuff that we had to do manually earlier. That&#8217;s great. It means that we will have more time to focus on things that we do better. At least for now.</p>



<p>[00:11:16] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Do you have any intuitions or have you played with AI and it fulfill what you needed to do? So I&#8217;ve played with AI fairly recently, probably in the last week or so, and I&#8217;m continually amazed by the things that it can achieve from a simple text prompt. So for example, the WordPress code base has been out, completely free, for everybody to examine for many, many, many years.</p>



<p>And so there&#8217;s no inhibition to all of the AI pieces of software, ChatGPT, and Claude and Anthropic, and all of the different pieces that you can go and look at. All of them have had access to that code. And so when I ask it to do something fairly straightforward in WordPress, something that I would have to sit down and write and think through. I am always bowled over by, a, how amazingly accurate it is in understanding what I wanted it to do. But also how clean the bits and pieces that it returns. Now sometimes it gives me something which is entirely unusable, but on the whole I am utterly amazed by how reliable and effective it is.</p>



<p>[00:12:23] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> I use ChatGPT and Bard sometimes. But I usually use it for, I think that every developer has some Stack Overflow threads that they are visiting regularly. Go to see the same answer every and every again, because they cannot remember it. So ChatGPT is good for these things.</p>



<p>Or sometimes I use ChatGPT to generate some boilerplate code for me, and it&#8217;s great. For example, as I told you before, there was a case when I worked on Dokan website. Dokan is a multi vendor plugin for WooCommerce. And I had to get some data about a vendor, if I&#8217;m not mistaken. And, when I asked ChatGPT to find an answer for me, how can I get this data using PHP and without MySQL, it just hallucinated some answers. It told me to use some methods that didn&#8217;t exist. So I still had to go to the source code. I had to find a class I need, and I had to find methods I need.</p>



<p>Or for example, there are some questions that do not have one single answer, you know. For example, how to structure your code? There&#8217;s no single answer. How to stylize your code? There&#8217;s no single answer. How to structure your classes? What should be the relations with each other? There are no single answer for this. So you have to think about it.</p>



<p>And that&#8217;s why, forums like Stack Overflow, they are still the thing, because there are some discussions of real people that have some experience behind their back. And you can read it, and you can make your own opinion about their opinions, and you can find your own way. And I think that ChatGPT, or other stuff, they won&#8217;t help you with this. Because it&#8217;s your decision, and you will take every blame for every error that ChatGPT will make.</p>



<p>[00:14:16] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, I think that&#8217;s a really good point. It is definitely not perfect. But in some situations, it is remarkably close to perfect. But still, as we stand towards the end of 2023, you still need a human to judge whether or not what it has given you is perfect.</p>



<p>I do wonder if in the future, the inspection that humans need to apply to what AI gives us back. I do wonder if as time goes on, that will be less and less required, because it becomes more and more accurate. So for example, if we were to just look at the things that were output by, for example ChatGPT, in versions prior to what we&#8217;ve got now, there was definitely a difference in the quality of things.</p>



<p>If we were for example just to take the silly example of image creation. Now, I know that&#8217;s got nothing to do code, but it&#8217;s an interesting example. It was really easy to spot just 18 months ago, like really, really easy to spot that an AI made that picture of a human being. Because look at the fingers, look at the ears, there&#8217;s just clearly something is not quite right there.</p>



<p>However, if you were to run the same query today, it would be almost impossible to tell that a human being hadn&#8217;t been involved in that, because they have learnt along the way. So I do wonder whether or not we&#8217;ll need the humans to have that level of inspection in the future.</p>



<p>And that brings me to another point, this is something that I&#8217;ve considered a little bit. You, whilst you&#8217;re significantly younger than I am, put it that way, but you&#8217;re no longer a child, let&#8217;s say that. And you have managed to, since you were a child, you have managed to presumably be employed, be paid, be in work, in order to acquire the skills that you now have. And the reason that you have been able to have that work is because somebody needed to have you, for example, as an intern or as a junior developer, and you have acquired skills in steps, getting more and more difficult work as the years have gone by.</p>



<p>I wonder if the AI, if there&#8217;s a risk that it will knock out that bottom layer of people who get into the workplace at the intern level. Because why would we need to employ an intern? Because we now know that the AI can handle pretty much everything that an intern would have done. And so as time goes on, I wonder if there&#8217;s going to be a gap in people coming through, learning the technology, learning all the bits and pieces. So I wonder if that&#8217;s anything you&#8217;ve given thought to?</p>



<p>[00:16:48] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> Well, you cannot take a college graduate and make him as the CEO of your company, right? You still have to learn about your business. So yeah, of course AI will take some of their jobs. But you still, you cannot jump through the levels. You have to go your way. You have to learn your, what you need. You have to live through your experience and there is no way to escape this. So I think that the company owners will still take interns. Maybe they will pay them less I guess, maybe, who knows. But still people need to gain their experience. There is no way to escape this.</p>



<p>[00:17:22] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I guess that may be the concern of people who are worried about AI, is that we just have to think through these problems in advance, so that we&#8217;re not 20 years from now, looking back and saying, boy, we, we really haven&#8217;t had any interns getting through our company and now 20 years on, we&#8217;ve got nobody left to fulfill these positions. What do we do?</p>



<p>[00:17:45] <strong>Artemy Kaydash:</strong> That&#8217;s the people natures, right?</p>



<p>[00:17:47] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, but obviously in your own business, that&#8217;s an easy one to fix. You just make that decision. If as a nation or as an industry, we don&#8217;t consciously think about that, there is a risk that, Well, it&#8217;s okay, the other businesses out there, they won&#8217;t farm everything out to the AI. So I&#8217;ll be able to employ people who grew up and went through their internship. And that&#8217;s fine. But if we&#8217;re all doing it, then there&#8217;ll just be this deficit of people. Who knows, maybe that won&#8217;t be the case.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s move the conversation a little bit. And I&#8217;m going to mention the LinkedIn posts that you wrote, that the URLs for those are far too long to give out. So I&#8217;ll just say go to the show notes and have a look. But you wrote a couple of pieces over on LinkedIn where you shared your concerns about AI hoovering up, vacuuming up, all of the knowledge that we&#8217;ve put out there, so blog posts and what have you. And whether or not there&#8217;s like an ethical problem, or something that we ought to be able to stop the AI from doing that.</p>
