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


";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:7:"version";s:3:"2.0";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:7:"channel";a:1:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:61:"
	
	
	
	




















































";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16:"WordPress Planet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"language";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"en";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress Planet - http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"item";a:50:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66:"WPTavern: Google Patches Critical Vulnerability in Site Kit Plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99654";s:7:"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:177:"https://wptavern.com/google-patches-critical-vulnerability-in-site-kit-plugin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-patches-critical-vulnerability-in-site-kit-plugin";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2865:"<p>In late April Wordfence discovered a critical vulnerability in <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-site-kit/">Google&rsquo;s Site Kit plugin for WordPress</a> that would make it possible for any user on the site to gain full access to the Google Search Console without verifying ownership. Google patched the vulnerability and released the fix in version 1.8.0 on May 7, 2020.</p>



<p>Wordfence <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/05/vulnerability-in-google-wordpress-plugin-grants-attacker-search-console-access/">published</a> a timeline of the vulnerability, describing it as a proxySetupURL disclosure: </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>In order to establish the first connection with Site Kit and Google Search Console, the plugin generates a proxySetupURL that is used to redirect a site&rsquo;s administrator to Google OAuth and run the site owner verification process through a proxy. Due to the lack of capability checks on the admin_enqueue_scripts action, the proxySetupURL was displayed as part of the HTML source code of admin pages to any authenticated user accessing the /wp-admin dashboard.</p></blockquote>



<p>The other aspect of the vulnerability is related to the site ownership verification request, which used a registered admin action that was missing capability checks. As a result, any authenticated WordPress user was capable of initiating the request. </p>



<p>Wordfence identified several ways a malicious attacker might use this vulnerability to the detriment of the site&rsquo;s ranking and reputation, including manipulating search engine results, requesting removal of a competitor&rsquo;s URLs from the search engine, modifying sitemaps, viewing performance data, and more.</p>



<p>The security fixes are not detailed in the plugin&rsquo;s <a href="https://github.com/google/site-kit-wp/releases/tag/1.8.0">changelog on GitHub</a>. It does, however, include a note at the top that states, &ldquo;This release includes security fixes. An update is strongly recommended.&rdquo; Google has not published a post to notify users on the <a href="https://sitekit.withgoogle.com/news/">news</a> section of the plugin&rsquo;s official website. Without Wordfence&rsquo;s public disclosure, users may not know about the importance of the update.</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-site-kit/">Google&rsquo;s Site Kit plugin</a> has more than 400,000 active installs, according to WordPress.org. Details of the 1.8.0 update are not available to users in the admin, since the plugin&rsquo;s changelog is hosted on GitHub. There is no way for users to know that the update includes security fixes without clicking through to research. Due to the great deal of sensitive information to which attackers could gain access, users are advised to update the plugin as soon as possible. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 May 2020 22:39:24 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:45:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 6.0.0 “iovine’s”";s:7:"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=311679";s:7:"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://buddypress.org/2020/05/buddypress-6-0-0/";s: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:9955:"<p class="has-text-align-center">This major release introduces the first two <strong>BuddyPress Blocks</strong>!!</p>



<div class="wp-block-button aligncenter"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-background no-border-radius" href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0.zip">Get BuddyPress 6.0.0</a></div>



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<p>We are very excited to announce the immediate availability of <strong>BuddyPress 6.0.0</strong> code-named &#8220;<strong>iovine&#8217;s</strong>&#8220;. You can get it clicking on the above button, downloading it from the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">WordPress.org plugin directory</a> or checking it out from our <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/branches/6.0">Subversion repository</a>.</p>



<p><em>If you&#8217;re upgrading from a previous version of BuddyPress, it&#8217;s always a good idea to back-up your WordPress database and files ahead of time.  </em></p>



<p>You can review all of the changes in this 6.0.0 release in the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-6-0-0/">release notes</a>. Below are a few of the key features we know you are going to love!</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BP Blocks</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/05/bp-blocks.gif" alt="" class="wp-image-311685" /></div>



<p>BuddyPress 6.0.0 comes with two awesome new blocks for your WordPress Editor: Members and Groups. Made available from the BuddyPress blocks category of your WordPress Block menu, these lovely blocks let you insert a rich content block featuring a specific Member or Group from your community site inside any WordPress Post or Page.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re an Advanced BuddyPresser and wish to fine-tune the BuddyPress blocks for your community site, learn more in&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/welcome-to-the-first-buddypress-blocks/#advanced-customizations">this section of our development note</a>&nbsp;about these new blocks.</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">The BP REST API is now complete!</h2>



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



<p>In 5.0.0, we introduced the first REST API endpoints and provided&nbsp;<a href="https://developer.buddypress.org/bp-rest-api/">reference documentation</a>&nbsp;for them. In 6.0.0, we are adding the 6 remaining endpoints you were waiting for: Blogs, Blog avatar, Friends, Group Cover Image, Member Cover Image, and User Signups. You can now build full-featured applications using the BuddyPress REST API!</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BP Nouveau has been improved</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/05/bp-nouveau-wide-aligns.png" alt="" class="wp-image-311692" /></div>



<p>Does your theme support wide layouts? Awesome! The BP Nouveau template-pack now supports wide (and really, really wide) content areas! This is the first of the many improvements we are bringing to our default set of styling components. It never looked so beautiful in your theme.</p>



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



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



<p>6.0.0 includes more than 80 changes to improve your BuddyPress experience as users, as contributors to our code and as contributors to our translations. The biggest change moves local avatar management to the Members component. Read more about it in&nbsp;<a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2020/03/01/the-profile-photo-cover-image-features-belong-to-members/">this development note</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">We want to hear your voice</h2>



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<div class="wp-block-buttons aligncenter">
<div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background no-border-radius" href="https://mercime.survey.fm/2020-buddypress-survey"><strong>Take the&nbsp;2020 BuddyPress Survey.</strong></a></div>
</div>



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



<p>Knowing how you use BuddyPress and getting your point of view about future BuddyPress development is very important to us. Please, take some time to help us decide what&#8217;s best for the BuddyPress project.</p>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Many thanks to our 42 contributors to 6.0.0</h2>



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



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<p>This BuddyPress release is only possible thanks to the contributions of the community. Special thanks to the following folks who contributed code, translations, and testing to the release: <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oztaser">Adil Oztaser (oztaser)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpamitkumar">Amit Dudhat (wpamitkumar)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dontdream">Andrea Tarantini (dontdream)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ankitmaru">Ankit Panchal (ankitmaru)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/passoniate">Arslan Ahmed (passoniate)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/">Boone B Gorges (boonebgorges)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sbrajesh/">Brajesh Singh (sbrajesh)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bhargavbhandari90">Bunty (bhargavbhandari90)</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/ocean90">Dominik Schilling (ocean90)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/etatus">etatus</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/fayazgabol">Fayaz Gabol (fayazgabol)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hnla">Hugo Ashmore (hnla)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb">Jb Audras (audrasjb)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jenfraggle/">Jennifer Burnett (jenfraggle)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/">John James Jacoby (johnjamesjacoby)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/greenshady">Justin Tadlock (greenshady)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kashifgabol">Kashif Gabol(kashifgabol)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/laudag">laudag</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marbaque/">Mario Badilla (marbaque)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/imath/">Mathieu Viet (imath)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattjones2207">mattjones2207</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mercime">mercime</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mo3aser">mo3aser</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/modemlooper">modemlooper</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/man4toman">Morteza Geransayeh (man4toman)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mukesh27">Mukesh Panchal (mukesh27)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/DJPaul/">Paul Gibbs (DJPaul)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pooja1210">Pooja N Muchandikar (pooja1210)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/r-a-y/">r-a-y</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/espellcaste/">Renato Alves (espellcaste)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/santiazpi2">santiazpi2</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/shanebp">shanebp</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sharaz">Sharaz Shahid (sharaz)</a>, <a href="https://github.com/sjregan">sjregan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/netweb/">Stephen Edgar (netweb)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed">Tammie Lister (karmatosed)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobifjellner">Tor-Bjorn Fjellner (tobifjellner)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/itowhid06">Towhidul Islam (itowhid06)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/twmcmahan">twmcmahan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zishanj">Zishan (zishanj)</a>.</p>



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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-center"><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/05/iovines.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-311706" /><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h2 class="has-text-align-center">BuddyPress <a href="https://iovines.com/"><em>iovine&#8217;s</em></a></h2>



<p>If you come to Paris (France), you&#8217;ll probably want to visit the Louvre Museum. The greatest Pizza restaurant around is Nicola Iovine&#8217;s place. You&#8217;ll fall in love with how he cares to respect culinary traditions, share authentic flavors, select great quality products imported from Italy and use the real neapolitan pizza dough.</p>



<p>Simply delicious, just like BuddyPress 6.0.0 <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f609.png" alt="😉" class="wp-smiley" /> </p>



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<p class="has-small-font-size"><em>Photo credits: <a href="https://iovines.com/">iovine&#8217;s</a></em></p>
</div></div>



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<h2 class="has-text-align-center">Feedback is always welcome &lt;3</h2>



<div><span class="dashicons dashicons-megaphone"></span></div>



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<p>Receiving your feedback and suggestions for future versions of BuddyPress genuinely motivates and encourages our contributors. Please share&nbsp;your&nbsp;feedback about this version of BuddyPress in the comments area of this post. And of course, if you&#8217;ve found a bug: please tell us about it into our <a href="https://buddypress.org/support/">Support forums</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 May 2020 22:30:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:65:"WPTavern: Envato Launches Template Kits Marketplace for Elementor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99632";s:7:"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:175:"https://wptavern.com/envato-launches-template-kits-marketplace-for-elementor?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=envato-launches-template-kits-marketplace-for-elementor";s: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:6906:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Watch out <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-patterns-will-change-everything">block patterns</a>. There is an old player in town making the hard sell before you have even rolled out of bed. Envato just <a href="https://envato.com/template-kits/">dropped a massive library of template kits</a> for Elementor in your front yard.</p>



<p>Not to worry, the company plans to open things up for the block editor in the future. The <a href="http://elementor.com/">Elementor page builder</a> just makes the most sense right now. It was the first to market. It is mature and has a backing of <a href="https://twitter.com/elemntor/status/1260168009378934785">5 million users</a>, many of whom will be accustomed to commercial upsells, and <a href="https://wptavern.com/elementor-raises-15-million-plans-to-invest-in-the-team-product-and-community">$15 million in recent funding</a>. Financially, it is the smart play. The company can also test the waters of this new category of products before opening it to other page builders and the block editor in a proven market.</p>



<p>Envato, the company behind ThemeForest and other marketplaces for creators, <a href="https://envato.com/blog/template-kits-wordpress-envato/">launched over 200 template kits today</a> to its large audience of end-users and site builders. The kits cover a wide range of niches. Everything from book authors to medical practices to restaurants is covered.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Launching template kits is our latest response to the growing demand for page builders and customers looking for design inspiration that is simple and easy to apply to their website,&rdquo; said Cameron Gough, General Manager of Envato&rsquo;s Content team.</p>



<p>While this is not an official partnership between Envato and Elementor, at least not on paper, it further broadens the appeal of the Elementor page builder. It is sure to spur massive growth beyond its current 5 million users. If there is one thing Envato knows how to do and do well, it is selling products. When we questioned <a href="https://wptavern.com/will-page-builders-remain-competitive-in-the-block-era">whether page builders would be able to compete</a> in the long term with the block editor, the largest third-party theme marketplace is betting at least this one particular page builder can.</p>



<p>The marketplace is completely open. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re encouraging new and existing authors in the Envato community to create their own template kits and upload them,&rdquo; said Gough. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great way to break into this market, especially at this early point.&rdquo;</p>



<p>For site designers who have worked with Elementor, now is a great opportunity to submit a kit. You can set your own price &mdash; most kits range between $15-$30. The great thing is that designers are not responsible for building a full WordPress theme from scratch. Instead, they can essentially create multiple templates with a page builder, bundle them via the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/template-kit-export/">Template Kit &ndash; Export</a> plugin, and cash in.</p>



<p>The interesting aspect here is that people with an eye for design and the skillset to build those designs in Elementor can sell their creations without learning to code.</p>



<h2>What Are Template Kits?</h2>



<div>

</div>Template kits walk-through.



<p>&ldquo;A template kit is a collection of page and block templates or layouts, each with a similar visual style and typically focused on a particular niche,&rdquo; said Gough. &ldquo;See some of the examples in our launch collection like a restaurant, or a gym, or a web/design agency. You could liken it sort of the demo content layer that you can find in some premium themes.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Currently, end-users must have a theme installed that integrates with the Elementor page builder for these template kits to work. After purchasing and downloading a kit, users can simply upload templates to their sites via the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/template-kit-import/">Template Kit &ndash; Import</a> plugin.</p>



<p>Kits are merely a starting point. Users will need to fill in their custom content. They also have the power to change the design through Elementor&rsquo;s built-in tools.</p>



<p>Envato launched the <a href="https://themeforest.net/category/template-kits/elementor">template kits marketplace</a> on its ThemeForest website. The current 200+ kits are broken down into 22 categories, the most popular of which are Business Services, Food and Drink, and Technology Apps.</p>



<ul><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /></li></ul>Example template kit screenshots.



<p>Sales are already starting to roll in on launch day. There are no clear favorites at the moment with the top sellers hitting only two sales thus far. This should change in the coming days and weeks. The highest-priced kits tend to contain dozens of templates. Some kits, like <a href="https://themeforest.net/item/spring-watercolor-and-floral-template-kit/25853973">Spring Watercolor and Floral</a>, contain over 100 in the collection.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We know many WordPress professionals that want a pre-packaged, fully functional website template may continue to favor our existing collection of WordPress themes,&rdquo; said Gough. &ldquo;But we increasingly see customers wanting to develop websites from a page builder foundation rather than a full WordPress theme. For these customers, template kits provide a leg up on design, and it&rsquo;s important we continue to support those changing needs.&rdquo;</p>



<p>For the launch, there is at least one free template kit called <a href="https://themeforest.net/item/saasy-saas-app-landing-page-template-kit/26027930">SaaSy</a>. It is a SaaS and app landing page kit that includes 10 page templates and 26 block templates. It will be available for free until May 31.</p>



<img />SaaSy Template Kit &ndash; <a href="https://themeforest.net/item/saasy-saas-app-landing-page-template-kit/full_screen_preview/26027930">Live Preview</a>



<p>&ldquo;We know that the WordPress world continues to evolve and respond exceptionally well to the changing needs of the wider web design industry, and you only have to look at Gutenberg as one example of how the platform is evolving to meet the increasing demand for easier tools that provide a leg up on website design,&rdquo; said Gough.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Couple this with the strength of page builders such as Elementor and others, plus a vibrant and active community of developers, hosting providers, and more, we think there&rsquo;s never been a better time to provide a new and easier way to bring WordPress websites to life.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 May 2020 20:03:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:114:"WPTavern: WordPress Contributor Andy Fragen Shares His Experience as a Trauma Surgeon During the COVID-19 Pandemic";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99619";s:7:"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:273:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-contributor-andy-fragen-shares-his-experience-as-a-trauma-surgeon-during-the-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-contributor-andy-fragen-shares-his-experience-as-a-trauma-surgeon-during-the-covid-19-pandemic";s: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:3546:"<img />



<p>Last weekend I had the opportunity to interview <a href="https://thefragens.com/">Andy Fragen</a>, a longtime member of the WordPress community and core contributor. He is also the author of the <a href="https://github.com/afragen/github-updater">GitHub Updater</a> plugin, which allows developers to enable automatic updates to their GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, or Gitea hosted WordPress plugins, themes, and language packs. In the video below, Fragen gives us a window into his world on the frontlines as an acute care surgeon.</p>



<p>After working his shifts at the hospital, Fragen returns home and voluntarily keeps himself in semi-isolation from his wife and kids. He spends his time <a href="https://thefragens.com/plugins/">working on his plugins</a> and contributing to WordPress. In addition to improving GitHub Updater, he also recently became a maintainer for the core Site Health component and the WordPress Beta Tester plugin.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I look at computer programming and stuff like that as puzzle solving,&rdquo; Fragen said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an interesting way to occupy time and figure out something to do. We have a little aphorism in surgery: the enemy of good is better. I don&rsquo;t necessarily stick to that in plugin development, because otherwise we&rsquo;d be at a standstill. Things would never get better and never improve.&rdquo;</p>



<p>During normal times when there isn&rsquo;t a pandemic going on, Fragen enjoys attending local WordCamps in LA, Orange County, Riverside, San Diego, and Phoenix. When he first started getting involved with WordPress he decided if he was ever going to meet any of the people who make the software, he would have to get involved in some community events. He started sponsoring WordCamps so he could have the opportunity to meet the speakers and contributors, and then he was hooked. </p>



<p>When he&rsquo;s not stitching people back together, Fragen can be sometimes be found leading the the core Site Health meeting. He tries to pop into the core development meeting when his schedule permits. </p>



<p>Durning our interview Fragen offered some good tips on navigating the many claims and conspiracy theories that are swirling around with the pandemic. The rampant misinformation campaigns have so far not affected his outlook as a healthcare worker.</p>



<p>&ldquo;For the most part, when we&rsquo;re working, we&rsquo;re working, and we don&rsquo;t necessarily pay attention to all the extraneous things that are going on around,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in the moment and doing what you need to do to get the work done and take care of the patient.&rdquo;</p>



<p>It has been months since he has been able to hug his wife and kids, but Fragen is maintaining a sense of normal by continuing his hobbies in isolation. Despite the increased requirements for PPE and vigilance at work, he said his training has prepared him for this time.  </p>



<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing what you can get used to,&rdquo; Fragen said. &ldquo;A lot of these things affect people in different ways. For better or for worse, some of these things never bothered me. The training is hard enough. Because of that, you learn to adapt a little bit better, I guess. When there are things happening, as I like to say, &lsquo;If I&rsquo;m having a bad day, someone else is having a worse one.&rsquo; You are there to take care of them and to fix them as best they can be fixed, if they can be fixed.&rdquo;</p>



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

</div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 14 May 2020 05:11:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"Post Status: On static WordPress, with Miriam Schwab of Strattic";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=78861";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"https://poststatus.com/static-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:1112:"<p>Miriam Schwab is co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.strattic.com/">Strattic</a>, a business making a big bet on the future of WordPress — and in particular for using it to create static websites.</p>



<p>They recently <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/26/strattic-raises-6-5m-to-bring-static-wordpress-to-the-masses/">raised </a>$6.5 million dollars in an oversubscribed round. Strattic aims to enable the power and flexibility of a dynamic WordPress website like we all know, with the security and speed of a completely static website.</p>



<p>In this interview, Cory Miller talks to Miriam about her journey to this moment, the Strattic product, raising money, and more.</p>







<h3>Partner: <a href="https://poststatus.com/yoast">Yoast</a></h3>



<p>This episode is brought to you by Yoast, the best WordPress SEO solution, hands down. You can upgrade to Yoast SEO premium, or take advantage of their great bundles that include outstanding training resources so you can fully take advantage of all the awesome tools <a href="https://poststatus.com/yoast">Yoast SEO</a> provides.</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 May 2020 23:16:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Brian Krogsgard";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:61:"WPTavern: Where Gutenberg Went Wrong: Theme Developer Edition";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99568";s:7:"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:165:"https://wptavern.com/where-gutenberg-went-wrong-theme-developer-edition?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-gutenberg-went-wrong-theme-developer-edition";s: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:9283:"<img />Themes with block editor styles on WordPress.org.



<p class="has-drop-cap">With full-site editing just around the bend, it is a fair question to ask whether the WordPress ecosystem is prepared for such a transition, particularly on the theme development side of things.</p>



<p>It is no secret that theme developers have struggled to keep up with the barrage of changes between Gutenberg plugin updates and, ultimately, major WordPress versions. It is also a fair question to ask who is steering the ship. Where are the site developers, theme authors, and other designers who spend every day crafting the front end of the web? Where are the forward-thinking solutions that make sure the project maintains backward compatibility?</p>



<p>There have been some efforts to mend the broken divide between the Gutenberg project and theme developers such as the fortnightly <a href="https://wptavern.com/key-takeaways-from-the-first-future-of-themes-meeting">block-based themes meetings</a>. However, those meetings, by and large, are general updates on things the Gutenberg team has already developed or will ship soon. Those meetings are a good stepping stone toward better communication, but the project needs a project planner with both the vision of the future landscape and a sense of the day-to-day issues that theme authors contend with.</p>



<p>The reality is that there are only 132 themes out of 7,455 that list <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/block-styles/">block editor styles</a> as a feature in the official repository. We are a year and a half into the lifespan of the block editor officially merging into WordPress, yet the face of the platform is made up mostly of themes that have shoehorned some basic block styles into mediocre designs. The themes that truly stand out with full block-editor support are few and far between. Many of those are also bidding heavily on Elementor or other page builders.</p>



<p>Whether you like the block editor is of little consequence when there is no buy-in from theme authors. Every week, I check the theme directory for new themes, hoping to find a hidden gem. Every week, I am disappointed to see new themes dropping in 2020 with no support for the block editor. There is an entire segment of users who might enjoy the editor if only they had something more than <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwenty/">Twenty Twenty</a> to play around with &mdash; it is a fine theme but is not everyone&rsquo;s <em>cup of tea</em>.</p>



<img />ThemeForest&rsquo;s listing of block-styled themes.



<p>ThemeForest sellers are besting free WordPress.org theme authors 18 to 1 in terms of support with over 2,300 themes listed as <a href="https://themeforest.net/attributes/gutenberg-optimized/yes">Gutenberg-optimized</a>. Granted, themes from the massive marketplace are known to have every feature they can in an attempt to one-up the competition. Also, many of them either have built-in page builders or support third-party solutions.</p>



<p>Still, for the flagship feature of the platform, end-users should expect something more from the official theme directory.  A third-party marketplace should not be the only game in town.  At the moment, much of the offerings on WordPress.org feel lackluster at best. The handful that go the extra mile, such as the <a href="https://wptavern.com/rosa-2-restaurant-theme-provides-a-frustrating-and-satisfying-experience">Rosa 2</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/godaddys-go-wordpress-theme-offers-a-page-building-experience-via-the-block-editor">Go</a> themes, have mature businesses funding the effort.</p>



<ul><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /><a href="https://wptavern.com/rosa-2-restaurant-theme-provides-a-frustrating-and-satisfying-experience">Rosa 2 Theme</a></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><img /><a href="https://wptavern.com/godaddys-go-wordpress-theme-offers-a-page-building-experience-via-the-block-editor">Go Theme</a></li></ul>



<p>There is some broken trust between theme authors and WordPress at the moment. Some shout it loudly (as folks can attest from WP Tavern comments section). Others are more quietly trying to figure all this out.</p>



<p>Even Carolina Nymark, one of the representatives for the official Themes Team, shared some concern. &ldquo;How do all of you theme authors keep up with the changes to Gutenberg?&rdquo; she <a href="https://twitter.com/carolinapoena/status/1255324873137762306">asked in a tweet</a>. When the team leads are not up to speed, it is not good for the project as a whole.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/andersnoren/status/1256535507426856960">replied Anders Nor&eacute;n</a>, the primary developer behind Twenty Twenty, to Nymark&rsquo;s question. &ldquo;I wait until something breaks (in the beta releases) and try to fix it then. Trying to support changes in the Gutenberg plugin while maintaining support for the block editor in Core is bad for your health.&rdquo;</p>



<p>There is a major concern from theme authors about the future. It is hard to get excited about the current possibilities when there is uncertainty over what theme development will look like in 12 months. There is no clear and detailed roadmap about how things will work, and many theme designers feel like they are playing catchup from week to week. Instead, they should be able to more clearly look ahead and push early ideas into play.</p>



<p>My ultimate fear is that the Themes Team will one day flip the switch and require all themes going into the directory to support the block editor like it had to do with the <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-org-now-requires-theme-authors-to-use-the-customizer-to-build-theme-options">customizer in 2015</a>. If theme authors do not organically make the transition such a day may come. The team will be stuck as the <em>bad guys</em> in the middle.</p>



<h2>Where Do We Go from Here?</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">It is easy to identify some of the major pain points for theme authors. Changes between updates will inevitably break something with the theme design.</p>



<p>Breaking HTML changes.</p>



<p>Breaking CSS changes.</p>



<p>Missing class names.</p>



<p>Different methods of handling alignment, depending on the block.</p>



<p>Dealing with inline styles after years of being taught to avoid them.</p>



<p>All of these issues are roadblocks for theme authors. And, when things get in the way of theme authors doing their jobs, they trickle down to end-users.</p>



<p>This is not the WordPress of the last decade. The WordPress that promised to not break things with updates. The WordPress where a one-off theme by a non-professional designer still worked four months later.</p>



<p>The Gutenberg project is still in its infancy. It can be fun to play with, but it can also be messy. I am as much of an evangelist for the block editor as anyone, but I can recognize when there is a clear and present issue of trust between theme authors and the developers of the project.</p>



<p>Currently, theme authors who are attempting to cover all of their bases are designing for at least a couple of versions of WordPress, multiple versions of Gutenberg, and the classic editor plugin. It is a dizzying array of testing for one theme. Those with a dozen or more themes&hellip;well, it is not an ideal situation.</p>



<p>A holistic approach needs to be taken toward theme and site design. Theme authors need to see the details of the roadmap and contribute to it, carving the features they see as relevant into stone for the coming years. They need to know that the buttons block design they sweated over for hours this past week will <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21923">continue working next week</a>.</p>



<p>It all starts at the project management level.</p>



<p>If a breaking HTML change needs to happen, theme authors need more than, &ldquo;X change needs to happen for Y feature to work.&rdquo; They need to see ownership of the mistake in the initial planning phase for X, backward-compatible code solutions, and a path toward fewer of the same mistakes happening.</p>



<p>Theme designers still need some sort of <a href="https://wptavern.com/themes-of-the-future-a-design-framework-and-a-master-theme">design framework</a>. The current utility classes are like a poor man&rsquo;s version of <a href="https://tailwindcss.com/">Tailwind</a> that is being pieced together as the project adds new features without the foresight to look at the future landscape. Maybe the upcoming Global Styles feature can tackle that on a larger scale that provides compatibility across themes.</p>



<p>Ultimately, there needs to be more communication between the Gutenberg team and theme authors who are building themes for the official WordPress theme directory. Perhaps there should even be a new team or sub-team formed focused solely on theming in the block era and working directly with Gutenberg developers to identify pain points. Whatever happens, someone needs to inspire the next generation of themes into being. Until then, most theme authors are stuck wondering what they will need to fix next.</p>



<p><em>Up next: block/plugin development edition?</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, 13 May 2020 20:19:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:48:"WPTavern: GitHub Adds Account Successors Feature";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99556";s:7:"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:141:"https://wptavern.com/github-adds-account-successors-feature?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=github-adds-account-successors-feature";s: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:2635:"<p>Yesterday, GitHub added a new setting to user-owned repositories called &ldquo;<a href="https://help.github.com/en/github/setting-up-and-managing-your-github-user-account/maintaining-ownership-continuity-of-your-user-accounts-repositories">Account Successors</a>.&rdquo; It allows users to designate repository access to another user to maintain ownership continuity in the event of any kind of personal disruption.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Open source maintainers, you can now invite a trusted user to manage your open source projects in the event that you are unable to do so yourself,&rdquo; GitHub Senior Product Manager Ben Balter said in an announcement on Twitter. &ldquo;Help ensure the future of your work (and the work of others) by inviting an account successor today.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The new feature can be found under the Settings &raquo; Account &raquo; Successor Settings menu in GitHub.  Successors will not be given the ability to log into accounts but will have the following permissions:  </p>



<ul><li>Archive your public repositories.</li><li>Transfer your public repositories to their own user owned account.</li><li>Transfer your public repositories to an organization where they can create repositories.</li></ul>



<p>Successors cannot be set on a per-project or per-organization basis yet, but Balter said that is something GitHub would like to build.</p>



<p>This new setting complements <a href="https://help.github.com/en/github/site-policy/github-deceased-user-policy">GitHub&rsquo;s Deceased User Policy</a>, in which the company will work with the deceased person&rsquo;s next of kin, a pre-designated successor, or other authorized individual to determine the future of the account.</p>



<p>GitHub began testing the Account Successors feature last week, taking suggestions from the greater community. Public <a href="https://twitter.com/benbalter/status/1258832842857029633">feedback from testers</a> has been positive so far. Users hope not to need the feature anytime soon, though some said it is a real worry they have regarding their projects on GitHub. Setting up a successor is now the easy part, where identifying a trusted individual may prove more difficult for some.</p>



<p>Account Successors is a timely addition to the platform, as the pandemic continues to sweep the globe, although the feature can be useful for many other types of scenarios.  Given the high fevers that can accompany COVID-19 and the rapid decline often associated with the worst outcomes, identifying a successor while still feeling healthy is an important precaution to ensure the continuity of your project.</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, 12 May 2020 22:51:27 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: Highlight, Underline, and Control Font Size with RichText Extension";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99566";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"https://wptavern.com/highlight-underline-and-control-font-size-with-richtext-extension?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=highlight-underline-and-control-font-size-with-richtext-extension";s: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:3560:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Last week, Tetsuaki Hamano contributed his first plugin to the official WordPress plugin repository. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/richtext-extension/">RichText Extension</a> grants additional options for inline text in the block editor.</p>



<p>RichText is a component in the editor that allows end-users to add and edit text. Typically, users may think of this component when dealing with paragraphs. However, it also applies to headings, lists, quotes, image captions, and any other area where textual content can be added.</p>



<p>Many plugins add settings on the block level. This means when you apply a particular style, it applies to the entire block. Inline text refers to the individual characters and words within the block. By default, WordPress allows end-users to control inline text by adding links, creating italic or bold characters, changing the text color, and more. <a href="https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-0-merges-block-and-pattern-inserter-adds-inline-formats-and-updates-code-editor">Superscript and subscript inline options</a> have already landed in the Gutenberg plugin, which should ship with WordPress 5.5.</p>



<p>RichText Extension extends the editor toolbar to add new options for highlighting, underlining, and changing the font size of inline text. It also adds an option to clear all formatting.</p>



<p>Overall, the plugin is a solid outing for a first-time contributor to the plugin directory. With luck, we will get to see more of Hamano&rsquo;s work in the future.</p>



<h2>Plugin Features</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The primary feature of RichText Extension is its highlighter option, which allows users to highlight text. The plugin adds a paintbrush icon to the toolbar. Once clicked, it opens four highlighting options. By default, users can add a red or yellow marker effect or background directly behind a piece of text. This feature can be useful for adding a bit of flair to make specific words or characters to stand out.</p>



<img />Using the marker highlight in a pullquote.



<p>The plugin also adds a font size option to the toolbar. I am unsure how useful changing the font size for inline text is for the average end-user. Typically, this is best left to the block level. However, there may be some edge cases that others will want to use it for.</p>



<p>Along with the core editor&rsquo;s inline options in the toolbar&rsquo;s dropdown menu, RichText extension adds Clear Format and Underline options. The former allows users to clear all inline formatting. The latter underlines text.</p>



<p>Each of the plugin&rsquo;s features can be configured via the plugin&rsquo;s settings screen. Users can change the highlight colors, their thickness, and transparency. The four available font sizes can be adjusted. It also allows users to enable or disable each feature.</p>



<img />RichText Extension&rsquo;s settings screen.



<p>It would be nice to see the plugin&rsquo;s highlighting and font-size features use the theme-defined color palette and font sizes, respectively. The plugin could further allow users to define custom colors and sizes outside of those added by the theme.</p>



<p>More than anything, I would like to see a fully-featured plugin tackle every conceivable inline text option with the ability to enable or disable each.  This would give end-users ultimate flexibility over how they write their content.  Perhaps RichText Extension can be that plugin in the future.  Otherwise, another developer may step in and do the job.</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, 12 May 2020 19:51:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"WPTavern: WordPress Accessibility Team to Host 24-Hour Online Event October 2, 2020";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99528";s:7:"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:209:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-accessibility-team-to-host-24-hour-online-event-october-2-2020?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-accessibility-team-to-host-24-hour-online-event-october-2-2020";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2464:"<img />



<p>The WordPress Accessibility Team is organizing a new online event called <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2020/05/07/announcing-the-first-wordpress-accessibility-day/">WP Accessibility Day</a> that will take place on October 2, 2020. The event will feature 24 hours of educational sessions that focus on the intersection between WordPress and web accessibility. </p>



<p>Inspired by the Polyglots&rsquo; Global Translation Day, which greatly <a href="https://wptavern.com/polyglots-team-experiences-record-annual-growth-expands-wordpress-reach-to-millions-with-new-translations">expanded the team&rsquo;s base of contributors</a> and fueled a record number of translations, the Accessibility Team aims to raise awareness about its work. Organizers will be featuring a variety of topics, including theme and plugin accessibility, writing accessible content, accessibility testing, current standards, and more from a diverse group of global speakers.</p>



<p>Accessibility consultant and WordPress contributor Joe Dolson proposed the event use a model similar to the <a href="https://inclusivedesign24.org/2019/">ID24</a> (Inclusive Design 24) conference, with one 30-40 minute talk per hour. This format merges aspects of virtual WordCamps and WordSesh, running a single-track of sessions over the span of 24 hours with live emcees to manage interviews and Q&amp;A segments.</p>



<p>Even though many events are going virtual due to the pandemic, accessibility contributors have been evaluating the possibility of hosting an online-only event <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-contributors-explore-the-possibility-of-a-global-accessibility-event">since mid-2019</a> and have been planning this one since December. The small size of the team and the travel expenses associated with larger WordCamps made it nearly impossible to scale the in-person collaboration happening at events.</p>



<p><a href="https://wpaccessibilityday.org/">WP Accessibility Day</a> has its own website where those who are interested can sign up to be notified about the call for speakers, sponsors, and other news. Organizers and volunteers are meeting in the #accessibility-events channel on WordPress&rsquo;Slack.  They will be discussing the event, along with other accessibility topics, during an online panel on Thursday, May 21st, 2020, for <a href="https://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/">Global Accessibility Awareness Day</a>. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 11 May 2020 20:17:04 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:66:"WPTavern: Simple Photoblogging with the Instapress WordPress Theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99532";s:7:"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:177:"https://wptavern.com/simple-photoblogging-with-the-instapress-wordpress-theme?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=simple-photoblogging-with-the-instapress-wordpress-theme";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4059:"<p class="has-drop-cap">It is not often that I come across a free WordPress theme that instantly impresses me. Far too often, I spend half an hour or more just getting to know a theme, checking its options, and figuring out how long it will take to recreate something that looks remotely like the demo. However, every now and then I come across one of those diamonds in the rough that makes me a taker a deeper look.</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/instapress/">Instapress</a> is one of those themes. It is yet another reason I am in favor of a <a href="https://wptavern.com/curated-list-of-featured-themes-coming-to-the-theme-directory">curated featured themes list</a>. These types of unique themes tend to get lost in the crowd, and without the backing of a major company to market them, they usually go unnoticed by most WordPress users.</p>



<p>What drew me to Instapress was its take on presenting posts on the front end. It is a photoblogging theme that is mostly good at showing individual photos but little else. It also has some of the old-school simplicity from the early WordPress theme era.</p>



<p>Instapress is the first and only theme that Anton Lukin has submitted to the official WordPress theme directory. He runs the theme on his <a href="https://lukin.blog/">personal blog</a>, in which he shares photos from the places he travels.</p>



<h2>Beautiful Simplicity</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The theme is truly a photoblogging-only theme. It is not ideal for long-form, textual content or many other types of sites. Fair warning: if your plan is to do anything other than post photos, you should look elsewhere.</p>



<p>This narrow design is what makes the theme stand out. On the blog page and other archive-type pages, the theme presents the featured image with an interesting JSON-style output of the post metadata such as the date, title, and author.</p>



<img />Posts page display from Instapress.



<p>Instapress has a few customizer options. Along with a custom footer description, end-users can decide whether to show the post author and any custom meta in post summaries on blog and archive pages. Custom meta in this sense means all public custom fields, which may not be desirable for everyone, depending on what metadata is assigned to the post. However, it can be useful for photobloggers who include location data, such as latitude and longitude for their posts.</p>



<p>As shown in the following screenshot, Lukin includes the coordinates on his post (<code>latlng</code>):</p>



<img />Custom metadata from <a href="https://lukin.blog/baikal/">Baikal post</a>.



<p>Themes rarely get much simpler than Instapress. It is intentionally lightweight. The stylesheet comes in under 20 kb, which is what any photoblogger should look for in a theme. The theme should not be the bottleneck for page speed on image-heavy websites.</p>



<h2>Areas to Improve</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While being a fan of the theme, some small things could drastically improve its appeal to end-users. I would not want the theme to add too many extra options. Its simplicity is part of its charm. However, a couple of home/archive views that offer a wider photo layout or grid would add a nice touch without bloating the theme.</p>



<p>Typically, I would deduct massive points for a theme that has no block editor styles, particularly in 2020. It is such a huge user base to leave out. But, the biggest loss for this theme is not taking advantage of the built-in, image-related blocks. They provide theme authors with a ton of design freedom. Throw in a few custom styles and you can do something special for photoblogs. Even just supporting wide and full-width alignment goes a long way in providing users better options for photos.</p>



<p>The other missing piece of the puzzle for this theme is that it has no site title output. End-users can shoehorn it into the nav menu or customizable footer description, but it would be nice to see it as part of the theme header, even if disabled by default.</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 May 2020 19:52:03 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:132:"WPTavern: WordCamp Spain 2020 Q&amp;A: Matt Mullenweg Discusses Virtual Events, Decoupled WordPress, and the Future of Page Builders";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99452";s:7:"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:293:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-spain-2020-qa-matt-mullenweg-discusses-virtual-events-decoupled-wordpress-and-the-future-of-page-builders?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordcamp-spain-2020-qa-matt-mullenweg-discusses-virtual-events-decoupled-wordpress-and-the-future-of-page-builders";s: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:6424:"<p>Matt Mullenweg joined Mat&iacute;as Ventura at WordCamp Spain yesterday for a lively Q&amp;A session. The virtual event drew 5,000 registered users, and attendees came prepared with some thought-provoking questions about the future of WordPress. Here are a few highlights on some recent topics of interest.</p>



<p>WordCamps around the globe have been going virtual, embracing the challenge of keeping communities connected through the screen. Mullenweg shared thoughts on how WordCamps have changed during the pandemic and what might be worthwhile to maintain after things go back to normal:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>WordCamps were always exclusionary. If you couldn&rsquo;t make it to be in a physical point at a physical time, you couldn&rsquo;t be there. Tickets were cheap but travel and other costs could be expensive. To our mission of democratizing publishing, if we could radically open up some of the value of WordCamps, not just the talks because the talks you could always watch later online, but some of that person-to-person connection and relationship-building that would happen at WordCamps &ndash; if we can recreate that online I feel like that could be something that would be amazing for the WordPress community.  I feel like we used our in-person events as a crutch, actually. Because they were so good, and I love them, we overweighted towards them. This time allows us to reflect and also try new things that we might not have been pushed to otherwise. I hope that we don&rsquo;t stop any of these new things. I hope there are more WordCamp events in every language.</p></blockquote>



<p>Large regional events like WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US will be going virtual in the coming months and it will be interesting to see how they work to reproduce the intimate, in-person connections that are often forged at these events. </p>



<p>One of the first questions was regarding <a href="https://wptavern.com/frontity-raises-e1m-with-automattic-and-k-fund">Automattic&rsquo;s recent investment in Frontity</a>.  Does Automattic&rsquo;s interest mean that React might be implemented in the public part of WordPress? Mullenweg highlighted a few of the positive and negative aspects of decoupled WordPress setups but also confirmed that a React frontend is not on the roadmap for core:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I&rsquo;m excited to be able to support Frontity. Automattic tries to support as many of the WordPress ecosystem companies as possible. If there is a company doing something interesting in WordPress, we would love to invest and support it. In terms of a React theme in default WordPress, I think that to me that stays in plugin and theme territory for the foreseeable future. The downside of that approach is that you lose all the capabilities of the decades of WordPress plugins and themes and integrations and everything when you move to that more decoupled React frontend. I don&rsquo;t know if what you gain is that much better for a normal content website. In fact, so many single page applications in React when they get to version 2 or 3 usually work on server side rendering. We have server side rendering by default, and it&rsquo;s really fast and really good, especially when you layer in AMP or some other things that can speed it up. It can actually be probably the best possible thing for content driven sites, the best practice, versus application driven sites where something like React might be better. If you take a really optimized PHP-served AMP page, performance-wise versus the same thing going through React, it&rsquo;s hard for me to imagine the React page being faster. In fact, I think it would be much slower. That&rsquo;s how I think about the defaults. But for people who are building more advanced applications or have some sort of constraint on their website where they need the React frontend, I think the decoupled use case of WordPress is stronger than ever. I don&rsquo;t know why anyone would use a proprietary backend, like Contentful or something like that, when you have all the open source security, scalability, and robustness of WordPress available in a decoupled infrastructure as well.</p></blockquote>



<p>Ventura noted that just because WordPress uses these technologies in the backend, doesn&rsquo;t mean it has to be used on the frontend as well. Based on these comments, it doesn&rsquo;t seem likely that WordPress will be adopting a React-based default theme anytime in the near future.</p>



<p>The fate of page builders in the Gutenberg era is always a popular topic during Q&amp;A sessions and WordCamp Spain was no exception. The general concern is whether Gutenberg&rsquo;s full site editing capabilities will make these plugins obsolete, but Mullenweg seemed optimistic about WordPress leaving page builders a piece of the market:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>I&rsquo;m really excited for the future of page builders. Before every single page builder would have to do a fair amount of work to recreate their version of blocks. There was a lot of wasted effort with many talented and great developers all over the world essentially rebuilding the wheel or recreating the block over and over. Now that we have these rails in the core of this block infrastructure, it&rsquo;s been widely adopted and implemented with thousands of blocks being created and many more to come, they don&rsquo;t have to create that core fundamental infrastructure and can instead innovate on top of it, because there are so many cool things you can do in page builders that are out of scope of where we want to take Gutenberg.</p></blockquote>



<p>Mullenweg also said he anticipates that page builders that are not built with Gutenberg in mind will likely be used less and less over time. However, it should be reassuring that there will still be a place in the WordPress ecosystem for products that build on top of the core standard.</p>



<p>The Q&amp;A session included many more questions on topics of interest, including when multi-language is coming to core, the future of themes, the present and future of the WP REST API, and what new business options may be coming to the WordPress ecosystem. Check out the recorded session embedded below to find out what Matt and Mat&iacute;as would improve in WordPress if they had a magic wand. </p>



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

</div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 08 May 2020 22:41:48 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s: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: Drag and Drop Nav Menu Items in WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99477";s:7:"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:147:"https://wptavern.com/drag-and-drop-nav-menu-items-in-wordpress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drag-and-drop-nav-menu-items-in-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2941:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Earlier this week, Sajjad Hossain Sagor released the first version of his <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/drag-drop-menu-items/">Drag &amp; Drop Menu Items</a> plugin in the WordPress plugin repository. The plugin is a one-off, single-use plugin that does exactly what its name describes &mdash; it allows end-users to drag menu items from the meta boxes on the nav menu screen to the menu they are currently editing.</p>



<p>Sagor is a freelance web developer from Bangladesh. Drag &amp; Drop Menu Items is the latest of his 18 contributions to the free plugin directory.</p>



<p>The plugin is simple in nature and does its one job well. To use it, users merely need to open the Appearance &gt; Menus screen in the WordPress admin. Menu items from the meta boxes under the &ldquo;Add menu items&rdquo; section can then be dragged into the menu under the &ldquo;Menu structure&rdquo; section.</p>



<img />Dragging an item into a custom menu.



<p>When dragging a menu item over, a drop-box appears between each of the existing items in the menu. It is worth noting that you cannot drag items into a sub-menu slot directly from the meta boxes. This is on par with the default functionality and could be a limitation of WordPress. However, sub-menu organization works as usual.</p>



<p>The Drag &amp; Drop Menu Items plugin is limited to the Menus screen in the WordPress admin. It does not work in the customizer, which sports a different interface and method of adding menu items.</p>



<p>The plugin code is minimal and does not appear to have any issues. The additional JavaScript, at less than 4 kb, should not add much weight to the page either.</p>



<p>By default, WordPress requires two mouse clicks to add an item to a menu: one click to tick the checkbox and a button click to add the item. However, the default method also allows users to append multiple items at once.</p>



<p>On the whole, the plugin is a good option for users who prefer the drag-and-drop method of adding items or those who prefer to have both methods at their disposal. It adds a nice touch that would make sense as an existing part of WordPress.</p>



<h2>An Uncertain Future</h2>



<img />Experimental Navigation screen from the Gutenberg plugin.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Eventually, Drag &amp; Drop Menu Items may no longer function. The Gutenberg plugin team has already built an early experimental version of a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21036">new Navigation screen</a> in the admin. The plan is to incorporate this new screen into core WordPress in the future.</p>



<p>The new screen will work within the block system and likely use the work that has gone into the existing Navigation block. This will provide consistency in how menus are added across the site.</p>



<p>For now, if you would like the ability to drag and drop menu items, this plugin is a solid solution.</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 May 2020 19:15:45 +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:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"WPTavern: Bringing Back Blogs in the Age of Social Media Censorship";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99380";s:7:"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:179:"https://wptavern.com/bringing-back-blogs-in-the-age-of-social-media-censorship?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bringing-back-blogs-in-the-age-of-social-media-censorship";s: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:8292:"<p class="is-style-default">You&rsquo;ve probably never heard of Robert B. Strassler. That&rsquo;s OK, you&rsquo;re not alone.</p>



<p>Early in his career, Strassler worked in oil fields, but he always had an interest in&nbsp;<em>the classics</em>&nbsp;(the formal designation for the studies of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations). Eventually, Strassler&rsquo;s hobby became an obsession. He went so far as to author his own translation of Thucydides, the Athenian historian of the Peloponnesian War.</p>



<p>The problem was nobody wanted to read Strassler&rsquo;s book. This was in the 1990s.  It was more difficult to publish to the web and there was no social media. Strassler approached every Ivy League institution he could find. Nobody was interested in reading a manuscript about Thucydides penned by an oilman with no formal credentials. That was the situation until Strassler contacted Victor Davis Hanson, a classicist professor in Fresno, California. Hanson agreed to look at the manuscript and was astounded by Strassler&rsquo;s work: a brilliant, highly readable translation of Thucydides including maps, diagrams, and charts. Hanson helped the disconnected oilman get in touch with a literary agent. Strassler&rsquo;s landmark edition became the standard translation of Thucydides. Still read today, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.amazon.com/Landmark-Thucydides-Comprehensive-Guide-Peloponnesian/dp/0684827905/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=strassler&qid=1588787709&sr=8-4" target="_blank"><em>The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War</em></a> is as successful as any book on the classics can be&mdash;in the age of Twitter.</p>



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



<p>Those of us who take the idea of democratic publishing seriously rejoice at how the field has opened to include anyone who has something to say and is willing to write it down. That&rsquo;s why we should be more alarmed when we see social media companies crowd the spaces once occupied by blogs and do-it-yourself content creators. We see a decline in diverse opinions as the web quickly becomes less free and more autocratic.</p>



<p>How many Robert B. Strasslers are being stifled today by biased algorithms and arbitrary &ldquo;community guidelines&rdquo;?</p>



<p>In March, as COVID-19 exploded into a worldwide panic, the web gatekeepers we&rsquo;ve come to rely on quickly massed around a singular interpretation of events and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/controlling-the-virus-narrative-11584899715">stifled dissenting voices</a>&mdash;even mild ones.</p>



<p>YouTube, the second largest search engine in the world, demonetized all videos that mentioned &ldquo;COVID-19,&rdquo; &ldquo;Coronavirus,&rdquo; or any term related to the pandemic, and herded viewers away from content creators and toward the Center for Disease Control (CDC) &mdash; the same&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/01/coronavirus-surgeon-general-says-cdc-asked-review-mask-guidance/5101884002/">CDC that first advised&nbsp;<em>against</em>&nbsp;wearing masks</a>. Even medical practitioners who deviated slightly from the prevailing vision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.turnto23.com/news/coronavirus/video-interview-with-dr-dan-erickson-and-dr-artin-massihi-taken-down-from-youtube">were removed from the platform</a>&nbsp;after gaining millions of views.</p>



<p>Experienced journalists who questioned official decrees (surely, the role journalists are expected to perform) were targeted with hit pieces and character assassination by their own peers.</p>



<p>As author/professor Cal Newport noted in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-expert-twitter-only-goes-so-far-bring-back-blogs/">op-ed for&nbsp;<em>Wired</em></a>, much of the dissenting viewpoints and on-the-ground data have become part of the mainstream conversation even after being suppressed by a small group of decision-makers: </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>We don&rsquo;t necessarily want to trust engineers at one company to make the decisions about what topics the public should and should not be able to read about.</p></blockquote>



<p>How many times have you clicked on a link in a tweet and received a message as shown in the following screenshot?</p>



<img />Twitter unsafe link warning.



<p>Adults should be trusted to determine what kind of content is harmful (if such a thing exists) without the assistance of Twitter employees and their &ldquo;partners.&rdquo; And, are these warnings actually meant to protect people or simply to shield Twitter from corporate liability? I think we can guess what the answer is.</p>



<p>It&rsquo;s not only those without official-sounding credentials who are being barred from sharing content. Creators who clearly have experience in their fields of study are also facing arbitrary censorship.</p>



<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/" target="_blank">The Great Courses Plus</a>, a streaming service that produces college-level video courses taught by actual professors, was threatened with a ban from Google if they did not remove COVID-19-related content from their app. In an email to subscribers, the team wrote:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Google informed us they would ban The Great Courses apps if we continued to make [Covid-19] in-app content available. We are working with Google to ensure that they understand our content is factual, expert-led, and thoroughly vetted, so that we can remedy this misunderstanding as soon as possible.</p></blockquote>



<p>The videos in question included content from Dr. Roy Benaroch, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine; Dr. David Kung, Professor of Mathematics at St. Mary&rsquo;s College of Maryland; and Dr. Kevin Ahern, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University. How or why these scholars were found unworthy of Google&rsquo;s imprimatur is a mystery. As the public does not presume to give Google programming advice, perhaps Google could return the favor by not pretending to be experts on epidemiology, immunology, and virology.</p>



<p>The only way to see these offending videos is on the <a href="https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Courses website</a>, where Google&rsquo;s authority is not absolute. <em>It happens to be a WordPress-powered site.</em> For intellectuals and laymen who value free expression, having your own website is becoming the only way to make sure you can keep it.</p>



<p><strong>The problem of pitting credentials against experience in a zero-sum conflict is fixable, and WordPress is a big part of the solution.</strong></p>



<p>WordPress allows capable scientists, economists, and medical professionals in other fields to write at length about their ideas without fear of being blocked by arbitrary restrictions. Also, the five-minute install (which does take a little more than five minutes for many people) imposes enough of a barrier to entry to discourage cranks. </p>



<p>We like to think of the internet as a true egalitarian system, where every voice is given equal consideration, but deep down we know that&rsquo;s not exactly how it works. Network effects tend to form hubs of concentrated influence around a handful of websites. This isn&rsquo;t always a bad thing. A recipe blog with poor taste and no pictures deserves fewer readers than a blog with great-tasting recipes and high-resolution images.</p>



<p>There is still room enough in the network for certain nodes to grow in size and influence based on the quality of their content. A node with enough backlinks, good organic search rankings, and high-quality content will gain an audience, and be able to keep it, without fear of corporate reprisals or aggressive algorithm updates.</p>



<p>If we really care about democratizing publishing, we won&rsquo;t always like what we read. There will be disagreements, but democracy requires a literate population eager for debate. We can challenge, discuss, and learn.</p>



<p>There are a lot of Robert B. Strasslers out there in the network, waiting patiently to be heard.</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 May 2020 15:41:24 +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:14:"Chris Maiorana";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:89:"WPTavern: WP Engine Launches Genesis Pro Add-On for Customers, More Features in the Works";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99440";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:221:"https://wptavern.com/wp-engine-launches-genesis-pro-add-on-for-customers-more-features-in-the-works?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wp-engine-launches-genesis-pro-add-on-for-customers-more-features-in-the-works";s: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:6549:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Managed web hosting company WP Engine launched the new <a href="https://studiopress.blog/announcing-genesis-pro/">Genesis Pro add-on</a> for customers of its hosting service today. The add-on brings additional block editor features for users who are using a Genesis-based WordPress theme.</p>



<p>Genesis is a parent theme developed by StudioPress. WP Engine <a href="https://wptavern.com/wp-engine-acquires-studiopress">acquired the theme development company</a> in 2018. Later that year, the company took the first steps toward <a href="https://wptavern.com/genesis-framework-and-studiopress-themes-add-gutenberg-compatibility-more-gutenberg-features-coming-soon">adding compatibility with the block editor</a> for Genesis customers, becoming an early adopter of the new editing experience.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Beyond just being &lsquo;compatible,&rsquo; Genesis will play a big role in being Gutenberg-First,&rdquo; Jason Cohen, CTO of WP Engine, said of future plans nearly two years ago. &ldquo;That means not only supporting the software and ideals of Gutenberg but using them for new features. In doing so, it&rsquo;s our intention to light the way for the countless agencies and developers who use WordPress to fuel incredible digital experiences that are made even easier with Gutenberg.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Today&rsquo;s <a href="https://wpengine.com/genesis-pro">Genesis Pro</a> launch is another step on that journey. WP Engine is currently rolling out the add-on as part of its managed hosting service. The cost is $30/month ($360/year) for an unlimited number of sites.</p>



<p>The current plan is to also make the Genesis Pro plugin available via the StudioPress website in the early summer. The company is not formally committing to that timeframe yet, but users not on WP Engine&rsquo;s hosting service should expect it this year. The price for Genesis Pro will be available for $360/year, which is at the same rate as the hosting add-on.</p>



<p>The reason behind the early launch for web hosting clients seems to be twofold based on the announcement post. David Vogelpohl, VP of Web Strategy for WP Engine, said the company could launch the product faster and increment with the launch for its hosting customers. They are also able to make sure the payment system scales, which StudioPress now uses.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Genesis Pro&rsquo;s capabilities are expressed in a single plugin today, but may be provided in multiple plugins, WP adjacent services, or other means in the future based on architectural decisions of any particular feature,&rdquo; said Vogelpohl.</p>



<p>Watch a quick video on Genesis Pro:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="embed-vimeo"></div>
</div>



<h2>Genesis Pro Features</h2>



<img />Example layout from the Genesis Pro add-on.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The add-on includes a robust set of options that are primarily aimed at helping users build their webpages with custom blocks and designs. The following features are the foundation of the add-on:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Block Library:</strong> Includes 17 custom blocks, such as a testimonial and pricing block.</li><li><strong>Page Layouts:</strong> Offers 22 full layouts for product, portfolio, team, and other pages.</li><li><strong>Content Sections:</strong> Adds 38 customizable content sections.</li><li><strong>Permissions System:</strong> Allows admins to set editing permissions on a per-block basis.</li><li><strong>Customization:</strong> Users can create and share custom sections and layouts with content creators.</li></ul>



<p>Most of the options seem to be under a pop-up modal on the post-editing screen that should allow users to insert blocks directly into their post or page content. More blocks, sections, layouts, and other content-creation tools are currently in the works.</p>



<img />Layout selector from the Genesis Pro add-on.



<p>The add-on features are mostly standard fare in comparison to many of the block libraries and suites available throughout the WordPress ecosystem. Of course, these will have the StudioPress spin on them and likely be of high quality based if past work is any indication. With the launch out of the way and the foundation in place, it should be much easier for the team to churn out more customization options for end-users.</p>



<p>The most unique feature is probably around the block permissions system, which few companies have truly tackled. For site administrators who work with multiple creators, setting up editing permissions for individual blocks can be useful. If the user experience for this system works well, it will be a huge selling point for some site owners.</p>



<img />Block permissions settings for Genesis Pro.



<h2>Genesis X</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Vogelpohl teased another project the team has been working on titled &ldquo;Genesis X,&rdquo; which is separate from the Genesis Pro project. It is an experimental plugin version of Genesis that will be available to StudioPress customers at no additional charge. The work thus far has centered on what Genesis will look like in a world where full-site editing is available through WordPress itself.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The current version of Genesis X focuses on helping site creators easily manage global styles across their site, customize and manage blocks, as well as other capabilities to help users win with full-site editing in WordPress core,&rdquo; said Vogelpohl. &ldquo;Genesis X is being built core-adjacent and is not a replacement for the block editor. It is designed to work with the block editor.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Vogelpohl said the first objective of the project is to provide analogs for features in Genesis that would not work in a parent theme structure within the full-site editing context. &ldquo;After achieving that parity in ways that make sense, we will be focused on the advanced block capabilities as well as other features currently on our roadmap,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>The company is putting a lot of weight and resources behind the transition from pre-block WordPress and the upcoming features that WordPress will offer via the block system. Right now, they have a team of 15 employees working on solutions with Genesis.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The overarching theme is that Genesis X is being architected not to just help the Genesis community adapt to full-site editing in core, but for any user of WordPress to adopt full-site editing in a way that sets them up for the best chance of success,&rdquo; said Vogelpohl.</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 May 2020 20:52:20 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:14;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: GitHub Introduces Codespaces IDE, Discussions, and Code Scanning";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99374";s:7:"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:189:"https://wptavern.com/github-introduces-codespaces-ide-discussions-and-code-scanning?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=github-introduces-codespaces-ide-discussions-and-code-scanning";s: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:4529:"<p><a href="https://githubsatellite.com/">GitHub Satellite</a>, the company&rsquo;s annual product and community event, went virtual this year for the first time but marched forward with the usual major product announcements.  GitHub is ramping up its offerings with <a href="https://github.blog/2020-05-06-new-from-satellite-2020-github-codespaces-github-discussions-securing-code-in-private-repositories-and-more/">four new products</a>: an IDE, a discussion platform, code scanning, and private instances. </p>



<p><a href="https://github.com/features/codespaces/">Codespaces</a> is the platform&rsquo;s new built-in IDE that lets users code in the browser with minimal setup. The product is based on the VS Code editor and includes terminal access, support for code completion, and extensions: </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Codespaces can be configured to load your code and dependencies, developer tools, extensions, and dotfiles. Switching between environments is simple&mdash;you can navigate away at any time, and when you switch back, your codespace is automatically reopened.</p></blockquote>



<p>The IDE was created to facilitate contribution but it also enables better development on mobile devices. GitHub design lead Joel Califa shared a demo of how he uses Codespaces on his iPad:</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">People have been asking about using Codespaces on the iPad. Here's what it looks like: <a href="https://t.co/5UQHtzMwZh">pic.twitter.com/5UQHtzMwZh</a></p>&mdash; Joel Califa (@notdetails) <a href="https://twitter.com/notdetails/status/1258120708212785154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>GitHub plans to implement a pay-as-you-go pricing model for Codespaces, but it will be free during the limited beta. This product should complement the recent launch of <a href="https://github.com/mobile/">GitHub&rsquo;s mobile apps for iOS and Android</a> in March, which allows users to manage projects, tasks, feedback, and pull requests.</p>



<p>Discussions is a new feature that stands to have a more meaningful impact on open source communities. GitHub issues and pull requests have long been the home of most conversations, but oftentimes this type of collaboration would be better served with features more tailored to a knowledge base. Discussions offer a threaded format where questions can be marked as answered. Participation in discussions counts towards users&rsquo; contribution graphs. GitHub plans to put the feature into beta for public repositories soon.</p>



<img />



<p>GitHub also announced code scanning, powered by CodeQL, a semantic analysis engine trained to find vulnerabilities. When code scanning is enabled, every `git push` is inspected by CodeQL for potential vulnerabilities and the results are displayed in the pull request. Code scanning is free for open source software. </p>



<p>Secret scanning, which has been enabled on public repositories since 2018, is now available for private repositories. It scans code for known secret formats and notifies developers upon finding something. At the beginning. of 2019, GitHub announced that it was giving free users access to <a href="https://wptavern.com/github-announces-free-unlimited-private-repositories">unlimited private repositories</a>.  Adding secret scanning to private repositories is the next natural step, as these have likely grown in number after being added to the free tier.</p>



<p>While many of GitHub&rsquo;s new features are aimed at free users and open source communities, this week&rsquo;s announcements also include a new enterprise product called Private Instances:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Today we introduced our plans for GitHub Private Instances, a new, fully-managed option for our enterprise customers. Private Instances provides enhanced security, compliance, and policy features including bring-your-own-key encryption, backup archiving, and compliance with regional data sovereignty requirements.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>After Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in 2018, the company has aggressively worked to make its product more compelling in the highly competitive space of code sharing platforms, starting with the free tier. Pricing has not yet been finalized for any of the revenue-generating products announced this week, as GitHub may be testing the waters to gauge the community&rsquo;s reaction before launch.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 07 May 2020 14:42:59 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:67:"WPTavern: Apply to Speak at the JavaScript for WordPress Conference";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99026";s:7:"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:179:"https://wptavern.com/apply-to-speak-at-the-javascript-for-wordpress-conference?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=apply-to-speak-at-the-javascript-for-wordpress-conference";s: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:2066:"<p>The third annual <a href="https://javascriptforwp.com/conference/">JavaScript for WordPress Conference</a> is gearing up for three days of online talks and workshops on July 8-10, 2020. The event is free to attend and organizer Zac Gordon is working to put together a diverse speaker lineup.</p>



<p>Day 1 will be devoted to workshops that help beginners get up and running with JavaScript and React. Day 2 will focus on building Gutenberg blocks and block-based themes. Day 3 will include topics and projects that use WordPress as a Headless CMS.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Last year we did 4 tracks all at once.&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;That was a lot. So this year we&rsquo;re doing two days, one track each day. We decided on Blocks and Headless as our two tracks, because that seems to be where most of the JavaScript development is happening at the moment in the WordPress space.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Previous editions of the conference have pulled in approximately 1,000 viewers, similar to the size of a large WordCamp. Gordon said the event is open for all JavaScript-related topics related to WordPress beyond Gutenberg and headless setups and they are trying to encourage new speakers.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Each year we&rsquo;re trying to do more to have the conference reflect a range of speakers, and this year we&rsquo;re hoping that a few of the brilliant and industrious younger folks coding or building with WordPress might speak,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p><a href="https://javascriptforwp.com/conference/register/">Registration is free</a> on the event website and <a href="https://javascriptforwp.com/conference/apply-to-speak/">applications for speakers</a> will be open until June 1. </p>



<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure how many speakers we will do exactly, but we will have a few folks leading workshops day one and then maybe 5-8 speakers the two other days,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;It will be fewer speakers than last year, but hopefully still a lot of quality focused talks. The applications we&rsquo;ve seen come in so far are exciting.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 06 May 2020 21:43:21 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:88:"WPTavern: ACF Blocks Provides Assortment of Blocks Built from Advanced Custom Fields Pro";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99376";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:221:"https://wptavern.com/acf-blocks-provides-assortment-of-blocks-built-from-advanced-custom-fields-pro?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=acf-blocks-provides-assortment-of-blocks-built-from-advanced-custom-fields-pro";s: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:8487:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Over the weekend, Munir Kamal released version 2.0 of his <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/acf-blocks/">ACF Blocks plugin</a>, a project that creates a suite of blocks for the editor. The plugin offers 18 custom blocks in its free version and 15 more in the <a href="https://www.acfblocks.com/pro/">pro upgrade</a>. It is built on top of <a href="https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/pro/">Advanced Custom Fields Pro</a> (ACF Pro).</p>



<p>The latest update of the plugin added support for typography, including options for using various Google Fonts for in-block text. Kamal also included base styling options for design features like margin and padding for every block in the plugin.</p>



<p>With ACF Pro as a hard dependency, it limits the audience of ACF Blocks. In large part, this plugin will be useful for agencies and freelancers who need to quickly build features for clients within their budget. For that purpose, the plugin does a solid job.</p>



<p>The tight coupling with ACF Pro hurts the user experience for the plugin. However, the ideas behind ACF Blocks and its custom options make up for the shortcomings of relying on its dependent parent plugin. Decoupling the two is unlikely, but it would make for a smoother experience and open the plugin to a wider audience.</p>



<p>Kamal took inspiration for the plugin from ACF and its pro version. He described the process of building blocks with the framework &ldquo;super easy,&rdquo; even for an intermediate-level developer. &ldquo;It has been such an amazing WordPress framework for years to create custom fields,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And when [Elliot Condon] announced the block creation feature in ACF, that quickly triggered me to build this collection of ready-to-use ACF Blocks.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The biggest technical limitation is that Kamal cannot build nested blocks, which is a current limitation of ACF. &ldquo;I have already discussed it with [Condon], and he is already working on bringing that functionality hopefully soon,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Once that comes to ACF, we may create more amazing and powerful Gutenberg Blocks.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Watch a short walkthrough of how the plugin works:</p>



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

</div>



<h2>Useful Assortment of Blocks</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">While primarily testing the free version of ACF Blocks, I found that it has several useful blocks that could immediately address common needs for end-users. With 18 free blocks available, users have plenty to work with before deciding whether they want to move along the upgrade path to the pro version.</p>



<p>One of the best blocks in the collection is the Photo Collage block. It is ACF Blocks&rsquo; answer to the core Gallery block. The grid options for this block alone make this plugin worth checking out. The block offers between 2 and 15 grid layouts, depending on the grid option the user selects.</p>



<img />Setting the grid for the Photo Collage block.



<p>My second favorite of the assortment is the Testimonial block. Coupled with the typography options, which are available for all blocks, you can have a lot of fun designing a testimonial section.</p>



<img />Tinkering with Google Fonts in the Testimonial block.



<p>This is a small sampling of what the plugin can do. The Price List block can help restaurant sites set up their menu. The Pricing Box block, particularly when nested into the core Columns block, makes it easy to set up a pricing section with multiple product options. And, the Team block makes it simple to create profile sections on a company&rsquo;s team/about page.</p>



<p>The following blocks are available in the free version (with several more in the pro version):</p>



<ol><li>Scrollable Image Block</li><li>Tab Block</li><li>Toggle Block</li><li>Accordion Block</li><li>Image Slider Block</li><li>Social Sharing Block</li><li>Photo Collage Block</li><li>Posts Block</li><li>Testimonial Block</li><li>Team Block</li><li>Multi Buttons Block</li><li>Pricing Box Block</li><li>Price List Block</li><li>Start Rating Block</li><li>Progress Bar Block</li><li>Counter Number Block</li><li>Click to tweet Block</li><li>Business Hours Block</li></ol>



<p>Kamal&rsquo;s favorite blocks from the overall suite are Image Hotspot, which allows users to set an image background with &ldquo;pointers&rdquo; to pop up content; Before After Image, which lets users compare two images using a sliding bar; and Photo Collage, the plugin&rsquo;s grid-based gallery block. The first two are available only in the pro version of the plugin. The plugin creator said he thinks all the blocks are useful but these were the most fun to build.</p>



<h2>Room for Improvement</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">ACF Blocks is a nice concept. It gets a lot of things right. However, there are minor issues that dampen the experience of working with its blocks. These issues are not insurmountable, and I expect Kamal will address them in upcoming versions based on familiarity with his past work and drive toward building great products for users.</p>



<p>The most immediate issue and likely the simplest to fix is the plugin&rsquo;s styles for left and right margins on every block. The plugin resets these margins to <code>0</code> by default. Depending on the active theme on a site, this could shift the blocks to the edge of the screen instead of the content area on the front end. Some themes use left/right margins to align content. This is not an issue with only ACF Blocks. It is prevalent among plugins with front-end output.</p>



<p>One quick solution for the margin issue is to wrap any of the plugin&rsquo;s blocks within the core Group block. This will put margins back under the theme&rsquo;s control.</p>



<p>Editing block content happens in the block options panel instead of directly in the block. I am unsure if this is a limitation of using the ACF Pro framework or a design decision on Kamal&rsquo;s part. It feels odd to jump between editing content in the content area to editing content in the sidebar.</p>



<p>One example of my confusion with block content was with the Photo Collage block. I clicked on the block, hoping to have the media library appear for uploading. Nothing happened. I clicked again because, well, maybe I did not get a good click in that first time. Nothing happened. I eventually found the image upload button under the block&rsquo;s option panel on the right.</p>



<p>Setting block options can feel a little sluggish at times with the block output in the editor not reflecting changes immediately. This is primarily because ACF Blocks relies on the server-side rendering capabilities of ACF Pro. It is unlikely this can be addressed in the blocks plugin. Some users may find the delayed rendering to be tedious when editing multiple options.</p>



<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Kamal has put together a useful set of blocks that will help many end-users build sections of content they cannot create out of the box. Between the free and pro versions, there is a total of 33 blocks. The creator is committed to adding more blocks over time based on user feedback. In the immediate future, he plans to keep hacking away at bug fixes and improving the code.</p>



<p>I still feel like how ACF Pro works is a hindrance to how good this plugin could be if built from scratch. With that said, the framework helped make Kamal&rsquo;s plugin a reality. ACF Blocks is a showcase in what is possible via ACF Pro, which should inspire other developers who are looking for solutions built on top of one of the most widely-used frameworks in the WordPress ecosystem.</p>



<p>Kamal understands that some ACF Pro users may try their hands at creating similar blocks but feels like his team&rsquo;s knowledge and dedication to offering support are the most important parts of the equation. &ldquo;ACF Blocks saves time and effort for creating blocks yourself for the most common web design elements,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p class="is-style-highlight has-white-color has-blue-700-background-color has-text-color has-background text-white bg-blue-700">Note:  this plugin review and feedback were requested by the plugin author. Read our post about <a href="https://wptavern.com/product-reviews-in-the-wordpress-ecosystem-honesty-and-genuine-experiences">honest feedback based on genuine experiences</a> for more information on how reviews are handled.</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 May 2020 20:36:46 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:51:"WPTavern: Jetpack 8.5 Adds New Podcast Player Block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99327";s:7:"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:145:"https://wptavern.com/jetack-8-5-adds-new-podcast-player-block?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jetack-8-5-adds-new-podcast-player-block";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3066:"<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/2020/05/05/jetpack-8-5-new-podcast-block/">Jetpack 8.5</a> was released today with a new podcast player block for sharing audio content. Configuring the block is as simple as entering the podcast RSS feed URL. This will automatically bring in the cover art and recent episodes. Block options allow for further customization of the display, including the number of episodes, colors, and the ability to show/hide cover art and episode descriptions. </p>



<img />



<p>Jetpack&rsquo;s new podcast player has arrived just in time, as podcasting has gotten a little boost in recent months due to the large numbers of people under stay-at-home orders. iHeartRadio, an American audio company with more than 350 podcasts, reports that <a href="https://www.iheartmedia.com/press/new-iheartpodcast-insights-show-increase-listening-more-americans-quarantine-during-covid-19">listenership for its podcasting network is up 6%</a> month-over-month, with California and New York jumping 13% and 8% respectively.  iHeartRadio&rsquo;s insights also showed that certain genres are more popular than others:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>During a time of economic uncertainty, Americans are listening to more business and finance podcasts &ndash; for which downloads and streams are up 78 percent week-over-week among the iHeartRadio Original podcasts. Listeners are also turning to music, entertainment and comedy during this time, where iHeartPodcasts have shown an increase in listening as well.</p></blockquote>



<p>Selling ads and marketing a new podcast may be more of a struggle during this economic downturn, but those with extra time on their hands may have an easier time producing and publishing episodes. Jetpack&rsquo;s new block makes it easy to share your own episodes or podcasts you enjoy from other websites.</p>



<p>The 8.5 release also includes significant improvements to the <a href="https://jetpack.com/2020/04/07/re-introducing-jetpack-search-for-wordpress-sites/">new Search feature</a>, which is powered by Elasticsearch, to provide better indexing and a simpler onboarding experience. </p>



<p>Automattic developer Brandon Kraft published a post today that <a href="https://kraft.blog/2020/05/jetpacks-publicize-now-uses-twitter-cards/">details recent changes to the Publicize feature</a>. In the past, Publicize would attach an image from the post when sending out its automatic tweet to Twitter. This has now been changed for Jetpack and WordPress.com sites so that Publicize no longer attaches a picture but defaults to allowing Twitter to display its Twitter card instead. Developers can use a filter to return the plugin to its previous behavior, if necessary.</p>



<p>Jetpack 8.5 also makes more widgets and embed tools AMP-compatible, expands options for the Revue block, and fixes layout issues with several other blocks. Check out the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/#developers">changelog on WordPress.org</a> for a full list of the enhancements and bug fixes.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 May 2020 23:09:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:52:"WPTavern: Need to Smile Today? Stay WordPress Strong";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99333";s:7:"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:147:"https://wptavern.com/need-to-smile-today-stay-wordpress-strong?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=need-to-smile-today-stay-wordpress-strong";s: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:5173:"<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">

</div><strong>Lyrics:</strong> Zack Katz, Jonathan Mann | <strong>Music:</strong> Jonathan Mann<br />Video licensed under&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/">Creative Commons &ndash; Attribution</a>



<p class="has-drop-cap">For the first time, at least 19 people from the WordPress community can literally call themselves WordPress rock stars without it sounding like an outdated marketing gimmick.</p>



<p><a href="https://gravityview.co/">GravityView</a> dropped a community music video and website named <a href="https://wpstrong.org/">WordPress Strong</a> earlier today. It is fun. It is inspirational. It will leave a smile on your face. The video features a wide range of faces, voices, and musical talent from around the planet.</p>



<p>Much of the world is looking for small ways to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each day is about finding the things we should be thankful for while waiting for life to feel like normal. The WordPress community has been a beacon of hope for many. It has continued providing purpose to people despite their daily lives being upended. This project is one more way to show the strength of our community.</p>



<p>&ldquo;People were scrambling to adjust to the new reality of living in a pandemic, and there was a rush of uncertainty,&rdquo; said Zack Katz, the creator of GravityView, on starting the project. &ldquo;In the middle of all that uncertainty, I felt lucky to be part of the WordPress community: doing what we do, working on an open and thriving platform, with a culture of people who are kind to each other and support each other.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Many GravityView customers began using the plugin to enable COVID-19 responses, such as sites like <a href="https://supportredditch.net/">Support Redditch</a>, which coordinates relief efforts. &ldquo;I sensed a movement of coming together to help each other, and I wanted to get the word out: if you need help, ask the community,&rdquo; said Katz. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re here for you. We&rsquo;ll get through this together.&rdquo;</p>



<p>A total of 19 volunteers contributed to the music video, including WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg. However, the true star of the group was Tracy Apps, the owner of <a href="http://tracyappsdesign.com/">tracy apps design</a>, who laid down the beat on the drums.</p>



<p>&ldquo;It involved asking a lot of people!&rdquo; said Katz of finding willing subjects. &ldquo;I get why people are reluctant. I even waited until the last minute to record my video! Something special happens when people are invited to go beyond their comfort zone, especially when it comes to creative endeavors. It was moving to have the emails come in with their videos. People were willing to share a different part of themselves.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPressStrong">#WordPressStrong</a> hashtag is open for anyone to contribute to on Twitter. The project is calling for volunteers to join in on the fun. If you can sing, play an instrument, or dance &mdash; or if you can&rsquo;t &mdash; you can be a part of this movement for our community to become stronger. If nothing else, it will give you something to do to pass the time. Tag yourself doing something and share it. I am certain it will brighten at least one person&rsquo;s day.</p>



<h2>The WordPress Strong Project</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Katz began the project in March. He shared some initial lyric ideas with <a href="https://www.jonathanmann.net/">Jonathan Mann</a> who then wrote and recorded WordPress Strong. The GravityView team reached out to members of the WordPress community and asked them to lend their voices.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I deeply respect [Mann] as a musician and how he exposes himself through his music,&rdquo; said Katz. &ldquo;His album <em>I Used to Love My Body</em> was my soundtrack for last year.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Mann is the voice of the GravityView brand and has previously created a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmUWfA56TqA">song for the product</a>. Katz and Mann also worked on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqdDo_W8CVE">WordPress Wiggle</a> song in 2017.</p>



<p>&ldquo;When creating WordPress Strong, I shared a poem with [Mann] and expressed the tone that I wanted to convey,&rdquo; said Katz. &ldquo;The email had the subject line &lsquo;WordPress Hope Song.&rsquo; He wrote and recorded WordPress Strong, and I think you agree, it&rsquo;s a great WordPress Hope Song.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The plan for the WordPress Strong website goes beyond releasing a song. Katz wants to expand the site to be a place where people from the community can ask and receive help during the pandemic. The team is currently working on a part of the site where community members can request assistance or offer help anonymously.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I was hoping artists of all stripes would be interested in sharing their work on the WordPress Strong website,&rdquo; said Katz. &ldquo;Sharing creativity together empowers us to be vulnerable in our despair as well as our hope. I would like to help foster that.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 May 2020 20:36:58 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:56:"Mark Jaquith: WordPress/Jetpack Driver for Laravel Valet";s:7:"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:40:"http://markjaquith.wordpress.com/?p=7213";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:88:"https://markjaquith.wordpress.com/2020/05/05/wordpress-jetpack-driver-for-laravel-valet/";s: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:1082:"<p>Recently I&#8217;ve found myself using <a href="https://laravel.com/docs/valet">Laravel Valet</a> for local PHP development on my Mac. I love how fast and low-maintenance it is.</p>



<p>One thing that is a little tricky about Valet is that you can&#8217;t really write custom Nginx configs. That means that I couldn&#8217;t use my favorite technique of routing missing images to the production site, via Jetpack&#8217;s Site Accelerator (formerly &#8220;Photon&#8221;) CDN.</p>



<p>Normally, when doing local development on a WordPress site, you need three things: the codebase, a copy of the database, and the <code>wp-content/uploads</code> directory. But if you just redirect missing image files to your production site, you don&#8217;t need to laboriously copy all those files and clutter up your local machine.</p>



<p>I found myself really missing that technique today, so I wrote a driver for Laravel Valet that handles it!</p>



<p>You can get it here: <a href="https://github.com/markjaquith/WordPress-Jetpack-Valet-Driver">WordPress Jetpack Valet Driver</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 May 2020 19:11:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mark Jaquith";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:75:"WPTavern: Find My Blocks Plugin Shows All Blocks in Use on a WordPress Site";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98953";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"https://wptavern.com/find-my-blocks-plugin-shows-all-blocks-in-use-on-a-wordpress-site?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=find-my-blocks-plugin-shows-all-blocks-in-use-on-a-wordpress-site";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3144:"<p>How do you know what blocks are in use on a WordPress site?  I recently saw a tweet asking this question in regards to knowing whether it is safe to turn off a plugin. This seems like it could become a common question, especially for those who have hundreds or thousands of blog posts as well as those using WordPress as a CMS.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How hard would it be to create a plugin that let's me know how many and which blocks I'm using site wide? Sometimes I wonder if I can deactivate a block plugin but I don't know if I'm using a block it provides.</p>&mdash; Nick Hamze (@NickHamze) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickHamze/status/1253343502316064771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>When looking at content in the editor, it isn&rsquo;t immediately evident which blocks are in use. You can click on the block navigation at the top of the editor, but that will only show you the blocks in use on that particular page. If you have a lot of plugins installed and many pages of content to wade through, figuring out if it&rsquo;s safe to remove a plugin can be a time-consuming process.</p>



<p>Fortunately, there is already a plugin that will give you a quick overview of where blocks are being used on your site. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/find-my-blocks/">Find My Blocks</a> is the one that was suggested to Nick Hamze in response to the question in his tweet. I had not heard of it before, so I took it for a test drive today. </p>



<p>Find My Blocks is basically a utility plugin that lists the blocks being used on your WordPress site, along with the posts/pages where they are in use. It includes core blocks and blocks from third-party plugins. The plugin&rsquo;s settings also give the option to sort the block menu display alphabetically or by most/least popular.</p>



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



<p>Frontend developer <a href="https://eddysims.com/">Eddy Sims</a> created Find My Blocks to solve one of his own problems and released it on WordPress.org in January. </p>



<p>&ldquo;I was working on a site that required a few custom Gutenberg blocks,&rdquo; Sims said. &ldquo;After a week, updating became a hassle. I didn&rsquo;t know where the blocks were used. Find My Blocks is a plugin I created to hopefully help someone else with this issue.&rdquo; So far it has received several five-star reviews in the plugin directory. </p>



<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been using this plugin to help us figure out where we&rsquo;ve used blocks on pages so we can deprecate them and replace them with shiny new blocks!&rdquo; WordPress developer Tammy Lee said. &ldquo;This plugin makes tracking down blocks really easy! I don&rsquo;t want to think about how much time it would have taken us, otherwise.&rdquo;</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/find-my-blocks/">Find My Blocks</a> is a plugin you may want to add to your favorites on WordPress.org for the next time you inherit a site that you didn&rsquo;t build, or for cleaning out your own installed plugins.   </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 04 May 2020 22:54:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:67:"WPTavern: The Future of WordPress: The Block Editor Is Here to Stay";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99271";s:7:"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:177:"https://wptavern.com/the-future-of-wordpress-the-block-editor-is-here-to-stay?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-future-of-wordpress-the-block-editor-is-here-to-stay";s: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:6577:"<p class="has-drop-cap">It is inevitable that when we publish a story on the Tavern that is remotely related to the block editor or the Gutenberg project, we receive negative comments. Despite sprinting along in its second year as part of core WordPress, there are still those who liken posts on the editor to <em>Soviet-style mind manipulation</em> and <em>propaganda</em> for certain unnamed companies.</p>



<p>It is not all negative. Far more comments are from people who are ecstatic about the current editor and the upcoming features that will expand the block system to other areas of WordPress.</p>



<p>However, I felt the need to address a recent request that we stop covering the block editor. While I cannot speak for our entire staff, there are two simple truths about why I write about blocks.</p>



<h2>Truth #1: Blocks are Here to Stay</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The block system is not going anywhere. WordPress has moved beyond the point where we should consider the block editor as a separate entity. It is an integral part of WordPress and will eventually touch more and more areas outside of the editing screen.</p>



<p>Frankly, it would be poor journalism to <em>not</em> cover stories related to blocks.</p>



<p>Some of the most exciting things happening in the WordPress ecosystem is around what developers are doing with blocks. Whether it is a <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-a-saurus-embeds-a-side-scrolling-t-rex-game-via-the-block-editor">fun T-rex game</a>, a <a href="https://wptavern.com/godaddys-go-wordpress-theme-offers-a-page-building-experience-via-the-block-editor">block-ready theme</a>, or a team of block developers being <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-lab-team-joins-wp-engine-looks-to-the-future-of-block-building">hired by a major company</a>, there is always something interesting happening in the world of blocks.</p>



<p>Every day, more users are embracing the block editor. Even the percentage of holdouts still running WordPress 4.9, which was the last version without the block editor, is decreasing. Currently, only 12.8% of <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/stats/">WordPress installs</a> are on 4.9.  Nearly 73% are running WordPress 5.0 or newer.  Some of those users are running plugins like Classic Editor, which has maintained a steady growth rate in the neighborhood of 0.5% &ndash; 1.0% in recent months.  Currently, the plugin has over 5 millions installs, which is a drop in the ocean in comparison to total WordPress sites.</p>



<p>At the moment, WordPress.com and self-hosted Jetpack users are creating content via blocks on 44.5 million WordPress sites. Yesterday, those users <a href="https://gutenstats.blog/">wrote 302,000 posts</a> in the block editor.</p>



<p>Blocks are the future of the platform. What we need to do as a community is avoid putting our heads in the sand or railing against the powers-that-be. Instead, we should ask ourselves what we could do to continue improving the system. <em>How can we move forward? How can we present our ideas, even dislikes, in a constructive manner? How can we create better software?</em></p>



<p>Criticism of the editor is fair. Make it constructive so we can dissect and address that criticism. That is an essential part of building great software.</p>



<h2>Truth #2: Love of Blocks</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Believe it or not, I actually love blocks. While I may criticize some decisions about the editor, summoning an internal facepalm emoji at times, this is the most excited I have been about WordPress in years. But, it is not about me. I have enough familiarity with dozens of editors that I can live with even the most mediocre of experiences. And, if I am not satisfied, I can build my own.</p>



<p>What it is about is seeing the face of an inexperienced WordPress user light up for the first time because they <em>get it</em>.</p>



<p>For years, I helped an older family member run an outdoors site. I had no interest in hunting, fishing, or most other topics covered on the blog. However, he was passionate about what he was doing. I wanted to help fuel that passion in any way I could. <em>The problem?</em> He simply never learned how WordPress worked. He never had that lightbulb moment. His face never glowed when he finally figured out how to lay out his content in the editor.</p>



<p>He had big ideas and no way to accomplish them.</p>



<p>At the time, most page builders were little more than shortcode soup, which I knew would eventually mean I would be the one to clean up the mess. There were few options other than the classic editor. My older cousin stuck it out for longer than most. After a few years, he finally let the site go.</p>



<p>Even some of what I would consider the most basic of things were too frustrating for him. It was also frustrating for me because I could not understand why he could never learn what I was teaching.</p>



<p>However, the block editor changed things. He was thinking of starting a new site but was asking about non-WordPress platforms. I spun up a demo install and a basic block-ready theme for him not long ago. Suddenly, this guy who routinely broke links and accidentally made all of his blog post content bold &mdash; twice &mdash; was piecing together media-filled content with few issues. That initial passion that he had all those years ago seemed to come back. Maybe, just maybe, WordPress might now be the CMS for him.</p>



<p>I am fully aware that this is not everyone&rsquo;s experience. However, what I have found working with new and less-than-tech-savvy users is that the block editor is a stepping stone toward them being able to create the sites they want more easily. Right now, those users have far more control over their content than ever before. In the future, they will have that control over their entire site.</p>



<p>When I share a story about blocks, it is because I am excited about them. More so, I want to share that excitement with others who are on this journey. Whether they want something on the <a href="https://wptavern.com/the-wacky-world-of-sorta-brilliants-sorta-fun-block-plugins">wacky and weird</a> side of things or want to <a href="https://wptavern.com/create-custom-patterns-with-the-block-pattern-builder-plugin">build custom patterns</a> for reuse in their posts, I want them to find those tools.</p>



<p>If I am a bit optimistic about the future at times, I will not apologize for that. I look forward to the next block-related story that we have the opportunity to cover here at the Tavern.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 04 May 2020 20:52:38 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:22;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:54:"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress: April 2020";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8571";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/05/the-month-in-wordpress-april-2020/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8157:"<p>April continued to be a challenging time for the WordPress community, with many under stay-at-home recommendations. However, it was also an exciting month in which we created new ways to connect with and inspire each other! This month, amazing contributors moved more WordCamps online and shipped new releases for WordPress and Gutenberg. For the latest, read on. </p>



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



<h2>WordPress 5.4.1 released</h2>



<p>On April 24th,&nbsp; <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/24/wordpress-5-4-1-rc1/">WordPress 5.4.1 Release Candidate 1</a> (RC1) was released for testing, quickly followed by the official <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/04/wordpress-5-4-1/">release of WordPress 5.4.1</a> on April 29th. This security release features 17 bug fixes and seven security fixes, so we recommend updating your sites immediately. To download WordPress 5.4.1, visit your Dashboard, click on Updates, then Update Now, or download the latest version directly from WordPress.org. For more information, visit <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/04/wordpress-5-4-1/">this post</a>, review the <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?milestone=5.4.1&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=status&col=priority&order=priority">full list of changes on Trac</a>, or check out the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-5-4-1/">version 5.4.1 HelpHub documentation page</a>.</p>



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



<h2>Gutenberg 7.9 and 8.0 released</h2>



<p>It was another exciting month for Gutenberg, with the release of <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/15/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-april/">7.9</a> and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/29/whats-new-in-gutenberg-29-april/">8.0</a>! Version 7.9 brought new block design tools, three new patterns, and improved block markup. Gutenberg 8.0 continued to refine the new block patterns feature, with additional options for inline formatting, and extending the functionality of the Code Editor. In addition to these new features, both releases included new enhancements and APIs, along with a number of bug fixes, performance improvements, some experiments, and more! You can read all the details about the latest Gutenberg releases in the announcement posts for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/15/whats-new-in-gutenberg-15-april/">7.9</a> and <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/29/whats-new-in-gutenberg-29-april/">8.0</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to get involved in building Gutenberg? Follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">the Core team blog</a>, contribute to <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/">Gutenberg on GitHub</a>, and join the #core-editor channel in <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>



<h2>BuddyPress 6.0.0</h2>



<p><a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-6-0-0-beta2/">BuddyPress 6.0.0-beta2</a> was released for testing in mid-April, leading to the <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate/">BuddyPress 6.0.0 Release Candidate</a>, announced on April 29. This is an important step before&nbsp; the final release of BuddyPress 6.0.0, which is slated for Thursday, May 14. Changes and new features in this release include moving the profile photo and user cover image under the BP Members component, and a new BP Rest API. Additionally, this release will introduce the first round of BuddyPress Blocks! Last, but not least, BuddyPress 6.0.0 will require at least PHP 5.6 and WordPress 4.8.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to get involved? <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate/">Test the 6.0.0-RC here</a>! You can also help by <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/buddypress/dev/">translating BuddyPress into another language</a>, or let the team know of any issues you find, either in <a href="https://buddypress.org/support">the support forums</a> and/or in their <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/">development tracker</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>WordCamp US goes online, apply to speak!</h2>



<p>WordCamp US will <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/2020/04/30/wordcamp-us-will-be-virtually-awesome/">take place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic</a>. The event still runs from October 27-29, 2020, and will be free to anyone who wishes to attend. The team plans to offer&nbsp; what WCUS has historically brought to the community in person: sessions and workshops, Contributor Day, a hallway track, and of course, State of the Word.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Interested in speaking at WCUS? The <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/2020/03/16/call-for-speakers-is-now-open/">Call for Speakers</a> is still open! You can apply to speak on the <a href="https://2020.wcus-speakers.org/">speaker application site</a> until May 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm CDT (UTC-5).&nbsp;</p>



<p>Additionally, the <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/2020/03/23/call-for-cities-for-wcus-2021-2022/">Call for Cities is also open</a>. If your community is interested in hosting WordCamp US in 2021 &amp; 2022, please <a href="https://wordcampcentral.survey.fm/wcus-2021-2022">fill out this application</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For the latest information about WordCamp US, sign up for updates on the <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/">website</a>, or follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WordCampUSA/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/WordCampUS">Twitter</a>, or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wordcampus/?hl=en">Instagram</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>WordCamp Europe 2020 goes virtual&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Last month, WordCamp Europe decided to postpone its Porto event to 2021. This April, the WCEU organizing team announced that the <a href="https://2020.europe.wordcamp.org/2020/04/06/wordcamp-europe-2020-is-moving-online/">2020 WordCamp will be online</a>! WordCamp Europe 2020 Online will take place from June 4-6, 2020, and tickets will be free. There will be a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2020/04/15/wordcamp-europe-2020-contributor-day-update/">virtual Contributor Day</a> on June 4, and then two half days of live-streamed talks and workshops. To participate, get your free ticket <a href="https://2020.europe.wordcamp.org/tickets/">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To get the latest news for WordCamp Europe 2020 Online, follow on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WCEurope/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/wceurope?lang=en">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/wordcampeurope/">LinkedIn</a>, or on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wceurope/?hl=en">Instagram</a>.&nbsp;</p>



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



<h2>Further Reading</h2>



<ul><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/08/wordpress-5-5-call-for-tickets/">The WordPress 5.5 release cycle has officially been kicked off with a Call for Tickets</a>.</li><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2020/04/03/proposal-github-theme-review/">Read the proposal for a new GitHub Theme review process.</a>.</li><li><a href="https://wordpress.tv/event/wpblocktalk-april-2020/">Did you miss WPBlockTalk, or want to watch that really interesting session again? All talks are available on WordPress.tv!</a></li><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/01/feature-plugin-proposal-wp-consent-api/">The Core team has introduced a proposal for a new Consent API as a feature plugin</a>.</li><li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2020/04/30/quarterly-updates-q1-2020/">All WordPress contribution teams have reported on their recent work in the first quarterly update of 2020</a>.</li></ul>



<p><em>Have a story that we should include in the next “Month in WordPress” post? Please </em><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/month-in-wordpress-submissions/"><em>submit it here</em></a><em>.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 04 May 2020 09:31:22 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Angela Jin";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:48:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 6.0.0 Release Candidate 2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=311439";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"https://buddypress.org/2020/05/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate-2/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2943:"<p>Hello,</p>



<p>The second <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC2.zip">release candidate for BuddyPress 6.0.0</a> is now available for an ultimate round of testing!</p>



<p>Since the <a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate/">first release candidate</a> and thanks to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/">WordPress Polyglots Team</a> (Many thanks to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/tobifjellner/">@tobifjellner</a> &amp; <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ocean90/">@ocean90</a>), we&#8217;ve found an issue involving the translation of our new BuddyPress Blocks. The BP Blocks are using <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/11/09/new-javascript-i18n-support-in-wordpress/">JavaScript i18n</a> functions and a specific task of our build process was preventing <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/tools/glotpress-translate-wordpress-org/">GlotPress</a> from identifying the strings needing to be translated.</p>



<p>We believe <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/8290">we&#8217;ve fixed this issue</a> and this new release candidate will help us confirm it.</p>



<p>BuddPress 6.0.0 is&nbsp;still slated for release&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>Thursday, May 14</strong>, and if you haven’t tried 6.0.0 yet,&nbsp;<strong>it&#8217;s probably your last chance to do so!</strong></p>



<p>You can test the <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC2.zip">6.0.0-RC2</a> pre-release in 4 ways :</p>



<ul><li>Try the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/">BP Beta Tester</a> plugin.</li><li><a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC2.zip">Download the release candidate here (zip file)</a>.</li><li>Check out our SVN repository: <code>svn co https://buddypress.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/</code></li><li>Clone our read-only Git repository: <code>git clone git://buddypress.git.wordpress.org/</code></li></ul>



<p>A detailed changelog will be part of our official release note, but&nbsp;you can get a quick overview by reading the post about the&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/03/buddypress-6-0-0-beta1/">6.0.0 Beta1</a>&nbsp;release.</p>



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



<h2>Polyglots contributors, there&#8217;s some extra work.</h2>



<p>This release candidate should introduce around 50 new strings to translate (the ones that were not included previously due to the issue), so thanks in advance for your comprehension and for your help <span class="dashicons dashicons-heart"></span>.</p>



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



<p>As usual, <strong>if you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, please let us know reporting it on&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.org/support">the support forums</a>&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/">our development tracker</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:"Sun, 03 May 2020 04:45:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"WPTavern: FOSS Responders Group Brings Financial Help to Open Source Ecosystem Affected by COVID-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99213";s:7:"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:243:"https://wptavern.com/foss-responders-group-brings-financial-help-to-open-source-ecosystem-affected-by-covid-19?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=foss-responders-group-brings-financial-help-to-open-source-ecosystem-affected-by-covid-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2003:"<p>The pandemic has caused economic hardships and upheaval in nearly every industry. Open source communities and contributors have been affected in a myriad of ways &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s a loss of donations, the burden of nonrefundable travel expenses for canceled conferences, or severely diminished business and fundraising opportunities. </p>



<p><a href="https://fossresponders.com/">FOSS Responders</a> is a working group of volunteers that aims to future-proof the open source infrastructure we rely on by helping sustain those who maintain the software. The group&rsquo;s website allows those in need to apply for emergency funds. FOSS Responders is <a href="https://opencollective.com/foss-responders">raising money on Open Collective</a> and 100% of donations go to open source technologists in need. So far the group has an estimated annual budget of $8,145.05. Open Collective is also waiving its platform fees on COVID-19 solidarity collectives until the end of June.</p>



<p>On May 22, FOSS Responders plans to host a <a href="https://opencollective.com/foss-responders/events/virtual-funding-event-q2-2020-4edd1e3a">virtual funding event</a> to provide financial support for organizations affected by the profound economic disruptions caused by the pandemic. Organizers have a $5,000 goal for ticket revenue from general event ticket sales.</p>



<p>In addition to providing emergency funds, the FOSS Responders group is aiming to address non-financial needs. Open source projects that relied heavily on events for fundraising need help amplifying their projects and recruiting volunteers. FOSS Responders is also creating a Resource Center for projects to find tips and tricks on how to manage fully virtual community interactions and events. Anyone with a skill or service to volunteer can get in touch on the <a href="https://fossresponders.com/">FOSS Responders website</a> and the team will work as matchmakers to connect experts with projects that need help.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 01 May 2020 23:04:29 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:79:"WPTavern: Block Lab Team Joins WP Engine, Looks to the Future of Block Building";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98935";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:201:"https://wptavern.com/block-lab-team-joins-wp-engine-looks-to-the-future-of-block-building?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=block-lab-team-joins-wp-engine-looks-to-the-future-of-block-building";s: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:5636:"<p class="has-drop-cap is-style-default">The three-person Block Lab team of Luke Carbis, Ryan Kienstra, and Rob Stinson is <a href="https://getblocklab.com/the-block-lab-team-are-joining-wp-engine/">joining WP Engine</a> to work on the company&rsquo;s block editor projects. WP Engine approached the team members after seeing how successful the <a href="https://getblocklab.com/">Block Lab project</a> had grown and made them an offer.  The team will be able to continue building projects with solid financial backing.</p>



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/block-lab/">Block Lab</a> is a plugin that was created to allow other developers to build blocks without needing to wade through the depths of complex JavaScript programming. It is a way to get your feet wet in the block development pool without diving in head first. The plugin has built a solid reputation based on user reviews. Out of 39 submissions, it has received 38 five-star ratings.</p>



<p>&ldquo;From the start, Block Lab has been our answer to the question of &lsquo;how can I lower the barrier to entry for creating custom blocks,'&rdquo; said Stinson. He said the plugin has done two important things for developers. It has given them an easy-to-use admin interface to work from and a simplified templating experience that is aligned with traditional workflows. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s helped folk who haven&rsquo;t had the time to summit the JS-all-the-things mountain or simply provide those that are looking for a standardized system that does a lot of the heavy lifting for them.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The Block Lab plugin is being phased out, but the team assures that the plugin&rsquo;s current users will not be left in the dust. The plan is to continue supporting the plugin through bug and compatibility fixes for the next year. Pro users will also receive the same support until their license expires. In the long term outlook, the team plans to build a migration path to the new tools they will be building under the WP Engine banner.</p>



<p>Stinson said that the plugin should work well for a long time to come because it was built by Carbis and Kienstra, two of the best engineers he has worked with. However, he stresses that the work they will be doing with WP Engine will exceed anything they have done with Block Lab.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be working on technology there that is focused on the Block Editor though, and a part of that will be taking what we&rsquo;ve done with Block Lab and introducing the feature set to the WP Engine suite of products,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The alignment will be close and will offer existing Block Lab users an easy migration experience.&rdquo;</p>



<p>While the Block Lab plugin will see an end, the features the team has worked on will live on in some form.</p>



<h2>A New Beginning</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Before taking on roles with WP Engine, each member of the Block Lab team was paying the bills through agency and freelance work. Block Lab was merely a side project they were handling in their free time, but it was slowly growing both in scale and financially.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Getting to a place where we could give it full-time focus was easily two to three years away though,&rdquo; said Stinson, &ldquo;and we have always been incredibly conscious of the things we wanted to be doing with it and how much the time factor was a limitation. With WP Engine, we&rsquo;re equipped to take the product vision we had for Block Lab and basically strap a rocket to it. Not only are we able to devote our full attention, but we also have the incredible support and resources of WP Engine behind us.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Stinson is looking forward to the transition within the state of the current WordPress ecosystem. The team can walk into a fresh beginning with the full weight of a major company behind them. &ldquo;Between the classic way of building with WordPress and this new block-first frontier, being set up right now to build and contribute is incredible!&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>The team had an existing roadmap and backlog of features they wanted to develop. However, with Block Lab being only a side project, it meant those features would have taken much longer to build. They can now pursue them full time.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We saw what Block Lab has currently as a necessary baseline for a plugin that equipped folks to create custom blocks, but what we have planned and are dreaming about goes so much further,&rdquo; said Stinson. &ldquo;Joining WP Engine unleashes us to chase down that work faster and with more focus. Another really exciting piece of this is that with our focus we are better positioned to offer insights and contribution to the larger block editor project through core and community contributions.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The team now has the opportunity to be a pioneer in the years to come. They have proved they can build a useful tool on top of the block editor. The next step is seeing where they take it and whether they can get more developers to join them into a world of building blocks.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The shift in thinking around how a website is structured towards one that is powered by &lsquo;blocks&rsquo; is a journey that the majority of the WP community is still on,&rdquo; said Stinson. &ldquo;A big part of my vision is having a larger portion of the community up to speed and onboard with this. With more people operating within that zone, more great work and tooling will be produced. By lowering the barrier to entry through Block Lab and what we have planned at WP Engine, it will help to get more people in that zone.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 01 May 2020 17:16:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:63:"WPTavern: WordCamp US 2020 Goes Online, Cancels In-Person Event";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99149";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:169:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-us-2020-goes-online-cancels-in-person-event?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordcamp-us-2020-goes-online-cancels-in-person-event";s: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:3758:"<p>WordCamp US 2020 organizers have <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/2020/04/30/wordcamp-us-will-be-virtually-awesome/">cancelled the in-person event</a> in favor of hosting it as an online-only conference. With more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. today, 63,000+ deaths, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/30/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html">31 states set to partially reopen</a> this weekend, the pandemic&rsquo;s trajectory throughout the country has become increasingly uncertain. </p>



<p>Many statewide stay-at-home orders are expiring tomorrow, despite <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/guidelines-call-14-day-drop-cases-reopen-no-state-has-n1194191">no state having met the federal guidelines for reopening</a>. Some businesses are opting to reopen in a limited capacity, but the general populace is still wary of returning to their previous way of life. In the state of Missouri, where WordCamp US was to be hosted in 2020, there will be no limitations on social gatherings as of May 4, as long as individuals maintain social distancing. It&rsquo;s not yet possible to predict what will be happening in the area in October or how it might impact an event with international attendees. </p>



<p>After organizers extended the WCUS speaker application deadline for another 1.5 months on April 17,  it seemed the general disinclination towards traveling and gathering in large groups had already taken hold. Booking hotels and travel arrangements five months in advance is still too much of a gamble for speakers and attendees. </p>



<p>The WCUS organizing team emphasized the longterm health and safety of the WordPress community as their primary concern in today&rsquo;s <a href="https://2020.us.wordcamp.org/2020/04/30/wordcamp-us-will-be-virtually-awesome/">announcement</a> about moving to an online-only event:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>The WCUS organizing team has been working with WordCamp Central and local health authorities to try to make sense of the current COVID-19 pandemic and what it means for our event in St. Louis this October. Throughout this, we have held the longterm health and safety of the WordPress community as the highest priority of our event. To move forward in a way that honors what is best for our community &ndash; both locally and globally &ndash; we have made the hard choice to convert WordCamp US 2020 to an online only event.&nbsp;</p></blockquote>



<p>WCUS will still happen on the originally scheduled dates, October 27th &ndash; 29th. Organizers plan to run sessions, workshops, and a virtual Contributor Day, along with the annual State of the Word address from Matt Mullenweg. They are also putting together a hallway track, some form of swag, and creative ways for attendees to connect, which will be announced at a later date. </p>



<p>WCUS is now free for anyone who wants to attend. Without the necessity to rent a venue, provide lunches, and other physical aspects of the event, sponsorships are easily able to cover the cost of streaming to an unlimited number of attendees. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://2020.wcus-speakers.org/">call for speakers</a> is open until May 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm CDT. WCUS is still accepting sponsorships and will be publishing a set of unique sponsorship packages for the virtual event. Organizers plan to put out a call for volunteers in the near future.  </p>



<p>WordCamp US follows other major regional WordCamps in Asia and Europe that have canceled in-person events due to the pandemic. Several other upcoming WordCamps, including events in Spain, Kent, Denver, and Minneapolis / Saint Paul,&nbsp;have also announced that they are transitioning to online-only events.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 30 Apr 2020 22:49:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:103:"WPTavern: Gutenberg 8.0 Merges Block and Pattern Inserter, Adds Inline Formats, and Updates Code Editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99130";s:7:"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:247:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-8-0-merges-block-and-pattern-inserter-adds-inline-formats-and-updates-code-editor?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gutenberg-8-0-merges-block-and-pattern-inserter-adds-inline-formats-and-updates-code-editor";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5033:"<p class="has-drop-cap">The team behind the Gutenberg plugin <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/04/29/whats-new-in-gutenberg-29-april/">shipped version 8.0 yesterday</a>. The update adds some nice user-facing changes, including a merged block and pattern inserter, new inline formatting options, and visual changes to the code editor. Over two dozen bug fixes were included in the release, along with several enhancements.</p>



<p>Designers on the project <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21515">updated the welcome box illustrations</a> to match the current UI. Because the welcome modal should already be dismissed for current users, only new users should see these changes.</p>



<p>For theme authors, the post title and placeholder paragraph text for the block appender will <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21749">inherit body font styles</a>. Previously, they had specific styles attached to them in the editor. The current downside is that the post title is not an <code>&lt;h1&gt;</code> element so it cannot automatically inherit styles for that element. However, that will change once the post title becomes a true block in the editor.</p>



<p>The editor also now <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21608">clears centered blocks</a> following a floated block. This is an opinionated design change, but it should not negatively affect most themes. However, theme authors should double-check their theme styles to be sure.</p>



<h2>Updated Block and Pattern Inserter</h2>



<img />Patterns available in the inserter.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The development team <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/20951">added patterns to the existing inserter</a>. Now, both blocks and patterns have an individual tab within a unified interface. This is yet another step in the evolution of the pattern system that should land in core WordPress this year.</p>



<p>Right now, the experience is a two-steps-forward-one-step-back deal. The inserter&rsquo;s behavior has improved and it is great to see patterns merged into it. However, all blocks and patterns are within long lists that require scrolling to dig through. Block categories are no longer tabbed in version 8.0, which is a regression from previous versions. I am certain this will be resolved soon enough, but it is a little frustrating locating a block in the list at the moment.</p>



<p>Merging patterns into the inserter is an ongoing process. There is still a lot of work to do before the final product is polished and included in core WordPress.</p>



<p>The following are some key items that need to be addressed in upcoming versions of Gutenberg:</p>



<ul><li>Patterns should be categorized the same as blocks.</li><li>The block search box should switch to a pattern search box when viewing patterns.</li><li>Pattern titles should be reintroduced in the interface (removed in 8.0).</li></ul>



<p>Of course, there is a host of other minor and major issues the team will need to cover to nail down the user experience. For now, the interface for patterns continues to improve.</p>



<h2>Subscript and Superscript Formats</h2>



<img />Adding superscript text to the editor.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Gutenberg developers added <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21819">two new inline formatting options</a> to the editor toolbar: subscript and superscript. These options allow users to add text such as X<sub>2</sub> and X<sup>2</sup>.  They work the same as bold, italic, inline code, and other options.</p>



<p>The two formatting options represent their respective inline HTML tags, <code>&lt;sub&gt;</code> for subscript and <code>&lt;sup&gt;</code> for superscript. With the addition of the elements, the toolbar now covers most of the widely-used inline HTML tags. The only other tags that are low on my wish list are <code>&lt;abbr&gt;</code>, <code>&lt;del&gt;</code>, and <code>&lt;ins&gt;</code>, but I could live with those remaining firmly in plugin territory.</p>



<h2>Improved Code Editor</h2>



<img />Updated code-editing view.



<p class="has-drop-cap">The code editor <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/21643">received a much-needed overhaul</a> in the 8.0 update. Everything from the post title to the content is set in a monospace font, and the width of the code editing box spans the editing area. It should be a welcome change for those who need to switch to code view once in a while.</p>



<p>The next step to polishing the code editor (and the HTML block) would be to add syntax highlighting. In the current version, the HTML output is plain text. Given the extra markup that the block editor produces, it can be a bit of a jumbled mess to wade through. Basic syntax highlighting would improve the experience several times over. There is a <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/10423">GitHub ticket</a> for adding the feature, but it has not seen any movement in several months.</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, 30 Apr 2020 19:48:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:46:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 6.0.0 Release Candidate";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=311340";s:7:"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://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3360:"<p>Hello BuddyPress community members!</p>



<p>The first <a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC1.zip">release candidate for BuddyPress 6.0.0</a> is now available for a last round of testing!</p>



<p>This is an important milestone as we progress toward the BuddyPress 6.0.0 final release date. “Release Candidate” means that we think the new version is ready for release, but with more than 200,000 active installs, hundreds of BuddyPress plugins and Thousands of WordPress themes, it’s possible something was missed.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2020/04/bp-6-0-0-slated-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-311341" /></div>



<p>BuddPress 6.0.0 is&nbsp;slated for release&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>Thursday, May 14</strong>, but we need&nbsp;<em>your</em>&nbsp;help to get there—if you haven’t tried 6.0.0 yet,&nbsp;<strong>now is the time!</strong></p>



<p>You can test the&nbsp;<a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC1.zip">6.0.0-RC</a>&nbsp;pre-release in 4 ways :</p>



<ul><li>Try the&nbsp;<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/">BP Beta Tester</a>&nbsp;plugin.</li><li><a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.6.0.0-RC1.zip">Download the release candidate here (zip file)</a>.</li><li>Check out our SVN repository:&nbsp;<code>svn co https://buddypress.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/</code></li><li>Clone our read-only Git repository:&nbsp;<code>git clone git://buddypress.git.wordpress.org/</code></li></ul>



<p>A detailed changelog will be part of our official release note, but&nbsp;you can get a quick overview by reading the post about the&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.org/2020/03/buddypress-6-0-0-beta1/">6.0.0 Beta1</a>&nbsp;release.</p>



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



<h2>Plugin and Theme Developers</h2>



<p>Please test your plugins and themes against BuddyPress 6.0.0. If you find compatibility problems, please be sure to post to this specific&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.org/support/topic/buddypress-6-0-0-release-candidate/">support topic</a>&nbsp;so we can figure those out before the final release. We strongly advise you to have a look at the <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/category/development-notes/6-0/">6.0.0 development notes</a> to figure out what to focus on during your testing.</p>



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



<h2>Polyglots, we need you!</h2>



<p>Do you speak a language other than English? <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/buddypress/">Help us translate BuddyPress into many languages!</a> This release also marks the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/glossary/#string-freeze">string freeze</a> point of the 6.0.0 release schedule. For your information, we are now using WP CLI to generate the buddypress.pot file and you&#8217;ll see we&#8217;ve paid attention to add translators comments to all the strings needing some.</p>



<p><strong>If you think you’ve found a bug</strong>, please let us know reporting it on&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.org/support">the support forums</a>&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/">our development tracker</a>.</p>



<p>Thanks in advance for giving the release candidate a test drive!</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, 30 Apr 2020 00:45:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Mathieu Viet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i: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:76:"WPTavern: WordPress 5.4.1 Addresses 7 Security Issues and Fixes Several Bugs";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99123";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:197:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-4-1-addresses-7-security-issues-and-fixes-several-bugs?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-5-4-1-addresses-7-security-issues-and-fixes-several-bugs";s: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:5888:"<p class="has-drop-cap">WordPress 5.4.1, <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2020/04/wordpress-5-4-1/">a security and maintenance release</a>, dropped today. The release addresses seven security issues, which were all responsibly disclosed to the WordPress security team. Core developers also included several fixes for code regressions in the previous version 5.4 release and ported bug fixes to the block editor from the Gutenberg plugin.</p>



<p>End-users with automatic updates enabled should begin seeing their sites updated shortly. Other users should update as soon as possible to make sure they are running a version of WordPress with the latest security fixes.</p>



<p>The WordPress support team has published the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-5-4-1/">full release documentation</a> for those who wish to view it.</p>



<p>Security fixes were added to every major version of WordPress from 5.4 back to 3.7.  The following vulnerabilities were addressed:</p>



<ul><li>Password reset tokens were not correctly invalidated.</li><li>Some private posts could be viewed without authentication.</li><li>Two cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the customizer.</li><li>XSS issue in the search block.</li><li>XSS issue in the WordPress object cache.</li><li>XSS issue with file uploads.</li><li>XSS issue in the block editor for WordPress 5.4 Release Candidates 1 and 2 (fixed in 5.4 RC5).</li></ul>



<h2>Block Editor Updates</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Several fixes were high priority enough from the Gutenberg plugin to port to the WordPress 5.4.1 release. The biggest user-facing issues were a broken block duplication keyboard shortcut, misaligned buttons blocks, and odd scrolling behavior when attempting to edit text in a long block.</p>



<p>The following is a full list of the issues the development team addressed:</p>



<ul><li>Fixed the <code>Ctrl</code> + <code>Shift</code> + <code>D</code> keyboard shortcut for duplicating a block, which no longer throws an error.</li><li>Adds correct margins when aligning the buttons block left or right.</li><li>Prevents the editor from scrolling to the top when clicking to edit a large block, such as a long list.</li><li>No longer hides the toolbar for plugins that have text inputs in the toolbar.</li><li>Stops a JavaScript crash with the latest posts block when an image has missing dimensions.</li><li>Escapes the HTML class for the RSS and search blocks to prevent malformed markup.</li></ul>



<p>To review the code changes to the block editor in-depth, see the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+label%3A%22Backport+to+WP+Core%22+is%3Aclosed">full ticket list</a>.</p>



<h2>Other Core WordPress Changes</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Users who run their browsers in dark mode can rejoice if they also use the core WordPress favicon. The team <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49798">introduced an updated favicon</a> with a light background so that it no longer washes out. It is a minor fix but makes the famed WordPress logo look more professional.</p>



<p>The heading level, which was previously set to <code>&lt;h3&gt;</code>, has been <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49838">bumped up one level</a> on the WordPress admin freedoms screen (<code>wp-admin/freedoms.php</code>). This change provides the proper heading level and should help screen-reading users better navigate the page.</p>



<p>For users on the Edge or iOS Safari browsers who <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49753">could not select files in the media library</a>, it was due to a CSS issue that hid the input. This should no longer be an issue in the new update.</p>



<p>WordPress 5.4.1 addressed some regressions from the previous version. One revolves around posting by email when no post title was added. In that scenario, the <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49853">email subject should have been used as the title</a>, but this was broken by a code change in WordPress 5.4. For developers, the <code>category_link</code> and <code>tag_link</code> filter hooks were <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49759">mistakenly deprecated</a> previously and are now once again good to use without throwing a notice.</p>



<p>Plugin developers have a few bug fixes to look forward to. The <code>WP_Site_Health</code> object is now instantiated after the <code>plugins_loaded</code> and <code>after_setup_theme</code> hooks, which means they can perform necessary actions <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49824">before the site health is checked</a>. The deprecated <code>wp_get_user_request_data()</code> function is now <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49802">correctly loaded on the front end</a>, which was causing errors with plugins such as BuddyPress.</p>



<p>In a larger design change, plugin authors who <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49772">add custom content to the privacy policy guide</a> can use more HTML elements. In WordPress 5.4, the guide design was updated to add a white background behind the suggested text. However, the new code only applied to paragraphs. Now, the design supports tables, lists, and other elements that are commonly used. Unordered lists also have bullet points to distinguish them from paragraphs.</p>



<p>The development team fixed two issues with the REST API. The first <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49645">corrected an issue</a> with the <code>get_item</code> permissions check. The second fixed the <code>_fields</code> filtering. The core code now uses the <code>rest_is_field_included()</code> function to <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49648">determine which fields to include</a> to permit filtering by nested field properties.</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, 29 Apr 2020 20:39:42 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 5.4.1";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8553";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/04/wordpress-5-4-1/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6919:"<p>WordPress 5.4.1 is now available!</p>



<p>This security and maintenance release features 17 <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?milestone=5.4.1&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=status&col=priority&order=priorityhttps://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?milestone=5.4.1&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=status&col=priority&order=priority">bug fixes</a> in addition to 7 security fixes. Because this is a <strong>security release</strong>, it is recommended that you update your sites immediately. All versions since WordPress 3.7 have also been updated.</p>



<p>WordPress 5.4.1 is a short-cycle security and maintenance release. The next major release will be version 5.5.</p>



<p>You can download WordPress 5.4.1 by downloading from WordPress.org, or visit your Dashboard → Updates and click Update Now.</p>



<p>If you have sites that support automatic background updates, they’ve already started the update process.</p>



<h3>Security Updates</h3>



<p>Seven security issues affect WordPress versions 5.4 and earlier. If you haven’t yet updated to 5.4, all WordPress versions since 3.7 have also been updated to fix the following security issues:</p>



<ul><li>Props to <a href="https://hackerone.com/hijibiji">Muaz Bin Abdus Sattar</a> and <a href="https://hackerone.com/dyennez">Jannes</a> who both independently reported an issue where password reset tokens were not properly invalidated.</li><li>Props to <a href="https://github.com/ka1n4t">ka1n4t</a> for finding an issue where certain private posts can be viewed unauthenticated.</li><li>Props to <a href="https://evanricafort.com/">Evan Ricafort</a> for discovering an XSS issue in the Customizer</li><li>Props to Ben Bidner from the WordPress Security Team who discovered an XSS issue in the search block.</li><li>Props to Nick Daugherty from <a href="https://wpvip.com">WordPress VIP</a> / WordPress Security Team who discovered an XSS issue in <code>wp-object-cache</code>.</li><li>Props to Ronnie Goodrich (<a href="https://hackerone.com/kahoots">Kahoots</a>) and <a href="http://pentestusa.com/">Jason Medeiros</a> who independently reported an XSS issue in file uploads.</li><li>Props to <a href="https://weston.ruter.net/">Weston Ruter</a> for fixing a stored XSS vulnerability in the WordPress customizer.</li><li>Additionally, an authenticated XSS issue in the block editor was discovered by Nguyen The Duc (<a href="https://twitter.com/ducnt_">ducnt</a>) in WordPress 5.4 RC1 and RC2. It was fixed in 5.4 RC5. We wanted to be sure to give credit and thank them for all of their work in making WordPress more secure.</li></ul>



<p>Thank you to all of the reporters for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-security-vulnerabilities/">privately disclosing the vulnerabilities</a>. This gave the security team time to fix the vulnerabilities before WordPress sites could be attacked.</p>



<p>For more information, browse the <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?milestone=5.4.1&group=component&col=id&col=summary&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=status&col=priority&order=priority">full list of changes</a> on Trac, or check out the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-5-4-1/">version 5.4.1 HelpHub documentation page</a>.</p>



<p>In addition to the security researchers mentioned above, thank you to everyone who helped make WordPress 5.4.1 happen:</p>



<p><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/xknown/">Alex Concha</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afercia/">Andrea Fercia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aduth/">Andrew Duthie</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azaozz/">Andrew Ozz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afragen/">Andy Fragen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/apeatling/">Andy Peatling</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/arnaudbroes/">arnaudbroes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chrisvanpatten/">Chris Van Patten</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/talldanwp/">Daniel Richards</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dhrrob/">DhrRob</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dono12/">Dono12</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dudo/">dudo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ehtis/">Ehtisham Siddiqui</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ellatrix/">Ella van Durpe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/garrett-eclipse/">Garrett Hyder</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ianbelanger/">Ian Belanger</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/">Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/whyisjake/">Jake Spurlock</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/">Jb Audras</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnbillion/">John Blackbourn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnjamesjacoby/">John James Jacoby</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorgefilipecosta/">Jorge Costa</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kadamwhite/">K. Adam White</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryelle/">Kelly Choyce-Dwan</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/markrh/">MarkRH</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattyrob/">mattyrob</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mcsf/">Miguel Fonseca</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/batmoo/">Mohammad Jangda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mukesh27/">Mukesh Panchal</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nickdaugherty/">Nick Daugherty</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/noahtallen/">noahtallen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pbiron/">Paul Biron</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/westi/">Peter Westwood</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/peterwilsoncc/">Peter Wilson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pikamander2/">pikamander2</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/r-a-y/">r-a-y</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/youknowriad/">Riad Benguella</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/noisysocks/">Robert Anderson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/otto42/">Samuel Wood (Otto)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergeybiryukov/">Sergey Biryukov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sorenbronsted/">Søren Brønsted</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sstoqnov/">Stanimir Stoyanov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/isabel_brison/">tellthemachines</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/timothyblynjacobs/">Timothy Jacobs</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/toro_unit/">Toro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/treecutter/">treecutter</a>, and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/yohannp/">yohannp</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, 29 Apr 2020 19:56:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jake Spurlock";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:71:"Akismet: Version 4.1.5 of the Akismet WordPress Plugin is Now Available";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"http://blog.akismet.com/?p=2068";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://blog.akismet.com/2020/04/29/version-4-1-5-of-the-akismet-wordpress-plugin-is-now-available/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1339:"Version 4.1.5 of <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the Akismet plugin for WordPress</a> is now available. It contains the following changes:

<!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list -->
<ul>
 	<li>Based on user feedback, we have dropped the in-admin notice explaining the availability of the &#8220;privacy notice&#8221; option in the AKismet settings screen. The option itself is available, but after displaying the notice for the last 2 years, it is now considered a known fact.</li>
 	<li>Updated the &#8220;Requires at least&#8221; to WP 4.6, based on recommendations from <a href="https://wp-info.org/tools/checkplugini18n.php?slug=akismet" rel="nofollow">https://wp-info.org/tools/checkplugini18n.php?slug=akismet</a></li>
 	<li>Moved older changelog entries to a separate file to keep the size of this readme reasonable, also based on recommendations from <a href="https://wp-info.org/tools/checkplugini18n.php?slug=akismet" rel="nofollow">https://wp-info.org/tools/checkplugini18n.php?slug=akismet</a></li>
</ul>
<!-- /wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph -->

To upgrade, visit the Updates page of your WordPress dashboard and follow the instructions. If you need to download the plugin zip file directly, links to all versions are available in <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the WordPress plugins directory</a>.";s: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, 29 Apr 2020 13:12:48 +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:14:"Stephane Daury";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:108:"WPTavern: Tectonic Shifts in Retail Industry are Creating Unprecedented Opportunities for Independent Stores";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98957";s:7:"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:261:"https://wptavern.com/tectonic-shifts-in-retail-industry-are-creating-unprecedented-opportunities-for-independent-stores?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tectonic-shifts-in-retail-industry-are-creating-unprecedented-opportunities-for-independent-stores";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12689:"<p>Major retailers that are part of the critical infrastructure for distributing household essentials, healthcare items, and shelf-stable food, are raking in the cash during this pandemic. While consumer spending at bars, restaurants, and places of entertainment has dropped precipitously, spending at Amazon and Walmart has increased considerably in the past few weeks. The companies cannot hire workers fast enough to meet consumer demand.</p>



<p>According to a report from <a href="https://first.facteus.com/">Facteus,</a> a firm that provides data from billions of transactions from over 1,000 financial services companies, Amazon and Walmart&rsquo;s year-over-year growth recently hit 80% and 18%, respectively in the past few weeks.</p>



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



<p>The pandemic has worked as a catalyst for pre-existing trends, &ldquo;accelerating the retail reckoning,&rdquo; as Derek Thompson predicts in his recent article on how <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/how-pandemic-will-change-face-retail/610738/">The Pandemic Will Change American Retail Forever</a>. Brick and mortar storefronts are rapidly becoming obsolete in a world that is forcibly consigned to shopping from home.</p>



<p>There are still many uncertainties about <em>SARS</em>&ndash;<em>CoV-2</em> and how humanity will safely find its way out of lockdown. Recovery from the virus may not confer long-term immunity and a vaccine may be more than a year away, likely pushing social distancing measures into 2021. Consumer behavior may be forever altered by this experience, as many people may continue to avoid in-person browsing at stores long after the worst is over. </p>



<p class="is-style-highlight">While it might seem like the retail titans are still uncontested in their domination, there are tectonic shifts happening in the retail industry that are giving smaller, independent stores an unprecedented opportunity to gain new customers online. Merchants that can adapt and excel at getting products to a homebound population stand to be the most resilient during this pandemic.</p>



<p>In order to keep up with demand, Amazon has had to delay shipments of non-essential items by up to a month in some cases, prioritizing household basics and medical supplies. Major grocery retailers are <a href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/coronavirus-impact-online-retail/">competing against one another to hire furloughed workers</a> in order to keep up with the demand for groceries with so many people eating at home. Independent stores that can be found online have the opportunity to step up and fill in the gaps where major retailers cannot meet the demand fast enough.</p>



<p>People are more inclined to support small businesses right now in light of current circumstances. Amazon&rsquo;s severely strained relationship with buyers, sellers, affiliates, and employees is also contributing to consumers&rsquo; eagerness to support independent stores.</p>



<p>On April 21, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/amazon-slashes-commission-rates-for-affiliate-program.html">Amazon slashed commission rates</a> nearly in half for most product categories, negatively impacting media companies and publishers that have not diversified their affiliate revenue sources.</p>



<p>Amazon&rsquo;s essential workers are planning to join others from Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, and FedEx in <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/04/28/coronavirus-may-1-strike-sickout-amazon-target-whole-foods/">a strike on Friday</a>. They are protesting their employers&rsquo; record corporate profits which they say have come at the expense of workers&rsquo; health and safety. Many consumers have already grappled with a question of conscience in continuing to shop on Amazon after hearing reports of grueling labor conditions for years.</p>



<p>Another major development in the retail industry has come to light as the result of a recent Wall Street Journal investigation, which revealed that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-scooped-up-data-from-its-own-sellers-to-launch-competing-products-11587650015">Amazon is using data from its sellers to launch competing products</a>. Merchants selling successfully on Amazon are not safe from having their products copied and their businesses effectively cannibalized.</p>



<p>Documents obtained by the WSJ, along with interviews from more than 20 former employees of Amazon&rsquo;s private-label business, described how the marketplace operator uses third-party sellers&rsquo; data to gain a competitive advantage: </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>In one instance, Amazon employees accessed documents and data about a bestselling car-trunk organizer sold by a third-party vendor. The information included total sales, how much the vendor paid Amazon for marketing and shipping, and how much Amazon made on each sale. Amazon&rsquo;s private-label arm later introduced its own car-trunk organizers.</p></blockquote>



<p>The WSJ expos&eacute; details the great pressure that Amazon executives are under to deliver successful private-label products:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Former executives said they were told frequently by management that Amazon brands should make up more than 10% of retail sales by 2022.&nbsp;Managers of different private-label product categories have been told to create $1 billion businesses for their segments, they said.</p></blockquote>



<p>This practice of launching competing products with access to third-party sellers&rsquo; data has been happening for years but is an especially hostile tactic to employ in a time when Amazon&rsquo;s revenue is skyrocketing and small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. It is a sobering reminder of the value of hosting your own online store and the importance of owning your own data.</p>



<p>There are some positive developments in the industry that should give small business owners confidence in maintaining independence from the dominant forces in online retail. </p>



<p>Wired published an article this week titled <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-book-sales-indie/">The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Changing How People Buy Books</a> by Kate Knibbs. She describes how one indie bookseller&rsquo;s e-commerce startup has found unlikely success in positioning itself as &ldquo;an easy way to buy books online without further enriching Jeff Bezos:&rdquo;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Bookshop went from a well-intentioned startup facing an uphill battle to one of the most popular ways to buy books online in a matter of weeks.&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>, BuzzFeed, Vox, and&nbsp;<em>The New Republic</em>&nbsp;are all affiliate partners now. Its headcount has doubled in size. Hunter expects to hit $6 million in sales by May, eons ahead of its loftiest projections from January. If the company&rsquo;s performance holds steady, it could do $60 million in sales a year, although Hunter is assuming post-quarantine life will be different. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure that when things open back up, our sales will drop, maybe even cut in half,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;But even then, we&rsquo;re still one of the top 10 bookstores in the US.&rdquo;</p></blockquote>



<p>Yesterday, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/28/shopify-launches-shop-a-new-mobile-shopping-app/">Shopify launched its new Shop app</a>, touting modularized, distributed marketplaces as the future of e-commerce. The app allows shoppers to browse local merchants and make purchases. It provides a new vehicle of exposure for the company&rsquo;s 1m+ merchants on its platform. Businesses do not have to pay to have access to the app, nor do they pay commissions on the sales it generates.</p>



<p>Google is also making it easier for smaller stores to be found on the web by <a href="https://wptavern.com/google-shopping-is-now-open-to-free-product-listings">opening up the Shopping tab to free listings</a> and partnering with WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce. This essentially gives more free traffic to small businesses whose listings will break up the longstanding dominance of major online retailers in the Shopping tab. </p>



<p>WordPress developers with e-commerce experience have the opportunity to build products and stores that will help traditional brick-and-mortar businesses&nbsp;start selling online quickly, so they can continue to find success in. the brave new world of online-first retail. WordPress has a plethora of plugin options for making e-commerce accessible to store owners, no matter how simple or complex the store&rsquo;s requirements.</p>



<h2>Independent WooCommerce Stores Are Booming</h2>



<p>One user in the WooCommerce community&rsquo;s Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advanced.woocommerce/permalink/3429259367088458/">asked</a> how the coronavirus is impacting members&rsquo; e-commerce stores. Responses were varied based on the types of products that the merchants were selling, but the vast majority of responses from store owners and developers were positive reports of increased sales: </p>



<ul><li>&ldquo;I have a client selling cleaning products. He got several pallets of hand sanitizer in and sold out in a week. He was doing about $2000 in sales a day.&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;My client does fruit and veg online. Went from &pound;4k a month trickling along as a side part of his business, to &pound;150k last month and the heading for the same this month.&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;We are selling plumbing and home improvement tools and items sales have quadrupled.&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;Positive impact. Highest sales for me on my indoor activities niche (puzzles, board games).&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;Sales are up more than 1000% &ndash; natural supplements&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;Built a cake delivery service to sell slices of cake locally&hellip;&hellip; &pound;4K in a day and sold out. It&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;800% increase on a niche plant site I host&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;Compared to same month last year, up approx 250% (garden products)&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;3000% increase during the last month compared to monthly average over the last year. Natural health products&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;Our canvas printing site is up 20%&rdquo;</li><li>&ldquo;We are selling more Glass Bongs than ever. People are staying home and getting stoned.&rdquo;</li></ul>



<p>Saad Munir, the CEO of an e-commerce marketing agency, manages 28 stores for their clients with $30-$500k sales per month in various niches. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Some of them are popular brands of their niche,&rdquo; Munir said. &ldquo;We have seen a drop in sales of up to 80% in non-essential and medium luxury products, and a 400% increase in essential products. However, now non-essential and daily-use products have also started getting good sales since everyone is home and sticking to their devices during this social distancing. We also have clients of furniture e-commerce stores. This means high-ticket items. They have even seen increased sales in bedsets, sofas, etc. So, for sure online sales are increasing. We also on-boarded several new clients and most of these stores are in WooCommerce.&rdquo;</p>



<p>In the WooCommerce Help &amp; Share group, one member <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/woohelp/permalink/3028955177330917/">asked for help collating all his orders into one list</a> after his artisan cheese business increased exponentially overnight. Another member <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/woohelp/permalink/3024332674459834/">asked for help optimizing his client&rsquo;s store</a> after their pre-COVID-19 revenue went from less than &pound;1k/month to almost &pound;2k sales per day.</p>



<p>If independent self-hosted stores are able to perform well during this crisis, they have the opportunity to earn customers&rsquo; loyalty for continued business long after social distancing requirements are no longer necessary. It&rsquo;s a unique opportunity that may not have been possible on such an accelerated timeline without this exact set of circumstances.</p>



<p>These recent shifts in online retail are the first cracks in the ice towards a web that is more friendly for smaller, independent stores. The trend towards buying all of life&rsquo;s necessities online has evolved overnight to include a wider spectrum of consumer demographics than ever before. Diverse independent stores are crucial for meeting this demand without losing the unique and varied shopping landscape that the pandemic has forced to be temporarily closed.</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, 29 Apr 2020 08:17:04 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"Post Status: Professional WordPress Plugin Development: Interview with the authors";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=78739";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"https://poststatus.com/professional-wordpress-plugin-development-interview-with-the-authors/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1671:"<p><em>Professional WordPress Plugin Development</em> was one of the most helpful books I've ever read. To see a new edition with two returning authors, nine years after the original, is very exciting.</p>



<p>This edition of the book will be sure to offer a great resource for developer education for years to come. Brad Williams, Justin Tadlock, and John James Jacoby are each extremely talented developers and communicators. The work they can accomplish together is even greater.</p>



<p>Cory talks to them about their histories, the book, the process, and much more. We hope you enjoy this episode of Post Status Draft.</p>







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

</div>



<p>You can <a href="https://amzn.to/3cWMJlB">pre-order <em>Professional WordPress Plugin Development</em> now on Amazon</a>. It is slated to be released June 10th.</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://strangework.com/2020/01/06/announcing-professional-wordpress-plugin-development-2nd-edition/">Brad's announcement</a></li><li><a href="http://justintadlock.com/archives/2020/01/06/writing-a-wordpress-book-again">Justin's announcement</a></li><li><a href="https://jjj.blog/2020/01/coauthoring-a-wordpress-plugin-development-book/">John's announcement</a></li></ul>



<h3>Episode Partner: <a href="https://poststatus.com/gravity">Gravity Forms</a></h3>



<p>Gravity Forms is the easiest-to-use and most trusted tool for creating advanced forms for your WordPress-powered website. I use Gravity Forms on every WordPress site I own, and I know I can always rely on its power, flexibility, and reliability.</p>



<p><a href="https://poststatus.com/gravity">Try Gravity Forms today.</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, 29 Apr 2020 04:27:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Brian Krogsgard";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: David Vongries Takes Over as New Owner of the Kirki Customizer Framework";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99016";s:7:"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:209:"https://wptavern.com/david-vongries-takes-over-as-new-owner-of-the-kirki-customizer-framework?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=david-vongries-takes-over-as-new-owner-of-the-kirki-customizer-framework";s: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:8410:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Ari Stathopoulos sold <a href="https://kirki.org/">Kirki</a>, his 6-year-old customizer framework, last week. The plugin is a widely-used tool for theme authors and currently has over 400,000 installations. It is also bundled as a drop-in package within an unknown number of themes, likely numbering in the hundreds. David Vongries, the owner of the <a href="https://wp-pagebuilderframework.com/">Page Builder Framework theme</a>, has taken over the project.</p>



<p>All of Kirki&rsquo;s customizer controls, including those that were previously commercial/premium, are now open under the <a href="https://github.com/kirki-framework">Kirki Framework</a> GitHub organization.</p>



<p>Stathopoulos <a href="https://twitter.com/aristath/status/1247931690162544640">tweeted his decision</a> to seek a buyer on April 8. &ldquo;This is an announcement I never thought I&rsquo;d make,&rdquo; he wrote.  &ldquo;As much as it saddens me, I have decided to sell the Kirki #WordPress plugin.  With 500,000+ installations and included in hundreds of themes I no longer have the ability &ndash; as an individual developer &ndash; to maintain it. And even though I had big dreams and wanted to facilitate things for the WordPress editor as well, the plugin has grown beyond me&hellip;It is no longer possible for a single person to maintain such a beast.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Between his fulltime day job, a representative role for the theme review team, and maintaining other open-source projects, Stathopoulos was pulling 16-hour days of work. Not to mention, he had the usual life elements he needed to make time for in his routine. The Kirki project was not something he could devote any extra time to. Stathopoulos said he knew that spending too much time behind the screen was detrimental to his mental and physical health. He needed to make changes for his personal well-being. Still, it was tough to let go of a project he had invested years into.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Letting go of a project like that feels extremely weird!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a weird mix of sadness, stress, and relief. I feel sad because it&rsquo;s out of my control. I feel stressed because it&rsquo;s out of my control. And I feel relieved because it&rsquo;s out of my control.&rdquo;</p>



<p>While he suspects the sadness and stress of letting go of his project will subside, he said he already feels relieved to no longer have the responsibility of managing such a huge project alone. &ldquo;I am no longer responsible for the hundreds of themes that use it; it&rsquo;s liberating,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<h2>No Deal for the Highest Bidder</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Stathopoulos did not want to let this passion project go to anyone. He wanted someone with the vision to see the project evolve. He had several offers for Kirki. Over 400,000 installations can make for a lucrative opportunity for someone with the right marketing skills. It would have been easy for him to take the highest bid and jump ship, but that is not his style.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Kirki is a weird case,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It may have 400,000 installations and used by hundreds of themes both free and premium, but the actual &lsquo;clients&rsquo; are the theme authors, not the end-users. That fact limits the potential for monetizing the plugin ethically. There were quite a few bids, some were high, some were low, but what surprised me is that a lot of them were not interested in helping the community in any way.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Stathopoulos said the majority of the offers were from buyers with no interest in growing the plugin. Most of them seemed to be looking for a quick buck. He steered clear of them because he did not want to see end-users blasted with obtrusive ads, upsells, or spam.</p>



<p>&ldquo;In the end, I didn&rsquo;t go with the highest bid, which was 2.5 times the price I gave it for,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Though I admit I was seriously tempted to &lsquo;take the money and run.&rsquo; I went with what I felt was an ethical choice, someone who actually uses the project on a daily basis, wants to evolve it, and I feel will honor the open-source spirit and the six years of sweat.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Stathopoulos decided to sell to Vongries. The two had previously worked together on multiple occasions on the Kirki project and he felt it was the right move.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Once I decided that he should get it, the process went pretty smooth, and there were no hiccups,&rdquo; said Stathopoulos. &ldquo;The hard part was deciding who should get it.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Vongries was almost a natural choice as a new owner. He and his team had been using Kirki since its inception. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s an incredible framework and it makes working with the WordPress customizer so much easier,&rdquo; he said.</p>



<p>He reached out to Stathopoulos immediately upon seeing it was for sale. The two had a conversation soon thereafter and shared similar visions for the plugin.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I always looked at Kirki as something special and wanted to get involved,&rdquo; said Vongries. &ldquo;Until recently though, I wouldn&rsquo;t have had the resources to do so, but since the team around MapSteps has grown it just all happened at the right time. Being a Kirki user myself, I looked at this from both perspectives &mdash; from a developer standpoint and as someone that has been using the plugin for years.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>The Future of Kirki</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Over the past 18 months, Stathopoulos has rewritten the plugin and split it into around 50 Composer packages. The plan was to make these packages installable as individual components for plugin and theme authors. Instead of bundling the entire Kirki library, developers can use the pieces they need. At this point, these components should be stable, but they have not been widely tested by theme authors, who are accustomed to working with the full framework.</p>



<p>He was also excited about the potential move away from the customizer and working with full-site editing and global styles. Right now, it is unclear how the future of the Gutenberg project will impact the customizer. Many theme authors are now looking at it as a dying piece of the platform. Stathopoulos felt like there was still room to grow and transition into the new era.</p>



<p>&ldquo;My vision for Kirki was to combine some things with full-site editing, and allow themes that were using Kirki to automatically get global styles when they land in WordPress core,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That would be truly amazing, and I&rsquo;m sure it will be possible to do once there is an API for global styles. If [Vongries] goes in that direction, there&rsquo;s definitely potential for monetization there, while at the same time he&rsquo;ll help people build better things. Can you imagine a painless transition to global styles for themes that use Kirki? That would be a great thing to see!&rdquo;</p>



<p>However, the project is out of the former owner&rsquo;s hands now. It is Vongries&rsquo; vision that must lead the project moving forward.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I respect Ari a lot and he has done an amazing job with Kirki,&rdquo; said Vongries. &ldquo;[Stathopoulos] said he would love to continue to contribute to the project, and he is more than welcome to do so.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The immediate plan is to launch Kirki 4.0. It is nearly ready to roll out, awaiting some fine-tuning and final testing. Vongries and his team are also about to begin work on new extensions that bring more controls and functionality to the framework and, potentially, Gutenberg.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We are going to explore how we can make the connection between the existing functionality in Kirki and the upcoming features in Gutenberg and Gutenberg in general,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;At this point, we have some ideas about how we can adapt Kirki to the ever-changing WordPress platform. But for now, they are only ideas. We are certain that we will be able to provide a useful tool for developers, regardless of the direction WordPress and Gutenberg goes.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The new team behind Kirki is still working on the long-term roadmap. It will be exciting to see where they take it. For now, it is still the go-to customizer framework for many theme authors. And, it is in the hands of someone who has been using the project for years.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:39:32 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: WordCamp Europe 2020 Online Registration Now Open: Tickets are Free";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98976";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:197:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-2020-online-registration-now-open-tickets-are-free?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordcamp-europe-2020-online-registration-now-open-tickets-are-free";s: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:2514:"<p><a href="https://2020.europe.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp Europe 2020</a> is just 37 days away. Organizers announced in April that the event, which was supposed to be hosted in Porto, is moving to be 100% online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WCEU will kick off with a virtual Contributor Day on June 4, followed by two half days of talks and workshops broadcasted via livestream.</p>



<p>WordCamp Europe is one of the largest regional WordCamps on the planet and has been hosted in many magnificent venues and inspiring cities over the years. The event routinely sells out of tickets and sponsor packages, as companies and attendees rally around this unique opportunity to connect across boundaries, uniting Europe through a shared love of WordPress. </p>



<p>For the first time in the event&rsquo;s eight-year history, the European WordPress community will have to forego the in-person networking time that many have come to value as both a personal and professional highlight of the year. WCEU Organizers have worked for the better part of a decade to make it one of the most polished and efficient WordCamps. Now the team is forced to pivot and use their expertise to host a top-notch virtual event.</p>



<p>Past local organizing teams have been successful at creating an intimate atmosphere that facilitates rewarding connections with a focus on hospitality. These in-person connections add context to remote interactions and conversations long after the event concludes. Reaching this same high level of interpersonal connectivity between attendees is going to be a challenge for this online edition, but WCEU organizers have a long track record of adapting to different environments.  Dozens of other WordPress meetups, WordCamps, and educational events are currently facing the same challenges and are <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/events/">moving online</a>.</p>



<p>Registering for a ticket to WCEU is optional but attendees who want to participate in the virtual networking, Q&amp;A sessions, and contributor day will have be registered. Organizers were expecting approximately 3,000 attendees but hosting the event online may affect those numbers in either direction.  <a href="https://2020.europe.wordcamp.org/tickets/">Tickets are available for free</a> on the WCEU website, thanks to the event&rsquo;s sponsors. After eight hours of open registration, there are 4,257&nbsp;tickets remaining.  The event will return to Porto, Portugal, on June 3-5, 2021.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 27 Apr 2020 23:10:17 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"WPTavern: Should the Block Editor Have a Grid System?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=99028";s:7:"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:149:"https://wptavern.com/should-the-block-editor-have-a-grid-system?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=should-the-block-editor-have-a-grid-system";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5456:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Laying out a webpage design and getting every element aligned perfectly can be a tough job. Even many developers rely on CSS grid frameworks. Granted, with the introduction of the flexbox and grid systems in the CSS language, such frameworks are becoming unnecessary. Whether it is getting the vertical and horizontal rhythm down or simply aligning an image next to a bit of text, page layouts are often done best via some sort of grid system.</p>



<p>This becomes even more apparent when building a page layout visually through the WordPress block editor. The current iteration of the editor does a fine job of being a general content editor while providing the ability to insert various elements into the page.</p>



<p>However, it is not by any means a page builder &mdash; <em>yet</em>.</p>



<p>The question is, before we engage in full-site editing, global styles, block patterns, and other upcoming tools, whether a grid system should be a part of the equation. If so, how should that system work? Will it be configurable by theme authors? How will it handle tablet and mobile views? Will the grid be visible to users or a hidden thing in the background?</p>



<p>As more block plugins are released, particularly with those that may have multiple elements that may need to be aligned, it might be time we consider a grid system. Such a system may benefit existing core blocks right now, such as Columns and Media &amp; Text. Or, it may be better as a separate, standalone block.</p>



<p>Including a grid system also has the additional benefit of standardizing on layout-related class names that theme authors can use in their CSS, even outside the content editor. This would bring better compatibility across the board when users inevitably switch themes.</p>



<h2>A Starting Point: Layout Grid Block</h2>



<img />Three-column layout with Layout Grid Block.



<p class="has-drop-cap">Automattic, as part of its <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/block-experiments">Block Experiments</a> project, has released the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/layout-grid/">Layout Grid Block</a> plugin. It is essentially a beefed-up version of the core Columns block. The major difference is that column alignment snaps to a specific point in the grid. This grid is also displayed in the background while editing the post.</p>



<p>The tricky thing with grids is not simple alignment in columns in desktop view. It is dealing with how those columns transform on smaller devices like tablets and smartphones. Sometimes that is a guessing game from a theme design perspective because the theme author is not privy to the actual content that needs to be aligned. In turn, designers make best-guess decisions and hope it works for most.</p>



<p>The Layout Grid block has a &ldquo;Responsive Breakpoints&rdquo; tab under the block options panel that allows users to configure this based on device. Users can decide how individual columns span the grid. The grid system is based on a varying number of grid sections based on the device:</p>



<ul><li>Desktop: 12 Sections</li><li>Tablet: 8 Sections</li><li>Mobile: 4 Sections</li></ul>



<p>Imagine wanting to display a simple image with text to the next of it. There are various ways to do this currently in the block editor. Each has its pros and cons, depending on what you want to do. From a user experience and visual standpoint, I love seeing the grid lines in place as I determine how it should be displayed.</p>



<img />Aligning an image and text on a grid.



<p>Another upside of having a grid system is consistency in design. If users can scale the width of columns based on arbitrary numbers, much like they can now do with the Media &amp; Text block, there is no consistency with sizing items horizontally on the page. A grid system changes that.</p>



<p>Layout Grid Block still needs some polishing at this point. There are some trivial pain points in the UI that could be improved. On the whole, my experience with this block offered a compelling argument for including a grid system in core.</p>



<p>The plugin addresses simple one, two, three, and four columns right now. The grid system in CSS is much more powerful than basic horizontal columns. However, starting with the basics would give us a place to build from.</p>



<h2>Should Core Include a Grid?</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">There is at least one <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/16271">open ticket on the Gutenberg repository</a> for addressing a grid system. Mark Uraine, the author of the ticket, posted seven key questions:</p>



<ol><li>Should the grid system be responsive?</li><li>Should there be a default Gutenberg grid system, but allow themes to register their own?</li><li>Should the grid system conform to the current structure of Gutenberg blocks, or should it be its own thing that we need to restructure the blocks to in the editor?</li><li>Should the grid include gutters?</li><li>Should the grid include, or allow, any vertical alignment snaps?</li><li>What should the grid be based on? (ie. 12 columns, pixel grid, etc.)</li><li>Should the grid allow toggling on/off? And also include a setting to show, or not, when resizing objects in the editor?</li></ol>



<p>The ticket had some solid discussion nearly a year ago but not much as of late. Would you like to see a grid system in the editor? If so, how would you want it to work?</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, 27 Apr 2020 20:24:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:36:"Matt: Tulsa Remote Worker Experiment";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"https://ma.tt/?p=51280";s:7:"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:53:"https://ma.tt/2020/04/tulsa-remote-worker-experiment/";s: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:1120:"<p>Sarah Holder at Citylab has an interesting article on a program that <a href="https://www.citylab.com/life/2020/02/tulsa-incentives-work-remotely-coworking/604873/">paid people $10,000, a year of co-working, and a subsidized apartment to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma</a>.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Traditionally, cities looking to spur their economies may offer incentives to attract businesses. But at a time when Americans are <a href="https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/05/moving-location-new-city-how-much-cost-mobile-rooted-stuck/590521/">moving less frequently</a> than they have in more than half a century, and the anticlimactic race to host an Amazon HQ2 <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/12/amazon-hq2-corporate-tax-incentives-technology/578422/">soured some governments on corporate tax breaks</a>, Tulsa is one of several locales testing out a new premise:  Pay <em>people</em> instead.</p></blockquote>



<p>I love this idea, and hope that after the permanent step-up in remote work from the virus we see much more internal mobility between cities in the United States.</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, 27 Apr 2020 17:55:45 +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: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:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"WPTavern: Watch the Women of React Conference for Free on Saturday, April 25";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98982";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:195:"https://wptavern.com/watch-the-women-of-react-conference-for-free-on-saturday-april-25?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watch-the-women-of-react-conference-for-free-on-saturday-april-25";s: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:4140:"<p>While much of the world is in lockdown, public gatherings and conferences have been cancelled, leaving a void in the lives of people who enjoy meeting their fellow open source contributors and colleagues in person throughout the year.  Virtual events, which were already on the rise, are enjoying a bit of a renaissance by necessity. </p>



<p>On Saturday, April 25, the <a href="https://womenofreact.com/">Women of React</a> conference will stream live with seven speakers, along with Q&amp;A and lightning sessions from React core contributors and leaders in the community. The event will include a single-stream of talks with breaks for socializing and connecting with other attendees, as well as an invite-only Discord chat server. </p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This Saturday (Apr 25) Women of React has a special Q and A session with our favorite React core contributors past &amp; present <a href="https://twitter.com/sophiebits?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sophiebits</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvablyFlarnie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProvablyFlarnie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/lunaruan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lunaruan</a> and Chrome collaborators <a href="https://twitter.com/shubhie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shubhie</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/stubbornella?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stubbornella</a>! RSVP for free at <a href="https://t.co/GksJeHLvF6">https://t.co/GksJeHLvF6</a> <a href="https://t.co/0bho86YVe6">pic.twitter.com/0bho86YVe6</a></p>&mdash; R 'Nearest' Nabors &#128153; (@rachelnabors) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelnabors/status/1253400764359286785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p>Women of React was organized as a sort of pop-up tech event in response to current events. Co-organizers Rachel Nabors, Kevin Lewis, Sara Vieira, and Jenn Creighton did not put out a request for speakers but rather opted to invite women from around the world who would provide quality presentations on diverse topics of interest to the React community. </p>



<p>&ldquo;I think I woke up one morning and was watching the pandemic news and realized all the cool women I would usually see on the conference circuit cannot give their talks and I&rsquo;m not going to see them,&rdquo; Rachel Nabors said on  a recent episode of the <a href="http://insidefacebookmobile.libsyn.com/23-organising-the-women-of-react-remote-conf">Inside Facebook Mobile</a> podcast. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to see any of my favorite women in the React community this year and it was super depressing.&rdquo; She contacted her colleagues and together they quickly spun up a conference that would allow women in React to connect online.</p>



<p>Last week the organizers reported more than 1,000 registered attendees. They expect that number to be over 2,000 on the day of the conference. Fortunately, they don&rsquo;t have to have a hard count on attendees ahead of time, since virtual events don&rsquo;t have a limited number of seats. Organizers have even created printable swag for all who attend.</p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The cuteness has landed! We will be shipping out coloring pages for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/womenofreact2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#womenofreact2020</a> attendees tonight&mdash;something for you or your little ones to do while watching the talks tomorrow! Art by the phenomenal <a href="https://twitter.com/miuki_miu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@miuki_miu</a>! <a href="https://t.co/49byxsCeWW">pic.twitter.com/49byxsCeWW</a></p>&mdash; R 'Nearest' Nabors &#128153; (@rachelnabors) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelnabors/status/1253667155972931584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>



<p><a href="https://womenofreact.com/">Women of React</a> will run from 12:30pm&mdash;8:00pm EST. Attendees can sign up on the website and will receive a link for the livestream. Organizers are also planning to record the sessions so that people who are unable to attend can watch it at a later time.</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, 24 Apr 2020 21:35:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"WPTavern: WP Feedback Kicks off Free Virtual Summit for WordPress Professionals on April 27";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98970";s:7:"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:227:"https://wptavern.com/wp-feedback-kicks-off-free-virtual-summit-for-wordpress-professionals-on-april-27?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wp-feedback-kicks-off-free-virtual-summit-for-wordpress-professionals-on-april-27";s: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:5564:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">WP Feedback is running a <a href="https://wpfeedback.co/summit/">virtual event from April 27 &ndash; May 1</a>. The event is primarily geared toward WordPress professionals who are looking to scale their business. It will feature CEOs, designers, freelancers, and more from the WordPress space. Between five and seven video sessions will be available each new day of the event.</p>



<p>The sessions are free to watch for the full 24-hour period on the day they are scheduled. Once that window closes, visitors must purchase an all-access pass to view them, which is currently available for $67 but will go up to $97 once the event begins. A one-time purchase provides lifetime access.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, every event has been postponed or outright canceled for the foreseeable future,&rdquo; said Vito Peleg, founder of WP Feedback. &ldquo;Seeing that the opportunity to learn and network with like-minded professionals was taken away from us at the last second, we decided to step in to provide the true conference experience all without leaving your desk.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The goal of the summit is provide value by teaching attendees how to scale their agency or freelance business by having experts in their respective fields share advice.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Above all, the best part is that it&rsquo;s completely free to attend, and although some of us can&rsquo;t wait to get out, I&rsquo;m sure others will agree it&rsquo;s also really nice that you can attend all from the comfort of your home office &mdash; or living rooms!&rdquo; said Peleg.</p>



<p>The WP Feedback team hopes that everyone from freelancers to large agencies and businesses can learn something. &ldquo;So to that end, the event is geared towards WordPress professionals who are looking to scale their business beyond themselves (without losing all of their hair), people struggling during the quarantine/lockdown as a result of an impact that this has had on their business, and people who are just looking to meet and network with other like-minded people in the community,&rdquo; said Peleg.</p>



<p>The goal for <a href="https://wpfeedback.co/">WP Feedback</a> is to help WordPress professionals succeed and scale their business via the site&rsquo;s network and feedback plugin. &ldquo;This effort is two-fold,&rdquo; said Peleg. &ldquo;We primarily do this with our software that simplifies and organizes client communication for web designers. But, we also do so with summits just like this one, educating people through our content and community platform.&rdquo;</p>



<p>For those interested in seeing what type of content the summit offers, Piccia Neri&rsquo;s session from 2019, <a href="https://wpfeedback.co/summit/piccia-neri/">The Main Ingredient of Great UX</a>, is available to watch for free.</p>



<h2>Continuation of WP Agency Summit</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Last December, before joining the WP Feedback team, Jan Koch launched the <a href="https://wptavern.com/wp-agency-summit-kicks-off-december-6">first version of this event</a>. Over 2,000 attendees registered and recorded 15,000 session views. Strictly by the numbers, the event was successful.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Measuring the success of the 2019 summit event in numbers would not even tell half of the story,&rdquo; said Peleg. &ldquo;Most exciting were all the ripple effects the event caused. So many new connections were made not just from Jan&rsquo;s perspective but also in the community that formed around the event on Facebook. We&rsquo;re all still leveraging these new friendships and hope that, with the improved networking area for the new summit, we&rsquo;ll see even more connections being made.&rdquo;</p>



<p>With Koch joining WP Feedback, the team felt like it was a natural move to continue the event. &ldquo;One of the main reasons Jan joined the team was to be heavily involved with our summit plans due to his experience and success with the WP Agency Summit last year,&rdquo; said Peleg. &ldquo;As this is WP FeedBack&rsquo;s first summit, having Jan on the team has made it possible for us to organize it in such a short amount of time. He&rsquo;s taught us a lot and we will 100% be using everything we&rsquo;ve learned to do more like this in the future.&rdquo;</p>



<p>One of the issues with the 2019 event was the lack of gender diversity. There was a 20:4 male-to-female speaker ratio. The team has attempted to address this for the 2020 event by adding more women to the lineup.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Yes, that was a hard lesson learned for Jan,&rdquo; Peleg said in response to the low number of women speakers. &ldquo;He and the entire team at WP FeedBack leveraged our connections to get a more even ratio this time. Obviously, there are many successful women in the WordPress space, and now we were able to bring a few of our friends on thanks to our combined networks.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The WP Feedback team has been collectively working to make this year&rsquo;s event a success. Peleg said that many on the team have had to quickly adapt and learn how to run such an event. &ldquo;Thankfully, Jan&rsquo;s experience has massively helped in how we have been planning everything, and he is the one heading up all of the sessions too,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The vision was to create a summit experience online that replicates how it feels to go to a summit in real life, and we are really taking huge steps to provide that experience for all of our attendees.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:50:03 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"WPTavern: Chatterbox Plugin Uses WordPress Blocks to Show Conversations";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98923";s:7:"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:187:"https://wptavern.com/chatterbox-plugin-uses-wordpress-blocks-to-show-conversations?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chatterbox-plugin-uses-wordpress-blocks-to-show-conversations";s: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:2361:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/chatterbox/">Chatterbox</a> is a new plugin with a fun and creative use for the block editor. It displays chat or text threads using blocks that are styled as conversations. Users can type in a record of a chat, including timestamps, with a live preview in the editor. </p>



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



<p>Since written conversations are essentially little blocks of text and media, the block editor lends itself nicely to composing and displaying this type of content. The Chatterbox block can be found under Layout Elements in the block inserter. It includes the option to select a style (Inbound, Outbound, or Event) and add a timestamp.</p>



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



<p><a href="https://daveryan.io/">Dave Ryan</a>, a WordPress developer at Bluehost, said he created the plugin in order to test Gutenberg&rsquo;s Block Context API and borrowed the <a href="https://www.lightningdesignsystem.com/components/chat/">chat component</a> from Salesforce&rsquo;s Lightning Design System. He suggested that Chatterbox could be useful for showing demos of chat bots, publishing chat records in news stories, or simply adding an engaging visual display to conversations.</p>



<p>Once the Block Context API matures, Ryan plans to add message background and text colors, message sender with name and avatar, and the ability to override the message sender on a per-message basis for group chats. The next steps beyond that on the roadmap include the following:</p>



<ul><li>&nbsp;Implement Bookends and other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lightningdesignsystem.com/components/chat/#About-Chat">SFDS Chat</a>&nbsp;options</li><li>&nbsp;Animated chat sequences</li><li>&nbsp;Automated animated sequences, using character lengths for timing</li><li>&nbsp;Automate hiding of message meta based on adjacent blocks</li><li>&nbsp;Message Images</li><li>&nbsp;Message Files</li></ul>



<p>Ryan said some of the planned features will rely on new features in the Gutenberg project. Once those have been released he will update Chatterbox to include more customization options. The plugin is <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/chatterbox/">available for free on WordPress.org</a> and contributors can find the code on <a href="https://github.com/0aveRyan/chatterbox">GitHub</a>.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 24 Apr 2020 03:55:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"WPTavern: You Deserve to Wear Sweatpants; Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Any Different";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98783";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:203:"https://wptavern.com/you-deserve-to-wear-sweatpants-dont-let-anyone-tell-you-any-different?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=you-deserve-to-wear-sweatpants-dont-let-anyone-tell-you-any-different";s: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:5468:"<img />



<p class="has-drop-cap">Lounge in your Baby Yoda sweats. Break out those knee-high Santa socks that you love to wear during the holidays. Slide into your Rocket City Trash Pandas tee and pretend the baseball season is going to happen this year.</p>



<p>Sure, you can wear a suit and tie when you&rsquo;re working from home. However, I invite you to ditch the fresh-pressed trousers for your comfy sweatpants.</p>



<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of you into working from the home office. Depending on your situation, that might be the kitchen table, the loveseat in the living room, or a closet if your kids are irritating enough. The worst thing we can do is put too much pressure on ourselves to be the model of perfection in this setting. Do not let anyone tell you that you must put on the suit and tie in lieu of that comfortable pullover you&rsquo;ve had since college.</p>



<p>Balance that statement with some common sense. If you are meeting with the big boss over a Zoom video call, you will want to take your company culture into account. If your boss is expecting you to dress as if in the office, what he or she sees onscreen should reflect that expectation. The same may be true for client calls, depending on how you want to present your service.</p>



<p>For all other situations, your dress code is entirely up to you.</p>



<p>Adam Tschorn, deputy fashion editor for the Los Angeles Times, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-04-17/working-from-home-regular-work-wardrobe-dress-up">argues that you should ditch the sweatpants</a> and &ldquo;dress like the adult you&rsquo;re getting paid to be&rdquo;:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-default"><p>Please, can we all put away those sweatpants, ratty, gray, decades-old collegiate sweatshirts and obscure minor league baseball caps and start our workdays looking like we deserve the paychecks we&rsquo;re lucky enough to be earning while the world around us burns? Especially, for the love of all that&rsquo;s holy, if there&rsquo;s a group video conference involved?</p></blockquote>



<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ARTschorn/status/1251139655447150593">Twitter was not kind.</a></p>



<p>Some of us who have been doing this remote work thing for a few years and have come to love our loungewear. We are not going to let the rookies ruin it for the rest of us, a sentiment shared by a friend on Facebook.</p>



<p>I am sitting in my basketball shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt.</p>



<p>Taking off your shoes is a hard requirement when entering my home, a practical cleanliness tip I learned from time spent with Korean friends. It is the respectful thing to do. Plus, it is so much more relaxing. I want you to feel at home at my home.</p>



<p>Some people have trouble balancing work and home life when they are merged into one space. In those cases, &ldquo;dressing for success&rdquo; may help you mentally push through the day. However, it is a personal choice.</p>



<p>The one thing Tschorn and I agree on wholeheartedly is ritual. If even one thing about my daily ritual gets thrown off by unforeseen circumstances, I lose focus. It can often ruin the whole day.  Those little rituals are a part of what set me up for success. Everyone&rsquo;s are different. Some will want their morning coffee. Others need to shower, shave, and put on their Sunday best to feel like everything is right with the world.</p>



<p>There are rare days when I feel the need to switch it up. Put on a nice suit. Grab my seldom-worn fedora and place it firmly atop my head. It makes me feel like a 1920s-esque reporter who is ready to dig up some dirt on the local crime boss. Those days are about making me feel good about myself.</p>



<p>However, most days, it is about feeling comfortable at home.</p>



<p>It does not matter if you wear a Call of Duty T-shirt when building a new WooCommerce add-on plugin. Most people are not going to care if you don Sailor Moon sweatpants while running a successful managed WordPress hosting service. And, if you feel comfortable enough doing it, strip down to your undies while designing the next big WordPress theme. <em>You may want to add a top while video conferencing in that last case &mdash; there are limits.</em></p>



<p>Life is tough enough right now without fashion gurus telling us what to wear.</p>



<p>Even work-from-home veterans are <a href="https://wptavern.com/finding-balance-in-these-uncertain-times-remote-work-and-sharing-our-struggles">off our game at the moment</a>. The world has changed practically overnight. We are still catching our breath from the gut-punch of this unique virus. We deserve to <em>let ourselves go</em> a bit while dealing with the stress of these changes.</p>



<p>I do not know much about fashion. I still break out my cargo pants from time to time, which are apparently a fashion <em>faux pas</em> today.</p>



<p>What I do know a little something about is working comfortably from home.</p>



<p>And that, my friends, is all about what makes you feel good about yourself.</p>



<p>I am probably preaching to the choir of remote developers, designers, and team managers. Many of us have been down this road and found that sweet spot that helps us get through the day. For the newcomers, welcome to our world. Kick your heels off at the door. There is no fashion-shaming here.  Enjoy our guilt-free software and community in your lazy pants.</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, 23 Apr 2020 19:18:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"WPTavern: Frontity Raises €1M with Automattic and K Fund";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98846";s:7:"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:157:"https://wptavern.com/frontity-raises-e1m-with-automattic-and-k-fund?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=frontity-raises-e1m-with-automattic-and-k-fund";s: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:4732:"<p><a href="https://frontity.org/">Frontity</a>, a free, open source framework for building WordPress themes with React, has raised &euro;1M in funding in a round led by <a href="https://kfund.co">K Fund</a>, with <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> covering 22%. The team behind the framework officially made it open source in May 2019, after battle testing it internally. In one year the framework has more than 12,700 npm downloads and has built a community of 250 developers who use it. </p>



<p>Frontity lowers the barrier to creating fast-loading, React-powered WordPress themes by removing the hassle of setting up and configuring all the tooling. The framework seems to have captured Automattic&rsquo;s interest as a homegrown WordPress solution for facilitating decoupled setups that use React on the frontend.</p>



<p>&ldquo;We decided to build the framework as a response to the demand of all the big publishers we were working with,&rdquo; Frontity CEO Pablo Postigo said. &ldquo;This trend can drastically change the way many WordPress websites are built in the future. From my point of view, Automattic&rsquo;s support means that they are also aware of this trend, and want to be close to us. In the end we are trying to make WordPress keep up with the latest technologies, and the stronger WordPress is, the better for all the companies that depend on it, including Automattic.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Frontity is not yet profitable and Postigo said the company is not developing a business model during this initial phase. </p>



<p>&ldquo;This funding round was the best way for us to make the project sustainable,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Possible monetizations that we are thinking of to generate revenue in the future are a hosting solution, premium support, or a marketplace of paid themes.&rdquo;</p>



<h2>Frontity&rsquo;s Biggest Challenge: Becoming a Compelling Alternative to PHP Themes  </h2>



<p>Postigo identified Gatsby and Next.js as Frontity&rsquo;s chief competitors in the sea of React frameworks vying for developers&rsquo; attention. He said his team takes inspiration from these frameworks and appreciates how they are raising awareness of new ways of building websites.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&ldquo;Our biggest challenge right now is to position Frontity not as an alternative to other frameworks, but as an alternative to PHP themes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So when developers start looking for the best way to build a superior UX they consider Frontity amongst their options.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Those who are already familiar with other JS frameworks like Gatsby will find that Frontity has fewer new concepts to learn, since it is 100% focused on WordPress and its APIs. Postigo identified a few other major differences between Frontity and other popular JS frameworks:</p>



<ul><li>It&rsquo;s rendered dynamically: this means people don&rsquo;t have to rebuild the HTML each time they edit or publish content. Frontity&rsquo;s preferred approach is <a href="https://vercel.com/blog/serverless-pre-rendering">Serverless Pre-Rendering</a>, although there are many ways to configure it. It&rsquo;s as fast as a static site (e.g. <a href="https://mars.frontity.org">https://mars.frontity.org</a>).</li><li>It&rsquo;s opinionated: it has its own state manager and uses Emotion for the CSS. Thanks to that people don&rsquo;t need to learn things like Redux and, at the same time, it powers a very flexible extensibility pattern, more similar to the one of WordPress itself than to the rest of JS frameworks. Themes and extensions can be activated and deactivated without code changes.</li><li>There&rsquo;s no need to learn GraphQL or the REST API, you get the data using the state manager.</li></ul>



<p>Even with fewer new concepts to learn, Frontity remains squarely within the developers&rsquo; toolbox and is not currently a product that would appeal to non-technical users. Expanding Frontity&rsquo;s user base beyond developers and breaking into the wider WordPress market is a long-term goal for the company. </p>



<p>&ldquo;With Frontity Framework we are on a mission to help developers build performant, scalable websites with WordPress and React easily,&rdquo; Postigo said. &ldquo;But the company&rsquo;s ultimate goal is to make building delightful user experiences universally accessible.<br /><br />&ldquo;We have plans to lower the technical barrier so any WordPress user can benefit from our technology. We consider that after having released the framework the next step towards this is to build a community of developers around it, so that they can help us build themes and extensions that will make it easier for non-technical users to start using Frontity.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 22 Apr 2020 20:26:49 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"WPTavern: Gutenberg Hub Launches Online Block Template Builder";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98780";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:169:"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-hub-launches-online-block-template-builder?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gutenberg-hub-launches-online-block-template-builder";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5301:"<p class="has-drop-cap">Gutenberg Hub <a href="https://gutenberghub.com/introducing-gutenberg-template-builder/">launched the first version</a> of its block template builder last week. The <a href="https://builder.gutenberghub.com/">template builder</a> allows users to select from the team&rsquo;s existing library of nearly 200 templates. It is essentially an online builder that allows users to craft a full page layout by mixing and matching various sections. They can then copy the resulting output at the click of a button and paste it into the editor on their sites.</p>



<p>&ldquo;I intend to speed up the workflow for WordPress users to spin up beautiful Gutenberg pages, even full websites, faster,&rdquo; said Munir Kamal, founder of Gutenberg Hub. &ldquo;So all I am trying to do is headed in that direction.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Kamal has also released a <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gutenberghub/pkjhekakadbpmpehgkdndgmpepphekbk">Chrome browser extension</a> that allows end-users to add templates from the growing library of options.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The idea is to help DIYers, freelancers, or anyone with creating new website pages faster,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have many feature ideas to make this builder great, but I want to hear out the feedback and suggestions from the community about it.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Currently, Kamal is calling this version of the builder a &ldquo;prototype&rdquo; because he wants to validate the idea with the community before moving forward with new features.</p>



<h2>Using the Template Builder</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Building a template or full page is simple. Users merely need to visit the template builder page. On the page, the builder has an &ldquo;Add Section&rdquo; button, which will slide the template library panel open. From that point, users can choose from an extensive list of templates that includes designs for hero sections, testimonials, sliders, and more.</p>



<img />Gutenberg Hub&rsquo;s templates library.



<p>The idea is to build a full page by combining multiple sections. Users will want to add new sections and organize them for their needs. Each section can be trashed, duplicated, or moved up/down using the available buttons.</p>



<p>Trying my hand at building a simple product page, I was able to pick and choose the sections I wanted to add in just a few minutes.</p>



<img />Custom combination of templates with the builder.



<p>Once everything is in place, users can copy the full template code and paste it their block editor.  From that point, they can edit it on their own site.  </p>



<p>Sometimes, it may be necessary to copy additional CSS and insert it via the WordPress customizer or through a plugin like <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/blocks-css/">Blocks CSS</a>.  Some options also require users to install a plugin to use specific blocks.</p>



<p>This is the type of power I want in the hands of WordPress users. Plug-and-play template systems like this will push the platform into the future. However, such systems need to be integrated directly into WordPress. Copying and pasting from a third-party website is merely a stepping stone toward that future, catering to user needs in the here and now.</p>



<h2>The Future of the Builder and More</h2>



<p class="has-drop-cap">Long term, Gutenberg Hub&rsquo;s work may be a better fit into the upcoming <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-patterns-will-change-everything">pattern system</a>. The team could release a plugin that would integrate seamlessly into the block editor. That way, end-users could build their templates without ever leaving the comfort of the post-editing screen, or at least avoid switching between browser tabs. However, patterns are still months away from inclusion in core WordPress. In the meantime, this feels like a solid stop-gap. Plus, the team can build a nice library and garner feedback and data from users on the most popular templates/patterns.</p>



<p>While Kamal wants to hear feedback before moving forward, he does have some big ideas of his own for the builder. &ldquo;For example, this builder may let you create projects, and under projects, you may create multiple pages,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;For each project, you may define custom branding (typography, color scheme, etc.), and all the templates from the library will adapt to that branding when you create pages under a specific project.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The most important thing he wants to accomplish is to build tools that speed up workflows for everyone.</p>



<p>He will also open the template library to third-party developers and designers soon. There will be a public submission process. If enough people contribute, the library could balloon to an untold number of options that would be directly available as part of the builder.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Besides the templates and builder, I am planning something around the Gutenberg Templates API,&rdquo; said Kamal. He stresses that it is still in the planning phase. If the previous work that he has put out is any indication, this could be an interesting project. He is also working on a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/forms-gutenberg/">form builder plugin</a> for the block editor, which is currently seeing regular updates.</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, 22 Apr 2020 20:03:00 +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:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"WPTavern: Google Shopping Is Now Open to Free Product Listings";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98848";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:169:"https://wptavern.com/google-shopping-is-now-open-to-free-product-listings?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-shopping-is-now-open-to-free-product-listings";s: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:2768:"<p>Google <a href="https://blog.google/products/shopping/its-now-free-to-sell-on-google/">announced</a> today that it is bringing free listings to the Shopping tab in the United States before the end of April and will expand globally by the end of the year. Previously, merchants were required to pay for ad placement and product listings, which led to major online retailers dominating the Shopping tab.</p>



<p>&ldquo;Beginning next week, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether they advertise on Google,&rdquo; Bill Ready, Google&rsquo;s president of commerce, said. &ldquo;With hundreds of millions of shopping searches on Google each day, we know that many retailers have the items people need in stock and ready to ship, but are less discoverable online.&rdquo;</p>



<p>This change comes at a critical time when the retail industry has taken a significant hit due to shelter-in-place orders aimed at mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. Free listings make showing up in the Google Shopping tab more accessible for independent stores.</p>



<p>&ldquo;For retailers, this change means free exposure to millions of people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs,&rdquo; Ready said. &ldquo;For shoppers, it means more products from more stores, discoverable through the Google Shopping tab.&rdquo;&nbsp; Existing Merchant Center users will retain their ads for specific products as promoted listings but will also now be able to list their full inventories for free.</p>



<p>Google also announced a new partnership with PayPal that will streamline the onboarding process for merchants who want to link their accounts. The announcement identified WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce as existing partners that offer platforms to help businesses sell online. In light of the current crisis, WooCommerce has ramped up its efforts to make e-commerce more approachable. The team recently hosted a free webinar on <a href="https://zoom.us/webinar/register/8615868833115/WN_4TTi3KPWQZG5HCchf81LEg">how to start selling online</a> and produced a <a href="https://woocommerce.com/posts/add-online-store-to-wordpress/">guide to adding a store to an existing WordPress website</a>.</p>



<p>Although Google cites the coronavirus pandemic as a factor in advancing the company&rsquo;s plans to make it free for merchants to sell on Google, the move is a strategic step towards wooing back the overwhelming amount of traffic it sends to Amazon. If Google&rsquo;s Shopping tab can become a better source for price comparisons with a diversity of stores, consumers may return to searching Google first when intending to make a purchase.</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, 22 Apr 2020 02:46:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 5.2.0 Maintenance and 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:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=311121";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"https://buddypress.org/2020/04/buddypress-5-2-0-maintenance-and-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:1666:"<p><a href="https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.5.2.0.zip">BuddyPress 5.2.0</a> is now available. This is a security and maintenance release. All BuddyPress installations are strongly encouraged to upgrade as soon as possible.</p>



<p>The 5.2.0 release addresses four security issue:</p>



<ul><li>A vulnerability was fixed that could allow group moderators improper control over group membership via a REST API endpoint.</li><li>A vulnerability was fixed that could allow a CSRF attack related to xProfile field deletion links in the Dashboard.</li><li>A vulnerability was fixed that could allow users to delete group activity items belonging to groups to which they don’t have administrative access.</li><li>A vulnerability was fixed that could allow site Editors or Authors improper edit access over items belonging to BuddyPress’s Email post type.</li></ul>



<p>These vulnerabilities were reported privately to the BuddyPress team by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/hoangkien1020/">Kien Hoang</a>, in accordance with <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-security-vulnerabilities/">WordPress’s security policies</a>. Our thanks to the reporter for practicing coordinated disclosure.</p>



<p>Version 5.2.0 also fixes five bugs, including compatibility updates for WordPress 5.4.</p>



<p>For complete details, visit the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-5-2-0/">5.2.0 changelog</a>.</p>



<p>Update to BuddyPress 5.2.0 today in your WordPress Dashboard, or by <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress/">downloading from the WordPress.org plugin repository</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:58:27 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Boone Gorges";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"WPTavern: WordPress Dashicons Project to Discontinue Development in Favor of New Icon Component";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98810";s:7:"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:235:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-dashicons-project-to-discontinue-development-in-favor-of-new-icon-component?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-dashicons-project-to-discontinue-development-in-favor-of-new-icon-component";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3652:"<p><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/dashicons">Dashicons</a>, the WordPress admin icon font, is now closed to new icon requests. After the block editor adopted the approach of using SVG icons directly, WordPress design contributors have recently reevaluated the efforts going into the Dashicons project. The team decided to wrap up existing tickets for new icons, push out a final release, and then pool their efforts on the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/tree/master/packages/components/src/icon">new Icon component</a>.</p>



<p>&ldquo;One of the challenges with an icon font is that it&rsquo;s one big compiled &lsquo;sprite,&rsquo; and so even though it gets cached well, for every icon you add the sprite grows bigger,&rdquo; WordPress design contributor Joen Asmussen said in a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2020/04/20/next-steps-for-dashicons/">post</a> announcing the change. &ldquo;With SVG you include just the icons you need.&rdquo;</p>



<p>A recently-merged <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/dashicons/pull/411">pull request</a> brings the project&rsquo;s collection of 303 icons to a total of 340, with final additions including items like airplane, beer, coffee, and more, based on the remaining open issues.</p>



<p>With just a handful of contributors, Dashicons had been subject to infrequent updates. Prior to WordPress 5.2 (May 2019), which <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-2-will-add-13-new-icons-to-the-dashicon-library">updated</a> the icon font to use WOFF2 (Web Open Font Format 2) and added 13 new icons, Dashicons had gone dormant for three years. This means that developers who needed a specific icon were sometimes waiting a long time for it to get added and often opted to use a different library. </p>



<p>The new Icon component isn&rsquo;t subject to the same limitations. During the design team&rsquo;s recent discussion about Dashicon&rsquo;s next steps, Asmussen noted that the new Icon component comes with a set of icons but developers can also feed it a custom SVG.</p>



<p>&ldquo;An icon doesn&rsquo;t have to be part of the set for it to be treated like any other icons in the system,&rdquo; Asmussen said. &ldquo;Which makes it easier to say no to some social icons &mdash; we can say &lsquo;No, but you can do this: {code example}.'&rdquo; This flexibility prevents developers from having to spend time lobbying for a particular icon to get added or working to demonstrate its popularity.</p>



<p>Asmussen thanked Dashicons creator Ben Dunkle for his work in maintaining the icon font over the years. Dunkle will join the effort to improve the new Icon component as it is still being fleshed out. </p>



<p>&ldquo;And a lot of the lessons Ben and I learned from Dashicons could probably help spell out some principles for what fits in the component,&rdquo; Asmussen said. &ldquo;In some ways, I think we can be much more open to accepting icons because it doesn&rsquo;t balloon a sprite. In others, as mentioned, we can decide it&rsquo;s not WordPress&rsquo; place.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Dashicons will be maintained in core indefinitely but no new icons will be added after this point. Plugin developers have the option to continue using the icon font or embrace the new Icon component. </p>



<p>&ldquo;Switching to SVG in WP-admin, and perhaps the new Icon component, is a discussion definitely worth having at some point,&rdquo; Asmussen said. &ldquo;But [it&rsquo;s] worth noting that it&rsquo;s not necessarily part of today&rsquo;s discussion. This is first and foremost to ensure Dashicons is in a solid place for everyone relying on it.&rdquo;</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 21 Apr 2020 01:16:33 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"WPTavern: WPBlockTalk Videos Now Available on WordPress.tv";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98727";s:7:"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:161:"https://wptavern.com/wpblocktalk-videos-now-available-on-wordpress-tv?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wpblocktalk-videos-now-available-on-wordpress-tv";s: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:2497:"<p>All of the recordings from the free <a href="https://wpblocktalk.wordpress.stream/">WPBlockTalk</a> virtual event are <a href="https://wordpress.tv/event/wpblocktalk-april-2020/">now available on WordPress.tv</a>. In case you missed it, WPBlockTalk was a WordPress community event sponsored by Automattic, and produced by Brian Richards, creator of WPSessions. It took place earlier this month on April 2, though some of its momentum may have been lost in the torrent of pandemic news. Fortunately, all the sessions that were streamed that day have been uploaded for anyone to watch. </p>



<p>WPBlockTalk created moderate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WPBlocktalk?src=hashtag_click">buzz on Twitter</a>, but the caliber of the speakers and the density of their block editor expertise make these videos a must-watch for anyone involved in WordPress product and website development. Some of the speakers were involved in designing and building the block editor and others were early adopters who ran full speed ahead to create some of the most successful block-based plugins in the ecosystem.</p>



<p>The event kicked off with a session titled <a href="https://wordpress.tv/2020/04/16/matt-mullenweg-matias-ventura-the-roadmap-for-gutenberg-plus-a-demo/">The Gutenberg Roadmap</a> led by Matt Mullenweg and Matias Ventura. It included an overview of what is coming in the full-site editing project, along with an exciting hands-on demo that fully integrates theme templates into a unified interface. Ventura estimates this basic UI will be &ldquo;in a very decent state in a couple months.&rdquo; </p>



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



<p>The other 11 sessions that follow provide an interesting look at where the block editor has been and where we can expect it to go in the near future. Topics include extensibility, case studies, accessibility, block development, and more.</p>



<p>Although WPBlockTalk was originally <a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2020/03/18/wpblocktalk-block-editor-event/">announced</a> on the WordPress.com News blog, the majority of the content featured in the event was geared towards those creating block-based products. More than 1,000 viewers attended WPBlockTalk, similar to the turnout for a large traditional WordCamp. These types of nimble, niche-focused virtual events were already gaining traction in 2019 and are likely to become more common in the wake of prolonged restrictions on large gatherings due to the coronavirus. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 17 Apr 2020 22:47:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"WPTavern: On Digital Gardens, Blogs, Personal Spaces, and the Future";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98695";s:7:"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:175:"https://wptavern.com/on-digital-gardens-blogs-personal-spaces-and-the-future?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-digital-gardens-blogs-personal-spaces-and-the-future";s: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:8960:"<div class="wp-block-cover alignfull has-background-dim-70 has-gray-900-background-color has-background-dim has-parallax bg-gray-900"><div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container">
<div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container">
<p class="has-drop-cap has-text-align-left has-extra-large-font-size text-xl text-left">Ihave been thinking a lot about digital gardens this week. A blog post by Tom McFarlin <a href="https://tommcfarlin.com/digital-gardens-and-blogs/">re-introduced me to the term</a>, which led me down a rabbit hole of interesting ideas on creating a digital space that is more personalized and tended in a way that is antithetical to the chronological blog.</p>
</div></div>
</div></div>



<p>The concept of digital gardens is not new. It predates the modern blog, but there may be a resurgence, albeit small, of the sort of curated content that grows within a digital garden.</p>



<p>The term &ldquo;digital garden&rdquo; is not well-defined. In general, it is a collection of thoughts, unfinished projects, links, and much more. However, it can be different and wholly unique to the individual. I would like to broaden the term to enclose any sort of website that allows you to truly browse without viewing posts chronologically. Digital gardens, collections, spaces &mdash; call it what you want.</p>



<p>I began my personal website in 2003. I hacked together a main page with a few internal links. I began blogging before I knew what blogging was. This was all done with basic <code>.txt</code> files that I edited in Notepad on Windows. I knew enough PHP to load and display those files. My <em>blog</em> posts were merely random thoughts &mdash; bits and pieces of my life.</p>



<p>Despite having something that worked sort of like a blog, I maintained various resources and links of other neat ideas I found around the web. It was a digital garden that I tended, occasionally plucking weeds and planting new ideas that may someday blossom into something more.</p>



<p>I created a films page in which I shared 30-second trailers of short films I was planning. I maintained a list of my DVD collection. I had a page in which I showcased hate messages I received on my guestbook. <em>All in good fun, of course.</em> I kept a curated list of cool webpages to visit.</p>



<p>All of this was a painstaking, manual process before WordPress crashed into my life, but it was still fun.</p>



<p>Over the years, WordPress changed everything for me. I officially became a blogger. The problem was that, at a certain point, blogging became <em>work</em>. I needed to think about keywords, perfecting a post title, and making sure that each word was carefully crafted. The initial joy I had with my personal space had waned.</p>



<p>&ldquo;The idea of a &lsquo;blog&rsquo; needs to get over itself,&rdquo; wrote Joel Hooks in a post titled <a href="https://joelhooks.com/on-writing-more">Stop Giving af and Start Writing More</a>. &ldquo;Everybody is treating writing as a &lsquo;content marketing strategy&rsquo; and using it to &lsquo;build a personal brand&rsquo; which leads to the fundamental flawed idea that everything you post has to be polished to perfection and ready to be consumed.&rdquo;</p>



<p>It is almost as if he had reached down into my soul and figured out why I no longer had the vigor I once had for sharing on my personal blog. For far too long, I was trying to brand myself. Posts became few and far between. I still shared a short note, aside, once in a while, but much of what I shared was for others rather than myself.</p>



<p>I still love the idea of a personal blog, but there is room for this space to be reshaped. Personal websites can be so much more than a progression of posts over time, newer posts showing up while everything from the past is neatly tucked on &ldquo;page 2&rdquo; and beyond.</p>



<p>Amy Hoy, in <a href="https://stackingthebricks.com/how-blogs-broke-the-web/">How the Blog Broke the Web</a>, describes the downfall of the digital gardens that once grew across the landscape of the web. It is a history of how personal websites, particularly through the ease of use of the modern CMS, changed for the worse. Instead of carefully tending to our gardens, we became lazy caretakers of our space, molding our content based on the tools the system provided.</p>



<p>She concluded with:</p>



<blockquote><p>&ldquo;There are no more quirky homepages.  There are no more amateur research librarians. All thanks to a quirky bit of software produced to alleviate the pain of a tiny subset of a very small audience. That&rsquo;s not cool at all.&rdquo;</p></blockquote>



<p>She shares my <a href="https://wptavern.com/rebirth-of-creativity-gutenberg-and-the-future-of-wordpress-themes">nostalgia for the early web</a> in which webmasters poured everything about themselves into their little slice of it. It was done over the sweat and tears of late-night HTML mastery. It was about fighting weird CSS quirks just to align something on the center of the page. <em>No grid or flex-box existed in those days.</em></p>



<p>While I lament the loss of some of the artistry of the early web and lay much of the blame at the feet of blogging platforms like WordPress, such platforms also opened the web to far more people who would not have otherwise been able to create a website. <em>Democratizing publishing</em> is a far loftier goal than dropping animated GIFs across personal spaces.</p>



<p>WordPress is in a position to reshape the web into whatever we want.</p>



<p>Throughout the platform&rsquo;s history, end-users have remained at the mercy of their WordPress theme. Most themes are built around what WordPress allows out of the box. They follow a similar formula. Some may have a fancy homepage or other custom page templates. But, on the whole, themes have been primarily built around the idea of a blog. Such themes do not give the user true control over where to place things on their website. While some developers have attempted solutions to this, most have never met the towering goal of putting the power of HTML and CSS into the hands of users through a visual interface. This lack of tools has given rise to <a href="https://wptavern.com/will-page-builders-remain-competitive-in-the-block-era">page builders and the block editor</a>.</p>



<p>WordPress has not been, by and large, an ideal platform for building a unique digital space, unless you had the technical know-how to wrangle its front-end output into something unique. At times, that is more frustrating than building a simple HTML page.</p>



<p>This is the reason that I continually push the Gutenberg project. I write about some of the <a href="https://wptavern.com/the-wacky-world-of-sorta-brilliants-sorta-fun-block-plugins">wild and wacky ideas</a>. I share things like a <a href="https://wptavern.com/block-a-saurus-embeds-a-side-scrolling-t-rex-game-via-the-block-editor">T-Rex game</a> within a block.</p>



<p>I want end-users to be able to create their own digital gardens. I want them to put a large yellow box on their homepage to share a notice that everyone should read &ldquo;this important page&rdquo; on their site. I want them to be able to do this without having to learn how to code or ask their theme author how to make such customizations. It should be as simple as clicking a few buttons.</p>



<p>I also want them to be able to easily build something like Tom Critchlow&rsquo;s <a href="https://tomcritchlow.com/wiki/">wikifolder</a>, a digital collection of links, random thoughts, and other resources.</p>



<p>More than anything, I want personal websites to be more <em>personal</em>.</p>



<p>We&rsquo;re still in a somewhat frustrating transitional period where WordPress is not even halfway to becoming the platform that it will be. We are still beholden to our themes, though less so than before.</p>



<p>Whether it is a digital garden, a plain ol&rsquo; blog, or some new thing we do not have a term for yet, we will all be able to put our unique spin on our personal spaces. It is part of the web that we lost in the last couple of decades with the emergence of the CMS. However, WordPress is on the right path.</p>



<p>It may be a rough ride for some agencies and businesses around the platform, but I am OK with that. They will manage and pull through on the other side, mostly unscathed. I am more concerned about our mission statement of democratizing publishing. And, that mission is not simply about having the ability to write content via a <em>$free</em> system. It is about the freedom to create whatever types of digital homes that we desire without learning to code or breaking the bank.</p>



<p>Pre-Gutenberg WordPress got us part of the way there. It is the post-Gutenberg world that will get us the rest of the way. I am ready to see what people create when they gain the freedom that particular world promises.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 17 Apr 2020 20:00:41 +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:14:"Justin Tadlock";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: Leave at Door: New Free WooCommerce Plugin Enables Contact-free Delivery";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=98679";s:7:"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:207:"https://wptavern.com/leave-at-door-new-free-woocommerce-plugin-enables-contact-free-delivery?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=leave-at-door-new-free-woocommerce-plugin-enables-contact-free-delivery";s: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:3199:"<p class="is-style-default">As many countries around the world are currently in some form of lockdown to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the new restrictions. Restaurants and breweries in particular have had to radically change how they do business and either lay off or furlough the majority of their employees. Many of those that have survived the mandated dine-in closures are jump-starting delivery services in order to stay afloat.</p>



<p>Scott DeLuzio, a WordPress plugin developer and founder of <a href="https://amplifyplugins.com/">Amplify Plugins</a>, recently noticed a &ldquo;leave at door&rdquo; option when ordering food from a local restaurant. He thought it would be a helpful option for WooCommerce store owners to add and created a plugin that makes it easy.</p>



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



<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/leave-at-door-for-woocommerce/">Leave at Door</a> is now available for free from the official WordPress Plugin Directory. It enables customers to maintain social distancing while receiving deliveries. The plugin adds a checkbox before the Place Order button at checkout, which reveals an optional text input for additional delivery instructions. If the customer chooses contact-free delivery, store owners will see it displayed on the admin order edit screen and in the order email. It will also be displayed on the customer&rsquo;s order invoice.</p>



<p>DeLuzio&rsquo;s Amplify Plugins shop focuses on plugins that improve the customer experience in WooCommerce. He reported that his products have seen more activity since social distancing  recommendations were put in place. With the pandemic slowing down shipments from Amazon and other major retailers, local and independent stores have an opportunity to gain the confidence of new customers. </p>



<p>&ldquo;I have definitely seen an uptick in plugin sales over the last month or so,&rdquo; DeLuzio said. &ldquo;I think, through talking to a few customers, this can probably be attributed to traditional brick and mortar stores and restaurants that are looking to move online to compensate for the lack of foot traffic that they are getting in their stores.&rdquo;</p>



<p>The availability of contact-free delivery may be the deciding factor for some customers in quarantine, which could make all the difference for small business owners.</p>



<p> &ldquo;There are probably a good number of local businesses that are struggling these days,&rdquo; DeLuzio said. &ldquo;Their customers are probably very concerned with the virus and maintaining social distancing, so if something like this plugin can help them out, even in a small way, I&rsquo;m happy to have been able to put it together for them.&rdquo;</p>



<p>Even when some economies begin opening up, there will undoubtedly be customers who will still be keen on having a contact-free delivery option, especially those among the populations most vulnerable to COVID-19. The notion of contact-free delivery may have a longer run beyond this current crisis and perhaps even become a permanent fixture on e-commerce checkout screens. </p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 16 Apr 2020 21:00:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";O:42:"Requests_Utility_CaseInsensitiveDictionary":1:{s:7:"*data";a:8:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Fri, 15 May 2020 11:17:33 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Fri, 15 May 2020 11:00:08 GMT";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:4:"x-nc";s:9:"HIT ord 2";s:16:"content-encoding";s:4:"gzip";}}s:5:"build";s:14:"20180518164632";}