:{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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:79:\"Post Status: Introducing a new chapter, with Cory Miller as Post Status partner\";s:7:\"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=73897\";s:7:\"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:\"https://poststatus.com/cory/\";s: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:4335:\"<p>I <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/launched/\">created</a> Post Status in January 2013 and <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/lets-grow/\">started</a> the Club in January 2015. January 2020 marks another huge milestone for this community and business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I’m very excited to share that <a href=\"https://corymiller.com/\">Cory Miller</a> is now an equal partner of Post Status. Cory purchased half the business and will be working with me in the day-to-day management, writing, community engagement, and everything else we do with Post Status.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many should know Cory from his ten years running <a href=\"https://ithemes.com/\">iThemes</a>. After they sold the business to Liquid Web and he spent some time there, he decided to step away and continue his entrepreneurial journey. He’s working on a few projects, and Post Status is a significant part of where he’s dedicating his time and energy.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cory is a long-time friend, and iThemes has been a Post Status sponsorship partner since 2015. Cory understands the community, the role Post Status plays in the space, and he brings so much to the table, from established community relationships to product and business experience.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We’ve known one another going back to 2010 or so. I got to watch as he navigated the WordPress space as the CEO of a theme company turned plugin company, from inception to exit.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cory has so many qualities I admire. Most of all, I admire his honesty, his compassion, his passion for people, and his vision for what’s possible. I look forward to working with a true partner on Post Status after so many years of managing the primary responsibilities with much help from many friends and contractors along the way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to Cory and myself, David Bisset and Dan Knauss continue to be integral parts of the Post Status effort. Cory and I are thankful for their energy, consistency, and talents.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are working together in Oklahoma City this week to finalize our plans for the 2020 year. We already have a lot planned and are looking to get these new initiatives and processes off to a rocking start.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Potential in the WordPress community</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is so much potential in the WordPress community, and Post Status plays an important role through news, community, and professional development. We are going to continue to do that, and we are also going to make changes that we think will benefit the community as a whole and Post Status Club Members in particular.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you’ve ever thought about joining the <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/club\">Post Status Club</a>, it’s a great time to do so. At a minimum, anyone in the WordPress community should subscribe to the <a href=\"https://poststatus.com/newsletter\">newsletter</a>. If you’ve been a member before, we thank you, and we hope we are able to continue to serve you for years to come — better than ever, better together.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Cory\'s thoughts</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked Cory to share a couple of his own thoughts on why he’s investing in Post Status, both with his money and energy.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>I’ve been a fan and supporter of Post Status since the beginning. At iThemes we were one of Brian’s first sponsors. Over the years I leaned on Brian’s insights and counsel — personally as well as through Post Status — to inform and grow iThemes.</p><p>When Brian approached me about becoming a partner my first reaction was, “Heck yes!” Over our weeks and months of conversations, my excitement grew and grew as our goals and aspirations for Post Status were revealed to be so well aligned.</p><p>I truly believe in what Brian has built. And I only want to be a value add and look forward to coming alongside Brian, the Post Status team and this great community.</p></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>We\'re so excited to finally be able to make this official. We look forward to continuing to serve you our readers, our Club members, our partners, and the broader community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Onward!</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Audio & Video Q&A; with Cory and Brian</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We’ll be announcing more specific plans over the coming weeks, and below is our conversation post-announcement by audio and video:</p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-vimeo\"></div>\n</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, 16 Jan 2020 13:55:21 +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: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:31;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:16:\"Matt: Thirty Six\";s:7:\"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=50760\";s:7:\"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:33:\"https://ma.tt/2020/01/thirty-six/\";s: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:3332:\"<p>I am now solidly entering my late thirties, and fortunately I am in good health, good cheer, and doing one of my favorite things — exploring a part of the world and culture I haven’t experienced before (Maldives and Sri Lanka).</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The past year has included a number of professional milestones including <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/09/series-d/\">a significant amount of fundraising</a> and related activity, bringing in <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/08/tumblr-the-day-after/\">a major new product to the Automattic family</a>, the <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/11/state-of-the-word-2019/\">maturation of Gutenberg in the WordPress ecosystem</a>, launching the <a href=\"https://distributed.blog\">Distributed blog and podcast</a>, and a growth in the breadth and depth of the Automattic team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Partially because of the schedule those milestones required, this ended up being my year with the most travel ever since I started tracking: I flew over 515k miles, to 124 cities in 24 countries. I was able to incorporate a <a href=\"https://photomatt.tumblr.com/post/186959053572/some-beautiful-trails-near-aspen-ran-the-heavy\">good amount of running</a> in my routine, started picking up musical instruments again, and learning more about sound and its impact on our lives. I found <a href=\"https://streaksapp.com/\">small daily habits</a>, like a little bit of exercise or stretching first thing in the morning, to be sustainable and high-impact.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What suffered in 2019 was my <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2020/01/29-books-in-2019/\">book reading time</a> and making a dent on the <a href=\"https://www.theworlds50best.com\">top 50 list</a>. I still check <a href=\"https://www.techmeme.com\">tech news every day</a>, but I had to unplug from daily non-tech news because it was just too hectic — I’ve found a lot of value in <a href=\"https://www.economist.com\">weekly publications like the Economist</a> to make sense of what’s going on in the world with the benefit of a little distance and time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personally my main goals this year are for the health and wellness of my family, incorporating more playing music and photography into my life, and strengthening <a href=\"https://www.calm.com\">my meditation practice</a>. If you’re reading this, I hope to run into you online or in person and this year let’s do our best together to leave the world a little better than we found it.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>All birthdays: <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2003/01/bday/\">19</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2004/01/so-im-20/\">20</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2005/01/hot-barely-legal-matt/\">21</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2006/01/matt-22/\">22</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2007/01/twenty-three/\">23</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2008/01/twenty-four/\">24</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2009/01/twenty-five/\">25</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2010/01/twenty-six/\">26</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2011/01/twenty-seven/\">27</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2012/01/twenty-eight/\">28</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2013/01/twenty-nine/\">29</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2014/01/matt-3-0/\">30</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2015/01/thirty-one/\">31</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2016/01/thirty-two/\">32</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2017/01/thirty-three/\">33</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2018/01/thirty-four/\">34</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/01/thirty-five/\">35</a>.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:15:01 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:32;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:62:\"WordPress.org blog: WordPress Leaders Nominated for CMX Awards\";s:7:\"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=8288\";s:7:\"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:78:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/wordpress-leaders-nominated-for-cmx-awards/\";s: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:3074:\"<p>Two members of the WordPress leadership team were nominated for excellent work in their field in the first ever Community Industry Awards. <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/\">Andrea Middleton</a> is nominated for <a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/awards-executive\">Executive Leader of a Community Team</a> and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a> is nominated for <a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/awards-professional\">Community Professional of the Year</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?fit=632%2C281&ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8292\" />\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/\">CMX</a> is one of the largest professional organizations dedicated to community builders. The awards were open to public nomination, and finalists were chosen by panels of their peers in the CMX community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrea has been a vital community strategist for the WordPress project since 2011. Her work to build and support a vibrant community has played a part in the success around the popular open source CMS. Her work is sponsored by Automattic, where she leads a team that focuses on educational efforts, funding, and in-person community-driven events that serve a global base.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josepha has been the Executive Director of the WordPress project since 2019. Her work to coordinate and guide volunteer efforts spans 20 teams and involves thousands of volunteers. Her work is also sponsored by Automattic, where she leads the open source division that focuses on all aspects of open source contribution including design, development, volunteer engagement, and the health of the overall WordPress ecosystem.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Votes are Open</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Final recipients are chosen with open voting — if you feel like either Andrea or Josepha have had an impact on your careers, your trajectory in the WordPress project, or the health of WordPress as a whole, there are three ways you can show your support:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Stop by and vote for them (Andrea&nbsp;<a href=\"https://href.li/?https://cmxhub.com/awards-executive\">here</a>, Josepha&nbsp;<a href=\"https://href.li/?https://cmxhub.com/awards-professional\">here</a>)!</li><li>Share this post with your own communities!</li><li>Tweet some inspirational thoughts about your time/experience/learnings with WordPress (using&nbsp;#WordPress, naturally)!</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Thank You Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>A lot of care and passion goes into making the WordPress Project as fantastic as it is. I think these awards are a reflection of how wonderful the community and ecosystem are, and I appreciate everyone&#8217;s continued trust in my stewardship!</p><cite>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>WordPress community organizers are some of the most generous and creative people in the world — working with them is exciting and interesting every day. I’m humbled by this nomination; thank you!</p><cite>Andrea Middleton</cite></blockquote>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:42:12 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:16:\"Francesca Marano\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:67:\"WPTavern: Get Involved With Block-Based WordPress Theme Experiments\";s:7:\"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=96502\";s:7:\"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:78:\"https://wptavern.com/get-involved-with-block-based-wordpress-theme-experiments\";s: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:4426:\"<p>As the WordPress theme review team wound down their team meeting yesterday, they were finalizing what their focus area for 2020 would be.  The general agreement among members was that block-based themes should be at the top of the list.  There was some pushback from a minority that did not want to see block-based themes at all.  The reality is that themes will be changing in the next year or two.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a team, this is the group of people who will ultimately need to set guidelines based on something WordPress has never done before.  They will also need to work diligently to bring theme authors up to speed on how themes of the future will be built.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, there are many unknowns, but work on <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/labels/%5BFeature%5D%20Full%20Site%20Editing\">tickets for full-site editing</a> is happening at a quick pace.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allan Cole, Theme Imagineer at Automattic, later invited team members to get involved with the <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments\">Theme Experiments project</a> on GitHub.  It is a way for developers in the WordPress community to help steer the theme-development ship.  Currently, the repository is fairly bare-bones and represents only the early work toward creating themes from blocks.  Each sub-directory in the repository will be an individual experiment that explores creating themes using blocks or block templates.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/initial-documentation-for-block-based-wordpress-themes-proposed\">initial documentation</a> for block-based themes was introduced in early December 2019.  Since then, a handful of contributors have put together some working theme examples to get the ball rolling.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The repository is <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md\">open to contributions</a> from anyone.  This would be a good moment for members of the larger theme development community to start sending in pull requests to share their experiments.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>To test any of the experiments in this repository, you need to be running the latest version of the Gutenberg plugin.  You must also enable the &ldquo;Full Site Editing&rdquo; and &ldquo;Full Site Editing Demo Templates&rdquo; options from within the plugin&rsquo;s &ldquo;Experiments&rdquo; screen.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Parisienne Theme</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Screenshot of the Parisienne theme.\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the only approved theme experiment is the Parisienne theme.  It&rsquo;s a test of how block templates and template parts work.  A <a href=\"https://parisiennetheme.mystagingwebsite.com/\">live demo</a> of the theme is available.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&rsquo;t expect to be blown away.  There are many missing pieces in the Gutenberg plugin, such as blocks for displaying posts and similar items.  The idea is to explore how templating will work and provide feedback to the Gutenberg development team.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One major concern I have at this point is the flat nature of the two sub-directories for housing templates and template parts.  With the seven template part files in this theme, I worry that we are not learning from the mistakes of the past.  The sub-folders could become unruly, particularly <code>/template-parts</code>, and house dozens upon dozens of files in a real-world scenario.  This is no different from how themes currently work other than the location of the template files.  Now would be a good time to reimagine the folder structure and optimize the organization of theme templates.  For example, group sidebar templates under a <code>/template-parts/sidebar</code> folder instead of dumping everything into one location.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Twenty Nineteen and Twenty Twenty</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Early look at a block-based Twenty Nineteen theme.\n\n\n\n<p>The repository has two open pull requests for experimenting with blocked-based versions of the <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/pull/4\">Twenty Nineteen</a> and <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/theme-experiments/pull/5\">Twenty Twenty</a> default themes.  Of the two, the Twenty Nineteen Blocks theme seemed the least broken, despite the original not being designed specifically for the block editor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Porting the most recent default WordPress themes is important because it provides theme authors a way to compare how old methods of handling features will work in the new block system.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:39:12 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:34;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:116:\"HeroPress: How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely – Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:56:\"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=3037\";s:7:\"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:118:\"https://heropress.com/essays/starting-early-in-tech/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=starting-early-in-tech\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34324:\"<img width=\"960\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/011320-min-1024x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Pull Quote: WordPress people tend to be generous, trusting, and helpful.\" /><p><a href=\"https://heropress.com/feed/#indonesian\">Esai ini juga tersedia dalam bahasa Indonesia.</a></p>\n<p>Growing up, I’ve always been surrounded by technology.</p>\n<p>My dad is a programmer, he created my Gmail account and my first blog on Blogger (Blogspot) when I was 10 years old (it’s around 2006?). I filled up my blog with posts resembling diary entries. The content became too private eventually, so I decided to set it on private.</p>\n<p>Besides that first blog, I had about 5 other blogs on Blogger. One was for posts I believed not too private and could be consumed by the public, one was for my class’ blog in middle school, and one for me to learn how to write in English. I don’t remember what the other blogs are for, since I just kept creating and deleting them. I got satisfaction and happiness from pouring my thoughts in writing and publishing them in my blog. Many times, writing my thoughts and feelings helped me process them, even until now.</p>\n<p>Fast forward to high school graduation. Since I love languages (English is one of my favorite subjects!), I actually wanted to major in English in a top public university in my country, but I didn’t get in, so my second option was Information Systems in a private university. There, I learned a lot about IT and business, I learned Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Android programming. I even took some Coursera and Codecademy courses to learn Bootstrap and Ruby on Rails. I was a good student, I love learning the algorithms and I did more than okay, but I didn’t love programming. I’m not that people who can stay calm finding errors in their codes, and then finding out that it’s only missing a character.</p>\n<h3>Meeting WordPress for the first time</h3>\n<p>At that time, my parents built some websites to sell backlinks (don’t hate me). I helped them with the sites, mainly proofreading and formatting the articles, and they would pay me. That’s when I first encountered WordPress. I saw WordPress as something more advanced than Blogger, with more themes and plugins to choose from. The default WordPress websites already looked more professional than Blogger does.</p>\n<p>I also like to earn extra money (who doesn’t?), so I helped a teacher in my neighborhood teaching high school students from my old high school. I don’t know how to explain this, but in Indonesia, it’s common to take extra courses (outside the school) to learn what you’re already taught at school and prepare for tests. So it’s another 2-hour study time after school.</p>\n<p>During another semester, I taught English at a Kumon center (it’s a Japanese franchise for math and English). I also taught about 10 of my peers for 2 semesters and got a pretty good discount for my tuition as a reward. At home, I tried every legal and safe method available to make money online. Some worked, like translating texts from English to Indonesian on Gengo and writing articles in English on Zerys. Some, like online surveys, didn’t. I also created an Upwork account and applied to some jobs there, but I never got one.</p>\n<p>In my last year at university, I had to do a year-long full-time internship. I got mine at a big general insurance company as their IT QC Staff. I learned a lot and met many amazing people there, but when I was offered to continue working there as a Business Analyst, I said no. I wanted to apply for a scholarship for a masters’ degree. And I don’t really like the fact that I have to wake up at 6 and be back home at 7 in the evening and do it all over again the next day.</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image2.jpg\"><img /></a>With my colleagues, I’m the one with the white blouse.\n<p>But one thing I realized just now when I’m writing this is, the whole remote work wouldn’t have happened without the internship. My daily 1.5-hour commute to work made me read Medium everyday. And reading people’s stories on Medium made me want to write and share my stories, so I started writing and sharing my stories there. You’ll see in the next 2 paragraphs the significance of this Medium profile in my career.</p>\n<h3>Start working remotely</h3>\n<p>So after the internship, while I prepared for the scholarship application, I went back to my Upwork profile, revised it, and applied to some jobs as a virtual assistant. Starting from a very low pay, I did everything, like formatting WordPress posts (surprise!), designing social media posts, and processing orders for online shops. I work with people from Singapore, Australia, Europe, and America. After a few happy clients, I increased my hourly rate, slowly but surely. I got familiar with common tools used in a remote work setting, like Slack, Asana, Trello, and Google Suites. I also started writing in English a lot more, on my personal blog on WordPress.com and my Medium.</p>\n<p>One day, around 3 months after I started, a job opening on Upwork caught my attention. They’re a WordPress plugin company called Caldera Labs/Caldera Forms, and they’re looking for someone who could deliver consistency on their blog. They want to publish one blog post per week. I sent my proposal along with my Medium profile URL. <a href=\"http://christiechirinos.com\">Christie Chirinos</a> then replied to my proposal. I remembered she mentioned checking my writings on Medium and that I have a ‘great writing tone’. She wanted to ‘meet’ me in video, so she sent me a Calendly link. I notified her that I would be available at 5 a.m. my time. That was my first time seeing Calendly.. (Calendly is awesome!).</p>\n<p>That was also my first time having to be interviewed via video call. I was ecstatic, but panicked. On the day, I woke up at 4, got dressed, and opened my laptop. Weirdly, my wi-fi died that morning. So I went to the nearest McDonalds to get the interview done, and it went great!</p>\n<p>Long story short, I continued to work with my other clients and started working with Caldera Forms for 15 hours a week. Besides Christie, I also met <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Josh412\">Josh Pollock</a>, Ariella, Anchaal, Rosa, Nico, and Swapnil. At first, I was only tasked with formatting blog posts on WordPress following their style guide. Then I was involved in their overall content strategy, like crafting onboarding emails and coordinating with guest writers. But I’ve always felt welcomed since day one at Caldera Forms. We’re a team of only 5-6 people, we had monthly all-hands video meetings, we talked about our day in Slack. It wasn’t like with any of my clients.</p>\n<p>Christie and Josh are also very active in the WordPress community, they had introduced me to the ‘right’ people to connect with. In order to do that, I had to make an account on WordPress’ Slack. I got to know the amazing community behind WordPress. How people voluntarily contribute their time, energy, and skills to the community, from development, marketing, to translating. It was really inspiring. During my time with Caldera Forms, I also went to my first WordCamp, WordCamp Jakarta 2018, sponsored by Caldera Forms!</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image3.jpg\"><img /></a>Some swags from WordCamp Jakarta 2018, that’s Wapuu ondel-ondel!\n<p>It’s only natural then that I wanted to have my own WordPress website. I had a WordPress.com blog once, but this one is different. You can see <a href=\"http://ascenciafike.com\">my blog here</a>. I felt like a grown-up using WordPress.</p>\n<h3>Transitioning to full-time</h3>\n<p>One day, Caldera Forms was acquired by <a href=\"http://saturdaydrive.com\">Saturday Drive</a>, the company behind <a href=\"http://ninjaforms.com\">Ninja Forms</a>. Josh, Nico, Rosa, and I ‘moved’ there, too. Josh introduced me to <a href=\"http://jameslaws.com\">James Laws</a>, the CEO. But because I was still freelancing and have a few other clients, we used my old contract on Upwork. Saturday Drive was much bigger than Caldera, with 20+ people onboard, and I was really excited! They have product team, support team, and communications team. When we moved there, they’re also in another big transition, which was switching to remote work.</p>\n<p>After a month working with Saturday Drive using the old contract, James offered me a full-time position to manage their affiliate program. It was morning in the U.S., but it’s already 8 p.m. where I live. I was <i>really</i> excited, but it’s also a really hard decision to make. Taking the offer would mean letting go all of my clients and specializing in one side of digital marketing, which is affiliate marketing. I would also have to work 8 hours a day. I stayed up late that night, discussing the possibilities with my parents.</p>\n<p>The next day, I replied to James’ message and accepted his offer.</p>\n<p>It’s been more than 4 months since I started working with Saturday Drive now (time of writing: January 2020). Obviously, it’s different from freelancing, but I love almost every moment of it.</p>\n<p>We use Basecamp instead of Slack, where we set up different questions for different times of the week. Every Wednesday, we would be asked: “What do you look like today?”. There are also questions like “What are you looking forward to most this week?”, “What were the highlights of your work day today?”, and “Read any good books lately?”. We even have fiction and non-fiction book clubs!</p>\n<p>We also use Basecamp’s method of working, called <a href=\"https://basecamp.com/shapeup\">Shape Up</a>. We work on projects in a six-week cycle, and then we’ll have two weeks of cooldown. In the cooldown period, we get to work on things we want to work on. And before the next cycle starts, we’ll submit pitches about the projects we want to work on next.</p>\n<p>What about video calls? We have a big monthly meeting with all team members, and occasional coffee break chats with 4-5 people. If urgently needed, we would also have video calls for projects. Except for these calls, I work in my time zone’s working hours.</p>\n<p>So far, I love working with Saturday Drive and getting to know the people. Although I can’t really relate to the U.S. culture (almost all of the team members are U.S. based), I relate to the values that Saturday Drive has. Most importantly, I’m proud of the work we’re doing!</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image1.png\"><img /></a>We have virtual ‘coffee breaks’.\n<h3>Giving back to the WordPress Community</h3>\n<p>Notice the pattern in my story?</p>\n<p>WordPress people tend to be generous, trusting, and helpful, because the WordPress itself is open-source. WordPress is powered by volunteers, kind people from all over the world doing development, marketing, translation, support, and many more. There are WordPress meetups, local and regional WordCamps, which are organized by organizers and volunteers.</p>\n<p>Because I’ve experienced the generosity of the WordPress people, I wanted to give back to the community. Several months ago, I tried contributing to the Marketing team by attending a few weekly meetings on Slack. But I eventually stopped attending because I was too busy with work (and the meetings are at 10 pm my time).</p>\n<p>Around November 2019, Devin Maeztri from WordPress Indonesia contacted me through Instagram DM. She invited me to join PerempuanWP, an initiative for Indonesian women working in the WordPress world, similar to WomeninWP. So I followed <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PerempuanWP\">@PerempuanWP</a> on Twitter and joined the WordPress Indonesia’s Slack. Not long after that, I contributed to Indonesia’s polyglot team as well, translating the Code of Conduct and revising our Translation Style Guide.</p>\n<p>Currently, I’m preparing an <a href=\"https://wp-id.org/kulgram-4-onboarding-e-mail/\">‘online webinar’ on Telegram</a> and <a href=\"https://wp-id.org/wpjkt-meetup-21-onboarding-email-and-woocommerce-theme-for-your-business\">a talk for WordPress Meetup Jakarta</a>, both about email marketing (both will be done by the time you’re reading this).</p>\n<p>By putting myself out there, or here in this article. I want to represent Asian women. In the future, I hope I can inspire more women, especially Asians, to work remotely.</p>\n<h3>What you should do if you want to work remotely</h3>\n<p>If you’re an introvert, working remotely may sound like a dream come true. Without leaving the comfort of your house (or even your pajamas), you can still work and earn money. But, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. From my experience, here’s what you should prepare if you want to work remotely.</p>\n<ol>\n<li>You should be comfortable working with computers. All day.<br />\nAt least you can do a basic Google search, because that’s where most of the answers are, especially if you want to start as a general virtual assistant. Take care of your eyes. Stand up and walk around once in awhile.</li>\n<li>It gets boring. You should be OK with <i>not </i>meeting people all day.<br />\nSometimes you just have to focus on your work so much that you can’t afford to get out of the house. But sometimes, the only way to have that focus is to get out of the house and work from a cafe. Just find the balance you need, it’ll get better with experience.</li>\n<li>Learn the English language. Or other international languages.<br />\nIf you want to work internationally, this one is crucial. You won’t be able to work with people from another country if you can’t speak their language.</li>\n<li>Do your best in your current job.<br />\nOne of the best books I’ve read this year was So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport. “Don’t follow your passion; rather, let it follow you in your quest to become, in the words of my favorite Steve Martin quote, “so good that they can’t ignore you.”” So, instead of trying to find your passion, enjoy the work you’re doing at the moment, try to master it, and adopt the craftsman mindset. Collect as many skills as you can, and see what those skills can do for the world.<br />\nTLDR; don’t be obsessed with wanting to work remotely. The opportunity will come, eventually.</li>\n<li>Don’t settle for mediocrity.<br />\nJust learn things. As much as you can. From anywhere, about anything. Keep an open mind. Read books, listen to podcasts, and learn new skills.</li>\n<li>Join the community.<br />\nIf you’re working in the WordPress world, join the WordPress community. It’s a great place to learn from and connect with great people.</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Of course, I won’t be able to tell you to follow the same path that I took, but I hope my story and the pointers above can help you to pursue the (remote) career you want.</p>\n<hr />\n<h2 id=\"indonesian\">Bertumbuh bersama teknologi</h2>\n<p>Saya sudah dikelilingi teknologi sejak kecil.</p>\n<p>Papa saya adalah seorang programmer yang familier dengan teknologi. Saat umur saya 10 tahun, Papa membuatkan akun email Gmail dan blog pertama saya di Blogger (Blogspot). Saat itu, artikel blog saya kebanyakan menyerupai diari, catatan dari kejadian sehari-hari yang saya alami. Akhirnya, saya merasa konten tersebut terlalu pribadi, sehingga saya atur aksesnya menjadi pribadi.</p>\n<p>Selain blog pertama itu, saya mempunyai 5 blog lain di Blogger. Satu untuk tulisan yang saya nilai tidak terlalu privat dan bisa dibaca oleh publik, satu untuk blog kelas saya di SMP, dan satu untuk saya belajar menulis dalam Bahasa Inggris. Saya tidak ingat blog yang lain untuk apa, karena banyak yang saya buat lalu saya hapus. Saya merasa puas dan senang saat bisa menuangkan pikiran saya dalam bentuk tulisan. Menulis membantu saya memroses pikiran dan perasaan saya, bahkan sampai saat ini.</p>\n<p>Setelah lulus SMA, saya tadinya ingin kuliah Sastra Inggris di salah satu universitas negeri (saya suka bahasa, Bahasa Inggris mata pelajaran favorit saya!), tetapi karena tidak berhasil masuk, akhirnya saya berkuliah di universitas swasta, mengambil jurusan Sistem Informasi. Di kuliah, saya belajar banyak mengenai TI dan bisnis, saya mempelajari bahasa pemrograman Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, dan pemrograman Android. Saya juga belajar Bootstrap dan Ruby on Rails secara otodidak lewat Coursera dan Codecademy. Saya bisa memahami pelajaran pemrograman dan mendapat nilai bagus, tetapi saya tidak suka <i>‘coding</i>’. Saya merasa saya tidak cukup sabar untuk menulis kode dan mencari kesalahan dalam kode saya.</p>\n<h3>Bertemu WordPress pertama kali</h3>\n<p>Saat saya kuliah, orangtua saya membangun beberapa website menggunakan WordPress untuk menjual link. Saya membantu mereka mengecek kualitas artikel dan menyusunnya di WordPress, dan mereka membayar saya. Ini pertama kalinya saya bekerja dengan WordPress. Saya ingat, saya menganggap WordPress sebagai platform yang lebih canggih dari Blogger, karena ada lebih banyak cara untuk modifikasi lewat tema dan plugin.</p>\n<p>Saya suka mendapat uang tambahan (siapa yang tidak suka?), sehingga saya membantu mengajar bimbel di dekat rumah. Di semester lain, saya mengajar Inggris di Kumon, di dekat rumah juga. Selain itu, selama 2 semester, saya menjadi mentor di kampus, mengajar 10 orang teman saya yang butuh pelajaran tambahan. Sebagai gantinya, saya mendapat potongan uang kuliah.</p>\n<p>Di rumah, saya juga mencari semua cara yang legal dan aman untuk mencari uang. Saya menerjemahkan teks dari Inggris ke Indonesia menggunakan Gengo dan menulis artikel dalam Bahasa Inggris di Zerys. Saya juga mendaftar di Upwork (marketplace untuk freelancer), apply ke beberapa pekerjaan, tetapi tidak pernah mendapat satupun.</p>\n<p>Di tahun terakhir perkuliahan, saya diwajibkan menjalani magang selama 1 tahun. Saya mendapat kesempatan untuk magang di Asuransi Astra sebagai Staff IT Quality Control mereka. Selama 1 tahun tersebut, saya belajar banyak dan bertemu banyak orang hebat, tetapi saat ditawari posisi tetap menjadi Business Analyst, saya menolak. Saat itu saya ingin mendaftar beasiswa untuk melanjutkan pendidikan S2. Dan saya juga tidak terlalu suka harus bangun jam 6 pagi, sampai di rumah jam 7 malam, dan harus mengulanginya setiap hari.</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image2-1.jpg\"><img /></a>Foto dengan teman-teman kantor, saya yang berbaju putih.\n<p>Tetapi satu hal yang baru saya sadari saat menulis ini, kesempatan remote work yang saya miliki sekarang ini tidak mungkin ada tanpa pengalaman magang tersebut. Perjalanan bus ke kantor setiap hari membuat saya rutin membaca Medium. Membaca cerita-cerita orang di Medium membuat saya ingin menulis dan membagikan cerita saya, sehingga saya melakukannya di Medium.</p>\n<h3>Mulai bekerja remote</h3>\n<p>Setelah magang, saat saya mempersiapkan diri untuk mendaftar beasiswa, saya teringat dengan profil Upwork saya. Saya perbarui info diri dan CV, dan mendaftar ke beberapa lowongan sebagai asisten virtual (virtual assistant). Saya lakukan segala hal mulai dari bayaran yang kecil, seperti mem-format artikel di WordPress, desain pos media sosial, dan memroses pesanan untuk toko online. Saya bekerja dengan klien dari Singapura, Australia, Eropa, dan Amerika. Setelah beberapa review yang bagus dari klien, saya menaikkan tarif per jam saya perlahan-lahan. Saya menjadi mahir menggunakan aplikasi yang sering digunakan di lingkungan kerja remote, seperti Slack, Asana, Trello, dan Google Suites. Saya juga mulai menulis lebih banyak artikel lagi dalam bahasa Inggris, di blog pribadi saya di WordPress.com dan Medium.</p>\n<p>Suatu hari, 3 bulan setelah mulai kerja di Upwork, ada sebuah lowongan yang menarik perhatian saya. Sebuah perusahaan plugin WordPress bernama Caldera Labs/Caldera Forms sedang mencari seseorang yang dapat menjaga konsistensi blog mereka. Mereka ingin menghasilkan satu artikel per minggu. Saya mengirim proposal beserta URL profil Medium saya.</p>\n<p>Tidak lama kemudian, proposal saya dijawab oleh salah satu co-founder mereka, <a href=\"http://christiechirinos.com/\">Christie Chirinos</a>. Saya ingat Christie berkata bahwa ia sudah melihat profil Medium saya dan saya mempunyai ‘nada menulis yang bagus’. Lalu, ia mengirimi saya link Calendly (aplikasi untuk mengatur pertemuan secara online, bisa melihat jadwal kosong dari orang yang bersangkutan), dan saya memberitahunya bahwa saya akan dapat bertemu jam 5 pagi keesokan harinya.</p>\n<p>Itu juga merupakan kali pertama saya diwawancara lewat video. Saya senang dan bersemangat, tetapi juga panik. Pada hari H, saya bangun jam 4 pagi, bersiap-siap, dan membuka laptop. Anehnya, hari itu wi-fi saya putus! Saya akhirnya pergi ke McDonalds terdekat untuk mendapatkan koneksi internet. Untungnya, wawancara tersebut berjalan lancar.</p>\n<p>Saya diterima bekerja di Caldera Forms, sambil terus bekerja dengan klien yang lain, karena beban pekerjaan Caldera Forms saat itu hanya 15 jam seminggu, bahkan kurang. Selain Christie, saya juga bertemu dengan Josh Pollock (co-founder), Ariella, Anchaal, Rosa, Nico, dan Swapnil. Mereka berada di Amerika Serikat, India, dan Perancis.</p>\n<p>Awalnya, saya hanya ditugaskan untuk menyusun artikel di WordPress sesuai dengan style guide yang sudah mereka susun. Setelah beberapa bulan, saya dilibatkan di dalam strategi konten mereka secara keseluruhan, seperti membuat email onboarding dan berkoordinasi dengan penulis tamu. Dari awal, walaupun kami belum pernah bertemu secara langsung, saya merasa disambut oleh tim Caldera Forms. Dalam satu waktu, tim kami hanya berjumlah 5-6 orang, dengan pertemuan bulanan melalui video, dan ‘ngobrol’ harian melalui Slack. Pengalaman dengan Caldera Forms tidak seperti dengan klien saya yang lain.</p>\n<p>Christie dan Josh juga sangat aktif di komunitas WordPress, mereka mengenalkan saya ke orang-orang yang tepat. Untuk berkomunikasi dengan orang-orang tersebut, saya harus membuat akun di Slack Make WordPress. Saya jadi kenal dengan komunitas di balik WordPress, bagaimana orang secara sukarela menyumbangkan waktu, energi, dan kemampuan mereka untuk kemajuan komunitas, kode, pemasaran, hingga penerjemahan. Melihat itu semua sangat menginspirasi saya. Selama di Caldera Forms, saya juga dikirim untuk menghadiri WordCamp pertama saya, WordCamp Jakarta 2018!</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image3-1.jpg\"><img /></a>Merchandise dari WordCamp Jakarta, Wapuu Ondel-ondel!\n<p>Setelah menghadiri WordCamp tersebut, tentunya saya ingin mempunyai website WordPress sendiri dengan domain nama saya sendiri. Teman-teman dapat melihat blog saya <a href=\"http://ascenciafike.com\">disini</a>. Mempunyai blog dengan domain nama saya sendiri terasa seperti langkah selanjutnya dalam perjalanan karir saya.</p>\n<h3>Proses transisi ke pekerjaan penuh waktu</h3>\n<p>Suatu hari, Caldera Forms diakuisisi oleh <a href=\"http://saturdaydrive.com\">Saturday Drive</a>, perusahaan di balik plugin form builder lainnya, <a href=\"http://ninjaforms.com\">Ninja Forms</a>. Josh, Nico, Rosa, dan saya ‘berpindah’ juga. Josh memperkenalkan saya ke <a href=\"http://jameslaws.com\">James Laws</a>, CEO dari Saturday Drive. Saat itu, kami masih menggunakan kontrak lama saya di Upwork, dengan batas waktu kerja 15 jam seminggu. Di Saturday Drive, semuanya berbeda, tim mereka jauh lebih besar dibandingkan Caldera (ada lebih dari 20 orang) sehingga saya sangat bersemangat! Mereka mempunyai tim produk, tim suport, dan tim komunikasi. Tetapi, selain akuisisi tersebut, mereka juga sedang melewati transisi yang lain, yaitu berubah menjadi perusahaan remote.</p>\n<p>Setelah satu bulan bekerja bersama Saturday Drive dengan kontrak lama saya, James tiba-tiba menawari saya posisi penuh waktu untuk mengelola program afiliasi mereka. Saya sangat senang dan bersyukur mendapatkan penawaran tersebut, tetapi juga mengalami dilema. Mengambil tawaran tersebut dan bekerja penuh waktu dengan Saturday Drive berarti melepas semua klien saya dan harus mengambil spesialisasi <i>affiliate marketing</i> (pemasaran afiliasi). Saya juga harus bekerja selama 8 jam sehari. Malam itu, saya tidak bisa tidur, dan saya berdiskusi dengan kedua orangtua saya yang sama bersemangatnya.</p>\n<p>Keesokan harinya, saya menjawab pesan dari James dan menerima tawarannya.</p>\n<p>Sudah lebih dari 4 bulan sejak saya mulai bekerja dengan Saturday Drive (waktu penulisan: bulan Januari 2020). Bekerja penuh waktu dengan satu perusahaan memang sangat berbeda dengan freelancing (bekerja lepas), tetapi saya menikmati hampir setiap momennya.</p>\n<p>Di Saturday Drive, kami menggunakan Basecamp, bukan Slack, dimana kami dapat mengatur pertanyaan rutin untuk anggota yang lain setiap minggunya. Misalnya, setiap Rabu kami akan mendapat pertanyaan: “Bagaimana penampilanmu hari ini?”. Ada juga pertanyaan-pertanyaan seperti: “Apa yang kamu tunggu-tunggu minggu ini?”, “Apa yang berjalan lancar dari kerjamu hari ini?”, dan “Buku apa yang baru kamu baca dan menurutmu bagus akhir-akhir ini?”. Bahkan kami mempunyai klub membaca untuk buku fiksi dan non-fiksi!</p>\n<p>Kami juga menggunakan metode kerja dari Basecamp, yang disebut <a href=\"https://basecamp.com/shapeup\">Shape Up</a>. Kami bekerja dalam siklus, yaitu 6 minggu mengerjakan proyek, lalu 2 minggu mengerjakan hal-hal yang kami ingin kerjakan (disebut <i>cooldown</i>). Sebelum siklus selanjutnya mulai, kami akan mengumpulkan <i>pitch</i> mengenai proyek yang ingin kita lakukan.</p>\n<p>Bagaimana dengan panggilan/konferensi video? Kami mengadakan pertemuan dengan semua anggota tim setiap bulannya, dan <i>ngobrol </i>dengan 4-5 orang setiap 2 minggu. Kalau diperlukan sekali, kami juga mengadakan panggilan video untuk pekerjaan. Saya bekerja dalam zona waktu Indonesia, kecuali untuk mengikuti panggilan-panggilan ini.</p>\n<p>Sejauh ini, saya menikmati bekerja dengan Saturday Drive dan mengenal orang-orang di dalamnya. Walaupun sulit untuk terhubung dengan budaya Amerika (hampir 90% stafnya berada di Amerika), tetapi saya terhubung dan sangat mendukung nilai-nilai yang Saturday Drive pegang. Dan yang terpenting, saya bangga dengan kerja Saturday Drive sebagai perusahaan!</p>\n<a href=\"https://s20094.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image1-1.png\"><img /></a>Ngobrol virtual dengan tim Saturday Drive.\n<h3>Memberi kembali ke Komunitas WordPress</h3>\n<p>Apakah teman-teman bisa melihat pola di dalam cerita saya?</p>\n<p>Orang-orang di dalam komunitas WordPress biasanya suka berbagi, sangat percaya kepada orang lain (dan potensi orang lain), dan suka menolong, karena WordPress sendiri bersifat open-source (terbuka). WordPress bisa berjalan karena dibantu oleh para relawan, orang-orag dari seluruh dunia yang secara sukarela menulis kode, membantu pemasaran, penerjemahan, suport, dan masih banyak lagi. Meetup dan WordCamp, baik lokal dan regional, diadakan oleh organizer dan relawan.</p>\n<p>Karena selama ini saya telah merasakan kebaikan dari orang-orang WordPress, saya ingin memberi kembali/membantu komunitas WordPress. Beberapa bulan lalu, saya mencoba berkontribusi ke tim Marketing WordPress global dengan mengikuti beberapa kali pertemuan mingguannya di Slack. Tetapi lama kelamaan saya tidak datang lagi, karena terlalu sibuk dengan pekerjaan (dan pertemuannya diadakan pukul 10 malam).</p>\n<p>Sekitar bulan November 2019, Devin Maeztri dari WordPress Indonesia menghubungi saya lewat DM Instagram. Ia mengundang saya untuk ikut PerempuanWP, sebuah komunitas untuk perempuan Indonesia yang bekerja di dunia WordPress (mirip dengan WomeninWP). Hari itu, saya mulai mengikuti <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PerempuanWP\">@PerempuanWP</a> di Twitter dan bergabung dengan Slack WordPress Indonesia. Tidak lama setelahnya, saya berkontribusi di tim poliglot Indonesia juga, menerjemahkan Kode Etik Komunitas WordPress Indonesia (<i>Code of Conduct</i>) dan merevisi Panduan Penerjemahan (<i>Translation Style Guide</i>).</p>\n<p>Saat ini, saya sedang mempersiapkan <a href=\"https://wp-id.org/kulgram-4-onboarding-e-mail/\">kulgram di grup Telegram PerempuanWP</a> dan menjadi <a href=\"https://wp-id.org/wpjkt-meetup-21-onboarding-email-and-woocommerce-theme-for-your-business\">pembicara di Meetup WordPress Jakarta</a>, keduanya tentang <i>email marketing.</i></p>\n<p>Dengan membagikan pengalaman dan cerita saya, salah satunya melakui artikel ini, saya ingin mewakili perempuan Indonesia dan Asia. Saya berharap saya dapat menginspirasi banyak perempuan di Indonesia dan Asia untuk bekerja secara remote.</p>\n<h3>Apa yang harus Anda lakukan jika ingin bekerja secara <i>remote</i></h3>\n<p>Jika teman-teman adalah seorang yang introver (seperti saya!), bekerja remote mungkin terdengar seperti mimpi yang jadi kenyataan. Tanpa harus meninggalkan rumah (bahkan kadang masih memakai baju tidur), Anda dapat bekerja dan menghasilkan uang. Tetapi tidak semua aspek bekerja remote itu menyenangkan.</p>\n<p>Berdasarkan pengalaman saya, berikut hal-hal yang harus Anda persiapkan jika ingin bekerja secara remote:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Anda harus siap bekerja di depan komputer. Satu hari penuh.<br />\nPaling tidak Anda harus bisa melakukan pencarian lewat Google, karena akan sangat dibutuhkan untuk bekerja, terutama jika Anda ingin memulai sebagai asisten virtual. Jaga mata Anda. Berdiri dan jalan setiap 30 menit.</li>\n<li>Anda harus siap bosan, dan tidak bertemu orang lain (selain keluarga) selama satu hari.<br />\nKadang Anda harus fokus sekali dengan pekerjaan hingga tidak bisa keluar rumah. Tetapi kadang, satu-satunya cara untuk fokus adalah keluar rumah dan kerja di kafe. Sesuaikan dengan kebutuhan, lama-kelamaan Anda akan menemukan kombinasi yang pas.</li>\n<li>Pelajari bahasa Inggris. Atau bahasa internasional lainnya.<br />\nJika Anda ingin bekerja secara internasional. Poin ini adalah keharusan. Anda tidak akan bisa bekerja dengan orang dari negara lain jika Anda tidak dapat berkomunikasi dalam bahasa mereka.</li>\n<li>Lakukan yang terbaik di pekerjaan Anda saat ini.<br />\nSalah satu buku terbaik yang saya baca di tahun 2019 adalah So Good They Can’t Ignore You oleh Cal Newport. “Jangan ikuti passion Anda; melainkan biarkan passion Anda mengikuti Anda dalam perjalanan, yang Steve Martin sebagai, “bagus sekali hingga mereka tidak dapat mengabaikan Anda.”” Jadi, jangan ikuti passion Anda, tetapi jalani pekerjaan yang Anda punya sekarang sebaik mungkin, coba untuk menguasai kemampuan yang dibutuhkan, dan adopsi cara pikir ‘pengrajin’. Jangan menunggu pekerjaan yang ‘sempurna’, percaya bahwa setiap pekerjaan mempunyai pelajaran bagi diri kita, kumpulkan kemampuan sebanyak mungkin, dan pikirkan apa yang dapat Anda lakukan bagi dunia dengan kemampuan-kemampuan tersebut.<br />\nSingkatnya, jangan terlalu terobsesi dengan ingin bekerja secara remote. Kerjakan pekerjaan Anda sebaik mungkin, kesempatan akan datang pada waktunya.</li>\n<li>Jangan mudah puas.<br />\nApapun tingkat kemampuan Anda saat ini, belajar sebanyak-banyaknya. Darimana saja, tentang apa saja. Tetap terbuka. Baca buku, dengarkan podcast, dan pelajari kemampuan baru.</li>\n<li>Ikut komunitas.<br />\nJika Anda bekerja di dunia WordPress, ikut komunitas WordPress! Selain bisa menolong orang lain, kita juga bisa belajar dari banyak orang hebat dan menambah koneksi.</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Saya berharap pengalaman saya dan tips-tips di atas dapat menginspirasi dan menolong teman-teman yang ingin berkarir secara remote.</p>\n<div class=\"rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal\"><div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-horizontal\"><div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button\"><a title=\"Tweet: How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\" class=\"rtsocial-twitter-button\" href=\"https://twitter.com/share?text=How%20WordPress%20Enabled%20Me%20To%20Work%20Remotely%20%2D%20Bagaimana%20WordPress%20Memungkinkan%20Saya%20Bekerja%20Secara%20Remote&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fstarting-early-in-tech%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"></a></div></div><div class=\"rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light\"><div class=\"rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button\"><a title=\"Like: How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\" class=\"rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light\" href=\"https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fstarting-early-in-tech%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"></a></div></div><div class=\"rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal\"><div class=\"rtsocial-linkedin-horizontal-button\"><a class=\"rtsocial-linkedin-button\" href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fstarting-early-in-tech%2F&title=How+WordPress+Enabled+Me+To+Work+Remotely+%26%238211%3B+Bagaimana+WordPress+Memungkinkan+Saya+Bekerja+Secara+Remote\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Share: How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\"></a></div></div><div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal\"><div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-horizontal-button\"><a class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-button\" href=\"https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://heropress.com/essays/starting-early-in-tech/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/011320-min-150x150.jpg&description=How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely - Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Pin: How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\"></a></div></div><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"perma-link\" href=\"https://heropress.com/essays/starting-early-in-tech/\" title=\"How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote\"></a></div><p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://heropress.com/essays/starting-early-in-tech/\">How WordPress Enabled Me To Work Remotely &#8211; Bagaimana WordPress Memungkinkan Saya Bekerja Secara Remote</a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https://heropress.com\">HeroPress</a>.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 15 Jan 2020 01:00:05 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:11:\"Fike Komala\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:104:\"WPTavern: Dollie Platform Launches, Provides Tools to Build and Deploy Pre-Configured WordPress Installs\";s:7:\"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=96477\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:114:\"https://wptavern.com/dollie-platform-launches-provides-tools-to-build-and-deploy-pre-configured-wordpress-installs\";s: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:4720:\"<p>Stratus5, a company that specializes in cloud container management and business service automation, launched <a href=\"https://getdollie.com/\">Dollie</a> today.  Dollie is a cloud-based eCommerce solution for WordPress developers looking to provide white-label hosting services to their customers.  The platform allows developers and agencies to sell custom, pre-configured WordPress solutions to their clients.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dollie is built on top of the Stratus5 Cloudware system.  It includes tools like Blueprints, which allows developers to save and clone custom WordPress configurations.  These configurations are saved to the cloud.  Developers can then launch new instances and monetize them at the click of a button.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also has management tools such as billing automation, customer resource management, analytics, backups, permissions, and more.  The platform serves sites via isolated Docker containers.  It runs on a modern stack that includes NGINX, PHP 7.3, Redis, and PerconaDB.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;In the simplest terms, we let developers launch their own cloud hosting service similar to Wix or Squarespace but using WordPress,&rdquo; said Trent Lapinski, VP of Dollie and Stratus5 Cloudware.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developers can try Dollie for free and only start paying once they are ready to accept customers.  Pricing begins at $100 per month for the first 10 customers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customer billing can be done via Dollie&rsquo;s payment gateway or the developer&rsquo;s gateway of choice.  The system is backed by the WooCommerce plugin, so any payment gateway that supports WooCommerce Subscriptions is available.  There are no limits on the business model that developers employ.  They can set up custom pricing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a quick tour of how Dollie works:</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Filling a Missing Gap in the Market</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;We built Dollie because there&rsquo;s a competitive gap in the market between the hosting companies and the developers who actually build websites, themes, and plugins,&rdquo; Trent Lapinski.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen agencies and many of my developer friends constantly stuck in the rat race of trying to find that next customer, get that next download, and struggle to build sustainable businesses. This is the struggle I faced with CyberChimps selling one-off WordPress products.  Meanwhile, the hosting companies have turned into multi-million and even billion-dollar corporations on the backs of these same developers.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lapinski feels like Dollie will level the playing field for developers.  He wishes these tools had existed when he bootstrapped his WordPress startup.  The goal is to allow developers to compete on their own terms.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;By empowering developers to build sustainable products and services and generate reoccurring-subscription revenue, much like the hosting companies have accomplished, we can grow WordPress by helping developers and agencies grow their businesses,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;The key is helping them acquire subscription customers so they can forecast, budget, and bootstrap their businesses in a way I never could when I ran my own theme shop.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The platform is built on top of WordPress and WooCommerce.  The custom-built technology on top of this allows developers to set up white-label cloud services with minimal up-front knowledge.  The biggest requirement is that developers need to be comfortable with WordPress and WooCommerce.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Bringing these enterprise-level tools to WordPress developers and giving them the freedom to choose their own business models has simply never been done before,&rdquo; said Lapinski.  &ldquo;Dollie automates many of the processes developers have had to work around for decades, and makes saving, cloning, deploying, and monetizing WordPress products and services as easy as a few clicks.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dollie takes no part in what developers or agencies charge their clients outside of providing the tools.  That relationship exists directly between the developer and the client.  Dollie gets paid when developers convert subscribing customers to cover the cloud hosting costs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also allow larger agencies to select third-party cloud providers.  They can then license and partner with Dollie to manage their cloud infrastructure.  The goal is to allow developers to scale as large as needed and customize to suit their needs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;We are optimistic these tools and the freedom we are enabling for our partners will be the point of difference in how developers view their own value in what they can deliver to their clients and customers,&rdquo; said Lapinski.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Tue, 14 Jan 2020 21:13:30 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Justin Tadlock\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:65:\"WPTavern: Can the Block Directory and Business Interests Coexist?\";s:7:\"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=96444\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:75:\"https://wptavern.com/can-the-block-directory-and-business-interests-coexist\";s: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:5388:\"<p>WordPress.org is not an official marketplace for plugins and themes.  Except for some plugins that are strictly SaaS products, all extensions to the platform are publicly available for the low cost of $0.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite not directly selling through WordPress.org, the plugin directory is a huge source of income for many individual developers and companies via product and service upsells.  Plugins are big business.  Besides a bounty of third-party marketplaces and individual shops, commercial interests often flow directly in and out of the official WordPress site.  For many developers, it essentially serves as a marketplace.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In December, we dove into an <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/version-1-prototype-of-the-wordpress-admin-block-directory-announced\">early proposal of the WordPress block directory</a>.  The new directory should land within the WordPress software itself in version 5.5 and will house a new type of plugin.  The idea behind the <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/browse/block/\">block directory</a> is that it will allow plugin developers to create and share one-off blocks that users can install on their websites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the future of WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Love it or hate it, there will come a time when end-users are primarily looking to install individual blocks to solve their problems.  This is not to say that other types of plugins won&rsquo;t exist or have their place.  They will continue to be a major part of the platform.  However, blocks will be a big deal once users can install them at the click of a button via the WordPress admin.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question is whether blocks can also be big business.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tavern reader Matt Gowdy <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/version-1-prototype-of-the-wordpress-admin-block-directory-announced#comment-316657\">believes the guidelines</a> for the block directory could be an issue.  &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot to like here,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;Though I&rsquo;m still troubled by the directory submission rules that are fairly stringently not allowing for any sort of promotional link or defined up-sell of any kind so as not to &lsquo;disrupt the flow.\'&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/wporg-plugin-guidelines/blob/block-guidelines/blocks.md\">block directory guidelines</a> make it clear that advertising of any kind is disallowed:</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Block Plugins are blocks. They must not include advertisements, prompts, or promotional messages.</p></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>On the one hand, it makes sense, particularly for something that is not yet built and will eventually serve as a version 1.0. If every block a user installs begins advertising, it could be a recipe for disaster without some type of standard.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, would the idea of not having an upselling route turn WordPress businesses away?  While many developers would be willing to submit blocks, is this sustainable?  Many of the most popular plugins are backed by businesses.  The more popular any particular piece of software becomes, the more likely it is that the software will need funding to cover maintenance, feature updates, and support.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;More often than not these days, people don&rsquo;t have as much free time to invest in coding just for the fun of it,&rdquo; said Gowdy.  &ldquo;I speak mainly of myself, but I have the notion that while WordPress is still grounded pretty firmly in Open Source (not a bad thing), it&rsquo;s been the open markets that have allowed it to grow as much as it has. I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s wrong to allow people the opportunity (within reason) to make something back off their hard work should they choose. Donations are non-viable in my experience as the vast majority of humanity are way cheaper than they would like to admit.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the upcoming directory has a limited number of blocks available.  The WordPress Meta and Plugin teams should expect more.  However, it is unclear whether the guideline will slow its growth.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Without any sort of up-sell channel (rule-defined or element defined in blocks), we aren&rsquo;t going to see the plethora that we are hoping for, nor in some cases the quality that could be brought in by people working professionally on a block plugin,&rdquo; said Gowdy. &ldquo;The time to define these up-sell and link options is right now.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gowdy is not alone in his concerns.  Several others expressed similar opinions in the comments on the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/12/06/block-directory-plugin-guidelines\">block directory announcement post</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Where WordPress started and where it is now are two separate points in time,&rdquo; said Gowdy.  &ldquo;I hope the Open Source community and the marketplaces can find a way to co-exist here in order to really rev up the platform for the future.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background has-white-color has-blue-700-background-color is-style-highlight text-white bg-blue-700\">This post is part of a new <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/category/from-the-comments\">From the Comments</a> series where we highlight interesting points of discussion from comments on WP Tavern articles. The hope is to give these comments, which can sometimes get lost, the attention they deserve.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Mon, 13 Jan 2020 20:46:34 +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:37;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:77:\"WPTavern: Upcoming Tailwind CSS 1.2.0 Includes Grid Support and New Utilities\";s:7:\"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=96387\";s:7:\"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://wptavern.com/upcoming-tailwind-css-1-2-0-includes-grid-support-and-new-utilities\";s: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:3499:\"<p>Adam Wathan, creator of the Tailwind CSS, <a href=\"https://github.com/tailwindcss/tailwindcss/releases/tag/v1.2.0-canary.4\">published the early release notes</a> for the upcoming version 1.2.0 update to the framework.  The new version will include the much-anticipated <a href=\"https://github.com/tailwindcss/tailwindcss/pull/1274\">support for CSS grids</a> and several other useful features for app and website designers.  There are no planned breaking changes with the update.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that is quickly gaining support from designers and developers.  Some WordPress themes are starting to pop up in the public sphere that use it, but is more often used as part of the in-house toolset at agencies, in which standards are necessary to keep teams on the same page.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For developers already using the framework, they can look for an update within days.  &ldquo;Right now I don&rsquo;t have any changes to these features planned, so as long as nobody finds any huge issues I&rsquo;ll tag the real v1.2.0 next week once I get some documentation together,&rdquo; said Wathan on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/adamwathan/status/1214982042083090433\">Twitter</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now is a good time for new developers to start tinkering with the CSS framework.  With the addition of new CSS grid classes, there is little that is not possible for the majority of use cases.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been building with Tailwind, or a subset of its classes, for about a year now.  Aside from highly-custom scenarios, I have been able to build most projects while writing little CSS code.  For someone who comes primarily from a developer background, it has been a godsend for quickly putting together complex layouts.  CSS grid support was the big item I had been waiting for.  I had already built a custom grid system based on Tailwind&rsquo;s naming scheme.  My implementation is nearly the same as what is shipping in Tailwind CSS 1.2.0.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other new features include classes for CSS features such as:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><code>transition</code></li><li><code>transform</code></li><li><code>stroke-width</code></li><li><code>box-sizing</code></li><li><code>clear</code></li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Version 1.2.0 adds extra utility classes for rounded corners and shadow sizes.  It also extends its support for setting an element&rsquo;s maximum width.  New utility classes were added for removing a max-width and setting it based on predefined breakpoints.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://rsms.me/inter/\">Inter font</a> now sits at the top of the font stack and will be used if installed on the user&rsquo;s system or if the developer loads it on the site.  Inter is a popular font created specifically for computer screens.  It comes in both fixed and variable options.  The Twenty Twenty theme <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-3-kirk-released-brings-new-default-theme-editor-improvements-and-ui-tweaks\">released with WordPress 5.3</a> uses the variable version of Inter for several elements within its design.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For developers who are extending Tailwind CSS, they now have a <a href=\"https://github.com/tailwindcss/tailwindcss/pull/1268\">new plugin API</a> for building custom plugins.  Plugins can also <a href=\"https://github.com/tailwindcss/tailwindcss/pull/1162\">extend the user&rsquo;s configuration file</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, it looks like it will be a solid update.  I am excited about digging into it and using some of the new utility classes.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Fri, 10 Jan 2020 21:11:39 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Justin Tadlock\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:90:\"WPTavern: Gutenberg 7.2 Adds Long-Awaited Multi-Button Block and Gallery Image Size Option\";s:7:\"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=96362\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:101:\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-7-2-adds-long-awaited-multi-button-block-and-gallery-image-size-option\";s: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:4723:\"<p>The Gutenberg team <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-8-january/\">released version 7.2</a> of the plugin yesterday after a four-week release hiatus for the holidays.  This update includes at least 180 pull requests to the project&rsquo;s repository by 56 contributors. The largest user-facing features include a new &ldquo;buttons&rdquo; block that allows users to add multiple buttons in a row and the ability to define the size of images in a gallery block.  These were two highly-requested features.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The update supports changing the font size in the relatively new navigation block.  Users can also add a link for the image in the media &amp; text block.  A few dozen other minor enhancements across multiple components made their way into the update.  Most enhancements continue to clean up the interface and improve usability.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many bug fixes are included in version 7.2.  Accessibility improvements include using radio inputs for text alignment, adding an appropriate <code>group</code> role to the block wrapper, adding a label to the social icons block, and more.  Several fixes should improve how pasting content in the editor works, which generally works well already.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team continued building upon experimental features, which must be activated via the Gutenberg &gt; Experiments screen in the admin. Outside of a handful of bug fixes and enhancements, the most interesting change is the introduction of a new experimental admin screen.  Gutenberg 7.2 now includes an early beta of a full-site editing page.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Adding Buttons in a Row</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Adding multiple buttons within the Buttons block.\n\n\n\n<p><em>If I had a nickel for every time a user asked how to put two buttons next to each other&hellip;</em>You know how the story goes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most-common website layouts today is a large &ldquo;hero&rdquo; section, a heading, some text, and a button, perhaps two.  An end-user could easily build this with a combination of the cover, heading, paragraph, and button blocks if only a single button was needed.  However, that second button was troubling without some custom code work.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The introduction of the buttons block changes everything.  It is a block that allows end-users to add any number of individual button blocks in a row.  At the moment, the block essentially serves as a wrapper.  The block&rsquo;s only option is the ability to set the alignment of the inner button blocks.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Image Size Selector for Galleries</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Selecting a custom image size for the Gallery block.\n\n\n\n<p>The lack of an option to set the size of gallery images has been one of Gutenberg&rsquo;s largest failures since its inception.  After years of this basic option for the gallery shortcode with the classic editor, the gallery block has always felt incomplete.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some users, the lack of basic features that have long existed in the classic editor <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-one-year-later#comment-314188\">is frustrating</a>.  That frustration is understandable, given the fast-paced movement on newer and shinier features.  It is refreshing to see work being done toward addressing long-missing features such as this.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gallery block now has a new &ldquo;Images Sizes&rdquo; dropdown select for choosing the size of the images shown.  This option will solve at least a couple of major issues.  By selecting a custom size, the images will utilize less bandwidth for site visitors.  Previously, full-sized images were displayed.  It also allows users to select a consistent size so that galleries with multiple image aspect ratios are better aligned in a grid.  Basically, it can make for prettier galleries.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Site Editor Screen Beta</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Testing the beta Site Editor screen.\n\n\n\n<p>Gutenberg 7.2 introduces a &ldquo;Site Editor&rdquo; screen, which can be enabled by ticking the &ldquo;Enable Full Site Editing&rdquo; checkbox on the Gutenberg &gt; Experiments admin page.  The new screen is an early, bare-bones beta exploration into what will eventually be fully-fledged site editor.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, the screen does not do much.  End-users can insert blocks and little else.  Content on this screen is not stored for later.  There is not even a save button yet.  Mostly, it serves as another step toward site editing, which could possibly land in core WordPress late in 2020.  However, that is an optimistic schedule, and it is far too early to make a solid guess.  There are a lot of open questions that need answers and technical hurdles to jump.  A 2021 release might be more realistic, depending on the pace of development.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Thu, 09 Jan 2020 20:47:39 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Justin Tadlock\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:77:\"WPTavern: BobWP.com Shifts Focus to WooCommerce, Rebrands as ‘Do the Woo’\";s:7:\"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=96305\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:81:\"https://wptavern.com/bobwp-com-shifts-focus-to-woocommerce-rebrands-as-do-the-woo\";s: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:4426:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>BobWP.com <a href=\"https://bobwp.com/bobwp-is-now-do-the-woo-woocommerce-news-and-community/\">announced yesterday</a> that the site and its podcast would be rebranded to &ldquo;Do the Woo at BobWP .&rdquo; After a decade of more generalized WordPress topics and news, it will now focus specifically on the WooCommerce plugin and its community.  The podcast will also be aired weekly, notching up their previous twice-monthly episodes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Bob Dunn, founder and co-host, this was move was a natural result of where the community he had built was heading.  &ldquo;Over the last 3 years, we have consistently created content around WooCommerce on our site,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;I saw that this was what our readers wanted, so built that up and in March of last year, made the decision to focus entirely on WooCommerce.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dunn said he has been a fan of WooCommerce since its launch.  &ldquo;It has always been a favorite of mine, and I have used it to sell a lot of stuff. But oddly enough, never physical products.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting in 2020, the podcast will run weekly.  To keep up the brisk pace, the show is bringing on two new co-hosts.  Joining the team is Jonathan Wold, community lead for WooCommerce, and Mendel Kurland, developer advocate a Liquid Web.  Brad Williams, CEO of WebDevStudios, has been a co-host since 2018.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>New episodes of the podcast will air every Thursday.  The show is pre-recorded on Tuesday of the same week, so the content should remain timely.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do the Woo will specifically cater to its WooCommerce audience, but it may delve into the larger eCommerce world from time to time.  However, Dunn recommends listening in on the <a href=\"https://wpecommerceshow.com/\">WP eCommerce Show</a> for topics that explore the larger WordPress and eCommerce landscape.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dunn does not feel like there will be a shortage of topics to explore every week with WooCommerce-specific content.  &ldquo;At first, yes, it is a bit of a challenge finding topics around it,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;But, expanding it to bring in more of what people are doing in the space, no matter how big or small, opens it up more.&rdquo;  He is optimistic about the show&rsquo;s future.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll dig as deep as I need to go.  And, with its growth, it may come to the time where there will always be more [content] than I need.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The podcast&rsquo;s format remains simple.  &ldquo;We basically bring a guest in, learn more about what they are doing and their involvement in the Woo ecosystem,&rdquo; said Dunn.  &ldquo;We wrap it up, typically covering two or three news items. The conversation isn&rsquo;t planned at all.  We just take it where it leads us.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dunn originally began the Doo the Woo podcast in 2016 but broadened the scope that same year to WordPress and eCommerce.  &ldquo;I missed it, and at the end of 2017, brought it back as more of an interview-style show, with me and a guest,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;For the next few months, I did very few shows and felt I need to change it up to be more conversational.&rdquo;  He brought on Williams as a co-host at that point.  &ldquo;We did a few shows where Brad and I would just chat Woo stuff, and both came to the conclusion it would be fun to bring on a guest, but still keeping it conversational.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The podcast episodes were sporadic until the middle of 2019, which was the start of the bi-weekly schedule.  Today, with three extra co-hosts, the team can rotate who is hosting a particular episode.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dunn said he still catches a few other podcasts but not as many as in the past.  &ldquo;Always been a fan of and still listen to <a href=\"https://mattreport.com/\">Matt Report</a> and <a href=\"https://getoptionspodcast.com/\">Get Options</a>,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;I am sure I have listened to just about every WP-centric podcast a few times over the years. Without naming each one, there are several good choices depending on what you are looking for. Podcast listening is a very personal choice and I just recommend people dabble in what is out there and find those that click with you.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to <a href=\"https://bobwp.com/whats-coming-to-the-do-the-woo-podcast-in-2020/\">episode 33</a> where the team discusses the show&rsquo;s plans for 2020 and beyond:</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</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:\"Wed, 08 Jan 2020 21:07:20 +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:40;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:76:\"WPTavern: Landing Kit for WordPress Maps Any Post or Page to a Custom Domain\";s:7:\"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=96301\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:87:\"https://wptavern.com/landing-kit-for-wordpress-maps-any-post-or-page-to-a-custom-domain\";s: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:7094:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Phil Kurth and Jason Schuller launched a new WordPress product named <a href=\"https://wplandingkit.com/\">Landing Kit</a> today.  The plugin allows end-users to map a domain name to any post, page, or custom post type entry.  It includes other features such as SSL support and URL redirecting.  More features like custom templates and Gutenberg blocks are on the way.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurth is the director and WordPress product developer at <a href=\"https://hookturn.io/\">Hookturn.io</a>, a premium WordPress plugin company, and runs <a href=\"https://www.awesomeacf.com/\">Awesome ACF</a>, a community hub around the Advanced Custom Fields plugin.  Schuller has several ongoing projects.  He runs <a href=\"https://rivyt.com/\">RIVYT</a>, a website for video creators to share their work.  In October, he <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/jason-schuller-launches-dsko-a-discovery-network-for-creators-and-brands\">launched DSKO</a>, which is a discovery network built on WordPress for creators and brands.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://leeflets.com\">Leeflets</a>, a project Schuller created for building single-page websites, served as the catalyst for the Landing Kit project.  The plugin brings similar functionality to any WordPress install.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, WordPress is overkill for single-page sites.  The platform is ideal for larger sites and applications.  For people who need to manage multiple single-page sites, Landing Kit could be a blessing.  By setting up a single WordPress install with the plugin active, users can map any domain to any post or page.  It also works with custom post types.  This keeps site management limited to a single admin interface and point of maintenance.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin should not be confused with domain-mapping plugins built for multisite.  While it will work on multisite, the intent is not to map domains to subsites in a network.  Instead, it is meant to specifically map domains to single posts or pages on single-site installations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin has two pricing tiers. The lower tier costs $59 per year for support and updates on up to three installations. It will also include access to a single page template in the near future.  The larger pricing tier at $159 per year offers support and updates for unlimited installations and will provide access to all templates as they become available.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Landing Kit is Schuller&rsquo;s first foray in the WordPress product market space since selling his former WordPress theme business, Press75, in 2014.  His return is already making a splash and seems to be a welcome addition to the ecosystem given the feedback on his <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jasonpatricksc/status/1214574389036900353\">Twitter announcement</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;It was never a goal of mine to jump back in, but sometimes these things just happen naturally,&rdquo; said Schuller.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve consistently used WordPress as a platform to iterate on ideas, and with each new build I end up creating unique functionality to solve specific problems. Landing Kit is the result of one of those problems I had the solve while creating Leeflets.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurth was brought in to work on the project because of his experience building WordPress plugins.  He described the first version as not having many technical challenges because they had a working prototype to build from.  &ldquo;The most difficult part was thinking across multiple contexts and maintaining a clear picture of what would be happening across multiple domains at any time,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;I expect more difficult challenges as we start to move deeper into feature territory as we&rsquo;ll have bigger decisions to make and new technical hurdles to face, particularly when we start exploring remote block/template libraries.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Plugin Features</h2>\n\n\n\n<img />Potential book template for Landing Kit.\n\n\n\n<p>Version 1.0 of the plugin keeps things simple, which is a signature of Schuller&rsquo;s past work.  The plugin has a domain management screen.  It provides a convenient location to edit and configure all mapped domains for the installation.  Domain mapping is also available through the post-editing screen.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SSL options allow users to serve individual domains over HTTPS or to do so on a global basis.  The plugin also makes it easy to decide whether a post or page should be available via the main website or if requests to the single view should be 301 redirected to the mapped domain.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some technical requirements to make use of the plugin.  Users must be on a host with the ability to add alias or add-on domains, have a dedicated IP address for their website, and be running WordPress 5.0 or above.  End-users should also be familiar with managing DNS records, specifically A-Records, with their web host.  These requirements are necessary to make sure domains are pointing to the correct location.  These are common features and available through many hosts.  Each host should have specific instructions for working with these features.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The big value-add will be the plugin&rsquo;s custom templates and its upcoming Gutenberg blocks.  These will allow users to quickly build out single-page sites that look and feel different from the active theme for their WordPress installation.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;In line with the idea of complete niche templates (essentially bundled blocks), it makes sense to break that concept down a level in form of niche specific blocks you could pick and choose to create your own landing pages with a bit more freedom,&rdquo; said Schuller. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so much potential with Gutenberg to get creative, especially when you&rsquo;re thinking specifically about landing pages and what creators might need to achieve a specific goal.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurth and Schuller plan to release templates aimed at specific product niches.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping to get the first template out the door within the next few weeks,&rdquo; said Schuller on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jasonpatricksc/status/1214576733669617664\">Twitter</a>.  The concept could be interesting as templates could essentially serve as &ldquo;mini themes.&rdquo;  If the plugin gains enough traction and a large user base, there is potential for a larger marketplace to form around single-page template designs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a video tour of the plugin:</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p>Schuller said that they are kicking around some other feature ideas for the future.  Nothing is set in stone yet.  &ldquo;People have also expressed interest in a Leeflets-style front-end experience for managing pages, which would essentially make Landing Kit a SaaS in a box,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if that&rsquo;s something we&rsquo;ll explore in the near term, but an option at the very least.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-gray-100-background-color bg-gray-100\"><strong>Update &ndash; January 8, 2020:</strong>  Additional quotes from Landing Kit creators added.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 08 Jan 2020 03:34:01 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Justin Tadlock\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:68:\"WPTavern: Lessons Learned by Stepping Outside WordPress Comfort Zone\";s:7:\"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=96264\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:79:\"https://wptavern.com/lessons-learned-by-stepping-outside-wordpress-comfort-zone\";s: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:6861:\"<p>It was late summer in 2018. I was an aging developer who wasn&rsquo;t quite sure where I fit into the WordPress world anymore.  I had spent over a decade learning the ins and outs of the platform that launched my career and also served as a hobby for other pet projects I wanted to tackle.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In part, I was bored.  I needed a new challenge.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love WordPress. More than that, I appreciate what WordPress has allowed me to accomplish over the years. However, I was no longer happy with it for my personal blog.  It was suitable for the job, but I often found it had a lot more gadgets and gizmos than I needed. I had also been writing blog posts in Markdown for many years rather than the classic editor.  WordPress was simply no longer a part of my workflow for my blog.  At times, it was a hindrance.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Challenge accepted.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a weekend, I built a working custom blog system.  I am hesitant to call it a Content Manage System (CMS) because it lacked crucial features, such as an administrative interface, that are at the heart of any CMS.  Nevertheless, I built a working system from scratch in two days.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had no idea I could accomplish such a feat without relying on the useful functions and tools that WordPress had so generously provided for most of my programming career.  I cannot count the number of times I accidentally typed out <code>esc_attr()</code> or <code>esc_html()</code> only to remember those were WordPress functions.  <em>My WordPress muscle memory was strong.</em>  Without knowing it, everything I had learned through building on top of WordPress pushed me to become a more well-rounded PHP developer.  There are few APIs I had not worked with from core WordPress.  I understood much of the source code and knew the reasons for a lot of the legacy gunk.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>My personal project paled in comparison to WordPress&rsquo; power and still does to this day.  However, it moved me outside my comfort zone.  It allowed me to explore old ideas in new ways.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One example was understanding how rewrite rules and routing worked.  Some of my friends and I recently joked that no one really understands the WordPress Rewrite API.  You just tinker with it until something works and the new code no longer breaks your site.  There are many existing libraries out there, but I wanted to understand how this worked for my own edification.  Therefore, I set out to build an HTTP request, router, and controller class.  The end result was an elegant solution, which borrowed heavily from other PHP frameworks.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a simple line of code, as shown below for setting up a &ldquo;book&rdquo; content type, I could handle incoming requests for a book page, map it to the correct resource, and output the template on the front end. I began to wonder why I had shied away from this foundational website concept for so many years as a developer.</p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>// Create \'example.com/books/book-name\'.\n$this-&gt;router-&gt;get( \'books/{name}\', Controller::class );</code></pre>\n\n\n\n<p>There were many other areas where I began to question the &ldquo;WordPress way&rdquo; of doing things.  During this journey of discovery, I was able to learn things that I could bring back for use in my WordPress projects.  By stepping out into the larger world of website development, I was able to better see the flaws in the platform that helped me fall in love with programming.  However, I was also better able to see the beauty in the system that thousands of developers have kept running for the preceding 15 years.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It Is Not All About Code</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I had the opportunity to study and learn large frameworks like <a href=\"https://laravel.com/\">Laravel</a> and <a href=\"https://symfony.com/\">Symfony</a>.  However, I also studied how other platforms worked from a pure user-experience perspective.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The one thing I knew for certain is that I wanted to test platforms created for people who wrote in Markdown.  I wasn&rsquo;t looking for huge platforms to compete with WordPress&rsquo; power, such as Joomla or Drupal.  Instead, I was looking at lighter-weight solutions like <a href=\"https://getgrav.org/\">Grav</a>, <a href=\"https://jekyllrb.com/\">Jekyll</a>, and <a href=\"https://gohugo.io/\">Hugo</a>.  I wanted to understand how the user experience fit in with my workflow.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of all the solutions I tested, each had its advantages.  Each also had features or methods of doing things that wasn&rsquo;t to my taste.  The good thing about the experience was that I was able to identify how I wanted my blogging platform to work for me.  Reading thoughts from others in those communities also allowed me to hear from users outside of the WordPress community about why they loved their preferred blogging system.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I soldiered forward.  Using what I learned from those platforms, I built something that I was happy to use.  It wasn&rsquo;t perfect and would likely never be.  Room for growth is not a bad thing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>During this time, I rekindled my love of blogging with WordPress.  While not always the popular opinion, the block editor felt leaps and bounds better than the classic editor.  It was something I could see myself using regularly.  Aside from my personal blog, I began using it on other projects.  I still write in Markdown every day.  However, I find myself enjoying writing within WordPress&rsquo; editor for the first time in years.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Why You Should Try New Platforms</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From a developer perspective, it is not a good idea to become complacent and rely on a single system.  Instead of calling yourself a &ldquo;WordPress developer,&rdquo; think beyond that terminology.  Instead, you should be a PHP programmer or JavaScript programmer.  Or, better yet, simply call yourself a programmer.  Programmers solve problems.  The tools or languages are what you use to get from Point A to Point B.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the job market, being a more well-rounded programmer opens up more opportunities.  While most of us can only hope that WordPress will be the leading platform for the next 10, 20, or 50 years, you should be prepared for any future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another benefit of working with other platforms from time to time is that you learn ideas that you can bring back into the WordPress ecosystem.  For example, it is interesting to see how the <a href=\"https://roots.io/sage/\">Sage starter theme</a> implements Laravel Blade&rsquo;s templating engine.  These ideas can help shape WordPress&rsquo; future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some ideas can be pushed into core WordPress.  Others can improve team workflows within agencies.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continuing education benefits the WordPress community as a whole.  Don&rsquo;t limit that education to WordPress-specific ideas.  Learn from the outside and bring it back.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Mon, 06 Jan 2020 21:19:23 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"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:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:45:\"BuddyPress: BuddyPress 5.1.2 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=309637\";s:7:\"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/2020/01/buddypress-5-1-2/\";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:1190:\"<p><a href=\"https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/buddypress.5.1.2.zip\">BuddyPress 5.1.2</a> is now available. This is a security release. All BuddyPress installations are strongly encouraged to upgrade as soon as possible.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 5.1.2 release addresses one security issue:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Certain REST API requests could result in the exposure of private data. Discovered and reported independently by <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/walbo/\">Petter Walbø Johnsgård</a> and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/finebet/\">Jacek Suski</a>.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The vulnerability was reported privately to the BuddyPress team, in accordance with&nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/reporting-security-vulnerabilities/\">WordPress’s security policies</a>. Our thanks to the reporters for practicing coordinated disclosure.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For complete details, visit the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-5-1-2/\">5.1.2 changelog</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Update to BuddyPress 5.1.2 today in your WordPress Dashboard, or by&nbsp;<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:\"Fri, 03 Jan 2020 21:36:11 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:43;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:80:\"WPTavern: Pods Framework Loses Primary Sponsorship, Seeks Donors To Fund Project\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:29:\"https://wptavern.com/?p=96194\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:90:\"https://wptavern.com/pods-framework-loses-primary-sponsorship-seeks-donors-to-fund-project\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8184:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Scott Kingsley Clark, lead developer of the Pods Framework, <a href=\"https://pods.io/2020/01/02/pods-needs-your-help-in-2020/\">announced the project was seeking new donors</a> on Thursday.  Automattic, the primary sponsor, dropped out after funding the project since 2012.  This has put the team in a position to seek help for maintaining and supporting the project.  Automattic was previously covering around 90% of the costs.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/pods/\">Pods Framework</a> is a WordPress plugin that allows end-users or developers to create and extend custom post types, content types, users, media, and comments.  Essentially, it is a complete content management framework for those who need more than the basics that WordPress offers.  It has well over a dozen <a href=\"https://pods.io/plugins/\">add-on plugins</a> for extra functionality and currently has over 80,000 active installations.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <a href=\"https://friends.pods.io/about-the-team/\">six primary contributors</a> to the Pods plugin.  They have also brought on a React developer who is just getting started with UI work on Pods 2.8.  Other than work from the team, the project receives patches and contributions from the larger Pods community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the loss of funding from Automattic, Pods is receiving around $700 each month from donors. &ldquo;Once we found out that Automattic was going to focus their sponsorship funding towards other priorities of theirs, we put together a plan of action to reduce overall costs,&rdquo; said Clark.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team&rsquo;s goal is to have at least 200 sponsors.  The average recurring monthly donation is about $17.  Coupled with their current 40 regular donors, they need an additional 160 at the same donation average to cover costs.  This would at least allow the team to be efficient with their time.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Right now our feature/fix development and support efforts will begin to suffer from lack of funding because we&rsquo;ll be spread too thin,&rdquo; said Clark.  &ldquo;I work a full-time job and can&rsquo;t pick up the extra weight entirely on my own.&rdquo;  Clark&rsquo;s job with Modern Tribe gives him some flexibility to work on the project, but it is minimal and only when time is available.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who are willing to sponsor the project monthly can contribute via the <a href=\"https://friends.pods.io/donations/become-a-friend/\">Friends of Pods</a> sponsorship page.  The project also has a <a href=\"https://friends.pods.io/donations/one-time-donation/\">one-time donation option</a> for those wanting to go that route.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Automattic Was Crucial to Success</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In his announcement, Clark said Automattic&rsquo;s decision to pull their sponsorship was because the company wanted to put their funds toward native Gutenberg projects.  Pods is a project that spans beyond Gutenberg.  However, it does have some Gutenberg integration and more features in the works.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2012, Automattic has been the largest sponsor of Pods.  Their funding allowed the team to support and continue developing the plugin.  &ldquo;We&rsquo;re so appreciative of Automattic&rsquo;s support,&rdquo; said <a href=\"https://twitter.com/podsframework/status/1212792297911443456\">Clark on Twitter</a>.  &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve sponsored Pods for over 7 years, I know their decision was a tough one for them.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2011, <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/pods-what-happened-after-the-kickstarter-campaign\">Pods surpassed its goal</a> in a Kickstarter campaign.  The project raised over $4,000 with a goal of $1,500.  The campaign was intended to fund the development of Pods 2.0.  In hindsight, the dollar amount was far too low to realistically fund such a complex project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;I naively thought that would be enough to accomplish everything and more we wanted to do for our big Pods 2.0 release,&rdquo; said Clark.  &ldquo;I was really wrong. Adding developers at a late stage in a project can take even more time than you anticipate. I also had to work around those developers&rsquo; schedules and spend time coordinating with them instead of building things myself. It was a huge challenge as I hadn&rsquo;t really led a team on a side project while having a full-time job before.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clark had to reach into his pocket and put money towards the funding problem.  Yet, the team hit more roadblocks getting Pods 2.0 released.  &ldquo;That&rsquo;s when I reached out to Automattic, which they offered to help out here and there to sponsor some more development&rdquo;, he said. &ldquo;I was at the right job and had the right developers in place to really make the most of that arrangement. I had tons of time on the clock at work to build projects with Pods and I could build features/fix problems every day. With the added help of the funding, we were covered for many years to come.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrangement was a blessing for the project, propelling it forward for years.  &ldquo;Without Automattic, we surely couldn&rsquo;t have continued on with the huge undertaking that the Pods 2.0 rewrite was,&rdquo; said Clark.  &ldquo;We would have just shelved everything and only added minor fixes/enhancements to Pods going forward.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clark described the funding as crucial to maintaining a premium product for free.  &ldquo;Given what I know about many other free products out there, I can see why our support for Pods itself has sometimes been compared to premium support because of the people we could keep involved helping everyone with their project challenges and Pods questions,&rdquo; he said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>After success with Pods 2.0 and several releases, the Pods team reached back out to Automattic.  They were able to secure more funding with the agreement that they would diversify their funding and bring in more sponsors, which they were able to accomplish.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What the Future Holds</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Clark is hopeful that they can meet their sponsorship goals.  If not, they may have to explore some commercial options.  However, he said Pods and its primary features will remain free of charge.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;Development is not cheap,&rdquo; said Clark.  &ldquo;In fact, we&rsquo;ve thought about diversifying our funding for a while, but ironically our sponsorship agreement with Automattic prohibited us from exploring premium add-ons to help fund more growth.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the funding was a blessing, it may have also been a crutch.  &ldquo;If we had suddenly gotten millions of active installs to support, we would have been in big trouble,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t scale sponsorships with a growing userbase.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clark said he is committed to making sure the next three major feature releases go out for free as part of the main Pods plugin, regardless of the funding situation.  &ldquo;I believe in making it easy to build projects in WordPress and some of those features are just really crucial to normal projects,&rdquo; he said.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team is exploring the potential for premium add-ons.  However, if going that route, the add-ons would be with useful features that go beyond the core needs of the plugin.  &ldquo;We have some really awesome features that we&rsquo;ve always wanted to do and this could be the avenue to build them while giving huge value to our Friends of Pods,&rdquo; he said.  &ldquo;This could be an added benefit to them for supporting our project, which they&rsquo;d get as a reward for keeping their Friends of Pods membership active.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The future is uncertain.  The project is not in danger of disappearing at this point.  However, the reality is that development and support have real-world costs that need to be met.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s still too early to know exactly what we can do with the funding we have and what we can expect to get from our 2020 fundraising efforts,&rdquo; said Clark.  &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know if those ongoing funding struggles will prevent us from spending time to build new add-ons to generate new revenue either. It&rsquo;s all up in the air right now.&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, 03 Jan 2020 17:59:56 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Justin Tadlock\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:57:\"WordPress.org blog: The Month in WordPress: December 2019\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8282\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:72:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/the-month-in-wordpress-december-2019/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8184:\"<p>As 2019 draws to a close and we look ahead to another exciting year let’s take a moment to review what the WordPress community achieved in December.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>WordPress 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 Releases</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The WordPress 5.3.1 security and maintenance release was announced on December 13. It features 46 fixes and enhancements. This version corrects four security issues in WordPress versions 5.3 and earlier. Shortly afterwards, WordPress 5.3.2 was released, addressing a couple high severity Trac tickets, and includes 5 fixes and enhancements, so you’ll want to upgrade. You can read more about these releases in the announcements for <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/\">5.3.1</a> and <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-2-maintenance-release/\">5.3.2</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Update on the Nine Core Projects for 2019</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of 2018, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>matt</a> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/9-priorities-for-2019/\">announced</a> the nine projects that would be the main focus areas for Core development in the next year. Have we made progress? Yes! <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\" class=\"mention\"><span class=\"mentions-prefix\">@</span>chanthaboune</a> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/06/update-9-projects-for-2019/\">posted a full update</a> on the team’s work. In brief, two of the projects have been completed and shipped in major releases, four are targeted for release in versions 5.4 and 5.5 of WordPress, and the remaining three have seen significant progress but are not yet slated for completion. These will continue to see progress throughout 2020.</p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<h2>WordPress Major Release Calendar</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Core team has published <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/21/tentative-release-calendar-2020-2021/\">a tentative release calendar</a> for 2020 and 2021. This is intended to provide the community with more information about what lies ahead.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The schedule is considered tentative because there are always variables that could affect these plans — not least that the Core team may need more time to finish the work planned for a release.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Initial Documentation for Block-Based WordPress Themes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gutenberg team has started working on <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/18890/files\">the initial documentation</a> for what block-based themes might look like, marking a significant change in the way themes are conceptualized. With full-site editing now a realistic goal for WordPress, themes will certainly look different in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to help shape the future of block-based themes in WordPress Core? Following <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/\">the Core team blog</a> is a good start! You can also join in on the discussion <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/12/04/questions-about-the-future-of-themes/\">on this blog post</a>, or help out with the work to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/master/lib/demo-block-templates/index.html\">create a demo space for experimentation with the future of themes</a>. As always, contribution to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/\">Gutenberg on GitHub</a> is open to everyone! Join the #core-editor channel in <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/chat/\">the Making WordPress Slack group</a> to see what other people are saying, and contribute your own thoughts.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Gutenberg Updates Abound</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It’s been a busy month for Gutenberg! Version 7.0, including a new navigation block, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/27/whats-new-in-gutenberg-27-november/\">was announced</a> on November 27. This was followed by <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/11/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-december/\">version 7.1</a>, announced on December 11; it includes 161 merged pull requests that offer a fresh UI to new users, an option to switch between edit and navigation modes, captions for the table block, and many other enhancements.</p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<h2>Arrival of the BuddyPress Beta Tester Plugin</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On December 2, <a href=\"https://buddypress.org/2019/12/bp-beta-tester-1-0-0/\">the BuddyPress Beta Tester plugin</a> was added to the WordPress.org plugins directory. This feature is a great way for the WordPress community to provide early feedback on releases.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/\">download the plugin</a> now. If you find that something is not working as expected during your beta tests, let the BuddyPress team know by submitting a ticket on the <a href=\"https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/newticket\">Development Tracker</a> or posting a new topic in the BuddyPress <a href=\"https://buddypress.org/support/\">support forums</a>.​​</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>An Update on the Block Directory in the WordPress Editor&nbsp;</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Design team received lots of excellent feedback on the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/07/11/block-directory-in-wp-admin-concepts/\">early concepts for the Block Directory</a>. This feedback was incorporated into a Version 1 update to the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/block-directory/\">#block-directory</a> project. The Block Directory is to be included in WordPress 5.5, which is slated for August 2020. To learn more about the Block Directory, check out <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/12/19/block-directory-in-wp-admin-v1/\">this announcement post</a> and help out by sharing your feedback. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get involved in building the Block Directory? Follow <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/\">the Design team blog</a>. If you have a block you’d like to include in the directory you can <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/12/06/block-directory-plugin-guidelines/\">submit it following the information here</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>Further Reading:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/12/06/block-directory-plugin-guidelines/\">Guidelines for the Block Directory</a> have been drafted; the team is actively working on them now.</li><li>The<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2020-wordpress-global-community-sponsorship-program/\"> Global Community Sponsorship Program for 2020</a> has been announced.&nbsp;</li><li>The Theme Review Team <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/12/09/do-not-contact-reviewers-outside-of-the-wordpress-org-system-about-your-review/\">has published a reminder</a> for developers about the proper way to communicate with reviewers.</li><li>The Community Team is in the process of <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2019/12/05/community-team-reps-for-2020/\">selecting new team reps</a>.</li><li><a href=\"https://meetup.com/pro/wordpress\">The WordPress meetup program</a> crossed the 800-group mark this month and includes groups from more than 100 countries.</li><li>The team that helped to create the 2019 State of the Word slide deck <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/state-of-the-word-the-story-of-the-slides/\">shared how the slides were created using Gutenberg</a>, powered by the Slides plugin.&nbsp;</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<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:\"Fri, 03 Jan 2020 17:05:16 +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: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:45;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:22:\"Matt: 29 Books in 2019\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:22:\"https://ma.tt/?p=50689\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:39:\"https://ma.tt/2020/01/29-books-in-2019/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4654:\"<p>As a follow-on to my lists in <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2017/12/books-in-2017/\">2017</a> and <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/01/39-books-in-2018/\">2018</a>, here are the books I completed this year. I&#8217;ve linked all to the Kindle edition except the Great Mental Models, which is so gorgeous in hardcover you should get that one, and the The World is Sound isn&#8217;t available as an ebook. Bold are ones I particularly enjoyed or found myself discussing with others a lot.</p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JMKNZG/\">The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coehlo</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WM7KLS/\">21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MHHRQG/\">No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LJW4G4/\">Imagine it Forward by Beth Comstock</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1999449002/\">The Great Mental Models Vol. 1 by Shane Parrish</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPZNG63/\">Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WNQFZQ/\">There Will Be No Miracles Here by Casey Gerald</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSICPW3/\">Less by Andrew Sean Greer</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078VW3VM7/\">Bad Blood by John Carreyrou</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TMKPD67/\">nejma by Nayyirah Waheed</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CRJB8WJ/\">Trust Exercise by Susan Choi</a> (also on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1211033245812441091\">Obama&#8217;s book list</a>, and based on the high school I went to, HSPVA)</li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCK206/\">Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GFBNSW/\">The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005BRSFCC/\">The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz, Don Jose Ruiz, and Janet Mills</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWHYVW5/\">Empty Planet by Darrell Bricker</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JTYQJ3K/\">Brave New World by Aldous Huxley</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GG0MXI/\">How to Talk So Kids Will Listen &amp; Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elian Mazlish</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPXZYJ7/\">Make it Scream, Make it Burn by Leslie Jamison</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JAHG98/\">A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G13W75M/\">Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind by Annaka Harris</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892813180/\">The World Is Sound: Nada Brahma: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness by Joachim-Ernst Berendt</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R3MHWUE/\">The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W3FM4A/\">Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079G6KMVS/\">Four Soldiers by Hubert Mingarelli</a></li><li><strong><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L2F9S6H/\">Working by Robert Caro</a></strong></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049H9AVU/\">Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075HYVP7C/\">Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012271Z5M/\">The Devil&#8217;s Financial Dictionary by Jason Zweig</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FLNFRGK/\">How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell</a> (also on Obama&#8217;s book list)</li></ol>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s interesting is that if you were to purchase every single one of those books, it would be about $349. You could get them all for nothing from your local library, <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200747550\">even on a Kindle</a>. The money I spend on books is by far and away the best investment I make every year — books expand my mind and enrich my life in a way that nothing else does.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>All years: <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2017/12/books-in-2017/\">2017</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/01/39-books-in-2018/\">2018</a>, <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2020/01/29-books-in-2019/\">2019</a>.</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Thu, 02 Jan 2020 07:00:34 +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: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:46;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:43:\"WPTavern: Building the Community We Deserve\";s:7:\"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=96166\";s:7:\"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:54:\"https://wptavern.com/building-the-community-we-deserve\";s: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:4338:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>One of our internal discussions about the future of WP Tavern has stuck with me since it wrapped up.  The discussion was centered on pushing comment threads in the right direction.  We often receive comments that border on conspiracy-theory territory (<em>and those that cross over head first</em>).  We also get comments that make statements of fact without backing up those claims with evidence.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all those who make such comments have ill intentions.  The issue is often that the ideas presented in a comment are not fully-fleshed out.  Often, the commentator had not taken the time to shape their words into something that births thoughtful responses.  Such is the nature of comments on the web.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WP Tavern&rsquo;s big goal for 2020 should be about shepherding our community.  Going forward, we will take steps toward fostering better discussions.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Building Our Community in the New Year</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shepherding the community is about creating a welcoming environment for everyone.  All of our readers should feel comfortable leaving their thoughts on a given topic.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a new writer in a long-standing community, I sometimes receive uplifting private messages and emails from community members.  They often have kind words or love the coverage of a specific topic.  The trouble is getting some of those people to engage in the comments.  As my grandma, who would welcome anyone into her home, would say, &ldquo;Y&rsquo;all stop by sometime and chat for a while.&rdquo;  Some people are timid about commenting publicly.  Others feel like they will be attacked or their ideas will be dismissed offhand.  Fostering a community they would feel comfortable participating in is the goal.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step toward this goal is an <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/comment-policy\">update to our comment policy</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The intention of our policy has remained the same.  In general, be kind to people.  The updated policy includes some new guidelines on what is unacceptable and some clearer language in some areas.  It would be nice to eventually move back to the point where we no longer moderated every comment before publishing them on the site.  We are not there yet, but I remain optimistic.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other major plan is around integrating community elements into the site design.  Rest assured that this is something being worked on.  Better showcasing recent comments is high on the list.  However, we can go beyond that by showcasing users with the most comments, top comments by the number of likes, and more.  I have some ideas that I hope to implement this year to make our readers feel like they have more of a stake in the site.  This place is as much about you all as it is about our team.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Ask the Bartender</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We have quietly added an <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/contact-me/ask-the-bartender\">Ask the Bartender</a> form on the site.  This is our idea of an advice column that you might see in traditional journalism.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, it is experimental.  The plan is to publish a periodic article where one of our writers answers questions from our readers.  This will give you all an opportunity to bring up the big questions that you want our community to discuss.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We do not have an official format for how this will work yet.  It will largely depend on the questions that people submit.  We are open to nearly any type of WordPress-related question right now.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What We All Can Do</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest thing I ask of the Tavern community that we make 2020 the year that we thoughtfully engage with one another. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than that, when discussing topics with others online, there is no need to feel like you must win an argument.  That usually leads to nowhere good.  Present your ideas and let them stand on their own merit.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that idea in mind, think about writing responses in the form of a blog post.  Then, let us know about the post here at the Tavern.  Taking the time to write a post allows your ideas to mature.  Doing this lets you build a stronger argument if you rationally think it through.  Also, WordPress is blogging software at heart.  We should use it more often to blog about WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy New Year, everyone!  Let&rsquo;s make this a memorable one.</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, 01 Jan 2020 21:01:09 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:47;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:48:\"WPTavern: Reflecting on 2019: The Year in Review\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:29:\"https://wptavern.com/?p=96134\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:58:\"https://wptavern.com/reflecting-on-2019-the-year-in-review\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:11823:\"<img />\n\n\n\n<p>Another year is in the bag.  With a project as large and far-reaching as WordPress, there was no shortage of news and controversy.  We covered a lot of stories in 2019 and are gearing up for another exciting year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I always like to take a moment at the end of the year to look over everything that happened.  Despite how well a website or project performs, it is good to take stock of each success.  It is a time of reflection.  Even in bad years, you should be able to find positive things to remember.  This helps shape how you view your websites, projects, or even life.  Ending the year remembering those positive things can help propel you into the new year.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is equally important to find areas for improvement.  However, you cannot understand what the next steps are until you have taken a look at where you have been. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, let&rsquo;s take a moment to reflect on the past year&rsquo;s journey for WP Tavern and WordPress.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>WP Tavern Stats</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, WP Tavern published 382 posts.  That is an increase of 52 posts over 2018.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Average words per post are the highest in WP Tavern&rsquo;s history, coming in at 587 words.  I am certain my long-windedness played a small role in that.  We also had fewer quick posts on the whole.  That is a format we should experiment with more.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Total and average comments are down.  Admittedly, we have been a bit heavy-handed with deleting comments that break our comment policy this year.  Average Jetpack-powered &ldquo;likes&rdquo; per post are at an all-time high (6.9 likes per post).  Total likes are the second-highest for a year (2,614 likes).  We are also seeing a lot of engagement on Twitter.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out in 2020 with social media having such a stronghold on how people engage with one another online.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We need to continue improving both the frequency and the quality of comments.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Year in WordPress</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/happy-sweet-16-wordpress\">turned 16 years old</a> this year.  <em>It&rsquo;s old enough to drive now.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community enjoyed three major updates throughout the year:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-1-improves-editor-performance-encourages-users-to-update-outdated-php-versions\">Version 5.1 &ldquo;Betty&rdquo;</a> improved editor performance and encouraged users to update PHP.</li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-2-jaco-released-includes-fatal-php-error-protection-and-a-recovery-mode\">Version 5.2 &ldquo;Jaco&rdquo;</a> included PHP fatal error protection and a recovery mode.</li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-3-kirk-released-brings-new-default-theme-editor-improvements-and-ui-tweaks\">Version 5.3 &ldquo;Kirk&rdquo;</a> introduced the Twenty Twenty theme and made significant UI tweaks.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the year was focused on the Gutenberg plugin and porting its features and improvements into WordPress.  WP Tavern covered nearly <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/tag/gutenberg\">everything you ever wanted to know about Gutenberg</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Matt Mullenweg&rsquo;s <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2019-recap-all-roads-lead-to-the-block-editor\">2019 State of the Word</a> primarily focused on the work that went into the block editor in the past 12 months.  He also outlined the next phases of the project, which include full-site customization, collaboration between post authors, and multilingual sites.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Alex Mills (Viper007Bond) Passed Away</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In February, the WordPress community lost one of its greatest members, Alex Mills, as his <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/alex-mills-ends-his-battle-with-leukemia\">battle with leukemia ended</a>.  Alex was a mentor and hero to many of us.  As a developer, I learned more from his work than I may ever be able to pay forward.  We never met in person, but he was one of my early teachers by simply leading the way for people like me.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>His <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/regenerate-thumbnails/\">Regenerate Thumbnails</a> plugin also saved me countless hours over the years.  I cannot imagine building or testing WordPress themes without it.  <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/automattic-adopts-alex-mills-plugins\">Automattic adopted the plugins</a> Alex built during his WordPress journey.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alex, thank you for everything you contributed to the WordPress community.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Favorites From 2019</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following are various WordPress and Tavern-related things that I found most interesting throughout 2019.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Posts From Tavern Writers</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We have had numerous well-written stories from everyone who has contributed in 2019.  The following are personal favorites from contributors other than myself that I wanted to highlight before we close the year out.  </p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are my favorites for various reasons and presented in no particular order.  Sometimes, I liked the content of the article.  At other times, I appreciated them for how well-written they were.  If you missed them, now is a good time to hop back and check out some stories our team has written this year.</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-governance-project-flagged-as-unsanctioned-first-meeting-set-for-january-15\">WordPress Governance Project Flagged as Unsanctioned, First Meeting Set for January 15</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gpl-author-richard-stallman-resigns-from-free-software-foundation\">GPL Author Richard Stallman Resigns from Free Software Foundation</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/matt-mullenweg-and-david-heinemeier-hansson-discuss-wordpress-market-share-monopolies-and-power-in-open-source-communities\">Matt Mullenweg and David Heinemeier Hansson Discuss WordPress Market Share, Monopolies, and Power in Open Source Communities</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/proposal-to-auto-update-old-versions-of-wordpress-to-4-7-sparks-heated-debate\">Proposal to Auto-Update Old Versions of WordPress to 4.7 Sparks Heated Debate</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/automattic-acquires-tumblr-plans-to-rebuild-the-backend-powered-by-wordpress\">Automattic Acquires Tumblr, Plans to Rebuild the Backend Powered by WordPress</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-one-year-later\">Gutenberg: One Year Later</a></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/possibilities-of-a-cms-in-the-spatial-computing-future\">Possibilities of a CMS in the Spatial Computing Future </a></li></ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>My Articles</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I am closing in on 70 posts since becoming a fulltime contributor to WP Tavern.  This job has allowed me to explore a variety of topics in a few months, and I look forward to continuing this into 2020.  I enjoyed writing many stories, but there were two that I was particularly happy to have the opportunity to cover.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first was my coverage of the <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/u-s-supreme-court-denies-dominos-appeal-to-determine-whether-websites-must-be-accessible\">U.S. Supreme Court&rsquo;s denial of Domino&rsquo;s appeal</a> to determine whether its website must be accessible to all of its customers.  This story helped me jump far outside my comfort zone of strictly writing about WordPress and development topics.  It was also a stark reminder that we, as a community, need to become better at making the web accessible for all people.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The post I enjoyed working on the most was <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/chilean-news-publication-el-soberano-first-to-launch-on-newspack\">El Soberano&rsquo;s launch on Newspack</a>.  The interesting thing about covering this story was not the actual re-launch of the publication.  It was getting to chat with other journalists, particularly those who were down in the trenches and fighting for justice.  It reminded me that, at the end of the day, journalism is always about people.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Favorite Theme</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This was an easy pick.  <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwenty/\">Twenty Twenty</a> takes the top spot on my list.  There were themes released this year with designs better-suited to my tastes.  There were certainly other themes pushing more limits in terms of functionality.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I like most about Twenty Twenty is that it seems unafraid to be bold.  It showcases how a theme can have personality while being designed around the block editor.  I am not sure if I would ever use it for my sites simply because it&rsquo;s not my preferred style.  However, I appreciate its artistic merit.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Favorite Plugin</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While it was not released in 2019, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/give/\">GiveWP</a> is the most interesting plugin I have used this year.  It is a fundraising plugin that allows WordPress users to accept donations directly from their website.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I worked with the plugin in two capacities this year.  The first was as a plugin developer who was building an integration between it and another plugin.  As a developer, I appreciated how well-written and well-documented the code was.  The team behind the plugin includes top-notch programmers.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also helped push a couple of friends to set it up for their projects.  Both were pleased with their experiences.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Top 10 Posts From 2019</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following posts are the most-commented posts of the year.  Loads of comments typically mean controversy around here, so this list may contain, more or less, the most controversial topics of the year.  Either way, there are some great discussions in some of the comment threads.</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wp-taverns-new-design-no-more-wood-grain\">WP Tavern&rsquo;s New Design: No More Wood-Grain</a> <em>(91 comments, 32 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/jetpack-7-1-adds-feature-suggestions-to-plugin-search-results\">Jetpack 7.1 Adds Feature Suggestions to Plugin Search Results</a> <em>(76 comments, 8 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/gutenberg-one-year-later\">Gutenberg: One Year Later</a> <em>(75 comments, 29 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/pluginvulnerabilities-com-is-protesting-wordpress-org-support-forum-moderators-by-publishing-zero-day-vulnerabilities\">PluginVulnerabilities.com is Protesting WordPress.org Support Forum Moderators by Publishing Zero-Day Vulnerabilities</a> <em>(64 comments, 10 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/black-friday-banner-gone-wrong-advertising-in-free-plugins\">Black Friday Banner Gone Wrong: Advertising in Free Plugins</a> <em>(59 comments, 20 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/justin-tadlock-joins-wp-tavern\">Justin Tadlock Joins WP Tavern</a> <em>(52 comments, 45 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/yoastcon-overshadowed-by-twitter-storm-joost-de-valk-seo-industry-leaders-called-out-for-objectifying-women\">YoastCon Overshadowed by Twitter Storm: Joost de Valk, SEO Industry Leaders Called Out for Objectifying Women</a> <em>(37 comments, 5 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-poised-to-begin-implementing-proposal-to-auto-update-older-sites-to-4-7\">WordPress Poised to Begin Implementing Proposal to Auto-Update Older Sites to 4.7</a> <em>(36 comments, 4 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/rebirth-of-creativity-gutenberg-and-the-future-of-wordpress-themes\">Rebirth of Creativity: Gutenberg and the Future of WordPress Themes</a> <em>(33 comments, 41 likes)</em></li><li><a href=\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-5-3-kirk-released-brings-new-default-theme-editor-improvements-and-ui-tweaks\">WordPress 5.3 &ldquo;Kirk&rdquo; Released, Brings New Default Theme, Editor Improvements, and UI Tweaks</a> <em>(32 comments, 24 likes)</em></li></ul>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Tue, 31 Dec 2019 21:06:09 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:48;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:85:\"WPTavern: WordPress Theme Review Team Announces Alpha Color Picker for the Customizer\";s:7:\"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=96116\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:96:\"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-theme-review-team-announces-alpha-color-picker-for-the-customizer\";s: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:5142:\"<img />Using the color picker in the customizer.\n\n\n\n<p>The WordPress Theme Review Team <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/12/30/new-color-alpha-package-available/\">announced its color picker control</a> today.  The project is a single package that allows theme authors to include an advanced color control in the customizer.  The control allows users to select a hex color with an optional alpha channel to handle transparency.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The color control is the fourth feature package released by the team in 2019.  The <a href=\"https://wptavern.com/justin-tadlock-proposes-idea-to-solve-common-theme-issues\">idea for feature packages</a> took off in June.  Feature packages are repositories for single features that theme authors may use in their themes.  Their purpose is to standardize common features so that developers do not have to <em>recreate the wheel</em>, so to speak.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arguably, the color control is the most complex package the team has built.  The bulk of the work was handled by feature packages lead, Ari Stathopoulos.  The project is available via its <a href=\"https://github.com/WPTRT/control-color-alpha\">GitHub repository</a> and <a href=\"https://packagist.org/packages/wptrt/control-color-alpha\">Packagist</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officially, the team launched version 1.0 in October, but the project has undergone some changes since its release.  Initially, the project utilized the Iris color picker script included with WordPress.  However, the team ran into trouble making it work as they wanted with RGBA colors.  The team refactored the project to use <a href=\"https://casesandberg.github.io/react-color/\">React Color</a> instead.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;The main issue with this project was the thing that WordPress is most famous for &mdash; backward-compatibility,&rdquo; said Stathopoulos.  &ldquo;Compatibility is one of WP&rsquo;s greatest assets, but at the same time, a pain for developers. Things don&rsquo;t get updated because they need to work for plugin A/B/C that hasn&rsquo;t been updated in 6 years. So scripts like the Iris picker, things that were great half a decade ago, have been abandoned and are just dead weight. RGBA support could easily have been in WP core&rsquo;s picker.  There was always a demand for it.  But it never happened.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team decided to move forward without relying on past solutions.   Stathopoulos said the biggest hurdle with building the control to use React Color was making it look native to WordPress.  He described the project as an example for others to see that it was possible to use React in the customizer.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Setting up the control with the basics is relatively easy.  Theme authors should be able to quickly integrate it into their themes by following the <a href=\"https://github.com/WPTRT/control-color-alpha/blob/v1.1.2/README.md#usage\">usage instructions</a>.  Color data is stored as a hex value (e.g., <code>#000000</code>) if there is no transparency or as a RGBA value (e.g., <code>rgba(0,0,0,0)</code>) if there is.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The control does come with more advanced features.  For example, it is possible to store color data as an array, which includes a slew of information, such as:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>RGB (red, green, blue)</li><li>HSL (hue, saturation, lightness)</li><li>Alpha transparency</li><li>Hex</li><li>CSS value</li><li>Accessibility properties</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The accessibility properties are interesting and may allow theme authors to help to ensure users choose colors that meet accessibility standards.  Some of the included data is the color&rsquo;s luminance, contrast with white and black, max contrast color, and more.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Future of Feature Packages</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the TRT&rsquo;s feature packages are not widely adopted by theme authors.  The overall project is still in its infancy.  In the wake of the news that WordPress will be moving toward full-site editing, the team is not sure what that will mean for the project going forward.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stathopoulos said that some theme authors are hesitant to do big things at the moment.  It&rsquo;s a tough sell to get developers on board when the future of theme development is in a holding pattern, waiting for the other Gutenberg shoe to drop.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been discussing and thinking of what packages we should build,&rdquo; said Stathopoulos.  &ldquo;The problem is that the editor is the centerpiece of WordPress.  Everything else just surrounds the editor.  Gutenberg is expanding, and it looks like it&rsquo;s taking over everything else in WordPress. So we think the next packages should be around the editor too.&rdquo;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said some of the initial package ideas like a standardized hook system, more customizer controls, and accessible menus may not be the best route.  Those ideas may not make sense in the context of a block-editing world.  The team could see the launch of such packages dead on arrival.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tricky, transitional period for themes and theme developers,&rdquo; said Stathopoulos.  &ldquo;We all need to learn how to better leverage the editor.&rdquo;</p>\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Mon, 30 Dec 2019 20:28:28 +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:49;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:13:\"\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n	\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:2:{s:0:\"\";a:5:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:52:\"WPTavern: What Should an Author Bio Block Look Like?\";s:7:\"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=96070\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:62:\"https://wptavern.com/what-should-an-author-bio-block-look-like\";s: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:6173:\"<img />Two author bio block mock-ups compared.\n\n\n\n<p>Joshua Wold, co-representative for the WordPress design team, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/12/23/author-card-block-exploration/\">shared an early exploration</a> of an author card block.  Community members explored several ideas at the design table during the contributor day at WordCamp US 2019.  In the post, Wold followed up on the original sketches from that melding of design minds.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original idea for the author block was a <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/1844\">GitHub ticket</a> created in July 2017, but it was far ahead of its time.  The Gutenberg project needed to focus on the basics and more common blocks for post content at that point.  Now is the time to shift gears and begin work on these more complex blocks that will likely be a large part of the full-site editing phase of the project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, there are several proposed components to the author block:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Image/Avatar</li><li>Name</li><li>Description/Biography</li><li>Website Link</li><li>Social Network Links</li><li>Recommended Posts</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I am on the fence about a recommended posts option as part of the block.  If they were recommended posts written by that author, it could be an interesting concept to explore.  However, version 1 of the block should focus on the most common elements, which the other components in the list cover.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wold asked four key questions about the future of the block.  The following are my responses to each.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Is the Value of the Block and How Will It Be Used?</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Coming from the theme world, what surprises me is that WordPress has never standardized on this feature at this point.  Author bio sections are commonplace in theme development.  Core should have standardized this feature years ago.  We have a standard search form, comment list, featured image, and more.  Many of the features that WordPress has standardized over the years were born out of theme designers carving the path forward, and author bios are no different.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has long made sense for an author bio template tag to exist.  However, we are living in a block world.  The concept has merely shifted.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We do not need an author bio block today.  We will need it tomorrow.  As we shift closer and closer to full-site editing, we need to be building, iterating, and testing these types of blocks in preparation for the point of no return.  This block, along with similar blocks, should drop in core at the same time the switch is flipped on full-site editing.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary use case will be for end-users to edit their theme&rsquo;s block templates to stick the author bio at the end of their single post views.  However, such a block need not be limited to that scenario.  Users could create a &ldquo;team&rdquo; or &ldquo;authors&rdquo; page on their site.  Some may want to drop these into columns or create some sort of gallery of author bios.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could see taking this even further and naming it a &ldquo;user bio&rdquo; block.  Use cases do not have to be centered around the concept of an author.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Where Should the Author Data Come From?</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary, or at least initial, source of data should come from user data and metadata stored in the database.  It does not make sense to duplicate efforts by retyping content within the block if it already exists.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>One big question will be around social icons.  If these are a part of the block, there is no current source to pull the URLs from.  If automatically generating the data, WordPress will need to add social media contact methods to the user profile screen in the admin.  That can be a slippery slope when deciding which social networks to include.  However, core WordPress could stick to three or four major networks and provide a filter hook for plugin authors to utilize along with a standard for how additional fields are handled.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is also the possibility that this block could simply be a pre-defined pattern of existing, smaller blocks that pulled in data like a user biography, user social icons, and user avatar.  Then, the site owner could move other blocks in and out as they saw fit.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Block Design Options Should Be Available?</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The obvious design options are the standard text color, background color, and font size options.  <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/16848\">Border design options</a> would be a bonus, but that goes beyond the scope of this specific block.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The standard alignment options would be welcome, particularly center, wide, and full.  An alignment option for the avatar image to shift it left or right could also be useful.  It could work similarly to the existing Media &amp; Text core block.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would not go overboard with design options.  Let theme authors create custom block styles for users to choose from.  That is the theme author&rsquo;s job.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Additional Features Should the Block Handle?</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside of an avatar and biography, a social icon list is the most necessary feature.  It is almost ubiquitous with author bio boxes.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I would like to see is an author/user &ldquo;gallery&rdquo; block that builds upon this initial idea.  At the moment, I am already imagining the painful user experience of creating a team page and putting individual user bio blocks into columns.  Then, I am further imagining having to update that page and potentially move columns around.  As an end-user, there are times when I want to micro-manage certain aspects of my site.  This would not be one of them.  Just give me a simple block to list user bios in some sort of columnized format.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a block could provide an avenue for many types of options.  Maybe an option to list authors of a certain post type.  Perhaps an option to list users by role.  Or, let me list the top users by post count.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This idea may be pushing over into plugin territory.  However, in terms of what I would want to do with my sites, this would be high on the list.</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, 27 Dec 2019 20:00:24 +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:\"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:\"\";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:\"type\";i:128;s:7:\"headers\";O:42:\"Requests_Utility_CaseInsensitiveDictionary\":1:{s:7:\"\0*\0data\";a:8:{s:6:\"server\";s:5:\"nginx\";s:4:\"date\";s:29:\"Tue, 18 Feb 2020 21:30:30 GMT\";s:12:\"content-type\";s:8:\"text/xml\";s:4:\"vary\";s:15:\"Accept-Encoding\";s:13:\"last-modified\";s:29:\"Tue, 18 Feb 2020 21:15:09 GMT\";s:15:\"x-frame-options\";s:10:\"SAMEORIGIN\";s:4:\"x-nc\";s:9:\"HIT ord 2\";s:16:\"content-encoding\";s:2:\"br\";}}s:5:\"build\";s:14:\"20130911040210\";}', 'no');
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This monthly series shares some of those lesser-known, amazing stories.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>The beginning</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton.jpg?w=632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8349\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton.jpg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton.jpg?resize=768%2C767&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /><figcaption>Kori Ashton</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1998, Kori created her very first HTML website. Her dad was creating websites for a living at the time. 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So, Kori and her dad worked to learn WordPress over the next few years.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then in 2012, Kori and her parents launched their new business, WebTegrity, in San Antonio, Texas, US. It started out small: just Kori and her parents. Soon, they started subcontracting design work and quickly continued to grow their team.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Going big time</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though the business was in a saturated industry in San Antonio &#8212; over 700 freelancers and agencies were providing similar services &#8212;  Kori and her parents were able to sell their company five years later, with a multi-million dollar valuation. There were a few choices they made early on that led to that success.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>1. They picked a niche: WordPress specialists&nbsp;</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, there were no WordPress-specific agencies in San Antonio. They emphasized the fact that WordPress was the only CMS their company would use. 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They learned how to build sustainable revenue streams</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many other web development agencies, WebTegrity started out with the “one-time fee and you’re done” business model. This business model is known for unpredictable revenue streams. Hearing about recurring revenue business models at WordCamp Austin was a lightbulb moment for Kori. She started drafting a more sustainable business model on the way back home.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support packages were key to their new business plan. Clients needed ongoing support. They decided to include at least 12 months of post-launch support into their web development projects. This doubled their revenue in one year and allowed them to even out their revenue streams.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>4. They knew the importance of reputation</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kori believes that every client, whether they have a $5,000 or a $50,000 budget, should get the same type of boutique-style, white glove, concierge relationship.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every single project results in the absolute best solution for a client&#8217;s needs. In addition to that, offering training helped boost their reputation. Explaining the lingo of the web development and SEO fields and showing the processes used, added transparency. It helped set and meet expectations and it built trust.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>5. They proactively gave back to the community</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tori heard Matt Mullenweg speak about <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/\">Five For The Future</a> at WordCamp US. He encouraged people in the audience who make a living using WordPress, to find ways to give back 5% of their time to building the WordPress software and community. Matt talked about how firms and individuals could give back to the community. He suggested, for instance to:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>start a WordPress Meetup group</li><li>present at a Meetup event&nbsp;</li><li>facilitate a Meetup group where maybe you’re just the organizer and you never have to speak because you’re not a fan of speaking</li><li>help organize a WordCamp</li><li>volunteer at a WordCamp</li><li>write a tutorial and tell people how to do WordPress related things&nbsp;</li><li>run a workshop</li><li>make a video</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?fit=632%2C422&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8351\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/02/kori-ashton-3.jpg?w=1264&amp;ssl=1 1264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /><figcaption>If you&#8217;re making an income using WordPress, consider giving 5% of your time back to building the software and/or the community.</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This gave Kori another light bulb moment. She could make videos to give back. So her way to give back to the WordPress community is her <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/user/webtegrity\">YouTube channel</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every Wednesday, she published a video on how to improve your online marketing. This made a huge impact, both inside the WordPress community, but also in her own business.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Understanding</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, in summary, how did Kori and her family turn their business into a multi-million dollar buyout in just five years?&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, it was about understanding that you have to build value. About keeping an exit strategy in mind while building your business. For instance when naming your company. Will it stand alone? Could it turn into a brand that you could sell as an independent entity?</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Think about revenue streams and watch sales margins.</li><li>Be sure to include healthy margins.&nbsp;</li><li>Don’t hire until you have no further option.</li><li>Make sure to structure your offerings in such a way that you’re actually recouping your value.&nbsp;</li><li>Understand entrepreneurship, watch Shark Tank, read more tutorials, watch more videos.</li><li>Get involved in the WordPress community. Get to know its core leaders, the speakers that travel around to all the WordCamps. Start following them on Twitter and try to understand what they’re sharing.&nbsp;</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end, the fact that Kori was so active in the San Antonio community helped enable the sale.</p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>We just kept hammering on the fact that we were the go-to place here in San Antonio for WordPress. We kept training, we kept doing free opportunities, going out and speaking at different events, and people kept seeing us. We kept showing up, kept giving back and kept establishing ourselves as the authority.</em></p><cite>Kori Ashton</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Contributors</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alison Rothwell (<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpfiddlybits/\">@wpfiddlybits</a>), Yvette Sonneveld (<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/\">@yvettesonneveld</a>), Abha Thakor (<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/\">@webcommsat</a>),&nbsp; Josepha Haden (<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\">@chanthaboune</a>), Topher DeRosia (<a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/\">@topher1kenobe</a>).</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=632%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7025\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /></figure>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p><em>This post is based on an <a href=\"https://heropress.com/essays/build-company-wordpress/\">article originally published on HeroPress.com</a>, a community initiative created by </em><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/\"><em>Topher DeRosia</em></a><em>. HeroPress highlights people in the WordPress community who have overcome barriers and whose stories would otherwise go unheard.Meet more WordPress community members over at </em><a href=\"https://heropress.com/\"><em>HeroPress.com</em></a><em>!</em></p>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div></div>\n</div></div>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8348\";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:57:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:39:\"WordCamp Asia Cancelled Due to 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:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:75:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/02/wordcamp-asia-cancelled-due-to-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:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 12 Feb 2020 04:23:12 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8:\"WordCamp\";s:7:\"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=8344\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:349:\"I&#8217;ve arrived at the difficult decision to cancel the inaugural WordCamp Asia event, which was planned to take place in Bangkok on February 21st. The excitement and anticipation around this event have been huge, but there are too many unknowns around the health issues unfolding right now in the region to explicitly encourage a large [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Matt Mullenweg\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:1267:\"\n<p>I&#8217;ve arrived at the difficult decision to cancel the inaugural WordCamp Asia event, which was planned to take place in Bangkok on February 21st. The excitement and anticipation around this event have been huge, but there are too many unknowns around the health issues unfolding right now in the region to explicitly encourage a large public gathering bringing together over 1,300 people from around the world.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>We’re going to explore if speakers — including myself — can do our sessions with the same content and at the same time that was originally planned, just online instead of in-person so we can achieve our goal of bringing the pan-Asian community closer together without putting anyone&#8217;s health at additional risk.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless, I greatly appreciate the work everyone — from organizers to attendees,&nbsp; speakers to sponsors — put into making this a big success. So many people have come together to create an event to inspire and connect WordPressers, and I am confident that this passion will carry through into the event next year. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the virus so far, and we sincerely hope that everything is resolved quickly so that this precaution looks unnecessary in hindsight.</p>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8344\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:2;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:60:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:20:\"WordPress 5.4 Beta 1\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:56:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/02/wordpress-5-4-beta-1/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Tue, 11 Feb 2020 22:43:44 +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:8:\"category\";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:11:\"Development\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8:\"Releases\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8322\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:361:\"WordPress 5.4 Beta 1 is now available for testing! 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Consider setting up a test site to play with the new version.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can test the WordPress 5.4 beta in two ways:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Try the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/\">WordPress Beta Tester</a>&nbsp;plugin (choose the “bleeding edge nightlies” option)</li><li>Or&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/wordpress-5.4-beta1.zip\">download the beta here&nbsp;(zip)</a>.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 5.4 is slated for release on&nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-4/\">March 31, 2020</a>, and <strong>we need your help to get there</strong>!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the <strong>primary goal for 2020 is full-site editing with blocks</strong>, contributors to WordPress are working across every area of the project to ensure the software continues moving forward.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing for bugs is an important part of polishing the release during the beta stage and a great way to contribute. 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This had been one of the editor&#8217;s biggest accessibility problems, but now tabbing works with the block’s sidebar.</li><li>Visual switch between Edit and Navigation modes and enable screen reader announcements.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To see all of the features for each release in detail check out the release posts:&nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/10/02/whats-new-in-gutenberg-2-october/\">6.6</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/10/16/whats-new-in-gutenberg-16-october/\">6.7</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/10/30/whats-new-in-gutenberg-30-october/\">6.8</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/13/whats-new-in-gutenberg-13-november/\">6.9</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/27/whats-new-in-gutenberg-27-november/\">7.0</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/11/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-december/\">7.1</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-8-january/\">7.2</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-january/\">7.3</a>, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/02/05/whats-new-in-gutenberg-5-february/\">7.4</a> and 7.5.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Continuing efforts to improve performance</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The block editor team has achieved a 14% loading time reduction and 51% time-to-type reduction, for a particularly sizable post (~ 36,000 words, ~1,000 blocks) since WordPress 5.3.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Wait! There&#8217;s more</h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>Site Health </h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When a project powers 34% of the world&#8217;s websites, there must be a focus on security. This is why contributors continue working so hard on the Site Health Project.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 5.4 adds a widget on the dashboard that warns administrators of potential issues that could affect their site&#8217;s performance or security. A call-to-action button directs them to the Site Health screen for details and suggested fixes.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Accessibility improvements</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress strives to improve accessibility with every release, and this release is no different. Version 5.4 will contain the following accessibility enhancements:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Better focus management in Menu, Customizer and Site Health screens, to fix some existing keyboard navigation issues.</li><li>Easier keyboard navigation for better semantics in the Media modal.</li><li>An easier-to-read Privacy Policy Guide.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>For Developers</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>5.4 also contains a bunch of developer focused changes.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Calendar Widget </h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The HTML 5.1 specification mandates that a <code>&lt;tfoot&gt;</code> tag must follow&nbsp;<code>&lt;tbody&gt;</code> tag (which was not the case in the calendar widget). 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The WordPress logo will always load as a fallback.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Other changes for developers</h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Clearer information about errors in <code>wp_login_failed</code>.</li><li>Site ID has been added to the <code>newblog_notify_siteadmin</code> filter for multisite installs.</li><li>Support has been added for the required WordPress and PHP version headers in themes.</li><li>Embed support has been added for TikTok.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep your eyes on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/\">Make WordPress Core blog</a>&nbsp;for &nbsp;<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/5-4+dev-notes/\">5.4-related developer notes</a>&nbsp;in the coming weeks, breaking down these and other changes in greater detail.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, contributors have fixed more than <a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&amp;milestone=5.4&amp;group=component&amp;max=500&amp;col=id&amp;col=summary&amp;col=owner&amp;col=type&amp;col=priority&amp;col=component&amp;col=version&amp;order=priority\">255 tickets in WordPress 5.4</a> with more to come.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>How You Can Help</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you speak a language other than English?&nbsp;<a href=\"https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp/dev/\">Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages</a>!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you’ve found a bug, you can post to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/\">Alpha/Beta area</a>&nbsp;in the support forums. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket\">file one on WordPress Trac</a>&nbsp;where you can also find a list of&nbsp;<a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major\">known bugs</a>.</p>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8322\";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:57:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:36:\"The Month in WordPress: January 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:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:71:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/02/the-month-in-wordpress-january-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:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:54:06 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:18:\"Month in WordPress\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8316\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:338:\"Following an action-packed December, 2020 is off to a fine start with some new releases and announcements. Read on to find out what happened in the WordPress project in January. Release of Gutenberg 7.2 &#38; 7.3 Gutenberg 7.2, the first Gutenberg release of 2020, was deployed on January 8th and included over 180 pull requests [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:5943:\"\n<p>Following an action-packed December, 2020 is off to a fine start with some new releases and announcements. Read on to find out what happened in the WordPress project in January.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>Release of Gutenberg 7.2 &amp; 7.3</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/09/whats-new-in-gutenberg-8-january/\">Gutenberg 7.2</a>, the first Gutenberg release of 2020, was deployed on January 8th and included over 180 pull requests from more than 56 contributors. This was followed soon after by <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-january/\">Gutenberg 7.3</a>. New features include a new Buttons block, support in adding links to Media &amp; Text block images, improvements to the Navigation and Gallery blocks, performance improvements, and accessibility enhancements. These releases also included many additional enhancements, fixes, new APIs, documentation, and more.</p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<h2>Proposal for an XML Sitemaps Feature Plugin</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In June last year, a team of contributors <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/06/12/xml-sitemaps-feature-project-proposal/\">proposed</a> a feature plugin that would bring standardized XML sitemaps to WordPress Core. Since then, the team has been working to bring this to reality and <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/27/feature-plugin-xml-sitemaps/\">have now published a working plugin</a> to demonstrate this new capability.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin is still in development, but the included features already provide much-needed functionality from which all WordPress sites can benefit. You can install the plugin from your WordPress dashboard or <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/core-sitemaps/\">download it here</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get involved in bringing this feature to Core? Follow <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/\">the Core team blog</a>, report any issues you find <a href=\"https://github.com/GoogleChromeLabs/wp-sitemaps/issues\">on GitHub</a>, and join the #core channel in <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/chat/\">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>A New Block-Based Themes Meeting</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Theme Review Team has <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2020/01/29/new-bi-weekly-block-based-themes-meeting/\">announced</a> that they will be holding bi-weekly meetings in the #themereview channel focused on discussing block-based themes. If you are interested in discussing themes within the context of Gutenberg’s full-site editing framework, this will be the place to do so! The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 5, at 16:00 UTC.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get involved with the Theme Review Team or <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/get-involved/become-a-reviewer/\">become a reviewer</a>? Follow <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/\">their blog</a>, and join the #themereview channel in <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/chat/\">the Making WordPress Slack group</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>Further Reading</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The Core team has started work on WordPress 5.4 and kicked off their planning with <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/14/wordpress-5-4-planning-roundup/\">a summary post</a>. You can follow all the v5.4 updates by watching <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/5-4/\">the version tag</a> on the Core team blog.</li><li>The inaugural <a href=\"https://2020.asia.wordcamp.org/\">WordCamp Asia</a> event is taking place in February. This will be the largest WordPress event in the region, bringing together around 1,500 WordPress enthusiasts from around the world.</li><li>Two WordPress community leaders, <a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>chanthaboune</a> and <a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>andreamiddleton</a>, <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/wordpress-leaders-nominated-for-cmx-awards/\">were nominated for CMX awards</a> due to their work on the WordPress project, with <a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>andreamiddleton</a> winning the award for Executive Leader of a Community Team.</li><li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/29/lazy-loading-images-in-wordpress-core/\">A feature plugin has been proposed</a> that introduces lazy-loading images to WordPress Core, which will be a huge step forward in improving performance all across the web.</li><li>The Core team has put together <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/faq-for-new-contributors/\">an extensive and informative FAQ</a> to help new contributors get involved in contributing to the project.</li><li>One key priority for Gutenberg is the ability to control the block editor. There are already a number of APIs that control the experience, but there is a lack of consistency and missing APIs. <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/01/23/controlling-the-block-editor/\">A method to address this</a> has been proposed.</li><li>The Design team <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2020/01/24/gutenberg-phase-2-friday-design-update-43/\">published detailed information</a> on the recent design improvements in Gutenberg.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8316\";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:76:\"\n		\n		\n					\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n					\n			\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:6:{s:0:\"\";a:7:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:36:\"People of WordPress: Robert Cheleuka\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:71:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/people-of-wordpress-robert-cheleuka/\";s: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:\"comments\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:80:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/people-of-wordpress-robert-cheleuka/#comments\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Sat, 25 Jan 2020 15:26:54 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:9:\"Community\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:9:\"heropress\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8300\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:385:\"You’ve probably heard that WordPress is open-source software, and may know that it’s created and run by volunteers. WordPress enthusiasts share many examples of how WordPress changed people’s lives for the better. This monthly series shares some of those lesser-known, amazing stories. Meet Robert Cheleuka Robert is a self-taught graphic and motion designer turned web [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:16:\"Yvette Sonneveld\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8428:\"\n<p><em>You’ve probably heard that WordPress is open-source software, and may know that it’s created and run by volunteers. WordPress enthusiasts share many examples of how WordPress changed people’s lives for the better. This monthly series shares some of those lesser-known, amazing stories.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Meet Robert Cheleuka</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert is a self-taught graphic and motion designer turned web designer (and aspiring web developer) from Malawi, Africa. Over the years, he has grown fond of WordPress and has become a loyal user. Still, the journey is rough.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/DSC08818.jpg?resize=632%2C790&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Robert Cheleuka\" class=\"wp-image-8303\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /><figcaption>Robert Cheleuka</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Malawi</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. A tiny landlocked country with a population of 17 million, it’s largely rural and still considered a developing country. The average entry-level monthly pay for most skilled jobs is about $110. If you&#8217;re employed full-time in the creative industry and if you’re very lucky, you might be able to earn more than that. Employees earning more than $300 a month are rare to non-existent.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert has been a freelance graphic designer since about 2011. He started by doing gigs from his dorm in college and from home. Earnings from his freelance jobs increased his interest in entrepreneurship and he started to consider starting his own creative agency.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>How Robert was introduced to WordPress</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert first came into contact with WordPress in 2014 when he and a friend started a local tech blog. Before that, all he knew was basic, outdated HTML from high school and some knowledge of Adobe Dreamweaver. They decided to use WordPress, and their new blog looked like it came from the future. They used a theme from the repo and got such positive feedback from the blog they decided to open a content and media publishing agency.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>While they got a few web redesign jobs thanks to the exposure the blog brought, they lacked the administrative and business skills needed and ended up going their separate ways. Then in his first real job after college Robert finally took it upon himself to learn the ins and outs of WordPress. He learned how to install WordPress on a server and did some research on customizing themes. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that knowledge alone he got his first web design clients and started earning nearly as much as he did at his job. Robert soon realized that free WordPress themes would only take him so far, especially with his limited code skills.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because in Malawi only people who travel abroad have access to credit cards, paying for premium themes was impossible. Like many WordPress designers in developing countries, Robert turned to using pirated themes instead. He knew that was both unsafe and unethical, and decided to learn how to code. Knowing how to build themes from scratch would surely help him rise above the competition. </p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?fit=632%2C632&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8304\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/20180905_1971270886435744_8835917058488139776_n.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>The WordPress community from Robert’s perspective</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert doesn’t have a lot of interaction with the WordPress community. Although he would search for solutions from blogs about WordPress he had never actually talked to or asked anyone from the community for a solution.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert believes that this isolation is the result of a glass ceiling &#8212; the WordPress community is partially online and partially in-person, but there isn’t a local group in Malawi. And because Malawi, like many other developing nations, lacks a way to pay online many can’t access premium support, online learning, or most other types of professional development. No matter how welcoming the people of WordPress might be, it can still feel like it mostly belongs to those with enough privilege to conduct business on the internet.</p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>WordPress &amp; inclusion</strong></h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As most freelancers know, it’s really hard to learn while you also still need to earn. Add pitching to clients and shipping graphic design projects… there are only so many hours in a day.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert didn’t have a programming background and had always been more of a creative person. In order to grow as a web designer/developer, he needed to learn PHP. Again, without access to a credit card, that was complicated. Also, free coding training wasn’t as widely available as it is now.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert wishes that more developers would consider alternative ways for users who cannot pay for courses, themes, or plugins (whether that’s because of available infrastructure or otherwise). He wishes that WordPress tutors and developers would open up ways to accommodate aspiring learners in developing countries who cannot access plugins, courses, and themes, to be able to give back and to participate at another level.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress has allowed him to build an income he would have no other way of earning and it makes a huge difference. He believes sharing stories like his will hopefully make WordPress products and services become more universally available. In addition, he hopes that more aspiring, self-taught developers will find courage in reaching out to connect with others out there.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Contributors</strong></h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alison Rothwell (<a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/wpfiddlybits/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>wpfiddlybits</a>), Yvette Sonneveld (<a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>yvettesonneveld</a>), Josepha Haden (<a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>chanthaboune</a>), Siobhan Cunningham (<a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/siobhanseija/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>siobhanseija</a>), Topher DeRosia (<a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>topher1kenobe</a>)</p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=632%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7025\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/07/heropress_large_white_logo.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /></figure>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p> <em>This post is based on an article originally published on HeroPress.com, a community initiative created by <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/\">Topher DeRosia</a>. HeroPress highlights people in the WordPress community who have overcome barriers and whose stories would otherwise go unheard.</em> </p>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n\n\n<p> <em>Meet more WordPress community members over at </em><a href=\"https://heropress.com/\"><em>HeroPress.com</em></a><em>!</em> </p>\n\n\n\n<p><br></p>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:36:\"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/\";a:1:{s:10:\"commentRss\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:76:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/people-of-wordpress-robert-cheleuka/feed/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:38:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/\";a:1:{s:8:\"comments\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:2:\"10\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8300\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:5;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:60:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:42:\"WordPress Leaders Nominated for CMX Awards\";s:7:\"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:78:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/wordpress-leaders-nominated-for-cmx-awards/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 15 Jan 2020 21:42:12 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:6:\"Awards\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:9:\"Community\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8288\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:366:\"Two members of the WordPress leadership team were nominated for excellent work in their field in the first ever Community Industry Awards. Andrea Middleton is nominated for Executive Leader of a Community Team and Josepha Haden Chomphosy is nominated for Community Professional of the Year. CMX is one of the largest professional organizations dedicated to [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:16:\"Francesca Marano\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4014:\"\n<p>Two members of the WordPress leadership team were nominated for excellent work in their field in the first ever Community Industry Awards. <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/andreamiddleton/\">Andrea Middleton</a> is nominated for <a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/awards-executive\">Executive Leader of a Community Team</a> and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a> is nominated for <a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/awards-professional\">Community Professional of the Year</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?fit=632%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8292\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?w=2412&amp;ssl=1 2412w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?resize=300%2C133&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?resize=1024%2C455&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?resize=768%2C341&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?resize=1536%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?resize=2048%2C910&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?w=1264&amp;ssl=1 1264w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2020/01/josepha_and_andrea.jpg?w=1896&amp;ssl=1 1896w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://cmxhub.com/\">CMX</a> is one of the largest professional organizations dedicated to community builders. The awards were open to public nomination, and finalists were chosen by panels of their peers in the CMX community.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrea has been a vital community strategist for the WordPress project since 2011. Her work to build and support a vibrant community has played a part in the success around the popular open source CMS. Her work is sponsored by Automattic, where she leads a team that focuses on educational efforts, funding, and in-person community-driven events that serve a global base.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josepha has been the Executive Director of the WordPress project since 2019. Her work to coordinate and guide volunteer efforts spans 20 teams and involves thousands of volunteers. Her work is also sponsored by Automattic, where she leads the open source division that focuses on all aspects of open source contribution including design, development, volunteer engagement, and the health of the overall WordPress ecosystem.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Votes are Open</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Final recipients are chosen with open voting — if you feel like either Andrea or Josepha have had an impact on your careers, your trajectory in the WordPress project, or the health of WordPress as a whole, there are three ways you can show your support:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Stop by and vote for them (Andrea&nbsp;<a href=\"https://href.li/?https://cmxhub.com/awards-executive\">here</a>, Josepha&nbsp;<a href=\"https://href.li/?https://cmxhub.com/awards-professional\">here</a>)!</li><li>Share this post with your own communities!</li><li>Tweet some inspirational thoughts about your time/experience/learnings with WordPress (using&nbsp;#WordPress, naturally)!</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Thank You Notes</h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>A lot of care and passion goes into making the WordPress Project as fantastic as it is. I think these awards are a reflection of how wonderful the community and ecosystem are, and I appreciate everyone&#8217;s continued trust in my stewardship!</p><cite>Josepha Haden Chomphosy</cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>WordPress community organizers are some of the most generous and creative people in the world — working with them is exciting and interesting every day. I’m humbled by this nomination; thank you!</p><cite>Andrea Middleton</cite></blockquote>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8288\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}}}i:6;a:6:{s:4:\"data\";s:57:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:37:\"The Month in WordPress: December 2019\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:72:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2020/01/the-month-in-wordpress-december-2019/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Fri, 03 Jan 2020 17:05:16 +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:8:\"category\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:18:\"Month in WordPress\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8282\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:353:\"As 2019 draws to a close and we look ahead to another exciting year let’s take a moment to review what the WordPress community achieved in December. WordPress 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 Releases The WordPress 5.3.1 security and maintenance release was announced on December 13. It features 46 fixes and enhancements. This version corrects four security [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s: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:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8186:\"\n<p>As 2019 draws to a close and we look ahead to another exciting year let’s take a moment to review what the WordPress community achieved in December.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>WordPress 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 Releases</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The WordPress 5.3.1 security and maintenance release was announced on December 13. It features 46 fixes and enhancements. This version corrects four security issues in WordPress versions 5.3 and earlier. Shortly afterwards, WordPress 5.3.2 was released, addressing a couple high severity Trac tickets, and includes 5 fixes and enhancements, so you’ll want to upgrade. You can read more about these releases in the announcements for <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/\">5.3.1</a> and <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-2-maintenance-release/\">5.3.2</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Update on the Nine Core Projects for 2019</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of 2018, <a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/matt/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>matt</a> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2018/12/08/9-priorities-for-2019/\">announced</a> the nine projects that would be the main focus areas for Core development in the next year. Have we made progress? Yes! <a href=\'https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/\' class=\'mention\'><span class=\'mentions-prefix\'>@</span>chanthaboune</a> <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/06/update-9-projects-for-2019/\">posted a full update</a> on the team’s work. In brief, two of the projects have been completed and shipped in major releases, four are targeted for release in versions 5.4 and 5.5 of WordPress, and the remaining three have seen significant progress but are not yet slated for completion. These will continue to see progress throughout 2020.</p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<h2>WordPress Major Release Calendar</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Core team has published <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/21/tentative-release-calendar-2020-2021/\">a tentative release calendar</a> for 2020 and 2021. This is intended to provide the community with more information about what lies ahead.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The schedule is considered tentative because there are always variables that could affect these plans — not least that the Core team may need more time to finish the work planned for a release.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Initial Documentation for Block-Based WordPress Themes</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gutenberg team has started working on <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/18890/files\">the initial documentation</a> for what block-based themes might look like, marking a significant change in the way themes are conceptualized. With full-site editing now a realistic goal for WordPress, themes will certainly look different in the future.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to help shape the future of block-based themes in WordPress Core? Following <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/\">the Core team blog</a> is a good start! You can also join in on the discussion <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/12/04/questions-about-the-future-of-themes/\">on this blog post</a>, or help out with the work to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/master/lib/demo-block-templates/index.html\">create a demo space for experimentation with the future of themes</a>. As always, contribution to <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/\">Gutenberg on GitHub</a> is open to everyone! Join the #core-editor channel in <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/chat/\">the Making WordPress Slack group</a> to see what other people are saying, and contribute your own thoughts.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Gutenberg Updates Abound</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It’s been a busy month for Gutenberg! Version 7.0, including a new navigation block, <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/11/27/whats-new-in-gutenberg-27-november/\">was announced</a> on November 27. This was followed by <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/11/whats-new-in-gutenberg-11-december/\">version 7.1</a>, announced on December 11; it includes 161 merged pull requests that offer a fresh UI to new users, an option to switch between edit and navigation modes, captions for the table block, and many other enhancements.</p>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\n\n\n<h2>Arrival of the BuddyPress Beta Tester Plugin</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On December 2, <a href=\"https://buddypress.org/2019/12/bp-beta-tester-1-0-0/\">the BuddyPress Beta Tester plugin</a> was added to the WordPress.org plugins directory. This feature is a great way for the WordPress community to provide early feedback on releases.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-beta-tester/\">download the plugin</a> now. If you find that something is not working as expected during your beta tests, let the BuddyPress team know by submitting a ticket on the <a href=\"https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/newticket\">Development Tracker</a> or posting a new topic in the BuddyPress <a href=\"https://buddypress.org/support/\">support forums</a>.​​</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>An Update on the Block Directory in the WordPress Editor&nbsp;</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Design team received lots of excellent feedback on the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/07/11/block-directory-in-wp-admin-concepts/\">early concepts for the Block Directory</a>. This feedback was incorporated into a Version 1 update to the <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/block-directory/\">#block-directory</a> project. The Block Directory is to be included in WordPress 5.5, which is slated for August 2020. To learn more about the Block Directory, check out <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/2019/12/19/block-directory-in-wp-admin-v1/\">this announcement post</a> and help out by sharing your feedback. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get involved in building the Block Directory? Follow <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/design/\">the Design team blog</a>. If you have a block you’d like to include in the directory you can <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/12/06/block-directory-plugin-guidelines/\">submit it following the information here</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" />\n\n\n\n<h2>Further Reading:</h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2019/12/06/block-directory-plugin-guidelines/\">Guidelines for the Block Directory</a> have been drafted; the team is actively working on them now.</li><li>The<a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2020-wordpress-global-community-sponsorship-program/\"> Global Community Sponsorship Program for 2020</a> has been announced.&nbsp;</li><li>The Theme Review Team <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2019/12/09/do-not-contact-reviewers-outside-of-the-wordpress-org-system-about-your-review/\">has published a reminder</a> for developers about the proper way to communicate with reviewers.</li><li>The Community Team is in the process of <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/community/2019/12/05/community-team-reps-for-2020/\">selecting new team reps</a>.</li><li><a href=\"https://meetup.com/pro/wordpress\">The WordPress meetup program</a> crossed the 800-group mark this month and includes groups from more than 100 countries.</li><li>The team that helped to create the 2019 State of the Word slide deck <a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/state-of-the-word-the-story-of-the-slides/\">shared how the slides were created using Gutenberg</a>, powered by the Slides plugin.&nbsp;</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<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>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8282\";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:57:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:35:\"WordPress 5.3.2 Maintenance Release\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:71:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-2-maintenance-release/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Wed, 18 Dec 2019 22:42:26 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8:\"Releases\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8275\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:391:\"WordPress 5.3.2 is now available! This maintenance release features 5 fixes and enhancements. WordPress 5.3.2 is a short-cycle maintenance release. The next major release will be&#160;version 5.4. You can download WordPress 5.3.2 by clicking the button at the top of this page, or visit your&#160;Dashboard → Updates&#160;and click&#160;Update Now. If you have sites that support [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:9:\"Jb Audras\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:2874:\"\n<p>WordPress 5.3.2 is now available!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This maintenance release features 5 fixes and enhancements.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 5.3.2 is a short-cycle maintenance release. The next major release will be&nbsp;version 5.4.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can download WordPress 5.3.2 by clicking the button at the top of this page, or visit your<strong>&nbsp;Dashboard → Updates</strong>&nbsp;and click&nbsp;<strong>Update Now</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have sites that support automatic background updates, they’ve already started the update process.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Maintenance updates</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/\">WordPress 5.3.1 was released</a>, a couple of high severity Trac tickets were opened. The Core team scheduled this quick maintenance release to resolve these issues.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Main issues addressed in 5.3.2:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Date/Time: Ensure that&nbsp;<code>get_feed_build_date()</code>&nbsp;correctly handles a modified post object with invalid date.</li><li>Uploads: Fix file name collision in&nbsp;<code>wp_unique_filename()</code>&nbsp;when uploading a file with upper case extension on non case-sensitive file systems.</li><li>Media: Fix PHP warnings in&nbsp;<code>wp_unique_filename()</code>&nbsp;when the destination directory is unreadable.</li><li>Administration: Fix the colors in all color schemes for buttons with the&nbsp;<code>.active</code>&nbsp;class.</li><li>Posts, Post Types: In&nbsp;<code>wp_insert_post()</code>, when checking the post date to set&nbsp;<code>future</code>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<code>publish</code>&nbsp;status, use a proper delta comparison.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&amp;type=!task+(blessed)&amp;resolution=fixed&amp;milestone=5.3.2&amp;col=id&amp;col=summary&amp;col=owner&amp;col=type&amp;col=priority&amp;col=component&amp;col=version&amp;order=priority\">browse the full list of changes on Trac</a>&nbsp;or check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-5-3-2/\">version 5.3.2 HelpHub documentation page</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Thanks!</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to everyone who contributed to WordPress 5.3.2:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/azaozz/\">Andrew Ozz</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/rarst/\">Andrey &#8220;Rarst&#8221; Savchenko</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/dd32/\">Dion hulse</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/eden159/\">eden159</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/\">Jb Audras</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryelle/\">Kelly Dwan</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/pbiron/\">Paul Biron</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergeybiryukov/\">Sergey Biryukov</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/tellyworth/\">Tellyworth</a>.</p>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8275\";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:57:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:42:\"State of the Word: the story of the slides\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:77:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/state-of-the-word-the-story-of-the-slides/\";s: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, 17 Dec 2019 19:27:01 +0000\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:8:\"category\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:7:\"General\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"guid\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:34:\"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=8233\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:142:\"Curious about the Gutenberg powered slides used during State of the Word? This post uncovers some technical and design aspects of the project!\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:14:\"Ella van Durpe\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:11767:\"\n<p>During the State of the Word at WordCamp US 2019, Matt Mullenweg shared that Gutenberg was used to create his slides and the presentation was powered by the Slides plugin. Using WordPress to power a slide deck isn’t an obvious choice, so we wanted to showcase the process and give some tips for making slide layouts using Gutenberg.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This post is co-written by Ella and <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed/\">Tammie</a>, who (along with <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/\">Mel</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/mapk/\">Mark</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/nrqsnchz/\">Enrique</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/itsjonq/\">Q</a></em> <em>and a cast of supporters) helped create this year’s State of the Word slide deck.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<h2>How it Started</h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/ellatrix/\">Ella Van Durpe</a> was selected to speak at <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNWNhUPrqB4\">JSConf</a> and ReactEurope and wanted slides for her presentation.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, she’d used Reveal.js to create slides and enjoyed the freedom to create anything using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. These languages were comfortable, familiar, and also can be published on the web in their native format.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For these new presentations, she wanted to use Reveal.js again but didn’t feel like writing all the HTML by hand. Creating blocks of content visually, without having to actually write any code, which can be published natively to the web, is exactly what Gutenberg was built for.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin was prototyped quickly, with hardcoded styles on the slides and zero options. At the end of each presentation, Ella shared a brief demo of the Gutenberg-based slides and the audience was amazed.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https://twitter.com/ellatrx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ellatrx</a> any chance you might open source this? <img src=\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f642.png\" alt=\"🙂\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" /> <a href=\"https://t.co/6hygMpBqUA\">https://t.co/6hygMpBqUA</a></p>&mdash; Pascal Birchler (@swissspidy) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/swissspidy/status/1131573525612048385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>\n</div></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As WordCamp US approached, Ella suggested that her plugin be used for State of the Word. Since it was such a hit with her audience members, it seemed like this would be a great chance to share it with the WordPress community as a whole.</p>\n\n\n\n<span id=\"more-8233\"></span>\n\n\n\n<h2>How it Works</h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>Technical information</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The plugin registers a custom post type called “presentation” and a new “slide” block. The slide block is a sort of enhanced “Group” block, which is restricted to the root of the post, but you can put any other block inside it. As a result, you have a post filled with only slides at the root and slides filled with content. This maps perfectly to the Reveal.js markup, which requires content in HTML section elements.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since these slides each have their own design, the theme styles are disabled and styling is set from each slide. A custom presentation template is provided by the plugin to render the custom post on the front-end.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then Ella added options to style the slides. For example, she added options to control the slide background and font, at both the document level and individual slide level. She also added Reveal.js options, which allow you to change the transition style and speed. Lastly, she added a custom CSS field to allow style overwrites.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the State of the Word, she also added speaker notes and a speaker view.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image.png?fit=632%2C363&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8271\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image.png?w=1256&amp;ssl=1 1256w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image.png?resize=300%2C172&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image.png?resize=1024%2C588&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image.png?resize=768%2C441&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>How it&#8217;s Designed</h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/01.png?fit=632%2C515&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8262\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/01.png?w=1114&amp;ssl=1 1114w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/01.png?resize=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/01.png?resize=1024%2C835&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/01.png?resize=768%2C626&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The inspiration for the slide designs came from Blue Note album covers (which were also the inspiration for the <a href=\"https://www.slideshare.net/photomatt/state-of-the-word-2011/\">2011 State of the Word slides</a>). These album covers inspired the recent “About” page in WordPress core and the starter content for the new Twenty Twenty theme. This style consists of strong, geometric shapes and simple forms with clean lines. Photography and bold typography are at the heart of this look.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?fit=632%2C541&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8267\" srcset=\"https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?w=3586&amp;ssl=1 3586w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?resize=300%2C257&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?resize=1024%2C877&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?resize=768%2C658&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?resize=1536%2C1316&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?resize=2048%2C1754&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?w=1264&amp;ssl=1 1264w, https://i1.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/image-17.png?w=1896&amp;ssl=1 1896w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Various color palettes and font pairings were explored before selecting the best combination for the presentation.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/03.png?fit=632%2C407&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8259\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/03.png?w=1311&amp;ssl=1 1311w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/03.png?resize=300%2C193&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/03.png?resize=1024%2C660&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/03.png?resize=768%2C495&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A strong photographic element was needed for the slides. Past WordCamps are a great source of photos, so we dug through years of photo galleries to find just the right shots. With colors, fonts, and photos, we laid the foundation to build the deck.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Tips for Making Gutenberg Slides</h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>Tip One: columns are your friends</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want slides with a precise layout, use columns. As you can see here, we used a 3 column layout to center content within a slide:</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/3.png?w=632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8260\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/3.png?w=874&amp;ssl=1 874w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/3.png?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/3.png?resize=768%2C431&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Tip Two: spacer blocks are useful</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to really unlock the power of columns? Combine them with the spacer block! We used spacer blocks to position content over background images, like in this slide:</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/6.png?w=632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8264\" srcset=\"https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/6.png?w=865&amp;ssl=1 865w, https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/6.png?resize=300%2C171&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i2.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/6.png?resize=768%2C438&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Tip Three: test on large screens</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It’s important to preview and test your slides as you go. Make sure to design for the size and aspect ratio of the projector you’ll be using and do a visual check in presentation mode from time to time.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/notes.png?fit=632%2C405&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8269\" srcset=\"https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/notes.png?w=1096&amp;ssl=1 1096w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/notes.png?resize=300%2C192&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/notes.png?resize=1024%2C657&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/wordpress.org/news/files/2019/12/notes.png?resize=768%2C493&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" /></figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Tip Four: check your videos</h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A good demo video is integral to showcase new features. Joen Asmussen has a great post on <a href=\"https://automattic.design/2019/11/12/good-ui-demo-videos/\">creating effective demo videos</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Lessons learned</h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>I’d love to make the art directed compositions easier to create. </em></p><cite><em>Mel Choyce-Dwan</em></cite></blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As Gutenberg evolves, one big improvement is that art direction will get easier. Even with the improvements this year, creating some layouts in Gutenberg was trickier than expected. For the more complicated compositions, we relied on SVGs. Eventually, the need for hacks will dissolve away, and a new world of exciting possibilities will open for everyone.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Browsers offered one of our biggest learnings in this presentation, more than they would if you use Keynote or Powerpoint, for example (tools most of us have used). Often, we found that what we created in the editor varied a when viewed full-screen. We were able to mitigate this by updating the plugin to use a fixed size, instead of using the entire browser window.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Wrapping it up</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you would like to check out the State of the Word, you can watch the <a href=\"https://wordpress.tv/2019/11/03/2019-state-of-the-word/\">video</a> and read all about it in a <a href=\"https://ma.tt/2019/11/state-of-the-word-2019/\">post</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Slides plugin is not only available on the plugin repo, but you can also get the code from <a href=\"https://github.com/WordPress/slides\">GitHub</a> and <a href=\"https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/slide/\">help translate</a>.</p>\n\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:30:\"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1\";a:1:{s:7:\"post-id\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:4:\"8233\";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:60:\"\n		\n		\n		\n		\n		\n				\n		\n		\n\n					\n										\n					\n		\n		\n			\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"child\";a:4:{s:0:\"\";a:6:{s:5:\"title\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:48:\"WordPress 5.3.1 Security and Maintenance Release\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:4:\"link\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:84:\"https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:7:\"pubDate\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:31:\"Fri, 13 Dec 2019 00:07:06 +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:8:\"category\";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8:\"Releases\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:8:\"Security\";s:7:\"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=8203\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:1:{s:0:\"\";a:1:{s:11:\"isPermaLink\";s:5:\"false\";}}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}s:11:\"description\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:360:\"WordPress 5.3.1 is now available! This security and maintenance release features 46 fixes and enhancements. Plus, it adds a number of security fixes—see the list below. WordPress 5.3.1 is a short-cycle maintenance release. The next major release will be version 5.4. You can download WordPress 5.3.1 by clicking the button at the top of this page, [&#8230;]\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:32:\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\";a:1:{s:7:\"creator\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:9:\"Jb Audras\";s:7:\"attribs\";a:0:{}s:8:\"xml_base\";s:0:\"\";s:17:\"xml_base_explicit\";b:0;s:8:\"xml_lang\";s:0:\"\";}}}s:40:\"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/\";a:1:{s:7:\"encoded\";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:\"data\";s:12709:\"\n<p>WordPress 5.3.1 is now available!</p>\n\n\n\n<p>This security and maintenance release features 46 fixes and enhancements. Plus, it adds a number of security fixes—see the list below.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress 5.3.1 is a short-cycle maintenance release. The next major release will be version 5.4.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can download WordPress 5.3.1 by clicking the button at the top of this page, or visit your<strong>&nbsp;Dashboard → Updates</strong>&nbsp;and click&nbsp;<strong>Update Now</strong>.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have sites that support automatic background updates, they’ve already started the update process.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Security updates</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Four security issues affect WordPress versions 5.3 and earlier; version 5.3.1 fixes them, so you’ll want to upgrade. If you haven’t yet updated to 5.3, there are also updated versions of 5.2 and earlier that fix the security issues.</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Props to <a href=\"https://danielbachhuber.com/\">Daniel Bachhuber</a> for finding an issue where an unprivileged user could make a post sticky via the REST API.</li><li>Props to <a href=\"https://blog.ripstech.com/authors/simon-scannell\">Simon Scannell of RIPS Technologies</a> for finding and disclosing an issue where cross-site scripting (XSS) could be stored in well-crafted links.</li><li>Props to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://wordpress.org/\">WordPress.org</a> Security Team for hardening <code>wp_kses_bad_protocol()</code> to ensure that it is aware of the named colon attribute.</li><li>Props to <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ducnt_\">Nguyen The Duc</a> for discovering a stored XSS vulnerability using block editor content.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Maintenance updates</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few of the highlights:</p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Administration: improvements to admin form controls height and alignment standardization (see related <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/11/admin-form-controls-height-and-alignment-standardization-in-wordpress-5-3-1/\">dev note</a>), dashboard widget links accessibility and alternate color scheme readability issues (see related <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/10/alternate-color-schemes-changes-in-wordpress-5-3-1/\">dev note</a>).</li><li>Block editor: fix Edge scrolling issues and intermittent JavaScript issues.</li><li>Bundled themes: add customizer option to show/hide author bio, replace JS based smooth scroll with CSS (see related <a href=\"https://make.wordpress.org/core/2019/12/08/twenty-twenty-animated-scroll-changes-in-wordpress-5-3-1/\">dev note</a>) and fix Instagram embed CSS.</li><li>Date/time: improve non-GMT dates calculation, fix date format output in specific languages and make&nbsp;<code>get_permalink()</code>&nbsp;more resilient against PHP timezone changes.</li><li>Embeds: remove CollegeHumor oEmbed provider as the service doesn&#8217;t exist anymore.</li><li>External libraries: update <code>sodium_compat</code>.</li><li>Site health: allow the remind interval for the admin email verification to be filtered.</li><li>Uploads: avoid thumbnails overwriting other uploads when filename matches, and exclude PNG images from scaling after upload.</li><li>Users: ensure administration email verification uses the user&#8217;s locale instead of the site locale.</li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, <a href=\"https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&amp;resolution=fixed&amp;milestone=5.3.1&amp;order=priority\">browse the full list of changes on Trac</a> or check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://wordpress.org/support/wordpress-version/version-5-3-1/\">version 5.3.1 HelpHub documentation page</a>.</p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Thanks!</h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the security researchers mentioned above, thank you to everyone who contributed to WordPress 5.3.1:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/123host/\">123host</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/acosmin/\">acosmin</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/adamsilverstein/\">Adam Silverstein</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/aljullu/\">Albert Juhé Lluveras</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/xknown/\">Alex Concha</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/viper007bond/\">Alex Mills</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/anantajitjg/\">Anantajit JG</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/anlino/\">Anders Norén</a>, <a href=\"https://profiles.wordpress.org/andraganescu/\">andraganescu</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/rarst/\">Andrey &#8220;Rarst&#8221; 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