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";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16:"WordPress Planet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"language";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"en";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress Planet - http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"item";a:50:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:25:"Matt: Songs for My Father";s:7:"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=47222";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:42:"https://ma.tt/2017/04/songs-for-my-father/";s: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:4027:"<p>One of the things that surprised me most about when my Dad was sick last year was that while he was in the hospital over about 5 weeks he lost any interest in music, TV, movies, anything on a screen. Music was particularly surprising given that he had music on at his desk pretty much all the time, and really enjoyed loading a new CD or record into the media library he had set up at home. One of the songs I remember playing for him was from a band, Manhattan Transfer, that we used to listen to a lot when I was younger and just learning about jazz, I chose <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwL9xf3YQ-4">Tuxedo Junction</a> because it might cheer him up.</p>
<p>I remember him smiling faintly. (I wish I had played him more music. I wish I had recorded more of his stories, ideally before he got sick. I wish I had figured out how to navigate the hospital and health care system better.)</p>
<p>What I didn&#8217;t anticipate was how after <a href="https://ma.tt/2016/04/in-memoriam-chuck-mullenweg/">his death</a> there would be aftershocks of grief that would hit me over and over again, especially while driving or in a plane. I went from crying maybe three times in the past decade to breaking down at the end of a company town hall, when talking to family, when my Mom found out about the anniversary present my Dad had been looking at, and with any number of songs that unexpectedly took on a new meaning.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKAFK5djSk">Wiz Khalifa &amp; Charlie Puth&#8217;s See You Again</a>, is obvious, and was in heavy rotation every public place I went; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHCob76kigA">Lukas Graham&#8217;s 7 Years</a> completely broke me down when it talked about children &#8212; if I ever have any my father will never meet them; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibQR0tQ0P8">Kayne &amp; Paul McCartney&#8217;s Only One</a>, the tribute to Kanye&#8217;s daughter and passed mother and I think perhaps his best song; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA">Ed Sheeran&#8217;s Thinking Out Loud</a>, about growing old together, turning 70 as he was so close to doing; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkBKJMTCHGk">Kanye&#8217;s Ultralight Beam</a> snuck up on me, I didn&#8217;t expect it, but the questioning and gospel and anger and hope in it captured something I didn&#8217;t even realize I was feeling. Even jazz wasn&#8217;t safe, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeXOm49kE0">Horace Silver&#8217;s lyric-less Song for My Father</a> had the same effect.</p>
<p><img /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NLZCLKppZs">John Mayer&#8217;s Stop This Train</a> is a song I&#8217;ve probably heard a hundred times since it came out in 2006, but all of sudden these words meant something completely different:</p>
<blockquote><p>So scared of getting older<br />
I&#8217;m only good at being young<br />
So I play the numbers game<br />
To find a way to say that life has just begun</p>
<p>Had a talk with my old man<br />
Said, &#8220;Help me understand&#8221;<br />
He said, &#8220;Turn sixty-eight<br />
You&#8217;ll renegotiate&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>I almost had to pull the car over: he was sixty-eight. What I would give for just one more conversation with him like the one the day before he passed. I wish I had written more down, recorded more of his stories, learned more about his journey.</p>
<p>As the year has passed, the surprise crying is much less common even when one of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/1211384122/playlist/3UiuLpSyYUZduDPkaaCmCA">these songs</a> comes on the radio. Usually when I think of my father it&#8217;s with a smile. I&#8217;ve even had a few treasured dreams where we&#8217;ve been able to talk, nothing that made much sense (it was a dream) but I remember waking up with an overwhelming feeling of enveloping love. While the &#8220;new normal&#8221; is different, I can&#8217;t say it&#8217;s better &#8212; he&#8217;s still gone.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 22 Apr 2017 05:12:39 +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: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:1;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:46:"WPTavern: Embed Mastodon Statuses in WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68788";s:7:"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:57:"https://wptavern.com/embed-mastodon-statuses-in-wordpress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4387:"<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mastodon-logo.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>After the <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2017/now-on-twitter-140-characters-for-your-replies" target="_blank">controversial changes to Twitter&#8217;s @reply feature</a>, which no longer counts usernames towards the 140-character limit, Mastodon registrations rose sharply. <a href="https://mastodon.social/" target="_blank">Mastodon</a> is a free, open source, decentralized network that  has many similarities to Twitter. The software, named in honor of its creator&#8217;s favorite metal band, was launched in October and registered 24,000 users in the first six months. A strong negative reaction to Twitter&#8217;s changes has fueled a spike in Mastodon registrations. In the last week alone, the software&#8217;s user base has grown from 237,000 users on April 15 to <a href="https://mnm.eliotberriot.com/dashboard/db/network-drilldown?refresh=30m&orgId=1&from=now-7d&to=now" target="_blank">more than 414,000 users</a> today.</p>
<p>Mastodon is different from Twitter in that it is broken up into different independently-hosted instances. Whereas Twitter has struggled to combat trolls and abuse on its platform, Mastodon instances can each declare and enforce their own rules. For example, the flagship <a href="https://mastodon.social/about/more" target="_blank">Mastodon.social</a> instance bans content that is illegal in Germany or France, such as Nazi symbolism and Holocaust denial, excessive advertising, racism, sexism, and other undesirable posts.</p>
<p>Mastodon&#8217;s Tweetdeck-style interface allows users to post &#8220;toots&#8221; with a 500-word character limit. Toots can also be published with a content warning so that users can choose whether to view it.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mastodon.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>With all the increased activity around Mastodon this week, there was bound to be someone with the desire to display toots on their website. The first plugin for bringing Mastodon content into WordPress has landed in the plugin directory. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/embed-mastodon/" target="_blank">Embed Mastodon</a> was created by David Libeau, a French developer and Mastodon enthusiast. It allows users to embed toots using a shortcode.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mastodon-embed.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;I created this plugin because <a href="http://www.numerama.com/" target="_blank">Numerama</a>, a french tech website, was saying that it could be cool to embed Mastodon statuses, like with Twitter, in WordPress,&#8221; Libeau said. &#8220;I was thinking the same when I wrote a small article on my personal blog. I am using both Twitter and Mastodon but want to progressively leave Twitter.&#8221;</p>
<p>Libeau said he is not a WordPress developer and Mastodon Embed is his first plugin. He does not know if it&#8217;s coded well but said users may be interested in <a href="https://github.com/ginsterbusch/mastodon-embed" target="_blank">an alternative plugin on GitHub</a> that is a complete rewrite of his effort. The rewrite includes multiple embeds, caching, proper shortcode initialization, and fallback to &#8220;direct&#8221; embeds if embed via iframe is forbidden.</p>
<p>Libeau said he doesn&#8217;t know what will happen to his plugin in light of the rewrite, but he is continuing to develop <a href="http://mastodon.tools/" target="_blank">small tools for Mastodon users</a>. Mastodon has an open API for apps and services, which makes it easy for developers to build things that integrate with it.</p>
<p>After testing the Mastodon Embed plugin I found that it works but may have a couple of styling issues with the link display. If you find that it&#8217;s not working, it&#8217;s possible that your particular Mastodon instance configuration does not allow embedding via iFrame. To resolve this you may need to contact the admin of the instance or use the fork of the plugin that has a fallback for this scenario. If you find a bug with the Mastodon Embed plugin hosted on WordPress.org, you can <a href="https://github.com/DavidLibeau/mastodon-tools/issues" target="_blank">log an issue on Libeau&#8217;s Mastodon Tools repository</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Sat, 22 Apr 2017 03:18:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:2;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:57:"WPTavern: Headway Themes Appears to be Dying a Slow Death";s:7:"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=68837";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"https://wptavern.com/headway-themes-appears-to-be-dying-a-slow-death";s: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:9405:"<p>It&#8217;s been seven months since Grant and Clay Griffiths, founders of Headway Themes, <a href="http://headwaythemes.com/the-future-of-headway/">apologized</a> to customers for failing to communicate on a regular basis and provide adequate customer support. In the apology, the founders admit that the company was experiencing <a href="https://wptavern.com/headway-themes-confirms-financial-difficulties-issues-apology-to-customers">financial difficulties</a> and noted that competition in the WordPress drag-and-drop page-builder space was tough. The duo vowed to communicate more, provide better customer support, and continue to develop Headway 4.0. Has anything changed since the apology was published?</p>
<h2>Headway Themes Migrates to FlyWheel Hosting</h2>
<p>In December of 2016, <a href="https://getflywheel.com/">Flywheel</a> hosting <a href="https://wptavern.com/flywheel-acquires-wordpress-local-development-tool-pressmatic">acquired Pressmatic,</a> created by Clay Griffiths. Soon after, Headway Themes migrated to Flywheel hosting which caused a few hiccups such as site downtime due to DNS propagation, login issues, and an issue with the Headway Dashboard. The acquisition raised questions on how it would affect Clay&#8217;s ability to work on Headway.</p>
<p>“This acquisition and employment will provide myself and my family much more stability than we’ve had in a long time, and will allow me to better focus on Headway in my spare time,” Griffiths said. “This includes rolling out the upcoming 4.1 release, and working hard to make sure the support and other outstanding issues are resolved for all our customers.”</p>
<h2>Influx Confirms Communication Issues With Founders</h2>
<p>Soon after the apology, Headway Themes began to use Influx to provide first-tier customer support. <a href="https://influx.com/">Influx</a> provides customer support for companies, including those in the WordPress ecosystem such as <a href="https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/">Advanced Custom Fields</a>. Any issues that Influx couldn&#8217;t solve are escalated to Clay and Grant. In February, Gary Bairéad, a former Headway Themes employee, <a href="https://twitter.com/garybairead/status/834823813674188800">contacted Headway Themes support</a> about the status of Headway 4.0 and received the following response.</p>
<p><img /></p>
<p>Influx couldn&#8217;t answer the question because Headway developers had not informed them of its progress despite inquiring about it. Influx notes that there may be a beta released in the near future but not to be quoted on it because a similar promise was made five months prior. In January, the official <a href="https://twitter.com/headwaythemes">Headway Themes Twitter account</a> confirmed that Headway was being supported and that 4.0 would be released soon.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/3BugMedia">@3BugMedia</a> we are fully supporting Headway.  4.0 update coming soon. ^gg</p>
<p>&mdash; Headway Themes (@headwaythemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/headwaythemes/status/816698625380286464">January 4, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Around the same time period, another Headway Themes customer submitted a support request asking about the status of a longstanding issue they were having. Influx explained that there was a lull because the main developers were failing to communicate. The support representative also pointed out that it seemed the only way for customers to get information about Headway Themes was by emailing support.</p>
<p><img /></p>
<p>Influx says it tried multiple times to contact Headway Themes developers about the issue and said it was lobbying hard to get it rectified.</p>
<h2>Payments Stop for Third-Party Block Developers</h2>
<p>In February, Bairéad <a href="https://headwayupdate.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/update-4-dont-renew-3rd-party-blocks-through-headwaythemes-com/">published a request</a> to third-party block customers to not renew through Headway Themes.com and to instead, purchase and renew directly from the developer&#8217;s sites. Chris Howard, founder of <a href="http://pizazzwp.com/">Pizazz WP,</a> and Chris Rault, co-founder of <a href="https://www.headwayrocket.com/">HeadwayRocket,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HeadwayRocket/status/826005360834142208">confirmed</a> they are owed money from customers who purchased and renewed blocks through Headway Themes.com.</p>
<p>I reached out to both developers to see if they&#8217;ve been paid since February.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve sent Clay a bunch of messages, but he&#8217;s completely ignoring me and hasn&#8217;t paid over another cent since the last long delay,&#8221; Rault said.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s down to only 2 or 3 renewals a month, but I’m not receiving anything still. I&#8217;d estimate they still owe me around $2,000,&#8221; Howard said.</p>
<p>For Howard, the issue of not receiving payments has been <a href="https://wptavern.com/headway-3-8-9-patches-potential-xss-vulnerability#comment-200810">going on for months</a>.</p>
<h2>Former Support Staff Still Owed Money</h2>
<p>Headway Themes&#8217; apology does not mention the former support team who the company <a href="https://wptavern.com/former-headway-themes-employee-goes-public-staff-has-not-been-paid-and-customers-are-not-receiving-support">failed to pay</a> on time for months. Since the apology, members of the team have received small payments but are still owed thousands of dollars. Receiving payments from Headway Themes is often a difficult process.</p>
<p>After not receiving a payment in February, a former team member sent a flurry of emails to Grant and Clay Griffiths inquiring about the payment. Clay eventually responded that they would send out payments when they&#8217;re able too. After a week of questioning when that would be with no response, the team member received a payment.</p>
<h2>Influx Says Headway Themes is Restructuring</h2>
<p>A Headway Themes customer recently contacted support to ask about the status of Headway and published Influx&#8217;s response to the company&#8217;s support forums. Here&#8217;s their response:</p>
<blockquote><p>Hi [Redacted],</p>
<p>Thanks for reaching out.</p>
<p>Currently, Headway is going through a restructuring phase to resolve the challenges being faced at this time. We do not have the full details here at support but the main stakeholders are working to return Headway to its rightful mode of operations.</p>
<p>Please let me know if there are any more questions that I can answer for you. Kind Regards.</p></blockquote>
<p>To learn more about the restructuring process and what&#8217;s going on with Headway development, I reached out to Grant and Clay Griffiths. Both have not responded to my request for comment.</p>
<h2>Blox Picks Up Where Headway Left Off</h2>
<p>Last year, when it appeared the future of Headway Themes <a href="https://wptavern.com/headway-themes-future-is-uncertain-amidst-financial-troubles">was in jeopardy</a>, Maarten Schraven forked the <a href="http://bloxthemebuilder.com/start-downloading-beta-blox-theme-v1-0-0/">Headway 3.8.8 codebase</a> and named it <a href="http://bloxthemebuilder.com/">Blox Builder</a>. Blox Builder is 100% GPL Licensed and is a direct replacement for Headway. Schraven recently <a href="http://bloxtheme.com/lots-of-questions-about-blox-theme/">answered a number of questions</a> related to the project, one of which is how easy is it to transfer from Headway to Blox.</p>
<blockquote><p>There are different ways to convert your Headway Theme to Blox Theme. The best way is to export your template, you get an .json file. In this file you have to change hw to bt and headway to blox. If you have a large website you also can change the database tables. Some of our users have Blox Theme and Headway Themes side by side and switch between them. The last way (not yet available) is our conversion script. This script can do two things, change the database or do the same search and replace. This script will work automatic or as standalone.</p>
<p>Or, if you think this is to difficult, you always can ask us for the conversion, we can discuss this on e-mail or skype</p></blockquote>
<p>There&#8217;s no time frame on when the conversion script will be available. If you&#8217;re a fan of the way Headway Themes works and are looking for a similar replacement, check out Blox Builder.</p>
<h2>Many in the Headway Themes Community Have Moved On</h2>
<p>A number of devoted fans and customers of Headway have switched to other page builders like Divi, Elementor, and Beaver Builder. What was once a vibrant community-run Slack channel for Headway Themes enthusiasts has turned into a ghost town. There is little hope among them that the company will be able to rebound.</p>
<h2>Not Much Has Changed</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, the issues that prompted Headway Themes&#8217; founders to issue an apology are still present. There is a lack of communication on the company&#8217;s blog, social media accounts, and to Influx, the company it has outsourced customer support to. The apology dated Sept 13, 2016, was the last post published to the company&#8217;s blog. Former employees and third-party developers are still owed considerable amounts of money and there has been little if any development on the Headway code base.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Sat, 22 Apr 2017 02:00:05 +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:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:3;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"WPTavern: HeroPress Partners With WPShout to Offer WordPress Education Scholarships";s:7:"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=69027";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"https://wptavern.com/heropress-partners-with-wpshout-to-offer-wordpress-education-scholarships";s: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:3468:"<p>HeroPress has teamed up with <a href="https://alexdenning.com/">Alex Denning</a>, <a href="https://pressupinc.com/">Fred Meyer, and David Hayes</a> of <a href="https://wpshout.com/">WPShout</a> to offer 10 copies of <a href="https://wpshout.com/up-and-running/">Up and Running Second Edition</a> at the deluxe tier. The deluxe tier is valued at $249 and includes everything the course has to offer including video tutorials, creating a theme and child theme, screencast series, creating a WordPress plugin, and more.</p>
<p>The scholarship applications are geared towards three groups of people:</p>
<ul>
<li>Those in financial hardship (unemployment, jobseeking, students or underemployment).</li>
<li>Those in low-income countries without the means to purchase the course.</li>
<li>Under-represented groups in tech and the WordPress community, including but not limited to:
<ul>
<li>Women</li>
<li>Transgender applicants</li>
<li>BAME applicants</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Those who qualify have until May 9th to fill out the <a href="https://heropress.com/up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/">application</a>. Five members of the WordPress community make up a panel that will review the applications and choose 10 recipients who they feel are deserving of the award. HeroPress will then tally the selections and those with the most votes will be awarded a scholarship. In case of a tie, HeroPress will be the deciding vote. The five panelists are:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/maedahbatool?lang=en">Maedah Batool</a> (Creative Director at WPTie, Pakistan).</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/anafranciscas">Ana Silva</a> (Digital Marketer at Human Made, UK).</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/PlanningWrite">Winstina Hughes</a> (Co-Organizer, WordCamp New York).</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/rahul286">Rahul Bansal</a> (CEO at rtCamp, India)</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/pippinsplugins">Pippin Williamson</a> (Founder at Pippin’s Plugins, USA).</li>
</ul>
<p>Pippin Williamson, founder of Easy Digital Downloads, says he accepted the panelist role because it’s an opportunity to make a significant difference in someone’s life.</p>
<p><a href="http://heropress.com/">HeroPress</a>, founded by <a href="https://topher1kenobe.com/">Topher DeRosia</a> in 2015, publishes an essay every Wednesday from members of the community on how WordPress has positively impacted their lives. HeroPress has published essays from people in the <a href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-middle-east/">Middle East</a>, <a href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-oceana/">Oceania</a>, <a href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-central-south-america/">Central and South America</a>, and other parts of the world.</p>
<p>To learn the HeroPress story, listen to <a href="https://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-227-the-heropress-story-with-topher-derosia">our interview with DeRosia</a>. In it, he explains his motivation for creating the site and shares a personal story of someone who couldn’t write an essay because they were spending all of their time trying to stay alive.</p>
<p>To learn more about Up and Running Second Edition, <a href="https://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-268-behind-the-scenes-of-wordpress-development-course-up-and-running-second-edition">listen to our interview</a> with the founders where they explain how and why they created the course.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:05:17 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"WPTavern: Checathlon: A Free WordPress Business Theme with Support for Easy Digital Downloads";s:7:"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=69228";s:7:"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:103:"https://wptavern.com/checathlon-a-free-wordpress-business-theme-with-support-for-easy-digital-downloads";s: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:3892:"<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/checathlon/" target="_blank">Checathlon</a> is new business theme on WordPress.org that was designed to seamlessly integrate with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-digital-downloads/" target="_blank">Easy Digital Downloads</a>. The name is a combination of the words checkout and decathlon, according to its creator <a href="https://foxland.fi/" target="_blank">Sami Keijonen</a>.</p>
<p>Checathlon combines elegant typography with a bold, pink accent color to showcase products and services on a business or e-commerce website. The theme was designed by Finnish designer Toni Suni and is Keijonen&#8217;s 13th theme to be listed in the directory.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/checathlon-screenshot.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;I had some kind of vision of what I wanted and Toni created a pixel perfect design based on our discussion,&#8221; Keijonen said. &#8220;I’m super happy about the end result. Unfortunately, the design and the theme was not good enough for WordPress.com and the theme was rejected from there.&#8221; Keijonen opted to create a Checathlon Plus plugin as an alternative way to monetize the theme.</p>
<p>Checathlon has an intuitive way of organizing the content featured on the front page. Unlike many other themes, the front page is not controlled by a custom page template. Once you set the front page as a static page, the Customizer will give access to the service/pricing, products, testimonial, and blog sections.</p>
<p>The theme includes support for a Pricing page template and a Team Page template. These features make Checathlon more flexible for use on a business, agency, non-profit, or e-commerce website.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/checathlon-team-page.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The pricing template has a &#8220;Service and Pricing widget&#8221; area where users can drop in the custom widgets available in the Checathlon Plus plugin. The widgets make it easy for users to set an icon, title, content, price, and a link for each pricing tier, as well as the ability to highlight one tier as featured.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/checathlon-pricing-template.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Checathlon was built to support several plugins, including <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-digital-downloads/" target="_blank">Easy Digital Downloads</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/custom-content-portfolio/" target="_blank">Custom Content Portfolio</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/" target="_blank">Jetpack</a> (testimonials and portfolio). The theme includes styles for the Jetpack email subscription widget and EDD <a href="https://foxland.fi/demo/checathlon/downloads/" target="_blank">downloads</a> and account pages. It&#8217;s also tagged as <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/accessibility/" target="_blank">accessibility-ready</a>, which means that it has successfully passed an accessibility audit. Check out the <a href="https://foxland.fi/demo/checathlon/" target="_blank">live demo</a> to see Checathlon in action.</p>
<p>Keijonen is taking a unique approach by creating a <a href="https://foxland.fi/downloads/checathlon-plus/" target="_blank">Checathlon Plus plugin</a> as an alternative to offering a &#8220;pro version&#8221; of the theme. It extends the theme to include more customizer capabilities, additional widgets, cart customization features for EDD, and two child themes. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/checathlon/" target="_blank">free theme</a> is available on WordPress.org and <a href="https://foxland.fi/documents/for/checathlon/" target="_blank">documentation</a> can be found on the theme&#8217;s website.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 21 Apr 2017 16:25:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"WPTavern: WordPress Plugin Directory Restores Tabbed Interface";s:7:"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=69139";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-restores-tabbed-interface";s: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:4036:"<a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/tabs.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/CCRDK5WZEM">Jeffrey Betts</a>
<p>Last month the WordPress Plugin Directory <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm" target="_blank">relaunched with a new design</a> and improvements to the search algorithm. The new design replaced the plugin pages&#8217; previous tabbed interface with a wall of text, truncated by numerous &#8220;read more&#8221; links.</p>
<p>The outpouring of negative community feedback on the new design overshadowed many of the helpful improvements. Removal of the tabs was by far the most unpopular design choice in this iteration, as many found it to be confusing and inferior in terms of navigating the information efficiently. Users, developers, and contributors on the redesign <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-redesign-why-so-many-people-feel-their-feedback-was-ignored" target="_blank">felt their feedback was roundly ignored</a> throughout all phases of the design&#8217;s beta and testing period.</p>
<p>Four months ago, contributor Jon Ang (@kenshino) opened a <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2328" target="_blank">ticket</a> regarding the &#8220;read more&#8221; links, which he described as &#8220;a usability nightmare.&#8221; The ticket was closed as a duplicate of <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2278" target="_blank">another ticket</a> which received very little discussion. Today, Otto marked the ticket as fixed, <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/5399" target="_blank">announcing the return of tabs</a> in the commit message:</p>
<blockquote><p>Change single-plugin view to have tabbed design. Eliminates read-more on all sections except developers and changelog, adds tabs back to interface using CSS to switch between them. Tabs control both main display as well as widgets.</p>
<p>Known issues: Changelog read-more not working (js issue), developers section is currently split using CSS, future change will split this section into two separate sections.</p></blockquote>
<p>Members of the Advanced WordPress Facebook (AWP) community, who were among the most critical of the new design, are <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/1473163646079178/" target="_blank">pleased with the change</a>. The new tabs are subtle, tasteful, and in line with the overall design. They eliminate the clutter that the expanded &#8220;read more&#8221; links created.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/plugin-page-tabs-restored.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The Reviews tab now displays six of the most recent reviews, as opposed the the previous two most recent. This makes it not as easy to destroy a plugin&#8217;s reputation with poor reviews timed to always be visible on the main plugin page. Otto <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/1473163646079178/?comment_id=1473175582744651&reply_comment_id=1473218756073667&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R3%22%7D" target="_blank">replied</a> to comments on the AWP community, saying that these numbers are not set in stone and that there are good arguments for displaying different sets of reviews, as opposed to simply the most recent ones.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago the meta team <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-restores-stats-and-links-to-older-versions-of-plugins" target="_blank">brought back stats and older versions of plugins</a>, a couple of features that were removed in the first iteration of the new directory. Screenshot display is still somewhat clunky, requiring users to click on their browsers&#8217; back button in order to return to the plugin details. Future iterations of the design are expected to address the remaining quirks and issues that users and contributors have raised since the relaunch.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 20 Apr 2017 21:46:39 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:6;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:41:"WPTavern: WordPress 4.7.4 Fixes 47 Issues";s:7:"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=69141";s:7:"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:104:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-4-7-4-fixes-visual-editor-incompatibility-with-upcoming-version-of-chrome";s: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:1182:"<p>WordPress 4.7.4 <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2017/04/wordpress-4-7-4/">is available</a> and is a maintenance release that fixes 47 issues reported against 4.7. This update includes a visual editor <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40305">compatibility fix</a> for an upcoming version of Chrome.</p>
<p>Uploading video and audio files no longer result in <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40075">broken thumbnails</a> and the REST API received a few enhancements related to <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/39854">data</a> <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40136">handling</a>. WordPress 4.7.4 also restores the ability to Shift-click a range of checkboxes.</p>
<p>Auto updates are rolling out but if you&#8217;d like to update immediately, browse to Dashboard &gt; Updates and click the update button.</p>
<p>To see a full list of changes visit the <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.7.4">release notes</a> page on the Codex. Since December, WordPress 4.7 has been <a href="https://wordpress.org/download/counter/">downloaded</a> more than 60 million times.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 20 Apr 2017 18:39:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"Dev Blog: WordPress 4.7.4 Maintenance Release";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=4710";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"https://wordpress.org/news/2017/04/wordpress-4-7-4/";s: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:4513:"<p>After almost sixty million downloads of WordPress 4.7, we are pleased to announce the immediate availability of WordPress 4.7.4, a maintenance release.</p>
<p>This release contains 47 maintenance fixes and enhancements, chief among them an incompatibility between the upcoming Chrome version and the visual editor, inconsistencies in media handling, and further improvements to the REST API. For a full list of changes, consult the <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.7.4">release notes</a> and the <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/log/branches/4.7?rev=40487&stop_rev=40224">list of changes</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/download/">Download WordPress 4.7.4</a> or visit <strong>Dashboard → Updates</strong> and simply click “Update Now.” Sites that support automatic background updates are already beginning to update to WordPress 4.7.4.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who contributed to 4.7.4:<br />
<a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/">Aaron Jorbin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/adamsilverstein/">Adam Silverstein</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/afercia/">Andrea Fercia</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/azaozz/">Andrew Ozz</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/aussieguy123/">aussieguy123</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/blobfolio/">Blobfolio</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boldwater/">boldwater</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/boonebgorges/">Boone Gorges</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bor0/">Boro Sitnikovski</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chesio/">chesio</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/curdin/">Curdin Krummenacher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/danielbachhuber/">Daniel Bachhuber</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/nerrad/">Darren Ethier (nerrad)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidakennedy/">David A. Kennedy</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbenton/">davidbenton</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dlh/">David Herrera</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/dd32/">Dion Hulse</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ocean90/">Dominik Schilling (ocean90)</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eclev91/">eclev91</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/iseulde/">Ella Van Dorpe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ghosttoast/">Gustave F. Gerhardt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ig_communitysites/">ig_communitysites</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jnylen0/">James Nylen</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/">Joe Dolson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/johnbillion/">John Blackbourn</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karinedo/">karinedo</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/lukasbesch/">lukasbesch</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/maguiar/">maguiar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/matheusgimenez/">MatheusGimenez</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mboynes/">Matthew Boynes</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mattwiebe/">Matt Wiebe</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mayurk/">Mayur Keshwani</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/">Mel Choyce</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/celloexpressions/">Nick Halsey</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/swissspidy/">Pascal Birchler</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/peterwilsoncc/">Peter Wilson</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/delawski/">Piotr Delawski</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/pratikshrestha/">Pratik Shrestha</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/programmin/">programmin</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/rachelbaker/">Rachel Baker</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sagarkbhatt/">sagarkbhatt</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sagarprajapati/">Sagar Prajapati</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sboisvert/">sboisvert</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/wonderboymusic/">Scott Taylor</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergeybiryukov/">Sergey Biryukov</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/netweb/">Stephen Edgar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/cybr/">Sybre Waaijer</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/timmydcrawford/">Timmy Crawford</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/vortfu/">vortfu</a>, and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/">Weston Ruter</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, 20 Apr 2017 17:54:32 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Pascal Birchler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"Post Status: Introducing a new way to find high quality WordPress jobs";s:7:"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=36314";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:43:"https://poststatus.com/wordpress-job-board/";s: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:3285:"<p>It&#8217;s my pleasure to formally introduce the <a href="https://poststatus.com/jobs">Post Status WordPress job board</a>. It actually went live two weeks ago, but I wanted to give it time to work out any kinks before broadly promoting it.</p>
<p>Now, I think we&#8217;re ready for prime time. So, why do we need another place to list WordPress jobs?</p>
<p>The signal to noise ratio &#8212; both for employers seeking qualified candidates, and for candidates finding quality job listings &#8212; is pretty low across the board in the job market. Most people who hire technical professionals will tell you that it&#8217;s very difficult to find good candidates. And anyone seeking great job opportunities knows how hard it can be to find out the best opportunities, especially at the times you&#8217;re actually looking.</p>
<p>The goal for the Post Status WordPress job board is to take advantage of both sides of this equation.</p>
<p>Post Status isn&#8217;t a huge website with tons of traffic. But the traffic I do get is from a highly targeted audience of primarily WordPress professionals, or web professionals who use WordPress as a primary tool.</p>
<p>By creating a highly targeted job board, I&#8217;m able to increase the signal on both sides; employers can get quality applications, and applicants can find quality employers.</p>
<p>Furthermore, our team &#8212; meaning <a href="https://poststatus.com/profiles/katie-richards/">Katie Richards</a>, and myself &#8212; go through each employer&#8217;s listing to confirm that it&#8217;s a qualified listing of someone actually hiring, provides relevant information, and is properly described for the available position.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve already got 20+ jobs and counting, and I know many of them have had applications start to roll in, even without public announcement yet.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d like to submit a job, the process is currently only for Post Status <a href="https://poststatus.com/club">members</a>. We may open that up in the coming weeks, but for now, you can join and post, or if someone from your organization is a member, they can post it.</p>
<p>Listings last for 45 days (the first listings are being extended out starting today), and will be marketed to the Post Status Club &#8212; now over 900 WordPress professionals &#8212; as well as the free Post Status <a href="https://poststatus.com/newsletter">newsletter</a>, where we&#8217;ll send digests of new jobs.</p>
<p>In the future, we may create new features for job seekers to keep an even closer eye on available jobs, but for now, the email and listing page are the place to go. And we may build new tools for employers as we get feedback and see demand for them.</p>
<p>I look forward to this being a valuable resource for the WordPress community. We&#8217;re dedicated to making it work well for a long haul, and we expect general activity to increase as the word gets out that it&#8217;s there.</p>
<p>So, if you don&#8217;t mind, we&#8217;d love your help to promote this job board, both now and when you hear of companies hiring and people seeking positions. It is a truly great feeling to know that you helped someone find their next workplace.</p>
<p>So, check out some <a href="https://poststatus.com/jobs">WordPress jobs</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, 20 Apr 2017 13:35:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:9;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"WPTavern: WordCamp Europe 2017 Announces Speakers, Opens Registration for Contributor Day";s:7:"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=69083";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-2017-announces-speakers-opens-registration-for-contributor-day";s: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:2015:"<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/wordcamp-europe-2017.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://2017.europe.wordcamp.org/" target="_blank">WordCamp Europe 2017</a> has been rolling out <a href="https://2017.europe.wordcamp.org/speakers/" target="_blank">speaker</a> announcements over the past week, slowly building what appears to be a strong lineup of both European and international WordPress experts. Speaker names are being released in thematic groups, the first dedicated to development topics, followed by business and content/marketing groups.</p>
<p>Registration for <a href="https://2017.europe.wordcamp.org/2017/04/19/time-to-register-for-wceu-2017-contributor-day/" target="_blank">Contributor Day</a>, which will be held the day before the conference on Thursday, June 15th, is now open. Organizers are expecting more than 3,000 attendees for the WordCamp, but Contributor Day is limited to 500 registrants. The <a href="http://wceurope.polldaddy.com/s/sign-up-for-contributor-day-2017" target="_blank">signup form</a> allows attendees to select up to two different contributor teams they would like to participate in.</p>
<p>In addition to the traditional contribution activities, Thursday&#8217;s event will also feature workshops and talks for beginners and those who want to learn more about topics such as JavaScript, Vagrant, internationalization, security, accessibility, and plugins. The workshops will be announced at a later date.</p>
<p>WP Tavern will be on the ground in Paris to cover WordCamp Europe as an official media partner. We&#8217;re looking forward to connecting with the European WordPress community and finding the stories that might otherwise go untold. The last remaining <a href="https://2017.europe.wordcamp.org/tickets/" target="_blank">tickets</a> are selling quickly. There are 288 micro-sponsor tickets left and just 308 general admission tickets remaining before the event is sold out.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 20 Apr 2017 03:29:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:80:"HeroPress: Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=1722";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"https://heropress.com/announcing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/";s: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:3263:"<img width="960" height="639" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ipad-uandr-1-1024x682.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Two hands holding an ipad so we can see the screen." /><p>For the first time ever, HeroPress is taking part in offering a scholarship! The good folks over at WPShout are soon releasing some great new WordPress training material called <em>Up and Running</em>. As part of that release they&#8217;d like to offer ten copies for free to those who fit the application qualifications.</p>
<h3>How do I apply?</h3>
<p>Visit the <a href="https://heropress.com/up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/"><em>Up and Running</em> Scholarship Application</a> page, read the rules, and fill out the form.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Announcing%20the%20Up%20and%20Running%20Scholarship%2C%20from%20HeroPress%20and%20WPShout&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fannouncing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fannouncing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout%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%2Fannouncing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout%2F&title=Announcing+the+Up+and+Running+Scholarship%2C+from+HeroPress+and+WPShout" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout"></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/announcing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ipad-uandr-1-150x150.png&description=Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/announcing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/" title="Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/announcing-up-running-scholarship-heropress-wpshout/">Announcing the Up and Running Scholarship, from HeroPress and WPShout</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:"Thu, 20 Apr 2017 00:07:55 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:80:"WPTavern: BuddyPress 2016 Survey Results Show 54% of Respondents are on PHP 7.0+";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68226";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"https://wptavern.com/buddypress-2016-survey-results-show-54-of-respondents-are-on-php-7-0";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5532:"<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/bp-featured.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://buddypress.org/2017/04/2016-buddypress-survey-results/" target="_blank">results of the BuddyPress 2016 survey</a> have been published. This year the survey received feedback from 302 respondents in 61 different countries, a 43% increase in responses from 2015. The top five countries represented in the survey include the United States (27.15%), India (7.62%), United Kingdom (6.95%), Germany (6.29%), and Canada (3.64%). English remains the most popular language for BuddyPress sites at nearly 70% and this year Spanish (10.7%) replaced French for the #2 spot, followed by German (9.96%).</p>
<p>A new question in the 2016 survey asked users what PHP versions their sites are on. More than 53% of respondents report having sites on PHP 7.0+ and 63% are using a version higher than 5.6+.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/buddypress-php-2016.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Lead developer Paul Gibbs sees these results as an affirmation that the BuddyPress core leadership made the right decision when dropping support for PHP 5.2 nine months ago.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We (<a href="https://twitter.com/buddypress">@buddypress</a>) made the right call 9 months ago to drop support for PHP 5.2 in our last major release.</p>
<p>&mdash; Paul Gibbs (@pgibbs) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgibbs/status/849399725707202562">April 4, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In fact, our 2016 users survey <a href="https://t.co/1LClEoOr38">https://t.co/1LClEoOr38</a> suggests 88% of respondents use PHP &gt;5.6, maybe we can be more aggressive this year.</p>
<p>&mdash; Paul Gibbs (@pgibbs) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgibbs/status/849399973649276931">April 4, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Gibbs is currently on a sabbatical from BuddyPress and was not available for comment. Project lead John James Jacoby said that the decision to drop support for PHP 5.2 may not be a direct corollary to its usage falling below 1%, but the core team will continue to bump the minimum version in the future with consideration for user happiness.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s hard to know whether increasing our minimum PHP version made any direct difference,&#8221; Jacoby said. &#8220;My hunch is most users do not care very much, and the ones that do, care greatly. It’s all about keeping users happy – sometimes that means maintaining compatibility with old dependencies; other times it means kindly motivating users to upgrade things maybe they haven’t thought about in a while.&#8221;</p>
<p>The 2016 results show that 45% of respondents have been using BuddyPress for a year or less. While this isn&#8217;t necessarily an indication of users&#8217; ability, it is interesting in light of the project&#8217;s recent shift to focus on developers and site builders. The survey results indicate that more users identify themselves as a beginner when it comes to knowledge of BuddyPress themes and hooks.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/buddypress-knowledge.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>BuddyPress core developers made the decision to focus on site builders and developers based on how they saw the project&#8217;s user base changing over time. Making the software 100% turnkey is no longer one of their chief objectives. With the high percentage of users who identify as beginners, the project will need to find a way to get them connected and advancing in their BuddyPress knowledge.</p>
<p>&#8220;The <a href="https://buddypress.org/support/" target="_blank">BuddyPress.org community forums</a> continue to be the best place to get connected with other users to talk about what they’re working on,&#8221; Jacoby said. &#8220;Our documentation coverage in the codex is constantly being maintained, and we’re still working behind the scenes on a developer site ala <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/" target="_blank">developer.wordpress.org</a>. Nothing will ever beat reading the code from inside a quality code-editor, but having public visibility into the codebase is good for everyone, too.&#8221;</p>
<p>April 30, 2017, marks the 8th anniversary of the first stable release of BuddyPress. Version 3.0 will be released this year and contributors are working towards adding a new template pack and improving the BP REST API, in addition to other new features based on comments from the survey.</p>
<p>&#8220;The primary focus of BuddyPress for 3.0 and beyond (in addition to being a great foundation for developers) should be to improve member management and communications inside your WordPress,&#8221; Jacoby said. &#8220;The latest and greatest versions of PHP don’t necessarily help us with those things directly, but the performance improvements of running BuddyPress on PHP 7.0 or 7.1 are impressive, enough to continue aggressively bumping our minimum required and recommended versions to keep users happy and safe.&#8221;</p>
<p>A <a href="https://buddypress.org/2017/04/2016-buddypress-survey-results/" target="_blank">summary of the 2016 survey results</a> was published to the BuddyPress.org blog and the <a href="https://mercime.github.io/BuddyPress-2016-survey-results/" target="_blank">full results</a> are available on GitHub, along with comments from respondents.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 19 Apr 2017 19:43:50 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"WPTavern: New WordPress Plugin Shows Users Where a Plugin’s Settings Link Is Upon Activation";s:7:"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=68829";s:7:"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:102:"https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-plugin-shows-users-where-a-plugins-settings-link-is-upon-activation";s: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:2288:"<p>A common frustration I&#8217;ve experienced in WordPress after installing a plugin is figuring out where the settings link is located. It can be a top-level menu item or tucked away in a sub-menu. Sometimes, the plugin doesn&#8217;t warrant a settings link.</p>
<p>A new plugin called <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/show-plugin-menu-items-on-activation/">Show Plugin Menu Items on Activation</a> created by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kellenmace">Kellen Mace</a> and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/binarygary">Gary Kovar</a> seeks to calm the chaos. When a plugin is activated, an Admin Notice is displayed that informs the user where to configure it.</p>
<img />Where to Find Akismet&#8217;s Settings
<p>The notice can be dismissed by either clicking the dismiss button or hovering over the menu location. The notice does not display for plugins that include a welcome page or wizard such as BuddyPress and WooCommerce.</p>
<p>The number of admin pointers that are displayed depends on the number of menu items that are added. For example, if a plugin adds three menu items, three admin pointers are displayed.</p>
<p>When four or more menu items are added, a notice is shown at the top of the screen that says, &#8216;Many new plugin menu items were added.&#8217; If no menu items are added, a notice displays at the top of the screen that says, &#8216;No new plugin menu items were added.&#8217;</p>
<p>I tested the plugin on WordPress 4.7.3 and didn&#8217;t encounter any issues. Although plugins ought to make finding the settings link easier upon activation, this particular plugin has me wondering if displaying these types of admin notices should be a core feature. In my experience, plugin authors rarely take advantage of admin pointers to explain where to go or what to do next after being activated.</p>
<p>Related to the above, I encourage plugin developers to <a href="https://hugh.blog/2012/07/27/wordpress-add-plugin-settings-link-to-plugins-page/">read this article </a>by Hugh Lashbrooke, that explains how to add a settings link to the plugins listing page. Adding a settings link to the plugins listing page puts it in a predictable location and is something I as a user appreciate.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 19 Apr 2017 19:07:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"HeroPress: The Only Journey Is The One Within";s:7:"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=1703";s:7:"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://heropress.com/essays/journey-one-within/";s: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:23370:"<img width="960" height="480" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/041917-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: WordPress gives you the opportunity to be whoever you want to be and to give yourself a voice." /><p>I was born in Luxembourg (Europe), almost exactly 36 years ago. To be honest, I was not one of the children or teenagers who knew what they wanted to become when they grow up. And to stay honest, I still don’t know exactly to this day.</p>
<p>After school I got advised to start working for the government; jobs are well paid and stressless. But considering my tasks, I did not have the feeling that there was any particular skill or performance needed to get them done, nor was there any desirable achievement in the years to come.</p>
<p>In the following 12 years, I switched administrations and ministries, trying to find more fulfillment and happiness in what I was doing during the day. But sooner or later the daily routine made me feel very miserable and frustrated. I started to realize that though I still did not know what I wanted to become, I knew exactly what I did not want to do anymore: sitting in an office from nine to five, doing the same administrative work, day after day, without any motivation, without any personal goal. There must be more in life for me!?</p>
<p>My husband, <a href="https://twitter.com/schlessera">Alain Schlesser</a>, at that point also a government agent, was fed up as well and decided to quit his job and start freelancing as a web developer focussing on WordPress &#8211; so at least one of us had a specific goal.</p>
<h3>Getting Out</h3>
<p>In summer of 2014 I opted for a four year sabbatical, we sold everything we owned in Luxembourg and moved to the German “Eifel” quite into the middle of nowhere together with our three french bulldogs Jasper, Duke, and Indra. I did not have the slightest idea of where my personal journey would lead me in the end, but I had the feeling that it was time to take better care of myself.</p>
<p>First, I started studies as a dog health &amp; behavior trainer, which I completed successfully. After the studies, I got sick and depressed. I gained more and more weight, was constantly dealing with all sorts of aches and had severe doubts about what the future might bring to me. And the more I doubted, the less productive I got.</p>
<p>In summer of 2015 I got the diagnosis that I was suffering from lipedema &#8211; a chronically progressive disease which is basically a very painful fat disorder, that almost exclusively affects women. I decided to completely change my life and focus on my mental and physical health.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, my husband was working hard to achieve his personal goals. At that point I did not have a very clear idea of what he was actually doing during the day, nor was I interested in any details.</p>
<blockquote><p>I had nothing to do with the web or computers in general, except for Google, Facebook and writing emails.</p></blockquote>
<p>Coding, programming, developing, those were foreign words to me. A few years back, I had started two blogs on wordpress.com where I shared my dogs’ stories and my experiences during my studies &#8211; that was the only knowledge I had about Alain’s new world &#8211; and about WordPress. Today I agree that these were hard times for us: we spent 24 hours together in the same house but we did not have much to share anymore: I had locked myself out of the life my husband was leading during the day due to a lack of interest and knowledge on one side, and fears on the other.</p>
<h3>Finding WordPress</h3>
<p>I entered the world of WordPress because Alain invited me to join him in a trip to WordCamp Europe 2016 in Vienna. Despite looking forward to exploring a new city and do some shopping, I had no expectations of what I was going to experience in Vienna. To be honest,  I was scared of meeting the &#8220;nerdy&#8221; part of my husband&#8217;s life and of not being able to get involved in it &#8211; again. However, what happened in Vienna was totally unexpected and overwhelming for me: I met hundreds of open-minded, interesting, welcoming, friendly and helpful people who were interested in what I had to share with them, although I was not involved at all in WordPress or the community so far.</p>
<p>I probably had the most inspiring discussions I’ve ever had in my life and one of the funniest and joyful weeks too. There were more than two thousand people, and nobody (!) made me feel uncomfortable, ignorant or out of place.</p>
<blockquote><p>I have never experienced such an unconditionally welcoming atmosphere before &#8211; and I noticed that I truly wanted to be a part of that amazing community in the future.</p></blockquote>
<p>To be honest, I actually had withdrawal symptoms once we were back home. I got very active in following up and my Twitter account, which I had registered years ago without ever having tweeted before, suddenly got filled up with WordPress people.</p>
<h3>Diving Deeper</h3>
<p><a href="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_8361-min.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1705" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_8361-min-300x300.jpg" alt="Carole, Alain, and dogs" width="300" height="300" /></a>Only a few days after being back in Germany I started to organize trips to other WordCamps, and in September of 2016 Alain and I traveled together with our three dogs to <a href="https://2016.frankfurt.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp Frankfurt</a> (Germany) &#8211; both of us as volunteers, and Alain as a speaker too.</p>
<p>Volunteering felt excellent and right, and we got in touch with the German WordPress Community for the first time. Alain’s talk was a success, and the German community adopted our entire family immediately; we loved seeing our dogs getting spoiled with hugs and treats.</p>
<p>In October of 2016 we joined <a href="https://2016.netherlands.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp Netherlands</a> in Utrecht where we once again met interesting and friendly people. Another premiere for me: “How WordPress Saved My Life” by <a href="https://twitter.com/WordNerdSally">Sally Mayor</a> was the first talk I ever chose to see at a WordCamp. As you can imagine by reading the title, this was totally inspiring to me.</p>
<p>Just as with the previous WordCamps, Alain and I hardly spent any time on our own: hospitable organizers, volunteers, speakers, and attendees surrounded us and insisted on showing us the best spots and restaurants in town.</p>
<p>Two weeks later, we visited <a href="https://2016.cologne.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp Cologne</a> (Germany) where we looked forward to seeing some of the lovely people we met two months before at WordCamp Frankfurt. I helped out at the registration desk, as I did in Frankfurt &#8211; definitely one of the best opportunities to get in touch with the community.</p>
<p>At that point, I also took part in my first “Contributor Day”. I participated in the Polyglots team as well as in the Community team, as these don’t require technical knowledge.</p>
<blockquote><p>At the end of the day, I had localized one free theme into German (which was committed the same day) and joined the discussions for organizing a new type of WordCamp.</p></blockquote>
<p>As I was more interested in contributing to the community part, I joined Slack and was again diligent in following up. I wanted to become an active part of this community and help create and maintain the welcoming atmosphere I have experienced myself. It worked out very well: I am now a member of the organizing team for a very special German WordCamp with a unique and new concept, to happen in 2018.</p>
<h3>New Wapuu</h3>
<p><a href="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Collage-min.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1707" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Collage-min-300x226.jpg" alt="Wabully with a real French Bulldog" width="300" height="226" /></a>Another idea was born at WordCamp Cologne: designing a Wapuu with the characteristics of a french bulldog. Meanwhile, our dogs had become an integral part of the German community, who considers our frenchies as the unofficial mascots. Said and done &#8211; by channeling designer skills that I did not even know about, I created the <a href="https://wapu.us/wapuu/wabully/">“Wabully”</a>. Jasper, our nine-year-old male frenchie was the template.</p>
<h3>Taking Control of Life</h3>
<p><a href="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/before_after-min.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1708" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/before_after-min-203x300.jpg" alt="Before and after a health change" width="203" height="300" /></a>Besides all the positive and inspiring input for my brain, I took good care of my physical health too. I continued losing weight due to healthy and fresh nutrition, and my fitness level increased because I was doing sports again. My lipedema therapy &#8211; including two surgeries &#8211; was very successful and so my physical and mental health got better and better. In 18 months I managed to lose almost seventy pounds. I was actively taking control of my life again.</p>
<p>In November of 2016 Alain and I joined our first <a href="https://www.meetup.com/WordPress-Meetup-Koln/">WordPress Meetup in Cologne</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/ocean90">Dominik Schilling</a> was sharing his experience during his WordPress 4.6 release lead. I noticed that all this “WordPress-stuff” was not so strange to me anymore; I managed to follow most of Dominik’s testimonies &#8211; and it was interesting to me through the entire talk.</p>
<blockquote><p>I realized that WordPress was not a mystery to me anymore and that discussions at home must have changed a lot in the past months.</p></blockquote>
<p>Now I knew the people Alain was talking about, I understood most of the projects and concepts he was referring to, and I was not bored anymore when he was talking about his current development issues.</p>
<p>I encouraged Alain to book a trip to Philadelphia in December of 2016 to attend <a href="https://2016.us.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp US</a> &#8211; an amazing, precious and fruitful experience for him. Unfortunately, I could not join him because of surgery. I admit that I was a bit jealous at that point, but I (rightfully) had a hunch that this trip could be important for my husband and his professional future.</p>
<p>By coincidence, the only talk I saw online at WordCamp US was <a href="https://twitter.com/topher1kenobe">Topher DeRosia’s</a> presentation of “HeroPress &#8211; The People of WordPress” which was totally inspiring to me. At that point, I would never have imagined that a few weeks later he’d find me and ask me to write an essay for HeroPress&#8230;</p>
<h3>Using My Powers For Good</h3>
<p>Earlier that year in spring, I had created a Facebook group for lipedema affected women in Luxembourg together with a friend. Lipedema is largely unknown in Luxembourg and often misdiagnosed as simple obesity. There is almost no help for affected women in my country of birth. I was indeed very lucky having moved to Germany, where the specialists in lipedema diagnosis and treatment are located; otherwise, I would probably not have been diagnosed and treated correctly up until now.</p>
<blockquote><p>Inspired by my personal success and the growth of our Facebook group I decided, in January of 2017, to fight for a change in Luxembourg together with other lipedema patients.</p></blockquote>
<p>We have been very active in educational work and we built a significant presence in Luxembourgish media in the past few weeks. The feedback was enormous and we founded a nonprofit association. I knew it would be very useful to create a website to reach more affected women, doctors, and other interested people.</p>
<p>I accepted the challenge and decided to set up a WordPress site. Alain built a theme according to my ideas and I successfully completed my very first plugin installations &#8211; most importantly for me a page builder called Beaver Builder. I had never imagined how easy, fun and fulfilling building of a website could be! With almost no skills and within a period of seven days only I managed to create lots of valuable content with a nice structure. I admit that living under the same roof with a devoted and passionate developer made some things easier for me.</p>
<blockquote><p>But besides that, I began to understand what makes WordPress so special: everybody who has something to share is given the possibility to do so by WordPress.</p></blockquote>
<p>If I managed to do that, why wouldn’t you? There are plenty of possibilities to help you build your website, blog or business &#8211; use them! And many fantastic WordPress people offer their support, contribute every single day to improve the software and to make it accessible for everybody out there. And some specialists offer great courses for absolute beginners like I am, to help them improving their skills.</p>
<p>We have reached many lipedema patients through my website “<a href="https://www.lipoedem.lu/">Lipödem Lëtzebuerg</a>”, who thank us every day for our commitment as so-called lipedema fighters. I am so happy that lipedema is now a topic of discussion in Luxembourg, which is not only a consequence of our devotion but also due to WordPress allowing me to build a website in a very short amount of time, and with almost no skills. Meanwhile, in collaboration with the National Patients Representation, we have formulated concrete demands concerning diagnosis and therapy to the Luxembourgish Government.</p>
<p>I am overwhelmed and happy to see how much attention and gratefulness my work and website have earned. It fulfills me in a way that I had not experienced in the past 12 years during my well-paid job.</p>
<h3>Making a Living</h3>
<p>It turned out that my enthusiasm and content writing skills were noticed by the CEO of a startup in Luxembourg. I got a remote job offer for writing and managing content on their WordPress website and for being a part of the social media team. We are currently testing a possible cooperation, and I have already been writing some of the content for their website.</p>
<p>Furthermore I got contacted to work on the elaboration and social media spreading processes of an important lipedema study in Germany as well.</p>
<p>I was not even actively searching for a job and the offers come rolling in nevertheless &#8211; what an amazing new experience!</p>
<p>At the same time, I was busy in the last months for the WordPress community:</p>
<p>As member of an organizing team, I was in charge of finding the perfect location for a WordCamp in 2018. Together with some of my colleagues I have visited some excellent sites in Germany, and I am leading the negotiations.</p>
<p>Alain and I joined the first German contributor night in Cologne, which was both productive and fun. I proudly presented my very first results of crocheting, which I started in-between my surgeries as a pastime while I needed to stay in bed:</p>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%"><a href="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_8774-min.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1709" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_8774-min-300x300.jpg" alt="Small yellow crocheted wapuu" width="300" height="300" /></a></td>
<td align="center" width="50%"><a href="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_9310-min.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1710" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_9310-min-300x300.jpg" alt="Crocheted Wabully" width="300" height="300" /></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><span>In February of 2017 Alain and I have been asked </span><span>by </span><a href="https://twitter.com/BirgitOlzem"><span>Birgit Olzem</span></a><span> to be part of the organizing team of the </span><a href="http://www.wpmeetup-eifel.de/"><span>WordPress Meetup Eifel</span></a><span>, which we </span><span>both were delighted to accept</span><span>. </span><span>The first Meetup organized by the new team of three will happen at the end of April.</span></p>
<p>In March of 2017 we flew to <a href="https://2017.london.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp London</a>. We were both volunteering and I feel honored that I was part of an outstanding team which made every possible effort to organize a welcoming and amazing event for every single attendee. In terms of inclusivity and accessibility, WordCamp London set high standards: there has been a lactation room, a crèche, a multi-faith room, a quiet room, live transcription of the talks, life essential boxes in women’s and men’s restrooms. Almost every area was accessible to wheelchairs &#8211; with volunteers designated to help in the few spots that weren’t. We had a lovely and inspiring time there and I have yet to follow up with everyone. It makes me feel like my family grows with every WordCamp.</p>
<p>Last but not least I want to share that I submitted a lightning talk proposal to <a href="https://2017.europe.wordcamp.org/">WordCamp Europe 2017</a> in Paris. It took all of my courage, but I was feeling so honored and inspired by Topher&#8217;s request to write an essay for HeroPress that I realized there might be a story which deserves to be told. I was so proud to have applied as a speaker that it wouldn&#8217;t even matter in the end whether my talk is accepted or not.</p>
<p>Alain has applied as speaker as well, and we will both help as volunteers again. I can’t wait to be part of this big event. I look forward to seeing friends and meeting new people. It will be my one-year anniversary of being part of the WordPress community &#8211; a year with lots of positive changes and inspiration.</p>
<p><span>In the end, my talk proposal for WordCamp Europe has not been selected. Of course, I felt a bit sad about this. Even if I was aware that there had been over 300 applications for more or less 40 spots, I had some kind of feeling of having “failed” on my first try… But after having slept on it, I soon got over my deception and I was pleased for Alain for having reached a milestone: his talk proposal got accepted.</span></p>
<p><span>And most importantly, I decided not to let this discourage me from applying as a speaker again. There are other WordCamps and all things happen for a good reason: I was pondering for weeks if I should attend </span><a href="https://2017.berlin.wordcamp.org/"><b>WordCamp Berlin</b></a><span> or not. I love the community, I love the city but Alain already had other plans. Said and done &#8211; I booked a hotel, bought my ticket, applied as a volunteer and submitted my talk proposal, slightly modified and in German. This time my lightning talk got accepted and I will be a speaker for the very first time at WordCamp Berlin on the 13th of May &#8211; I am more than excited about it. Alain’s plans were changing so that he’s now able to join me with our dogs on my trip to Berlin.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thanks for joining me in the more "nerdy" part of my life, <a href="https://twitter.com/CaroleOlinger">@CaroleOlinger</a> ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCFRA?src=hash">#WCFRA</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuTHtW3EkP">pic.twitter.com/VuTHtW3EkP</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Alain Schlesser (@schlessera) <a href="https://twitter.com/schlessera/status/772411090672156672">September 4, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>I hope that I can give something back to the WordPress community with what I’m doing. I am a true WordPress community lover by now. I would like to encourage the people out there to use WordPress &#8211; especially when they think they don’t have enough skills to build a website. There is no such a thing as “I can’t do this.” &#8211; Yes, you can! As long as you have something to share with the world, or a business idea or any other motivation that drives you &#8211; just spread it. WordPress gives you the opportunity to be whoever you want to be and to give yourself a voice.</p>
<h3>WordPress Is For You, No Matter Who You Are</h3>
<p>Furthermore I would love to see every WordPress user, blogger, developer, programmer, designer &#8211; and even more so their respective partners &#8211; joining the nearest WordCamp (or Meetup) and meeting the amazing WordPress community! Especially when you haven’t done this so far. You’ll be able to find inspiration and friends, develop unknown personal skills, gain new perspectives on your job or life and, in any case, learn a lot, just like I did. And last but not least &#8211; it can even bring your relationship to a whole new level.</p>
<p>I still have no idea where my personal journey will lead me in the end but I have this growing feeling that WordPress could be an integral part of my life. Fortunately, it is already a part of me.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: The Only Journey Is The One Within" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=The%20Only%20Journey%20Is%20The%20One%20Within&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fjourney-one-within%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: The Only Journey Is The One Within" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fjourney-one-within%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%2Fjourney-one-within%2F&title=The+Only+Journey+Is+The+One+Within" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: The Only Journey Is The One Within"></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/journey-one-within/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/041917-min-150x150.jpg&description=The Only Journey Is The One Within" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: The Only Journey Is The One Within"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/journey-one-within/" title="The Only Journey Is The One Within"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/journey-one-within/">The Only Journey Is The One Within</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, 19 Apr 2017 05:00:18 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Carole Olinger";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:14;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:80:"WPTavern: Open Collective is a New, Transparent Way to Fund Open Source Projects";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68528";s:7:"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/open-collective-is-a-new-transparent-way-to-fund-open-source-projects";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8728:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/open-collective.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://opencollective.com" target="_blank">Open Collective</a> is a new service that aims to make it easy for individuals, groups, and organizations to raise money in a transparent way. Although many projects have communities ready to offer financial support, the paperwork, taxes, and accounting involved in collecting money under the proper legal entity can be a nearly insurmountable hurdle.</p>
<p>&#8220;So far, the Internet has been very good at helping people do things together,&#8221; Open Collective co-founder Xavier Damman said. &#8220;But once it involves money, there is no good solution. Creating a new legal entity is too much overhead, too early. What if we could create a virtual entity that can collect money as easily as creating a Facebook Group?&#8221;</p>
<p>Open Collective was created to eliminate the need for setting up a legal entity in order to raise funds. Groups can set up a collective and begin managing their funds immediately. The two key differentiators of the platform are the ability to raise money recurrently and the built-in transparency. Members of the collective must approve or reject an expense before the money can be used. Unpaid expenses and available funds can be viewed by the public.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ledger-screen.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Open Collective currently has 228 active collectives and <a href="https://opencollective.com/opensource" target="_blank">196 of them are open source projects</a>. Many open source maintainers are finding success raising funds on the platform. <a href="https://webpack.js.org/" target="_blank">Webpack</a>, a popular utility for bundling JavaScript files, is one of the most prominent successes, having <a href="https://opencollective.com/webpack" target="_blank">funded its first full-time developer</a> through the platform. The project&#8217;s collective now has an annual budget of $83,659.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I setup a collective for Split, my A/B testing framework on <a href="https://twitter.com/opencollect">@opencollect</a>, it's now got a yearly budget of $1,338 <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/72x72/1f62e.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/72x72/1f389.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" /> <a href="https://t.co/GCJwxBLwHv">https://t.co/GCJwxBLwHv</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Andrew Nesbitt (@teabass) <a href="https://twitter.com/teabass/status/851822408461844484">April 11, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">If your company uses tachyons and would like to support its development we are on <a href="https://twitter.com/opencollect">@opencollect</a>!<a href="https://t.co/NM1zQQONwX">https://t.co/NM1zQQONwX</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tachyons (@tachyons_css) <a href="https://twitter.com/tachyons_css/status/850415608705556480">April 7, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://preactjs.com/" target="_blank">Preact</a>, a fast alternative to React, has a collective on the platform to raise funds after maintainer Jason Miller started to experience burnout last year. In a recent <a href="https://medium.com/open-collective/why-and-how-to-fund-the-open-source-projects-you-depend-on-da62a582307" target="_blank">interview with Open Collective</a>, Miller said he enjoyed his day job and didn&#8217;t want to leave it to set up &#8220;Preact Inc.&#8221; One of the reasons he chose the platform was to leave room for future key maintainers to be able to access the community&#8217;s resources, instead of cannibalizing them all in his own personal fundraising efforts.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you’re fundraising for a community, there’s a clear implication that it’s for the betterment of the project as a whole,&#8221; Miller said. &#8220;By putting the project at center stage, as opposed to a person, there’s no need to explain that. In our case, I think it’s why people were so willing to contribute.&#8221;</p>
<p>The structure that Open Collective provides puts the focus on the community, instead of solely focusing on funding the talents and efforts of the most prominent maintainer. It also gives projects the opportunity to distribute funds to different types of contributors.</p>
<p>&#8220;My advice would be to put channels in place for all the different kinds of support an open source project needs, and offer people clear options: write features, raise issues, make a pull request, do code reviews, give money,&#8221; Miller said. &#8220;Don’t try to hide the fact that the project needs funding, and don’t skirt around that fact that it’s specifically about money, or it will come off as disingenuous. If there’s something users want from the project that money can enable, give them an avenue to make it happen.&#8221;</p>
<p>Open Collective has helped raise more than $200,000 for open source projects on the platform to date. Projects like MochaJS, Babel, GulpJS, Vapor, Qubes OS, and Hoodie have raised thousands of dollars for ongoing maintenance and support. Many of these projects are critical to the open source ecosystem and strapped for resources.</p>
<p>Although the platform is currently dominated by open source software projects, Open Collective was built to be capable of funding many different types of group efforts. Co-founder Xavier Damman described the platform&#8217;s goals in an <a href="http://dataconomy.com/2016/12/xavier-damman-open-collective/" target="_blank">interview with Dataconomy</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Our goal as Open Collective is to create this new light type of association for our generation who really love doing those side projects, creating those meetup groups, taking the initiative to create a conference located in your city, do open source projects together, create movements like occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, all of that. There’s a whole bunch of things that our generation is doing but we don’t have any platform to enable those movements and these communities to collect money. So it’s all about finding a new way, fund those communities that can have a larger impact.</p></blockquote>
<p>Open Collective&#8217;s co-founders share a strong commitment to open source and the majority of the platform&#8217;s code is MIT-licensed and <a href="https://github.com/opencollective" target="_blank">available on GitHub</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m a big fan of open source myself and we open source everything,&#8221; Damman said. &#8220;Open Collective is an open source platform because we believe in open source. We believe it’s the future of work. There’s no reason for having two different engineers in two different parts of the world solving the same problem. And also open source is the right business decision. I’m an engineer, as well as a developer, and we tend to make much better code if we know that other people can look at it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Open Collective takes 10% of funds raised by a collective in addition to credit card fees, which are estimated at 3% + $0.30/transaction). The platform&#8217;s fee structure is slightly higher when compared to other crowd-funding and fundraising platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which charge a 5% fee for successfully funded projects and 3-5% for credit card processing. However, these platforms are more goal-based and not necessarily designed for generating recurring funding. Open Collective&#8217;s fees include use of the platform for managing bookkeeping, taxes, and reimbursing expenses.</p>
<p>Open Collective for organizations is currently in private beta. It allows local chapters and other organizations to raise money and manage funds without having to open a separate bank account. <a href="https://opencollective.com/wwcode" target="_blank">Women Who Code</a> is an organization that is using the platform this way and has an annual budget of $171,978 based on current recurring donations.</p>
<p>Money issues can be the source of bitter disputes in communities, especially when maintainers are short on time and neglect to document how donated funds are being used. Open Collective&#8217;s approach to financial transparency is sorely missing in most fundraising platforms, which don&#8217;t require their users to account for how the money has been spent after it is donated. Its built-in transparency and accountability mirrors the values of many open source projects and gives communities a healthy and convenient way to monitor the distribution of funds.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 18 Apr 2017 20:55:03 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:50:"WPTavern: Automattic to Close San Francisco Office";s:7:"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=68827";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-to-close-san-francisco-office";s: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:3760:"<p>Automattic&#8217;s San Francisco, CA office is located at 140 Hawthorne. Since 2013, it has served as a coworking space, hosted the WordCamp San Francisco 2014 after party, and has been used as a venue for local meetups.</p>
<p>On <a href="https://stackoverflow.blog/2017/02/20/stack-overflow-podcast-101-matt-mullenweg-on-open-source-blogs-and-beyonce/">episode 101</a> of the Stack Overflow podcast, Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, announced that the company will be closing its San Francisco office.</p>
<p>At the 45:50 mark, Joel Spolsky, co-host of the show, asks Mullenweg if Automattic is one of the largest fully distributed companies in the world.</p>
<p>&#8220;Yeah, in fact, we&#8217;re looking at shutting down our San Francisco office,&#8221; Mullenweg said. &#8220;We got an office there about six or seven years ago, pretty good lease, but nobody goes in it. Five people go in it and it&#8217;s 15,000 square feet. There are as many gaming tables as there are people.&#8221;</p>
<p>Automattic has <a href="http://www.colliers.com/en-us/sanfrancisco/properties/p-usa1025421/140-hawthorne-street">listed the property</a> through <a href="http://www.colliers.com/en-US/SanFrancisco">Colliers International</a>, a global real estate company that has more than 500 offices across 67 countries.</p>
<img />photo credit: <a href="http://peterslutsky.com/2013/05/14/pics-touring-automattics-new-office/">Peter Slutsky</a>
<p>The building used to be a <a title="http://fairtex.com/" href="http://fairtex.com/">Fairtex location</a>. Fairtex is a manufacturer of combat equipment and clothing for Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts. The building was completely renovated in 2013 and designed by <a href="http://www.baranstudio.com/commercial/thebarn/">Baran Studio Architecture</a>.</p>
<p>The design was based on accommodating 15 to 20 people on a daily basis with options to expand to accommodate a few hundred people.</p>
<img />WCSF 2014 Contributor Day
<p>One of my favorite parts of the Automattic office is the <a href="https://museum.automattic.com/">T-Shirt museum</a> where shirt designs from WordCamps across the world are displayed. Mullenweg says the items in the museum will be saved somewhere.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve never had the opportunity to visit Automattic&#8217;s US office, you can <a href="https://wptavern.com/tour-automattic-without-leaving-your-house">tour the inside of it</a> without leaving your home.</p>
<p>In 2016, San Francisco was named <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/01/11/san-francisco-office-rents-most-expensive-in-the-country/">the most expensive city</a> to conduct business according to a report by the <a href="http://www.cbre.com">CBRE</a>. If Automattic&#8217;s office isn&#8217;t being used by 20 or 30 people a day, as was originally intended, it makes sense to invest that money elsewhere.</p>
<p>The closing of the San Francisco office leaves Automattic with two physical offices in the world: One in Cape Town, South Africa where a number of WooCommerce employees live and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Automattic-East/1436557473313917">Automattic East</a> in Westbrook, Maine.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Randomly stumbled across this <a href="https://twitter.com/automattic">@automattic</a> office in Cape Town, SA after having just listened to <a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt">@photomatt</a> on the <a href="https://twitter.com/jaltucher">@jaltucher</a> podcast. <a href="https://t.co/lnKe8o6XbL">pic.twitter.com/lnKe8o6XbL</a></p>
<p>&mdash; StatusQuont (@statusquont) <a href="https://twitter.com/statusquont/status/847819473046425600">March 31, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 18 Apr 2017 19:44:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"WPTavern: Automattic to Host a Free, Remote Conference on Design and Exclusion on April 21";s:7:"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=68713";s:7:"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:100:"https://wptavern.com/automattic-to-host-a-free-remote-conference-on-design-and-exclusion-on-april-21";s: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:5277:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/design-and-exclusion.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Automattic is hosting a free, remote conference called <a href="https://x.design.blog/" target="_blank">Design and Exclusion</a> on April 21. The event will bring together design and technology experts who will discuss solutions for the ways that digital products and services exclude people.</p>
<p>Lead organizer <a href="http://www.ashleighaxios.com/" target="_blank">Ashleigh Axios</a>, Design Exponent at Automattic, said inspiration for the event came from the exclusion that is everywhere in the industry. Automattic is partnering with Mash-Up Americans and MIT Center for Civic Media to bring awareness to the issue.</p>
<p>&#8220;Exclusion is all around us, but we don&#8217;t often take the time to understand how it&#8217;s come to be this way, our place in its existence, and our place in combating it,&#8221; Axios said. &#8220;Together, we&#8217;re using research, design, and conversational narrative to open source the prompt to understand the issue of exclusion for further community involvement and refinement.&#8221;</p>
<p>The schedule for the event includes a message on &#8220;Design and Inclusion&#8221; from Automattic&#8217;s <a href="https://x.design.blog/portfolio/john-maeda/" target="_blank">John Maeda</a> and a session on &#8220;Opportunities Missed from Excluded Voices&#8221; from <a href="https://designandexclusionconf.wordpress.com/portfolio/joan-shigekawa/" target="_blank">Joan Shigekawa</a>, former Senior Deputy Chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) during the Obama Administration. The conference also includes four panels with experts from Autodesk, Etsy, Airbnb, and other companies.</p>
<p>&#8220;Design and Exclusion&#8221; is a pointed conference name that puts the spotlight on the problem participants are trying to address. Axios said this name, as opposed to something like &#8220;Design and Inclusion,&#8221; was a deliberate decision. She said that she and John Maeda felt the need to change the language to reflect a new vantage point on the issue in order to garner new insights.</p>
<p>&#8220;It should now be a well-known fact that technology companies are suffering from a lack of diversity or lack of inclusion in their teams and companies,&#8221; Axios said. &#8220;This is well-reported and the pressure is building to take on this issue from early-childhood education to educating company human resource offices and hiring managers from questioning social and gender norms as relates to professional roles to crediting those who have been doing the work and not having their contributions and presence well acknowledged. This important work has dominated the &#8216;inclusion&#8217; dialogue within technology-enabled spaces for good reason.</p>
<p>&#8220;However, equally important and much less discussed, are all of the ways in which products and services can be, and often are, designed and built to exclude individuals and people groups, even if unintentionally. We shouldn&#8217;t have to wait until a company crosses the line, creating a public relations nightmare, in order to evaluate the failures in creating inclusive products.&#8221;</p>
<p>More than 1,000 people have already signed up for a reminder about when the event takes place. Axios said that even if the event is successful, organizers are not planning to make it an in-person event in the future. The online-only event was designed to offer more access to the conversation than traditional in-person conferences generally provide.</p>
<p>&#8220;In-person conferences tend to exclude those without financial means to travel or with geographic hurdles to attendance, those with time-prohibiting personal or professional commitments, those who have difficulty navigating crowds or in-person social interactions, and those who prefer to consume information at their own pace and in their choice of format,&#8221; Axios said. &#8220;Given the topic, it&#8217;s our aim that Design and Exclusion be as inclusive as it can while limiting its environmental impact.&#8221;</p>
<p>Axios said one of the goals of the conference is to understand the industry&#8217;s failures in excluding people as a first step towards creating more inclusive products.</p>
<p>&#8220;Design and Exclusion aims to do that as an honest and open dialogue with many representatives from across tech,&#8221; Axios said. &#8220;Success will be active participation in this event followed by the broader conversation around this topic from contributors beyond those involved in the initial discussion. To broadly measure success, we&#8217;ll look at views on the content, engagement online using #DesignX, and will track any increase in conversation by use of keywords associated with this topic.&#8221;</p>
<p>Design and Exclusion kicks off at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 4pm UTC / 5pm GMT on April 21 and the <a href="https://x.design.blog/schedule/" target="_blank">schedule</a> has been published to the event&#8217;s website. Participants who want to join the discussion on making the web more inclusive are invited to use the #DesignX hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social networks.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Mon, 17 Apr 2017 22:04:07 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:98:"WPTavern: Inuagural CabinPress Takes Place November 3-5, at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, FL";s:7:"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=68825";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"https://wptavern.com/inuagural-cabinpress-takes-place-november-3-5-at-lake-louisa-state-park-in-clermont-fl";s: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:3050:"<p>If spending time in the <a href="https://wptavern.com/disconnect-from-technology-at-camp-press-september-23-24-in-seminole-ok">woods in Oklahoma</a> to disconnect from technology is not your thing, perhaps staying at a cabin in Florida is. <a href="https://cabin.press/">CabinPress</a>, organized by <a href="https://davidlaietta.com/">David Laietta</a>, takes place November 3-5, at <a href="https://cabin.press/location/">Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, FL</a>.</p>
<p>The location is about an hour&#8217;s drive from Orlando, FL and is 4,500 acres large with lakes, hills, and scenic areas.</p>
<p>Similar to <a href="http://camp.press/">CampPress</a>, CabinPress&#8217; goal is to disconnect people from technology to allow them to focus on building and strengthening personal relationships.</p>
<p>&#8220;I enjoy camping and spending some time disconnected from technology, spending time with others,&#8221; Laietta said. &#8220;I get the most out of a conference when I have the opportunity to have deeper discussions with others than general &#8216;we&#8217;re crushing it, work is fine&#8217; chats.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is much more comfortable than camping though, so the focus can be on having fun and making connections, while still having a real bed and hot showers.&#8221;</p>
<p>Accommodations include fully furnished cabins with beds, air conditioning, kitchens, and bathrooms. Activities within the park include hiking, kayaking, board games, canoeing, and more. Laietta suggests packing for the event as if you&#8217;re staying at a hotel.</p>
<img />Lake Louisa Cabin Interior
<p>Early bird tickets <a href="https://cabin.press/register/">are available</a> until April 30th when prices will increase from $250 to $300. At the time of writing, there were 15 tickets remaining. Each ticket provides the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Accommodations for Friday and Saturday night</li>
<li>Meals and snacks from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch</li>
<li>Canoe and Kayak rentals</li>
<li>Coworking space with high-speed internet the week following the event in downtown Orlando, FL</li>
<li>Swag!</li>
</ul>
<p>Sponsorship opportunities <a href="https://cabin.press/sponsorship/">are available</a> and the funds will be used to offset the cost of the event. Although CabinPress and CampPress were officially announced around the same time period, Laietta has been planning this event for some time.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were discussing it after WordCamp Orlando was postponed due to a hurricane last year,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We happened to find good timing availability for one of the nice state parks. Many of them you have to book far in advance to get cabins.&#8221;</p>
<p>Those interested in attending are encouraged to review the event&#8217;s <a href="https://cabin.press/code-of-conduct/">Code of Conduct</a>. To learn more about Lake Louisa State Park and what it offers, visit the <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Lake-Louisa">park&#8217;s official site</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Mon, 17 Apr 2017 21:21:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:18;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:57:"HeroPress: HeroPress Geography: Central and South America";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=1718";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-central-south-america/";s: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:3591:"<img width="960" height="444" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/central_and_south_america-1024x474.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Google map of Central and South America" /><p>If you post the Monday after a holiday weekend, is it still part of the weekend? Of course it is! This week&#8217;s Geography collection is from Central and South America, and I&#8217;m stretching a bit and including one from the Caribbean. I hope you enjoy them and feel free to leave comments!</p>
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<p></p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: HeroPress Geography: Central and South America" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=HeroPress%20Geography%3A%20Central%20and%20South%20America&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-central-south-america%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: HeroPress Geography: Central and South America" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-central-south-america%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%2Fheropress-geography-central-south-america%2F&title=HeroPress+Geography%3A+Central+and+South+America" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: HeroPress Geography: Central and South America"></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/heropress-geography-central-south-america/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/central_and_south_america-150x150.jpg&description=HeroPress Geography: Central and South America" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: HeroPress Geography: Central and South America"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-central-south-america/" title="HeroPress Geography: Central and South America"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-central-south-america/">HeroPress Geography: Central and South America</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:"Mon, 17 Apr 2017 20:39:29 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:19;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:65:"WPTavern: Yoast Office Hosts “Bring Your Parents to Work Day”";s:7:"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=68784";s:7:"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:70:"https://wptavern.com/yoast-office-hosts-bring-your-parents-to-work-day";s: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:3475:"<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Optimized-yoast-office-min.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve ever heard your parents say something like,&#8221;My son works for the internet,&#8221; or &#8220;My daughter owns some kind of computer company,&#8221; then you know the struggle. Many parents have a difficult time understanding the professions of their grown children, especially when they are in the tech industry. This can also be compounded by the novelty of remote work, which sometimes prompts questions like, &#8220;Just what is it that you do all day?&#8221; or &#8220;When are you going to get a real job?&#8221;</p>
<p>The team at <a href="https://yoast.com/" target="_blank">Yoast</a> decided to be proactive about the problem of families not understanding their work by hosting an event called &#8220;Bring Your Parents to Work Day.&#8221; Yoast employs a team of nearly 50 people, with 40 employees working in a central office located in Wijchen, Netherlands, and 10 working remotely. The family event brought 42 parents to the office.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just awesome to have everyone&#8217;s &#8216;home&#8217; team understand what we do and relate to it,&#8221; CEO Joost de Valk said.</p>
<p>Yoast Community Manager Taco Verdonschot brought his father to work today. His photo below shows all of the parents attending a presentation from Joost and Marieke de Valk about WordPress, open source, and Yoast&#8217;s products.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today is 'Bring your parents to work day' at <a href="https://twitter.com/yoast">@yoast</a>. <br />Intended result: our parents finally understand what we really do! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/byptwd?src=hash">#byptwd</a> <a href="https://t.co/WuhHlGhyeX">pic.twitter.com/WuhHlGhyeX</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Taco Verdo (@TacoVerdo) <a href="https://twitter.com/TacoVerdo/status/852866379309088768">April 14, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>&#8220;Most parents didn’t know too much about WordPress and/or open source,&#8221; Verdonschot said. &#8220;They told the parents about our mission to make the web a better place for everyone and to make SEO available for everyone.&#8221;</p>
<p>After the presentation Verdonschot said employees showed their parents around the office and Joost took them in small groups across the street to a second office the company will be opening soon.</p>
<p>&#8220;We ended the Bring Your Parents to Work Day with drinks and snacks (home-made by my colleague Chris),&#8221; Verdonschot said. &#8220;Personally, I really liked meeting my colleagues’ parents. Some of them just look so much like their mom/dad! I really think that the presentation gave our parents a better understanding of what we do at Yoast, and how much we’re loving what we do.&#8221;</p>
<p>The &#8220;Bring Your Parents to Work&#8221; event has been gaining popularity in the past two years. Many large companies participated in 2016, including LinkedIn, Dogfish Head Brewery, HubSpot, ASOS, and British Airways. Verdonschot hasn&#8217;t confirmed with the directors yet, but based on the success of today&#8217;s event, he expects Yoast will make this an annual event.</p>
<p>&#8220;For me personally, I really like that my parents have visited the office and met my colleagues, because the world I work in now feels less strange for them,&#8221; Verdonschot said.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 14 Apr 2017 21:13:58 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:20;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"WPTavern: Free React Fundamentals Course Updated for React v15.5";s:7:"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=68772";s:7:"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/free-react-fundamentals-course-updated-for-react-v15-5";s: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:2976:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/react-training.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re looking for ways to expand your ReactJS knowledge, the free <a href="https://reacttraining.com/online/react-fundamentals" target="_blank">React Fundamentals</a> course from ReactTraining.com has been updated for the latest <a href="https://facebook.github.io/react/blog/2017/04/07/react-v15.5.0.html" target="_blank">React v15.5</a> release. The 48-lesson course takes approximately 287 minutes to complete. It was designed for a wide range of professionals, including backend engineers new to JavaScript, Bootcamp graduates and front-end developers who want to expand their skill sets, and JavaScript developers coming from other frameworks.</p>
<p>In the React Fundamentals course students will get an introduction to the React ecosystem and will learn how to set up a React component with NPM, Babel, and Webpack. The course covers topics like dataflow with Props, building UIs with Pure Functions, nesting React components, Stateless Functional Components, React Router V4, and more. Complete beginners may struggle, so the course author recommends students enter with a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. More than 57,000 students have taken React Fundamentals.</p>
<p>Last year&#8217;s <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-javascript-survey-results-published-react-emerges-as-clear-winner-in-front-end-frameworks" target="_blank">State of JavaScript survey results</a> showed React as the clear winner among front-end frameworks in terms of developer interest and satisfaction. Automattic is banking on the framework&#8217;s success and has used it to build <a href="https://wptavern.com/early-reviews-show-applications-like-calypso-are-the-future-of-wordpress" target="_blank">Calypso</a> and <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-4-3-released-features-new-react-js-powered-admin-interface" target="_blank">Jetpack&#8217;s admin interface</a>. Matt Mullenweg <a href="https://wptavern.com/matt-mullenweg-announces-tech-and-design-leads-for-new-focus-based-development-cycle" target="_blank">said</a> he believes &#8220;the future of a great wp-admin experience is JavaScript &#8211; probably React, talking to APIs, super fast, and maybe even working offline.”</p>
<p>React may end up being an important part of WordPress&#8217; codebase in the future. If you want to explore the framework without making a major investment, a free online course is a good way to do that. In addition to React Training&#8217;s fundamentals course, <a href="https://wptavern.com/codecademy-launches-free-reactjs-courses" target="_blank">Codeacademy has two free courses for learning React.js</a> and Wes Bos has a free course to help students <a href="https://wptavern.com/wes-bos-launches-free-react-js-redux-online-course" target="_blank">get started with React.js, Redux, and React Router</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 14 Apr 2017 15:48:55 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:21;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:65:"WPTavern: Customizer Team Proposes Image Widget for WordPress 4.8";s:7:"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=68725";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"https://wptavern.com/customizer-team-proposes-image-widget-for-wordpress-4-8";s: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:3750:"<p>WordPress contributors to the customizer have published <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2017/04/12/image-widget-merge-proposal/" target="_blank">a merge proposal for a new JavaScript and REST API-powered core image widget</a>. The new widget interfaces with the WordPress media library to provide a simpler, more intuitive experience for adding images. No new widgets have been added to core since the Custom Menu widget was included in 3.0 nearly seven years ago.</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudup.com/cIod9B2PP1S"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/cldup.com/EtNHycj84H.gif?resize=1025%2C508&ssl=1" alt="Image widget demo optimized" /></a></p>
<p>The current method of inserting images into widgets is a multi-step process that<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/search/image+widget/" target="_blank"> many plugins have attempted to simplify</a>. Hundreds of thousands of WordPress users have installed a plugin with this feature. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/image-widget/" target="_blank">Image Widget plugin</a>, created by Modern Tribe, is one of the most popular with more than 500,000 active installs.</p>
<p>Widget architecture in WordPress currently relies on PHP and AJAX, but the new image widget will follow the recent trend towards JavaScript interfaces.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the time since WP_Widget was introduced in 2.8, WordPress has made dramatic shifts toward developing interfaces in JavaScript, including with the Customizer in 3.4 and the Media Library in 3.5, and more recently with the focus on the REST API,&#8221; contributors said in the proposal. &#8220;Given that the media widgets are naturally interfacing with the media library JS, it is necessary that the media widgets make use of JavaScript to construct their UI instead of relying on PHP.&#8221;</p>
<p>Customizer component co-maintainer Weston Ruter noted in the comments that the new proposed image widget also allows for external images to be embedded by URL. This is a feature that Jetpack offers in its <a href="https://jetpack.com/support/extra-sidebar-widgets/image-widget/" target="_blank">image widget</a>. The new core widget will support both use cases that WordPress users are already familiar with from popular plugins.</p>
<p>The image widget is the first of several planned JS-powered media widgets, including video, audio, galleries, and slideshows. Ruter said <a href="https://github.com/xwp/wp-core-media-widgets/pull/53" target="_blank">progress on the video widget</a> is coming along well and he anticipates it will likely land next. Contributors have begun work on the audio widget, but Ruter said galleries and slideshows are a higher priority.</p>
<p>Matt Mullenweg, who is leading core development this year, confirmed in his <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2017/04/13/first-quarter-check-in/" target="_blank">quarterly update</a> today that the image widget will be considered for 4.8.</p>
<p>&#8220;The plan is for the larger block-driven customization work to kick off in June,&#8221; Mullenweg said. &#8220;Prior to that, we’re focusing on widgets and other low-hanging fruit. Lack of developers slowed us down the last few months, now doing better but could still use more help there. Media widgets + WYSIWYG on text widget seem simple but will have a big user impact.&#8221;</p>
<p>Contributors on the Customizer team are asking for developers and users to test the new image widget. The latest version of the plugin is available on <a href="https://github.com/xwp/wp-core-media-widgets" target="_blank">GitHub</a>. The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-core-media-widgets/" target="_blank">Core Media Widgets</a> plugin is also available on WordPress.org.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 13 Apr 2017 21:32:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:22;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: Hacked Home Routers are Launching Brute Force Attacks on WordPress Sites";s:7:"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=68715";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"https://wptavern.com/hacked-home-routers-are-launching-brute-force-attacks-on-wordpress-sites";s: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:5930:"<a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/fortune-cookie.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>photo credit: Eduardo Mueses <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38692570@N00/13082910524">The Oracle</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>Security researchers at Wordfence are reporting that thousands of hacked home routers are <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/04/home-routers-attacking-wordpress/" target="_blank">attacking WordPress sites</a>. Wordfence firewall and malware scanner products are in use on more than 2 million WordPress sites and the company estimates that 6.7% of all attacks on these sites are coming from hacked home routers.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the past month alone we have seen over 57,000 unique home routers being used to attack WordPress sites,&#8221; Wordfence CEO Mark Maunder said. &#8220;Those home networks are now being explored by hackers who have full access to them via the hacked home router. They can access workstations, mobile devices, wifi cameras, wifi climate control and any other devices that use the home WiFi network.&#8221;</p>
<p>Maunder said his team has mostly seen brute force attacks targeting both wp-login.php (the traditional login endpoint for WordPress) and also XMLRPC login. They have also seen a small percentage of complex attacks. Wordfence has detected a total of 67 million individual attacks from the routers the company identified in March.</p>
<p>While Wordfence researchers were creating their <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/04/march-2017-wordpress-attack-report/" target="_blank">monthly attack report</a>, they noticed that Algeria had jumped in rankings from position 60 to 24 in thier “Top Attacking Countries” list. Their review of attack data in Algeria revealed a &#8216;long tail&#8217; of more than 10,000 attacking IPs originating from an Algerian state owned ISP.</p>
<p>A vulnerability known as &#8220;<a href="http://mis.fortunecook.ie/" target="_blank">misfortune cookie</a>&#8221; is being used in these attacks. It hijacks a service that ISP&#8217;s use to remotely manage home routers by listening on port number 7547. ISP&#8217;s should close general internet access to this port, but many have not.</p>
<p>&#8220;It appears that attackers have exploited home routers on Algeria’s state owned telecommunications network and are using the exploited routers to attack WordPress websites globally,&#8221; Maunder said.</p>
<p>Wordfence researchers scanned the devices to find out what services they are running and found that they are Zyxel routers usually used in a home internet setting. They found that many of them have a severe and well-known vulnerability in RomPager, the embedded web server from AllegroSoft.</p>
<p>&#8220;We then dug deeper and discovered that many ISPs around the world have this same issue and those routers are attacking WordPress sites via brute force attacks,&#8221; Maunder said.</p>
<p>I spoke with Tony Perez, CEO of <a href="https://sucuri.net/" target="_blank">Sucuri</a> to see if his team has detected anything similar. Sucuri also tracks <a href="https://sucuri.net/security-reports/brute-force/" target="_blank">WordPress brute force attempts</a>, but Perez said current numbers are not remarkable when compared historically to mid-2016.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think the reason Sucuri and other companies are not seeing this is because it is a weak ranking signal for malicious behavior,&#8221; Maunder said. &#8220;As we point out in the <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/04/home-routers-attacking-wordpress/" target="_blank">report</a>, each of these IPs is only doing between 50 and 1000 attacks per month on sites. They also only attack for a few hours each. These combined are a very weak ranking signal for malicious behavior. That low frequency also makes the attacks more effective because they are less likely to be blocked.&#8221;</p>
<p>This particular security issue is unusual in that the vulnerability is with the routers, not with WordPress itself. The attackers bulk hack thousands of devices, upload a WordPress attack script and a list of targets, and then they have thousands of routers under their control to attack WordPress sites.</p>
<p>This type of botnet isn&#8217;t terribly uncommon, as <a href="https://blog.eset.ie/2017/04/06/sathurbot-distributed-wordpress-password-attack/" target="_blank">security researchers from from ESET recently uncovered a new malware called Sathurbot</a> that uses torrent files as a method of distributing coordinated brute-force attacks on WordPress sites. The vulnerability in this instance is not in the software but rather in weak WordPress administrator accounts.</p>
<p>Protecting against brute force attacks starts with a strong administrator password. There are also many popular plugins, such as <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-simple-firewall/" target="_blank">Shield Security</a>, the <a href="https://jetpack.com/support/security-features/" target="_blank">Jetpack Protect module</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-wp-security/" target="_blank">iThemes Security</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordfence/" target="_blank">Wordfence</a>, which offer protection from brute force attacks.</p>
<p>If you want to make sure your router is not vulnerable to being recruited for these attacks, Wordfence has created a <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/04/check-your-router/" target="_blank">tool</a> that makes it easy to check. It detects whether your home router has port 7547 open or if it’s running a vulnerable version of RomPager. If you find that your router is vulnerable or port 7547 is open, Wordfence has published <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/04/check-your-router/" target="_blank">instructions for how to secure your device</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 13 Apr 2017 02:46:54 +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:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:23;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"Matt: New Top 50 Restaurants";s:7:"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=47210";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"https://ma.tt/2017/04/new-top-50-restaurants/";s: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:1012:"<p>There&#8217;s a new <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/">&#8220;World&#8217;s 50 Best Restaurants&#8221; list</a> out! I follow the list and try to check out restaurants on it when I&#8217;m in the area, and as of last month had made it to 28 out of 50 of last year&#8217;s list. It&#8217;s a goal but in a rolling, gentle fashion: as the list changes every year I&#8217;ll probably never make it to 100%, but I enjoy exploring the highlighted folks and I&#8217;ve never had a bad meal at one. I was able to make it to <a href="https://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/">Eleven Madison</a> last month and predicted they might take the top spot, which they did in a well-deserved win. As with any award, there are lots of detractors, but Scott Vogel at Houstonia has a great essay on <a href="https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2017/4/10/why-the-world-s-50-best-restaurants-list-matters">Why the World&#8217;s 50 Best Restaurants List Matters</a>, which encapsulates nicely what the list represents to me.</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, 12 Apr 2017 17:44:09 +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: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:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:46:"HeroPress: A Bottomless World of Possibilities";s:7:"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=1692";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"https://heropress.com/essays/bottomless-world-possibilities/";s: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:6470:"<img width="960" height="480" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/041217-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: I am quite lucky to wake up every morning and work, all on my own, in a country where 54% of the population are unemployed and over 70% are youth." /><p>I started playing with websites back in 2003. I was in secondary school and Internet was relatively new to Somalia. It arrived in 1998-99 but only very few people had internet in their homes. Luckily there were internet cafes and I was introduced to this guy who owned an internet cafe. He had a large collection of Somali music and wanted to upload to somewhere so he could share with other people. I put together a GeoCities website using Microsoft FrontPage.</p>
<p>The site I built was literally a blank canvas with marquee at the top and links to the mp3 files.</p>
<blockquote><p>The rest of the page was filled with animated gifs of waving flag, rotating globe and glittering stars.</p></blockquote>
<p>I kept fiddling with FrontPage’s WYSIWYG tab. Every time I add new element to the visual tab I would immediately switch to the HTML tab and see how the generated code would look like. I have managed to teach myself some HTML this way, but I was still very uncomfortable with coding.</p>
<h3>Buckling Down</h3>
<p>After a while, I moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and suddenly I had plenty of time so I decided to buy a web design book. It was basically an HTML tutorial and it helped me code table-based layouts without using a visual builder. This led me to discover CSS, PHP and, among other things, WordPress.</p>
<blockquote><p>I would install and test almost every PHP-based CMS out there: Mambo, Joomla, Drupal and few others but I settled with WordPress.</p></blockquote>
<p>WordPress was always user friendly and anyone with half-decent knowledge in HTML and CSS could open Kubrick (default theme until 2010) files in text editor and whip out something unique.</p>
<h3>Leveling Up</h3>
<p>It was around this time that I started to take freelance projects. My first WordPress project helped me buy a decent laptop, and suddenly other projects started to come. Most of my clients were people in Europe and United States.</p>
<p>Getting paid was initially difficult. Most of international payment systems didn’t work in Somalia until very recently.</p>
<blockquote><p>PayPal’s strict policy meant payment was one-way street: you can make payments but can’t receive or withdraw anything.</p></blockquote>
<p>I managed to team up with someone in another country and we opened a shared account where we could receive the payments. My business partner would then transfer my slice to my local bank account. Things changed recently and although PayPal is still not an option, freelancers can get paid via international bank transfer or Payoneer.</p>
<p>My experience with open source in general and WordPress in particular had positive impact in my life. I am quite lucky to wake up every morning and work, all on my own, in a country where <a href="http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hdr/Somalia-human-development-report-2012.html">54% of the population are unemployed and over 70% are youth</a>. This has prompted me to seek ways help other people to get into open source, creating hobbies and jobs for many young people who have a lot of time in their hands to learn, contribute and work with open source software.</p>
<h3>Branching Out</h3>
<p>Although the Internet keeps crushing physical borders and bureaucracy policies it doesn’t mean opportunities will magically come knocking on people’s doors. However, the advantage of investing in skills that allow the individual to go remote and tap a global market of design, development, copywriting or blogging, is that the individual is not dependent on the demand of the local market. Another advantage is that it helps the person connect to thousands of like-minded people from worldwide, whom you learn from and contribute to. It’s a bottomless world of possibilities.</p>
<p>I have recently talked to few WordPress developers from different parts of Somalia and we were trying to figure out how we can organize a WordPress related event, preferably WordCamp Somalia. We didn’t set out time yet but it’s in our plans. Hopefully in 2018.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: A Bottomless World of Possibilities" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=A%20Bottomless%20World%20of%20Possibilities&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fbottomless-world-possibilities%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: A Bottomless World of Possibilities" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fbottomless-world-possibilities%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%2Fbottomless-world-possibilities%2F&title=A+Bottomless+World+of+Possibilities" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: A Bottomless World of Possibilities"></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/bottomless-world-possibilities/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/041217-min-150x150.jpg&description=A Bottomless World of Possibilities" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: A Bottomless World of Possibilities"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/bottomless-world-possibilities/" title="A Bottomless World of Possibilities"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/bottomless-world-possibilities/">A Bottomless World of Possibilities</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, 12 Apr 2017 12:00:38 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jamaal Jaamac";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:25;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:103:"WPTavern: Advanced WordPress Facebook Group Moves to Curb Low Quality Content with Admin-Approved Posts";s:7:"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=68507";s:7:"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/advanced-wordpress-facebook-group-moves-to-curb-low-quality-content-with-admin-approved-posts";s: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:5222:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Advanced-WordPress-Facebook-Group.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/" target="_blank">Advanced WordPress Facebook group</a> (AWP) is making a radical change. After three years of allowing members to post freely, the group&#8217;s administrators voted to restrict posting to admin-approved content only.</p>
<p>The popular WordPress watering hole has amassed more than 28,000 members and plays host to many lively conversations. Over the years some have suggested the group switch to using a WordPress-powered site or forum, but Facebook&#8217;s infrastructure has proven to be a vital part of the community&#8217;s success. Most members are already tied into Facebook&#8217;s notification system for their personal accounts and posts receive much more exposure than if they were on a separate website.</p>
<p>In more recent years, the group has struggled with a constant stream of low quality content, prompting admins to re-examine the group&#8217;s approach to posting.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our current mode of moderation is reactive,&#8221; AWP admin Matt Cromwell said. &#8220;Every time a low-quality post gets posted to the group it adds to the noise, and sometimes it might be hours and hours or even a day until an admin removes it — which means thousands of people have experienced the group with more &#8216;noise&#8217; than it should have. Our only tools in the current setup of the group is for that noise to be added automatically, and the admins having to clean it up after the fact.&#8221;</p>
<p>Cromwell said the group reached &#8220;a crisis moment&#8221; and several admins with experience in other large groups said content quality is much higher with admin-approved posts. The majority of the group&#8217;s 28 admins <a href="https://www.mattcromwell.com/awp-facebook-improving-content/" target="_blank">voted over the weekend to make the switch to admin-approved content only</a>. Cromwell said the vote breakdown included one abstention and six hesitant no votes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some might think that is a lot more work for admins, but the truth is that we’ll actually be able to focus less on moderating in a reactive way, moderating profiles and negativity, and instead admin in a proactive way, moderating content,&#8221; Cromwell said.</p>
<p>AJ Zane is one of the six admins who voted against the new rule. He said he sees AWP as an extension of the physical San Diego AWP group where he and other members enjoy open-table discussions.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m voting ‘no’ because I think this group is about self moderation, open discussion, and letting the posts with good content bubble to the top,&#8221; Zane said. &#8220;If the physical AWP meetup was not a round table group of people sharing wins/bugs/discoveries/questions, but had curated presenters, I know I would not have been as excited to attend the sessions. You want curated content? Go to Torque, listen to WP Weekly. You want to share that you just realized a method you’ve been using for years has a parameter you never noticed, come to AWP.&#8221;</p>
<p>Zane said he realizes that it is idealistic to say that &#8220;good content bubbles to the top,&#8221; since AWP wouldn&#8217;t have this problem if all the top posts were high quality.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our group has grown to the size that we apparently need some guidance from the admins that care about a high caliber of content and a vibrant community, as opposed to the people trying to get quick fixes and actively malicious parties,&#8221; Zane said. He proposed that the group build a forum website where they could use Facebook&#8217;s authentication and set up curated and free-post rooms, but said he sees it as &#8220;a nice pipe dream,&#8221; since few people would have time to build it.</p>
<p>Members <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/1461487913913418/" target="_blank">responded positively to the news</a> that posting is changing, with a few exceptions who are worried about moderators having conflicts of interest. Others expressed concerns about not receiving timely posts and replies if someone is in need of assistance. Admins reminded members that the purpose of the group is not for receiving personalized support on projects.</p>
<p>Several members commented on the announcement, saying they were considering quitting the group because the negative posts and noise level had gotten so high. Many are hopeful that fewer posts will generate more engagement on the content.</p>
<p>&#8220;We also would like to starting hosting new kinds of content,&#8221; Cromwell said. &#8220;With admin-approved posts we can better facilitate an AMA, or a Facebook Live, or any other type of content.&#8221;</p>
<p>Cromwell said he expects there will be more work for admins in the first 4-8 weeks until members start to understand more intuitively what makes for a good post in the group. Members who are not sure if their content is appropriate can run it through the <a href="http://www.advancedwp.org/awp-contribution-wizard/" target="_blank">AWP Contribution Wizard</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 11 Apr 2017 21:58:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:26;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"WPTavern: WordCamp for Publishers to be Held in Denver, August 17-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68564";s:7:"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/wordcamp-for-publishers-to-be-held-in-denver-august-17-19";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4385:"<a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/coffee-newspaper.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>Coffee Cup on Table &#8212; Image by © Michael Prince/CORBIS
<p>The first ever <a href="https://2017-denver.journalist.wordcamp.org/" target="_blank">WordCamp for Publishers</a> will be held August 17-19 in Denver, Colorado. The niche WordCamp will be open to anyone who uses WordPress to manage a publication, no matter what size. Organizers submitted an application last November and received approval from WordCamp Central in February.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A huge thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/wordcamp">@wordcamp</a> for letting us try this out. It's the first national WordCamp focused on a specific topic/industry.</p>
<p>&mdash; Adam Schweigert (@aschweig) <a href="https://twitter.com/aschweig/status/850040392812810241">April 6, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>In previous planning stages, the event was going to be called &#8220;WordCamp for Journalists,&#8221; but WordCamp for Publishers is more inclusive of the different types of professionals who are involved in managing publications. Organizers are planning to have tracks with content for engineering, product, and editorial teams. Attendees will work together to collaborate on open source tools for publishers and best practices.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/crushgear" target="_blank">Steph Yiu</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/aschweig" target="_blank">Adam Schweigert</a> are the lead organizers of the event. Schweigert used to run engineering at the Institute of Nonprofit News and also led a working group assembled by MIT and the Knight Foundation on CMS-related projects. Yiu was a part of that working group and most of the other 12 <a href="https://2017-denver.journalist.wordcamp.org/organizers/" target="_blank">organizers</a> came out of it. Others were found through a call for volunteers.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a part of the working group we decided we wanted to pull together an event that was focused on WordPress, specifically helping improve the open source tools around publishing, and build a community around publishers that use WordPress,&#8221; Yiu said. &#8220;One thing that was very important to us was being able to reach smaller publishers, which is why, as part of the event, we are hoping to offer travel scholarships for folks who otherwise would not be able to attend.&#8221;</p>
<p>After discussing a few different event types, Yiu said the team eventually settled on setting it up as a WordCamp because of the community and structure that WordCamp Central provides. However, unlike most WordCamps, the event will offer a mix of presentations and hands-on workshops. Organizers will soon open a call for both speakers and workshop facilitators.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s still early days for us since this is a first-time event,&#8221; Yiu said. &#8220;Our current goal is to have a mix of workshops aimed at people who contribute to the multiple areas of the publishing process (for example: developers, designers, product owners, and editorial staff) and multiple skill levels. We also hope to bring together people who maintain open source projects important to publishing to run workshops on both using and contributing with the goal of helping build up those projects for the long run.&#8221;</p>
<p>WordCamp for Publishers will be held at <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/" target="_blank">The Denver Post</a>, a publication that runs on WordPress as a WordPress.com VIP customer.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mateo Leyba, who works at Digital First Media, was a part of the original working group and suggested they could sponsor with a venue donation,&#8221; Yiu said. &#8220;That was very welcome as venues are usually the most expensive part of any event! Also, it’s a cool spot with a beautiful view.&#8221;</p>
<p>The call for speakers and workshop leaders will open soon and will close in early May. Tickets for the event will be $40 and will go on sale in May. As it&#8217;s the first event of its kind, the organizers are keeping it small and are limiting it to 230 attendees. If you&#8217;re thinking about sponsoring or attending, sign up for email updates on the <a href="https://2017-denver.journalist.wordcamp.org/" target="_blank">WordCamp for Publishers</a> website.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 11 Apr 2017 03:12:50 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:27;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:111:"WPTavern: WordPress Editor Experience Survey Shows 75% of Respondents Don’t Use Distraction-Free Writing Mode";s:7:"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=68566";s:7:"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://wptavern.com/wordpress-editor-experience-survey-shows-75-of-respondents-dont-use-distraction-free-writing-mode";s: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:3353:"<p>The WordPress Editor Experience survey <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2017/04/07/editor-experience-survey-results/" target="_blank">results</a> have been published with data from 2,563 participants, a significantly larger sampling than the 50 who responded to the recent <a href="https://wptavern.com/initial-customizer-survey-results-reveal-majority-of-respondents-dont-use-it" target="_blank">customizer survey</a>. Both the editor and the customizer are included in Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s three main focus areas for core development in 2017. The purpose of the surveys is to find out how WordPress users are using or not using the current features.</p>
<p>More than half of the survey respondents (66%) identified themselves as developers (in addition to other roles). Since this category of users dominated the survey results, Mark Uraine decided to break it down further to display other categories developers selected.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/non-dev-vs-dev.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Based on these results, it isn&#8217;t surprising that more than 85% of respondents use the markup text editor and 35% of those use it exclusively. Support for syntax highlighting is also a popular request.</p>
<p>The distraction-free writing mode received quite a bit of feedback on the survey. More than 75% of respondents said they do not use it.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/distraction-free.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The current implementation of the distraction-free writing mode was introduced in WordPress 4.1 at the end of 2014. The idea was to minimize distractions without having to go through a clunky transition to access the admin menu or meta boxes. Moving the cursor to the right or left of the editor brings them back into view, but many people find the admin interface sliding in and out of view to be distracting. Several who commented suggested that the feature could use some major improvements.</p>
<p>The survey also revealed that the majority of respondents (72%) install plugins that add features to the editor. These most commonly include shortcodes, Advanced TinyMCE, Tables, and Visual Composer. The results indicate that users often extend the editor to get more basic advanced layout capabilities for presenting their content.</p>
<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/popular-features.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The Editor Experience survey was a good first start, but it doesn&#8217;t accurately represent WordPress&#8217; global user base. The results are heavily skewed towards developers&#8217; needs and experiences. Developers are users, too, but there has to be a way to get these surveys into the hands of a more diverse sampling of users. Reopening the survey and circulating it beyond the WordPress developer community might help to paint a more accurate picture of users&#8217; experiences with the editor.</p>
<p>A more diverse sampling would reveal whether or not the vast majority of users have no use for the current implementation of the distraction-free writing mode, as developer feedback seems to suggest. It could also provide more feedback on the visual editor features that 35% of respondents to this survey never use.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Mon, 10 Apr 2017 21:10:28 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:28;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:94:"WPTavern: New Twitter Bot Automatically Tweets Links to Trac Tickets Tagged as Good-First-Bugs";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68613";s:7:"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:105:"https://wptavern.com/new-twitter-bot-automatically-tweets-links-to-trac-tickets-tagged-as-good-first-bugs";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2991:"<p>In 2014, WordPress Trac <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-core-trac-gets-a-design-refresh-new-features-and-enhancements">received a facelift</a> and one of the improvements was the “good-first-bug” tag. The goal of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=!closed&keywords=~good-first-bug">good-first-bug tickets</a> is to get newcomers familiar with WordPress code, processes, and contributing patches.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d like to be notified of new tickets created on trac tagged good-first-bug on Twitter, check out the <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodFirstBugs">@GoodFirstBugs</a> account created by <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanwelcher">Ryan Welcher</a>. In three days since its creation, the account has accumulated nearly 100 followers.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I wrote a bot to tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/goodfirstbugs?src=hash">#goodfirstbugs</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordPress?src=hash">#WordPress</a> core. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodFirstBugs">@GoodFirstBugs</a> for great ways to start contributing!</p>
<p>&mdash; Ryan Welcher (@ryanwelcher) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanwelcher/status/850475993622032384">April 7, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>The bot uses predetermined phrases to describe tickets. However, the phrases don&#8217;t do much to explain what the ticket is about. For example, the ticket linked in the Tweet below has nothing to do with the <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/capital_P_dangit">Capital P Dangit filter</a>. I&#8217;d like to see the first few words of the ticket&#8217;s title be used instead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="in" dir="ltr">Capital P Dangit! <a href="https://t.co/KgoJiiN72C">https://t.co/KgoJiiN72C</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoodFirstBug?src=hash">#GoodFirstBug</a></p>
<p>&mdash; GoodFirstBugs (@GoodFirstBugs) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodFirstBugs/status/851129959921930242">April 9, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Many of the tickets linked have the has-patch keyword assigned as well. This means that a contributor has already submitted a patch and it needs to be reviewed and or tested before it can be committed to core. Scott Buscemi <a href="https://twitter.com/scottbuscemi/status/850514220277932032">suggests</a> that the bot should ignore these tickets, an idea that Welcher may implement in future iterations.</p>
<p>As I&#8217;ve highlighted <a href="https://wptavern.com/why-you-shouldnt-be-worried-about-screwing-up-when-contributing-to-wordpress">in the past</a>, the tickets tagged good-first-bug help remove some of the fear and anxiety that comes with navigating Trac to contribute to WordPress. Using Twitter to <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodFirstBugs">publish links</a> to these tickets will give them more exposure and may lead to quicker adoption from new contributors.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:30:42 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:29;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"HeroPress: HeroPress Geography: Oceania";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=1689";s:7:"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:49:"https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-oceana/";s: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:3364:"<img width="960" height="444" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/heropress_oceana-1024x474.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Google map of Oceana with pins in Australia, New Zealand, and The Philippines" /><p>This week&#8217;s HeroPress geography is from Oceania.  I&#8217;d love more people from that area, so if you know anyone who would be good for HeroPress, please encourage them to fill out the <a href="https://heropress.com/contribute/">contributor form</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/actually-wordpress-didnt-change-life/">Actually, WordPress didn’t change my life.</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/it-all-begins-with-a-thought/">It All Begins With a Thought</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/when-life-throws-you-a-curveball-wordpress-is-there/">When Life Throws You a Curveball, WordPress is There</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-set-free/">WordPress Set Me Free</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/love-your-work/">Love your work</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: HeroPress Geography: Oceania" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=HeroPress%20Geography%3A%20Oceania&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-oceana%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: HeroPress Geography: Oceania" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-oceana%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%2Fheropress-geography-oceana%2F&title=HeroPress+Geography%3A+Oceania" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: HeroPress Geography: Oceania"></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/heropress-geography-oceana/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/heropress_oceana-150x150.jpg&description=HeroPress Geography: Oceania" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: HeroPress Geography: Oceania"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-oceana/" title="HeroPress Geography: Oceania"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-oceana/">HeroPress Geography: Oceania</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:"Sun, 09 Apr 2017 02:47:36 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:103:"WPTavern: Yoast SEO’s PHP Upgrade Nag is Producing a Significant Increase in Sites Upgrading to PHP 7";s:7:"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=68581";s:7:"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:111:"https://wptavern.com/yoast-seos-php-upgrade-nag-is-producing-a-significant-increase-in-sites-upgrading-to-php-7";s: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:2889:"<p>Less than three weeks ago <a href="https://wptavern.com/yoast-seo-4-5-urges-users-to-upgrade-to-php-7" target="_blank">Yoast SEO version 4.5 was released</a> with an ugly, non-dismissible notice for sites on PHP 5.2. The notice encourages the user to upgrade to PHP 7, explaining that it is faster and more secure. It includes links for getting started and example emails that users can send to their hosting companies.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/whip-php-notice.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>In the 18 days since shipping the plugin with the upgrade nag, Yoast SEO creator Joost de Valk has seen a dramatic uptick in sites moving from old, unsupported versions to PHP 7. From December to March, PHP 5.2 usage among Yoast SEO users decreased from 1.9% to 1.7%, a modest drop over three months. After adding the nag on March 21, PHP 5.2 usage dropped from 1.7% to 1.3% for those using Yoast SEO version 4.5. PHP 5.3 usage is also steadily decreasing since de Valk began the campaign to educate his plugin&#8217;s users about the benefits of upgrading.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/yoast-stats.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>According to de Valk&#8217;s stats, 22.2% of Yoast SEO users are on version 4.5 of the plugin. He estimates 1,443,000 sites on 4.5 out of 6.5 million users.</p>
<p>&#8220;Assuming 0.5% updated their PHP versions, that&#8217;s 7K sites,&#8221; de Valk said. &#8220;And another 14-20k that updated from 5.3 to something more decent.&#8221;</p>
<p>Many developers are hesitant to implement a nag in their plugins, but Yoast SEO is one of the largest plugins to prove that an ugly, non-dismissible notice can be an effective tool for getting users to take action.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the reasons I’m sharing is because I’d love others to join us,&#8221; de Valk said. &#8220;People don&#8217;t like nags, but we&#8217;ve had some truly great feedback from users who went from PHP 5.2 to 7 and were astonished by how fast their sites suddenly were. Negative feedback has been absolutely minimal.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Yoast SEO team created a project called WHIP that makes it easy for plugin and theme developers to add notices that will nudge their users to upgrade their software versions, starting with PHP. The project also includes a filter for linking to the WordPress.org recommended hosting page, as an alternative to the Yoast.com hosting overview.</p>
<p>De Valk said his team intends to push the notice to users on other PHP versions in the near future, starting with 5.3.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve got a release coming next week (4.6), in which we won&#8217;t do it yet,&#8221; de Valk said. &#8220;If all goes well and continues to be mellow, 5.3 will be &#8216;nagged&#8217; as of 4.7, probably three weeks later.&#8221;</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Sat, 08 Apr 2017 03:56:44 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:31;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"WPTavern: Recommended Reading: Resilient Web Design, a Free e-Book from Jeremy Keith";s:7:"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=68253";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"https://wptavern.com/recommended-reading-resilient-web-design-a-free-e-book-from-jeremy-keith";s: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:5538:"<a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/typewriter.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/4OURRGDU7Z">Sergey Zolkin</a>
<p>UK-based web developer <a href="https://adactio.com/" target="_blank">Jeremy Keith</a> published <a href="https://resilientwebdesign.com/" target="_blank">Resilient Web Design</a> as a free e-book in December 2016. Over the past few months, industry leaders have been raving about the book, so I decided to take an evening to find out what all the fuss is about. Keith has been blogging for more than 15 years at <a href="http://adactio.com" target="_blank">adactio.com</a>. He is an active contributor to the web standards movement, a popular conference speaker, and the author of <em>DOM Scripting</em>, <em>Bulletproof Ajax</em>, and <em>HTML5 For Web Designers</em>.</p>
<p>After just a few pages in, I could see why so many have read Resilient Web Design all in one go. It lives up to all the excellent reviews. The book is divided into seven chapters and can be read in a couple hours. It is not a book on best practices, as one might expect, but rather a historical perspective on web standards and the evolution of responsive design. It provides a foundation for understanding technological progress and is essentially a primer on how breakthrough ideas happen and how resilient ideas endure.</p>
<p>&#8220;The World Wide Web has been around for long enough now that we can begin to evaluate the twists and turns of its evolution,&#8221; Keith said. &#8220;I wrote this book to highlight some of the approaches to web design that have proven to be resilient. I didn’t do this purely out of historical interest (although I am fascinated by the already rich history of our young industry). In learning from the past, I believe we can better prepare for the future.&#8221;</p>
<p>Keith&#8217;s brief history of web design recaptures some of the magic we felt at the dawn of the web. He said much of the subject matter has been included in his conference talks over the past couple of years but the book ended up taking some twists and turns that surprised him.</p>
<p>&#8220;You won’t find any code in here to help you build better websites,&#8221; Keith said. &#8220;But you will find ideas and approaches. Ideas are more resilient than code. I’ve tried to combine the most resilient ideas from the history of web design into an approach for building the websites of the future.&#8221;</p>
<p>Keith shares some thought-provoking ideas on design in chapter 3 that are particularly applicable to WordPress&#8217; <a href="https://wptavern.com/state-of-the-word-2016-mullenweg-pushes-calypso-as-future-of-wordpress-interface-proposes-major-changes-to-release-cycle" target="_blank">new structure for releases where design and user testing will lead the way</a> in building a new editing and customization experience. The closest thing you can have to predicting the future is an understanding of what has endured in the past and an idea for building on it. Keith&#8217;s book examines principles that have proven to be resilient over time.</p>
<p>&#8220;Design adds clarity,&#8221; Keith said. &#8220;Using colour, typography, hierarchy, contrast, and all the other tools at their disposal, designers can take an unordered jumble of information and turn it into something that’s easy to use and pleasurable to behold. Like life itself, design can win a small victory against the entropy of the universe, creating pockets of order from the raw materials of chaos.&#8221;</p>
<p>Keith said he wrote Resilient Web Design for people who create websites in any capacity. He released it under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons attribution share-alike license</a> and there are many ways to access the content:</p>
<ul>
<li>On the web at <a href="https://resilientwebdesign.com/" target="_blank">resilientwebdesign.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://resilientwebdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/ResilientWebDesign-portrait.pdf" target="_blank">PDF in portrait format</a> (7MB)</li>
<li><a href="http://resilientwebdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/ResilientWebDesign-landscape.pdf" target="_blank">PDF in landscape format</a> (19.9MB)</li>
<li><a href="https://resilientwebdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/ResilientWebDesign.epub" target="_blank">EPUB version</a> (4.4MB)</li>
<li><a href="https://resilientwebdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/ResilientWebDesign.mobi" target="_blank">MOBI version</a> (10.4MB)</li>
<li>Audio on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/resilient-web-design/id1183700985" target="_blank">iTunes</a>,<br />
 <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/resilient-web-design" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="https://play.pocketcasts.com/web/podcasts/share?id=2432cc30-a380-0134-9123-3327a14bcdba" target="_blank">Pocket Casts</a></li>
<li>Download <a href="http://resilientwebdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/ResilientWebDesign.mp3" target="_blank">one mp3 file</a> of the whole book</li>
</ul>
<p>Despite his experience of nearly two decades in the industry, Keith is still acutely aware of all the unknowns that cannot be predicted. We don&#8217;t know what the web will become, but Keith&#8217;s perspective on its history brings a few resilient ideas to light. If you have some spare time over the weekend and want to be inspired about the future of the web, I highly recommend reading Resilient Web Design.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 07 Apr 2017 20:29:55 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:32;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"WPTavern: New Userscript Restores Tabs to the WordPress Plugin Directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68488";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"https://wptavern.com/new-userscript-restores-tabs-to-the-wordpress-plugin-directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2745:"<p>One of the most common complaints about the WordPress plugin directory&#8217;s redesign is the use of read more links instead of tabs. Plugin authors and users <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-redesign-why-so-many-people-feel-their-feedback-was-ignored#comment-217002">contend</a> that tabs make information more accessible. The redesign requires visitors to scroll a one-page design and click on various read more links to discover more information.</p>
<p>There is a <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2278">ticket on Trac</a> that suggests a jump section be included so that visitors can jump to specific sections of a plugin&#8217;s readme file. It&#8217;s unclear if this feature will be added but if you&#8217;d like to restore the tabbed layout to the plugin directory, check out <a href="https://openuserjs.org/scripts/nextgenthemes/Wordpress.org_Plugin_Directory_Tabs">this Userscript</a> created by Nicolas Jonas.</p>
<p>According <a href="https://openuserjs.org/about/Userscript-Beginners-HOWTO">to OpenUserJS</a>, userscripts are open source add-ons for browsers that can modify webpages as they&#8217;re loaded. Using userscripts is roughly the same as installing WordPress plugins to restore lost functionality. Jonas&#8217; userscript <a href="https://openuserjs.org/scripts/nextgenthemes/Wordpress.org_Plugin_Directory_Tabs/source">source code</a> contains a mix of CSS and jQuery to generate the tabs.</p>
<p>To install the <a href="https://openuserjs.org/scripts/nextgenthemes/Wordpress.org_Plugin_Directory_Tabs/issues">WordPress.org Plugin Directory Tabs</a> userscript in Firefox, you&#8217;ll first need to install the free <a href="https://openuserjs.org/about/Greasemonkey-for-Firefox">Greasemonkey extension</a>. Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Add-on for Firefox that allows userscripts to run in the browser.</p>
<img />Greasemonkey Firefox Add-on
<p>Jonas developed the userscript in about 30 minutes and used CSS from a CSS button generator. The tabs have a blue background with white text on top. Jonas is open to suggestions and encourages those who want better designed buttons to <a href="https://openuserjs.org/scripts/nextgenthemes/Wordpress.org_Plugin_Directory_Tabs/issues">create an issue</a> with the proper CSS code on his OpenUserJS page.</p>
<img />Tabbed Layout
<p>I tested the userscript on Firefox 52.0.2 and didn&#8217;t encounter any issues. After navigating the plugin directory with tabs, I can easily say I prefer it versus clicking read more links. I rarely have to scroll and the information I want to see is displayed front and center. Simply put, browsing a plugin&#8217;s page with tabs is a better user experience.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 07 Apr 2017 02:25:02 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"WPTavern: WordPress Plugin Directory Restores Stats and Links to Older Versions of Plugins";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://wptavern.com/?p=68486";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:101:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-restores-stats-and-links-to-older-versions-of-plugins";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2353:"<p>Since the <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm">launch</a> of the newly redesigned WordPress plugin directory, the Meta team has been hard at work fixing bugs and updating the design. The directory has undergone a series of visual updates that address some of the <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-redesign-why-so-many-people-feel-their-feedback-was-ignored">concerns</a> readers expressed last week.</p>
<p><del>The number of active installs, tested up to WordPress version, and author information has been restored to the plugin card view. Previously, this information was only available on the plugin&#8217;s single page view.</del></p>
<p>Plugin stats are available to the public again and can be viewed by clicking the Advanced View link.</p>
<img />Advanced View Link
<img />Stats For Plugins
<p>Links to previous versions can also be found on the stats page along with a disclaimer that says older versions may not be stable or secure.</p>
<img />Drop-down Menu to Download Older Versions
<p>The installation instructions have also returned as a drop-down section.</p>
<img />Installation Instructions
<p>These changes bring the directory closer to the usefulness its predecessor provided. Some of the issues that remain include, <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2278">read more links</a>, distorted plugin banner images, and <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/1828">screenshots</a> linking to a page instead of opening in a lightbox. Although some plugin banners are distorted, the Meta team does not recommend developers update them as the new dimensions have not been finalized.</p>
<p>The plugin directory is a work in progress. To report a bug or enhancement, you can <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/newticket?component=Plugin+Directory">create a ticket on Trac. </a>If you have any questions concerning the directory or would like to get more involved, visit <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/meta/">#meta</a> on Slack.</p>
<p><strong>Author&#8217;s Note:</strong> Although the number of active installs, tested up to WordPress version, and author information was removed during the mockups phase, the redesign at launch included this information.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 07 Apr 2017 02:18:27 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"WPTavern: WPWeekly Episode 270 – Going Camp Press With Mendel Kurland";s:7:"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:58:"https://wptavern.com?p=68536&preview=true&preview_id=68536";s:7:"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/wpweekly-episode-270-going-camp-press-with-mendel-kurland";s: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:5914:"<p>In this episode, <a href="http://marcuscouch.com/">Marcus Couch</a> and I are joined by <a href="https://ifyouwillit.com/">Mendel Kurland</a>, GoDaddy Evangelist, to discuss the news making headlines. We cover what&#8217;s new in WooCommerce 3.0, why WordCamp Netherlands may not happen this year, and the WordPress plugin directory redesign.</p>
<p>Marcus announced that he is the new head WordPress editor for <a href="http://smashingmagazine.com/">Smashing Mag</a>. Last but not least, Kurland provides insight into <a href="https://camp.press/">Camp Press</a>, a social experiment focused on disconnecting from technology to strengthen one-on-one relationships.</p>
<h2>Stories Discussed:</h2>
<p><a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-0-brings-major-improvements-to-product-gallery-introduces-crud-classes-and-a-new-cli">WooCommerce 3.0 Brings Major Improvements to Product Gallery, Introduces CRUD Classes and a New CLI</a><br />
<a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-community-support-shuts-down-wordcamp-netherlands-in-favor-of-city-based-wordcamps">WordPress Community Support Shuts Down WordCamp Netherlands in Favor of City-Based WordCamps</a><br />
<a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-redesign-why-so-many-people-feel-their-feedback-was-ignored">WordPress Plugin Directory Redesign: Why So Many People Feel Their Feedback Was Ignored</a><br />
<a href="https://wptavern.com/disconnect-from-technology-at-camp-press-september-23-24-in-seminole-ok">Disconnect From Technology at Camp Press September 23-24 in Seminole, OK</a></p>
<h2>What&#8217;s On WordPress.tv</h2>
<p><a href="https://blog.wordpress.tv/2017/04/03/wordpress-community-interview-with-bridget-willard/">WordPress Community Interview with Bridget Willard</a> &#8211; <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bridgetwillard">Bridget Willard</a> is the Marketing Manager at<a href="https://wordimpress.com"> WordImpress</a>. She started her career with office work, earned a teaching degree, but returned to the office where she carved out a career in social media and marketing.</p>
<p>She is the co-host of<a href="https://www.wpwatercooler.com/wpblab/"> WPblab</a> and co-organizer of<a href="http://womenwhowp.org"> Women Who WP</a> meetup. In this interview, Willard talks about her role as a member of the WordPress Marketing Team the<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/marketing/2016/07/06/the-four-horsemen-of-wordpress-org-marketing/"> Four Horseman of WordPress Marketing</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://wordpress.tv/2017/04/03/adam-silver-and-kyle-maurer-wpbattles-entrepreneurship-vs-employment/">Adam Silver and Kyle Maurer: WPBattles – Entrepreneurship vs. Employment WordCamp Northeast Ohio 2016</a> &#8211; In this session, the duo takes a detailed look at working for yourself or for someone else.</p>
<p>They share the pros and cons for each and break down the fundamental differences between starting a WordPress company and working for one. If you ever find yourself questioning whether you’re really doing what’s best for you, this session will help you understand which path to choose.</p>
<p><a href="http://wordpress.tv/2017/04/04/manuela-van-prooijen-long-live-the-customer-how-to-get-more-out-of-your-wordpress-business/">Manuela van Prooijen: Long live the customer – how to get more out of your WordPress business</a> &#8211; From WordCamp Geneva (Switzerland) &#8211; Many companies do not use the full potential of their existing customers. Too often those clients are considered a piece of furniture. The clients are there, but often overlooked and not being paid attention to.</p>
<p>The constant struggle to acquire new customers however is 5 to 10 times more expensive than selling services and goods to existing clients. Manuela shares ten strategies to create a crowd of happy and loyal customers and as a result: more return (recurring) business.</p>
<h2>Plugins Picked By Marcus:</h2>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wc-documents-tab/">WC Documents Tab</a> adds a new tab into the product detail page with downloadable documents. You can use this for documentation, product brochures or anything else that you would need to provide a document for.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/rock-the-slackbot/">Rock The Slackbot</a> can help you manage your websites, and stay on top of changes, by sending notifications (following numerous WordPress events) to your Slackbot who will pass them along to a channel or direct message in your Slack account. This triggers when posts are published, unpublished, deleted or updated. It&#8217;s also triggered for user roles, activity, theme, plugin modifications, and more.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/pdf-forms-for-contact-form-7/">PDF Forms Filler for Contact Form 7</a> gives WordPress Admin Panel users the ability to add PDF attachments to email messages of Contact Form 7. If the PDF attachment has a PDF form, the plugin allows users to add fields onto the CF7 form that are mapped to fields in the PDF form. When a website visitor submits the CF7 form, the form in the PDF file is filled with CF7 form information and the resulting PDF file is attached to the CF7 email message.</p>
<h2>WPWeekly Meta:</h2>
<p><strong>Next Episode:</strong> Wednesday, April 12th 3:00 P.M. Eastern</p>
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<p><strong>Listen To Episode #270:</strong><br />
</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 06 Apr 2017 18:21:48 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"WPTavern: Blog Helper: An Alexa Skill for Managing a WordPress Blog with Your Voice";s:7:"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=68008";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"https://wptavern.com/blog-helper-an-alexa-skill-for-managing-a-wordpress-blog-with-your-voice";s: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:3293:"<a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/alexa.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a>photo credit: MjZ Photography <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51590961@N04/16639251005">IMG_8538-Edit.jpg</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>&#8220;Alexa, tell Blog Helper to create a new post called ‘Granny&#8217;s banana bread recipe.'&#8221; Imagine logging a new draft on your WordPress site using only your voice while working in the kitchen. That&#8217;s what <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B01N1O4M4G" target="_blank">Blog Helper</a>, an Alexa skill, enables for WordPress.com and self-hosted Jetpack users. It is available for free in Amazon&#8217;s catalog of Alexa skills.</p>
<p>Automattic developer <a href="https://www.chrisfinke.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Finke</a> created the Alexa integration for WordPress after purchasing an Echo and some Dots for his house and experimenting with different ways for making them useful. He programmed Blog Helper to allow users to check WordPress.com notifications, moderate pending comments, and save blog post ideas as drafts.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-27-at-10.17.11-PM-e1490671125329.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Blog Helper relies on WordPress.com&#8217;s OAuth support, which Finke said self-hosted sites can get via Jetpack. After asking Alexa to enable Blog Helper, you will need to link your WordPress.com account and select the blog you want to access. Once you&#8217;re hooked up, you can say, &#8220;Alexa, ask Blog Helper for my notifications.&#8221; Alexa will read off new notifications one-by-one and mark them as read.</p>
<p>Blog Helper also enables comment moderation with your voice, so you can take care of that while folding the laundry or doing dishes. If you ask, &#8220;Do I have any comments to moderate?&#8221;, Alexa will read them to you and you can approve, delete, or mark them as spam. Check out the quick demo video Finke created to hear it in action:</p>
<div class="embed-wrap"></div>
<p>Scientific studies have proven that <a href="http://lifehacker.com/why-great-ideas-always-come-in-the-shower-and-how-to-h-1617303016" target="_blank">some of your best ideas come to you when your mind is relaxed and your body is distracted by routine tasks</a>. If you have an Alexa-enabled device, Blog Helper is a fun way to help you capture your creative ideas in WordPress before they get away. It allows you to create new drafts without having to pick up your phone or sit down to your desktop.</p>
<p>Although Finke works for Automattic, he wrote Blog Helper in his free time and it doesn&#8217;t have any official affiliation with WordPress.com. His said his roadmap is to try and make as much of the core WordPress experience accessible by voice as possible. Blog Helper can be a big time-saver for those who want to manage their blogs without being tied down to a screen, but the voice interface can also be useful for those who have vision impairments. Blog Helper is GPL-licensed and <a href="https://github.com/cfinke/Blog-Helper" target="_blank">available on GitHub</a> if you want to contribute or follow for updates.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 06 Apr 2017 02:04:01 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"WPTavern: Jetpack 4.8 Introduces Settings Redesign, Adds Global WordPress.com Toolbar";s:7:"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=68255";s:7:"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:95:"https://wptavern.com/jetpack-4-8-introduces-settings-redesign-adds-global-wordpress-com-toolbar";s: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:3338:"<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/2017/04/04/settings-overhaul-redesign/" target="_blank">Jetpack 4.8</a> was released this week with a settings redesign that is a continuation of the <a href="https://wptavern.com/jetpack-4-3-released-features-new-react-js-powered-admin-interface" target="_blank">React.js-powered admin interface introduced last September</a>. The new settings screen has been completely rearranged under a more simplified menu.</p>
<p>&#8220;We went through every setting on WordPress.com and Jetpack to make sure it was necessary to keep around, and to find a good, logical home for each one,&#8221; Jetpack designer Michael Arestad said. &#8220;We ended up mirroring the WordPress core settings groups for now — they are familiar to people, and things fit well there.&#8221;</p>
<p>Arestad said he was inspired by the way mobile devices handle settings, especially how they rarely include a &#8220;Save&#8221; button unless it&#8217;s an option that isn&#8217;t a simple toggle. The Jetpack design team applied this to the settings screens so that most of them are now autosaved.</p>
<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/autosave.gif?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>This release also introduces the ability to enable the WordPress.com Toolbar, a new feature that replaces the wp-admin toolbar with the My Sites menu, a link to the WordPress.com reader, a Write button that takes you to WordPress.com, and a notifications dropdown. It is essentially the same toolbar you see when working with a WordPress.com site.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/jetpack-wp-com-toolbar.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Jetpack 4.8 includes several dozen improvements and bug fixes. A few of the highlights include the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>New MailChimp Subscribe Popup widget</li>
<li>Sitemaps are faster and now support sites with a very large number of posts (1,000+)</li>
<li>Contact Form now has a plain-text alternative and better avoids spam filters</li>
<li>Debug form includes extra information to better prioritize support requests</li>
<li>Photon can now be used within the dashboard and supports bbPress topics and replies</li>
</ul>
<h3>Jetpack 4.8.1 Fixes PHP Incompatibility Issue</h3>
<p>Many users reported fatal errors and blank pages after updating to Jetpack 4.8. A temporary fix was to load an older version of Jetpack. In a convenient turn of events, the WordPress plugin directory restored the ability to download older versions of plugins today (found under the new Advanced View link).</p>
<p>Jetpack 4.8 included PHP code that is incompatible with PHP versions lower than 5.4, which caused the fatal errors. The Sitemaps module also included an incompatibility with the WP Rocket plugin. Additionally, the release included many new translation files, which caused updates not to complete on sites that have limited resources for processing large files on updates.</p>
<p><a href="https://jetpack.com/2017/04/05/jetpack-4-8-1-php-version-incompatibility-fix/" target="_blank">Jetpack 4.8.1</a> was released a few hours ago to correct these issues. The Jetpack development team recommends manually installing the plugin via FTP/SFTP if your site crashed and you are unable to update through the admin.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 05 Apr 2017 21:07:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"HeroPress: WordPress Flexibility";s:7:"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=1680";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-flexibility/";s: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:5214:"<img width="960" height="480" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/040517-min-1024x512.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull Quote: WordPress gives me all the flexibility I need to be constantly learning and improving." /><p>When I was asked to describe myself and my interests for a bio at work I floundered. I felt the same way when sitting down to write this. Where do I even begin? For my bio, I decided instead of narrowing it down I’d go with “jill-of-all-trades.” I really like to do everything and if I don’t like something I only know that because I tried it first. I’ve been this way since I can remember. At school I got good grades in everything (except Chemistry), I liked everything (except Chemistry) and I wanted to do everything. Figuring out my career path was therefore a long process (I actually started out pre-med in college, but you know&#8230; Chemistry).</p>
<p>After graduating college I started working in marketing and absolutely hated it &#8211; I did the same exact thing almost every day. It was miserable. I missed the old web content job I had during college, where I did SEO, product photography, email campaigns, basically anything website related. Right now I can’t believe there was a point in my life that I missed HTML emails, but I did. I missed the flexibility, doing something different every day, and most importantly, I missed the creative problem solving it entailed.</p>
<blockquote><p>So I quit my stupid marketing job and attended a coding bootcamp.</p></blockquote>
<p>It was a Front End Development track where I honed my HTML and CSS skills, learned JavaScript in a few forms (vanilla, jQuery, AngularJS), and learned other tools of the trade (git, task runners, bash, etc.). When I landed my first web development job I was excited &#8211; the company did all sorts of different projects: web apps, web sites, intranets, you name it. I knew that there was enough variety to keep me constantly moving and constantly learning. My first project was something I was familiar with, an AngularJS application, but my second project was something I’d never seen before &#8211; a WordPress site. Knowing zero PHP, I dove right in.</p>
<p>I can’t say that I loved WordPress right off the bat. When I was still mostly developing pretty simple sites with it, I was afraid it was going to become monotonous. Today I know how wrong I was. Although the majority of the projects I work with involve WordPress, I can do something new and different with every site.</p>
<p>Just this year I’ve worked on a WordPress theme with a headless React front end, a WordPress site with part of the admin area written in React, and a WordPress plugin with a front end built in Angular 2. Even traditional WordPress themes can be exciting. Each client has their own needs and with the flexibility of templates, post types, and widgets every site I build is a new challenge.</p>
<blockquote><p>I’ve come a long way since drowning in monotony early in my career.</p></blockquote>
<p>At home you might find me doing yard work, refinishing furniture, knitting, wood burning, or attempting to play the banjo. But at work, using WordPress gives me all the flexibility I need to be constantly learning and improving.</p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: WordPress Flexibility" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=WordPress%20Flexibility&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fwordpress-flexibility%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: WordPress Flexibility" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fessays%2Fwordpress-flexibility%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%2Fwordpress-flexibility%2F&title=WordPress+Flexibility" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: WordPress Flexibility"></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/wordpress-flexibility/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/040517-min-150x150.jpg&description=WordPress Flexibility" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: WordPress Flexibility"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-flexibility/" title="WordPress Flexibility"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-flexibility/">WordPress Flexibility</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, 05 Apr 2017 12:00:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Natalie Miller";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:109:"WPTavern: WooCommerce 3.0 Brings Major Improvements to Product Gallery, Introduces CRUD Classes and a New CLI";s:7:"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=68232";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:119:"https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-0-brings-major-improvements-to-product-gallery-introduces-crud-classes-and-a-new-cli";s: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:4330:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/woocommerce-3-0.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://woocommerce.com/2017/04/woocommerce-3-0-release/" target="_blank">WooCommerce 3.0</a> “Bionic Butterfly” was released today with significant improvements to the product gallery and developer tools. This version, which was previously going to be <a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/important-update-regarding-the-upcoming-woocommerce-release-2-7-will-be-3-0-0/" target="_blank">2.7</a>, is the first major release since the plugin <a href="https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-3-0-0-scheduled-for-release-april-4th" target="_blank">switched to semantic versioning</a>. It was released after more than three months in beta and an extended RC testing period that allowed extension and theme developers enough time to get up to speed.</p>
<p>The new product gallery has subtle improvements for galleries with multiple images. Clicking on a thumbnail updates the image without forcing it to open in a popup window. Galleries in 3.0 are also more intuitive on mobile with support for touch gestures, including swipe to scroll through the gallery, pinch to zoom, and swipe up to close the current image. These and several bug fixes and improvements deliver a much smoother experience of viewing product images.</p>
<div class="embed-wrap"></div>
<p>This release includes significant performance improvements, thanks to the switch from post meta to taxonomies for features like product visibility, featured products, and out of stock products. WooCommerce contributors have also reduced the number of queries required to display related products and upsells.</p>
<p><a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/the-new-crud-classes-in-woocommerce-2-7/" target="_blank">Version 3.0 introduces CRUD</a> (Create, Read, Update, Delete) classes for developers, making it easier to write and retrieve data from the database with less code.</p>
<p>&#8220;High order volume is one of the best problems a store can have, but it can really slow down your site’s performance,&#8221; WooCommerce lead developer Mike Jolley said. &#8220;That’s why our team’s main focus this year is performance and scalability.&#8221; Scalability improvements are planned for the next several releases.</p>
<p>Version 3.0 also <a href="https://woocommerce.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/2-7-a-new-cli-for-woocommerce/" target="_blank">introduces a new command line interface (CLI)</a> powered by the REST API. The previous CLI didn&#8217;t fully support the same functionality and was powered by its own separate code. The new CLI forks <a href="https://github.com/wp-cli/restful" target="_blank">Restful</a> to make REST API endpoints available as WP-CLI commands. It reduces the amount of code that WooCommerce has to maintain and ensures that the commands are always current as the project&#8217;s REST API is updated in the future.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce/" target="_blank">WooCommerce support forums on WordPress.org</a> have been lighting up with requests after 3.0 was released. One particular issue pinned to the top of the forums is <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/3-0-error-option-ajax-is-not-allowed-for-select2/" target="_blank">an incompatibility with Select2 v3</a>. The latest version of WooCommerce uses Select2 V4 and this may cause an issue with AJAX search inputs in plugins and themes loading an older version of Select2.</p>
<p>Another issue users are having after upgrade is <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/3-0-frontend-pages-refreshing/" target="_blank">frontend pages reloading endlessly</a>, which WooCommerce developers have identified as a problem with the geolocation setting. They are working on a fix for 3.0.1.</p>
<p>Many users who are reporting issues after updating to 3.0 have discovered incompatibilities with themes or plugins. This release received more than 3,000 commits from 115 contributors. With this many changes packed into a major release, WooCommerce developers recommend testing on a staging site and making a backup before updating the plugin. This will give you the opportunity to make sure your theme and plugins are compatible with the update.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 05 Apr 2017 01:56:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: Disconnect From Technology at Camp Press September 23-24 in Seminole, OK";s:7:"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=68248";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"https://wptavern.com/disconnect-from-technology-at-camp-press-september-23-24-in-seminole-ok";s: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:4477:"<p>Readers may remember in 2015, <a href="https://wptavern.com/camppress-a-2-3-day-social-experience-for-geeks-and-creatives">we highlighted</a> Camp Press, a conference devoted to disconnecting from technology to focus on strengthening bonds that encourage collaboration within the community.</p>
<p>Mendel Kurland, who has spent the better part of two years organizing the event, <a href="https://camp.press/">announced</a> that Camp Press will take place September 23-24, at Fry Lake in Seminole, OK. The event is a collaboration between Kurland, Aaron D. Campbell, and Christen Campbell</p>
<p>Accommodations include tents, cabins, and RV hookups. Camp Press will take place on Camp Campbell, a plot of land owned by Campbell and his wife. Available activities include hiking, Geo-Caching, swimming, canoeing, fishing, sports, and more.</p>
<img />A Lake Where Attendees Can Chill Out
<p><span id="cch_fae57e021243ee" class="_mh6 _wsc"><span class="_3oh- _58nk">&#8220;Many of us spend a lot of time online, but it’s the time we spend offline and disconnected one-on-one that’s often most important,&#8221; Kurland said. </span></span></p>
<p><span id="cch_fae57e021243ee" class="_mh6 _wsc"><span class="_3oh- _58nk">&#8220;Those one-on-one connections create lifelong bonds that lead to building better businesses, partnerships, and strategy. Camp Press is about fortifying those in-person bonds.&#8221;</span></span></p>
<p>Kurland chose to host the event at Camp Campbell based on its size, number of available activities, and its remoteness.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s centrally located in the US, and remote enough to achieve the goal of disconnection. Additionally, Aaron&#8217;s family is pretty great too as it&#8217;s their land.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="cch_fae57e021243ee" class="_mh6 _wsc"><span class="_3oh- _58nk">The nearest major airport is an hour away in Oklahoma City so renting a vehicle is recommended. Alternatively, attendees can coordinate rides through the #camp-press-rides channel on the Geek Adventures Slack team. Invitations to join the Slack group are emailed after <a href="https://camp.press/register/">registering for the event</a>.</span></span></p>
<p><span id="cch_fae57e021243ee" class="_mh6 _wsc"><span class="_3oh- _58nk">There is internet connectivity on the property, but it&#8217;s for emergencies and can only be used by staff. There are places in and around the Camp Press area for those who need to check-in with family.</span></span></p>
<p>General admission tickets to attend the event are $100 each but if you purchase them before April 14th, they&#8217;re $85. There are also tickets available for reserved cabins for 10 people, a shared cabin, and RV hookups.</p>
<p><img /></p>
<p>General admission tickets include the following amenities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Free tent camping</li>
<li>Other camping options with add-on (if available)</li>
<li>Full Camp Press event + service day (starting Thursday)</li>
<li>Event t-shirt</li>
<li>Cooking utensils</li>
<li>Fire starting supplies</li>
<li>Field and water activities</li>
<li>Arts and crafts supplies</li>
<li>Daily ice service</li>
</ul>
<p>Kurland wants the event to maintain a brand-free feeling and is asking for sponsors to adhere to a set of <a href="https://camp.press/sponsors/">atypical guidelines</a>. The guidelines state that sponsors may not wear branded gear and that advertising must be hand-made on-site.</p>
<p>&#8220;We realize these guidelines aren’t for everyone, but we’re looking for creativity rather than corporate branding for these sponsorships,&#8221; Kurland said.</p>
<p>Sponsorship levels range from $1,500 to $3,000 and offer various perks.</p>
<p>Those interested in attending are encouraged to review the event&#8217;s <a href="https://camp.press/code-of-conduct/">Code of Conduct,</a> which is unique compared to an event held in a physical building. For example, it has a guideline for leaving no trace:</p>
<blockquote><p>Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.</p></blockquote>
<p>You don&#8217;t have to be involved with WordPress to attend the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the <a href="https://camp.press/">official Camp Press site</a>.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 04 Apr 2017 20:32:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"WPTavern: WP-CLI Names Alain Schlesser New Co-Maintainer";s:7:"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=68228";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"https://wptavern.com/wp-cli-names-alain-schlesser-new-co-maintainer";s: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:5640:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/wp-cli.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>WP-CLI has hired <a href="https://www.alainschlesser.com/" target="_blank">Alain Schlesser</a> as a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/cli/2017/04/03/new-co-maintainer-alain-thanks-2017-sponsors/" target="_blank">new part-time co-maintainer</a>. The position was made possible by sponsorships from Automattic, Bluehost, DreamHost, SiteGround, WP Engine, and more than 60 individuals who contributed to the project.</p>
<p>&#8220;With Alain joining the project as a co-maintainer, the WP-CLI project is restoring capacity to meet current demands (e.g. support), and ramping up on new feature development and evangelization,&#8221; WP-CLI co-maintainer Daniel Bachhuber said. &#8220;We’ve already improved the build time by 33%!&#8221;</p>
<p>Schlesser first became involved in the project after Bachhuber contacted him last March for input on solving some outstanding issues with Composer, which WP-CLI uses for external package management. Schlesser said he couldn&#8217;t afford the time to actively work on the issue at that time but tried to offer meaningful input for the right angle for solving the remaining issues.</p>
<p>&#8220;This short collaboration changed my perception about WP-CLI and helped me realize that there is a push to use modern and modular code to improve the tool and prepare it for future requirements,&#8221; Schlesser said. &#8220;So, already at that point, I wanted to contribute to the project. However, I was already involved in a different part of WordPress contribution (which is now the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2017/02/22/nextgen-bootstrap/" target="_blank">Nextgen Bootstrap/Load Feature Project</a>), and I had to prioritize my volunteer work and keep a few hours left for paid client work as well.&#8221;</p>
<p>Schlesser said taking on the role of a maintainer became an option once it was a paid position made possible by the project&#8217;s 2017 sponsors. Prior to that he would not have been able to financially afford the additional time investment that WP-CLI requires. The new role enables him to work for 5-10 hours per week on general user support, development of new and improved features, writing documentation, managing the issue backlog, reviewing pull requests and working on the project&#8217;s infrastructure.</p>
<p>In joining WP-CLI as a co-maintainer, Schlesser brings a fresh perspective from developing for other platforms and years experience managing and contributing to <a href="https://www.alainschlesser.com/community/" target="_blank">dozens of open source projects</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;WP-CLI is in a unique place in terms of what it tries to achieve and how it does it (out of necessity),&#8221; Schlesser said. &#8220;For most other web platforms, the command line interface is a regular part of the core of the system itself, often building what is known as a <a href="http://alistair.cockburn.us/Hexagonal+architecture" target="_blank">Hexagonal Architecture</a>. WP-CLI, on the other hand, achieves most of the same benefits even though it has no direct control over the Core source code, and that source code is not meant to support such an architecture. Given the obstacles, the current results are quite an achievement!&#8221;</p>
<p>After its 1.0.0 release, WP-CLI <a href="https://wptavern.com/wp-cli-1-1-0-released-project-shifts-to-expand-package-index" target="_blank">shifted to focus on its package ecosystem</a>. New features are now built as standalone packages instead of rolling everything into WP-CLI core. The eventual goal is to better distribute the project&#8217;s maintenance burden among package maintainers.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think the most important change in the upcoming release is that all the bundled commands have been extracted into separate packages, and we&#8217;re currently in the process of getting rid of all the issues that this move has uncovered,&#8221; Schlesser said. &#8220;So, when it comes to making WP-CLI easily extensible and improving the tools and interfaces, we&#8217;re now eating our own dog food. In the longer term, I expect this change to have a significant impact on the onboarding experience for developers who want to create their own commands.&#8221;</p>
<p>During his years contributing to open source projects, Schlesser said he has become well-acquainted with the unique challenges and emotional toll of maintainership, a topic that <a href="https://danielbachhuber.com/2016/06/26/my-condolences-youre-now-the-maintainer-of-a-popular-open-source-project/" target="_blank">Bachhuber has spoken about in the past</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Maintenance of a popular open source project is at the intersection of the hard logic of technology and deeply human group dynamics,&#8221; Schlesser said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve become more aware of all the difficulties that come with such a role, but I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily state that I know anything more now on how to navigate around them. What I know for sure is that it is a burden that should be shared amongst several people when at all possible. It comes with constant pressure and churn, and doing this work as a single person puts both the project and the person at risk.&#8221;</p>
<p>Schlesser plans to keep an eye out for any avoidable friction points in hopes of making the experience of maintainership as smooth as possible for all involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;Daniel has already done a great job with this, and I can&#8217;t wait to see where the project will take us as a team,&#8221; Schlesser said.</p>
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";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:42:"BuddyPress: 2016 BuddyPress Survey Results";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"https://buddypress.org/?p=265117";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"https://buddypress.org/2017/04/2016-buddypress-survey-results/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18896:"<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265189" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-countries-2016.png" alt="61 country flags of survey participants" width="765" height="490" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Thank you!</h2>
<p>This report presents the results from the 2016 BuddyPress Survey held from November 1 through December 31, 2016. Three hundred and two (302) respondents from 61 countries completed the survey and provided valuable and interesting feedback. Many thanks!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Survey Design/Method</h2>
<p>The survey contained 36 questions geared towards <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/priorities-for-the-next-12-months/">Site Builders and WordPress Developers</a>. Adjusting to this more focused target audience compared to previous years&#8217;, I selected some questions from our BuddyPress <a href="https://buddypress.org/2013/09/2013-buddypress-codex-survey-results/">2013</a>, <a href="https://buddypress.org/2014/03/2014-buddypress-survey-results/">2014</a> and <a href="https://buddypress.org/2015/05/2015-buddypress-survey-results/">2015</a> Surveys, combined/split/modified some of the questions, and added 15 new questions. The survey was designed to maximize responses and get snapshots of:<br />
&#8211; basic demographic information<br />
&#8211; versions of WordPress, BuddyPress, bbPress, and PHP used<br />
&#8211; the types, languages, number of members in BP sites<br />
&#8211; comfort levels with BuddyPress, BP theme compatibility, and BP Hooks<br />
&#8211; development practices and tools<br />
&#8211; respondents willing to share their BP use cases<br />
&#8211; BuddyPress participation and contributions<br />
&#8211; comments about BuddyPress, BP theme/plugin development, and the survey.</p>
<p>The questionnaire was finalized after incorporating the feedback on the draft from the BP Lead/Core Developers last year. The survey was then promoted via Twitter, BP support forums, bpdevel.wordpress.com, and survey banners added by <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/johnjamesjacoby/" rel="nofollow">@johnjamesjacoby</a> at https://buddypress.org and https://codex.buddypress.org which helped a lot.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Key Findings</h2>
<p>This section shows some of the highlights from the survey with short comments about each. All supporting graphs, tables, and user comments from this survey are available in the accessible and mobile-friendly webpage.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h3>A. What&#8217;s New</h3>
<h4>1. PHP Versions Used</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265119" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/php-version.png" alt="99% using PHP 5.3+" width="800" height="235" /><br />
<a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/buddypress-2-8-will-require-php-5-3/">BuddyPress 2.8 requires at least PHP 5.3</a>. It&#8217;s encouraging to learn that 99% of respondents&#8217; sites are on PHP version 5.3.x or better. Kudos to the 88% of respondents who are already using PHP 5.6.x or better for their sites.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>2. Years Using BuddyPress</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/using-buddypress.png" alt="45% have using BuddyPress for a year or less" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265122" /><br />
Providing additional context for the results of this survey, a whopping 45% of respondents have been using BuddyPress for a year or less. Welcome!<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>3. Testing BuddyPress</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265120" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/test-stable.png" alt="58% test BudddyPress at Stable Release" width="800" height="235" /><br />
The majority of builders/developers (58%) prefer to test their sites, themes, and plugins against BuddyPress stable releases while 27% do so a month after Stable release and 13% test sites at RC 1. Eleven percent (11%) do not test BuddyPress.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>4. Keep Updated with BuddyPress Development</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265121" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/keep-updated.png" alt="66% read changelogs to keep updated" width="800" height="235" /><br />
Following the top-ranked preference of reading changelogs to keep updated with BuddyPress development, users ranked these preferences almost evenly: follow BP Twitter account/s (32%), subscribe to <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/">bpdevel.wordpress.com</a> (32%), and checking <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org">buddypress.trac.wordpress.org </a> regularly (29%).<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>5. BuddyPress Knowledge</h4>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Knowledge</th>
<th scope="col">BuddyPress</th>
<th scope="col">BP Themes</th>
<th scope="col">BP Hooks</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Beginner</th>
<td>31%</td>
<td>34%</td>
<td>39%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Intermediate</th>
<td>42%</td>
<td>32%</td>
<td>26%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Advanced</th>
<td>19%</td>
<td>13%</td>
<td>11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Expert</th>
<td>8%</td>
<td>7%</td>
<td>8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">What _*_?</th>
<td>n/a</td>
<td>14%</td>
<td>16%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The table above is a compilation of the answers to three questions which sought to gauge the users&#8217; confidence or comfort levels with BuddyPress in general, BP Theme Compatibility, and BP Plugin development.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>6. BuddyPress Theme Dev</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/customize-theme-1.png" alt="51% customize BP style sheets every time" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265196" /><br />
On the other side of the equation: 27% sometimes customize style sheets while the remaining 22% never customize BP style sheets.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>7. BuddyPress Plugin Dev</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/customize-plugin-1.png" alt="46% extend profile component sometimes" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265200" /><br />
Around a third of BP users extend the following components every time: Members, Extended Profiles, User Groups, and Activity.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>8. Number of Members</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265125" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/member-number.png" alt="58% of sites have up to 500 members" width="800" height="235" /><br />
Most of the respondents who had up to 500 members are those using BP for 2 years or less, have BP installed in WP domain root, have sites on Shared hosting plans, on PHP 5.6 or better, test against BP Stable release, and on the latest versions of WordPress, BuddyPress, and bbPress.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>9. Local Development</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265126" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/local-dev.png" alt="23% use LAMP for local development" width="800" height="235" /><br />
Out of the 70% who develop locally, the preferred local development environments after LAMP are: XAMPP (19%), MAMP (18%), WAMP (13%), and VVV (13%), among others.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>10. Sharing BuddyPress Use Cases</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-share-use-cases.png" alt="63 participants signed up to share their BP use cases" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265208" /><br />
Expect posts about how site builders or developers are using BuddyPress. Thank you to everyone who signed up!<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h3>B. Trends</h3>
<h4>1. Using BuddyPress</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265127" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/use-buddypress.png" alt="62% use BuddyPress for own sites" width="800" height="235" /><br />
For the fourth year in a row, &#8220;I use BuddyPress in My Own Site&#8221; ranks number one (62% in this survey), followed by &#8220;I build BuddyPress sites for others&#8221; at 37%. One participant commented &#8220;Also have a family BuddyPress site on a raspberry pi (in dev).&#8221;<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>2. Languages of BuddyPress Sites</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265128" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-lang-2016.jpg" alt="Languages used in BuddyPress sites" width="2444" height="1543" /><br />
For the third year (2013, 2015, 2016), the English language is used in most of the sites (69%). This is followed by Spanish (11%), German (10%), and French (9%), among many others.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>3. Types of BuddyPress Sites</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265129" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-types-2016.jpg" alt="Types of BuddyPress sites built" width="2431" height="1547" /><br />
For the third year (2013, 2015, 2016), Generic (33%), Academic (29%), Sports (16%), Artistic (15%), and Gaming (12%) are the most common types of BuddyPress sites built. Generic and Academic types are consistently in the top two spots.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>4. BuddyPress Versions Used</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265130" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/buddypress-version.png" alt="86% use BuddyPress 2.7 during survey" width="800" height="235" /><br />
Eighty six percent (86%) are on BuddyPress 2.7+, followed by BP 2.6+ (23%), BP 2.5+ (6%), BP 2.4+ (4%), and BP 2.3+ (4%). Note: BP 2.7.x was the current release version during the survey period.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>5. WordPress Versions Used</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265131" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/wordpress-version.png" alt="92% use WordPress 4.6+ during survey" width="800" height="235" /><br />
Ninety two percent (92%) have WordPress 4.6+ installed, followed by WP 4.5+ (13%), WP 4.4+ (5%), WP 4.3+ (3%), and WP 4.2+ (3%). Note: WordPress 4.6 was the current major release version when the survey was launched.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>6. BuddyPress Setups</h4>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265132" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-install-in-wp.png" alt="72% installed at WP domain root" width="800" height="235" /><br />
BuddyPress activated in a single WordPress installation continues to be popular with 72% of the respondents in 2016 as it was in the 2013 survey with 75%.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>7. BuddyPress Hosting</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/hosting-bp.png" alt="48% use shared hosting for BP sites" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265134" /><br />
For sites hosted on Shared Hosting plans: half have 500 members or less, 40% of the sites are on single WP in domain root, 47% on PHP 5.6 or better, almost half of the respondents have been using BuddyPress for a year or less, and a little more than a third use BuddyPress for their own sites.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>8. Other Software Evaluated</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/evaluated-none.png" alt="54% chose BuddyPress without further ado" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265135" /><br />
For the third year in a row, most of the users (54% for 2016) shared that they did not evaluate any other networking/membership plugin/software before selecting BuddyPress.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>9. Contributions to BuddyPress development</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/contribute-bp-dev.png" alt="58% have not contributed to BP development" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265136" /><br />
Note: 26% of the 58% who indicated that they have not participated nor contributed to BuddyPress development have also checked that they: helped out in the BP forums,  reported bugs at BP Trac, submitted patches at BP Trac, among others.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>10. bbPress Versions Used</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bbpress-version.png" alt="89% use bbPress 2.5+" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265137" /><br />
Consistent with the vast majority using the latest versions of WordPress and BuddyPress at the time of this survey, 89% of respondents are using the latest version of bbPress which provides a <a href="https://bbpress.trac.wordpress.org/browser/trunk/src/includes/extend/buddypress">tight integration with BuddyPress</a>.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>11. bbPress Setups in BuddyPress</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bbpress-setup.png" alt="66% use sitewide and group forums" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265138" /><br />
For the third year in a row, the Sitewide and Group Forums setup is the most popular bbPress configuration at 60%, a big bump from its 49% first place ranking in 2015.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h3>C. Shifts</h3>
<h4>1. Female Participation in Survey</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/female-gender-1.png" alt="13% female developers and site builders" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265191" /><br />
The number of female respondents increased from 8% (17) in 2015 to 13% (37) in this survey. Levels of BuddyPress knowledge range from Beginner through Expert.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>2. BuddyPress Sites Per Respondent</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-sites-built.png" alt="36% built 2 to 5 BuddyPress sites" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265142" /><br />
In 2015, 41% of respondents (87) built or were responsible for one site followed by 38% (80) with 2 to 5 sites. For 2016, there were more developers who built or were responsible for 2 to 5 sites (99) than for only one site (95).<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h4>3. Number of Survey Participants</h4>
<p><img src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/302-participants-1.png" alt="302 Participants for BuddyPress 2016 Survey" width="800" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265204" /></p>
<p>The number of respondents increased from 211 from 42 countries in the 2015 survey up to 302 respondents from 61 countries for the 2016 survey. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to take the survey.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Acknowledgements</h2>
<p><strong>Survey Participants</strong>: Net total of 302 who completed the survey<br />
<strong>Online Survey Solution</strong>: <a href="https://polldaddy.com">Polldaddy.com</a> and <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic.com</a> for the corporate account<br />
<strong>Survey Preparation</strong>: <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/mercime/" rel="nofollow">@mercime</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/johnjamesjacoby/" rel="nofollow">@johnjamesjacoby</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/boonebgorges/" rel="nofollow">@boonebgorges</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/djpaul/" rel="nofollow">@djpaul</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/r-a-y/" rel="nofollow">@r-a-y</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/imath/" rel="nofollow">@imath</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/dcavins/" rel="nofollow">@dcavins</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/hnla/" rel="nofollow">@hnla</a>, and <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/tw2113/" rel="nofollow">@tw2113</a><br />
<strong>Survey Report</strong>: <a href="https://github.com/">Github.com</a> (gh-pages), <a href="https://products.office.com/en-us/excel">Microsoft Excel</a>, <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive">Google Documents &amp; Spreadsheets</a>, and <a href="http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html">tagxedo.com</a>.<br />
&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Moving Forward</h2>
<p>BuddyPress will be celebrating the <a href="https://buddypress.org/2009/04/buddypress-10-has-arrived/">8th anniversary of the first stable release</a> on April 30, 2017. Thanks to @apeatling and the many contributors who brought that milestone to fruition. Looking at all the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/">major and minor releases</a> through the years led by <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/johnjamesjacoby/" rel="nofollow">@johnjamesjacoby</a>, <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/boonebgorges/" rel="nofollow">@boonebgorges</a>, and <a class="bp-suggestions-mention" href="https://buddypress.org/members/djpaul/" rel="nofollow">@djpaul</a>, it&#8217;s amazing how much has been accomplished by the all-volunteer lead/core developers and contributors.</p>
<p>The lead developers have set the <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/priorities-for-the-next-12-months/">priorities for this year</a> and we look forward to the bp-nouveau template pack and the BP REST API, among many other new features based on some of your comments/requests from this survey.</p>
<p>All are welcome to <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/participate-and-contribute/">participate and contribute</a> to the development of BuddyPress. Keep abreast of the latest BuddyPress news at <a href="https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/">bpdevel.wordpress.com/</a>, <a href="https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org">buddypress.trac.wordpress.org</a>, Twitter @buddypress @buddypressdev @bptrac, and/or weekly BuddyPress Dev Chats at the <a href="http://BuddyPress Dev Chats at #buddypress channe">#buddypress channel</a> (<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">WP Slack account required</a>).</p>
<p>Finally, all supporting graphs, tables, and comments from this survey are available on the accessible and mobile-friendly <a href="http://mercime.github.io/BuddyPress-2016-survey-results/">BuddyPress 2016 Survey Results webpage</a>. Where possible, data from the <a href="https://buddypress.org/2013/09/2013-buddypress-codex-survey-results/">2013</a>, <a href="https://buddypress.org/2014/03/2014-buddypress-survey-results/">2014</a> and <a href="https://buddypress.org/2015/05/2015-buddypress-survey-results/">2015</a> surveys have been added to the charts for comparison. Some data from the older surveys have been recalculated when needed to fit in the format of the question in this survey and noted as such. </p>
<p>Thank you.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<a href="http://mercime.github.io/BuddyPress-2016-survey-results/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17452" src="https://buddypress.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2017/04/bp-2016-survey-results.png" alt="BuddyPress 2016 Survey Results link" width="1054" height="836" /></a></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 04 Apr 2017 01:30:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"@mercime";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"WPTavern: Blog in a Box Project Integrates WordPress with Raspberry Pi";s:7:"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=66891";s:7:"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/blog-in-a-box-project-integrates-wordpress-with-raspberry-pi";s: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:6437:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/blog-in-a-box.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The original Raspberry Pi was released five years ago and the micro computer product line is still going strong. The Raspberry Pi Foundation <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/ten-millionth-raspberry-pi-new-kit/" target="_blank">sold its ten millionth Pi</a> last year and just released the Pi Zero W in February 2017 with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.</p>
<p>If you are among the millions of Raspberry Pi owners who like to tinker with software, check out Automattic&#8217;s new <a href="https://inabox.blog/" target="_blank">Blog in a Box</a> project. It currently offers the easiest way of installing WordPress onto a Raspberry Pi.</p>
<p>Although RaspberryPi.org has documentation for <a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/lamp-web-server-with-wordpress/" target="_blank">how to run WordPress as a local website on your Raspberry Pi</a>, its recommended method requires you to install and configure Apache, PHP, and MySQL to create a LAMP web server.</p>
<p>Blog in a Box makes it simpler with a GUI <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/biab-installer" target="_blank">installer</a> that puts everything you need for installing WordPress onto an SD card. It comes bundled with PHP7, Nginx, and the latest version of WordPress. It automatically installs the <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/biab-plugin" target="_blank">Blog In A Box WordPress plugin</a>, which provides an interface for the Blog In A Box CLI tool and widgets for SenseHAT readings. It also includes a full Node development environment. The project&#8217;s creators call it &#8220;a complete system for interfacing Pi hardware with WordPress.&#8221;</p>
<p>Blog in a Box enables users to publish data captured by the Raspberry Pi camera and SenseHAT, like photos or temperature readings, to a WordPress site that can be accessed on your local network at bloginabox.local. It is not yet capable of publishing to the web, but John Godley, an Automattic developer who worked on the project, said the team is open to adding this.</p>
<p>&#8220;Part of the fun of a Pi is having this device in front of you that you can play and experiment with, and we wanted to have WordPress running right there inside the Pi too &#8211; it really is a blog in a box!&#8221; Godley said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We hope that having it local will encourage people to tinker with WordPress and use it to learn programming, or to run experiments in classrooms.&#8221;</p>
<p>There are currently no live examples of blogs on the web that are receiving posts from a Raspberry Pi. However, fellow Automattic developer and Pi enthusiast Nick Momrik has created a device called <a href="https://nick.blog/2017/03/14/blog-in-a-box-paparazzi/" target="_blank">Blog in a Box Paparazzi</a> that extends the project with additional sensors to take a photo when anyone walks past it. His circuit diagram and a full list of sensors and other electronic components are available on <a href="https://github.com/nickmomrik/biab-paparazzi" target="_blank">GitHub</a>. It&#8217;s one example of how Blog in a Box can be used as a base for other fun use cases.</p>
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/paparazzi-fritzing.png?ssl=1"><img /></a>image credit: Nick Momrik &#8211; <a href="https://github.com/nickmomrik/biab-paparazzi">Blog in a Box Paparazzi GitHub repo</a>
<p>Although the project doesn&#8217;t come packaged with functionality that would allow it to work as a livecam, Godley said it&#8217;s certainly a possibility.</p>
<p>&#8220;We created a system to make it easy to interface the Pi hardware with WordPress &#8211; there&#8217;s a plugin and a set of server tools that are all extensible,&#8221; Godley said. &#8220;With a bit of work a livecam system could be added. If you add the sensor mentioned above you could livestream your cat whenever it’s nearby. Add some different sensors and you can see what affects a plant’s growth in a biology experiment and have the data ready to be viewed through WordPress, add a touchscreen and you have an interactive WordPress-powered display.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since the system uses the REST API internally, Godley it wouldn&#8217;t be difficult to configure it to send data to a remote WordPress site. The team has looked at the possibility of doing this and may revisit it in the future if there&#8217;s enough interest.</p>
<p>&#8220;Making it really easy to set up was a primary aim &#8211; we didn’t want people to have to setup MySQL and web servers and all the complexities involved in connecting this to Pi sensors. Just a few clicks and a fully working system is copied to an SD card,&#8221; Godley said. &#8220;Once you boot your Pi it appears on your local network and can be used immediately.&#8221;</p>
<p>The site runs on the local network but the box ensures that WordPress and its plugins stay updated. The ability to run the box without an internet connection is one of the main advantages of Blog in a Box.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fact you can run it without an internet connection means it can be used in situations where a remote WordPress may not be appropriate &#8212; in your home, in schools, etc,&#8221; Godley said. &#8220;If someone <a href="https://astro-pi.org/" target="_blank">sends WordPress into space on a rocket</a>, then we’d love to hear about it!&#8221;</p>
<p>The project is an exciting example of how WordPress can be deeply integrated with various hardware components to automatically capture and publish environmental data in a way that&#8217;s easy to view. Godley and his team at Automattic hope that <a href="https://inabox.blog/" target="_blank">Blog in a Box</a> will put WordPress into the hands of more like-minded tinkerers. The entire project, including the <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/biab-installer" target="_blank">installer</a>, the companion WordPress <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/biab-theme" target="_blank">theme</a>, and the <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/biab-plugin" target="_blank">plugin</a>, are all open source.</p>
<p>&#8220;As well as people connecting the real world to their Pi, we hope that just having a full web development environment ready to go will encourage people to tinker with WordPress and try out programming or theming,&#8221; Godley said.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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:"Mon, 03 Apr 2017 21:34:57 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"HeroPress: HeroPress Geography: The Middle East";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=1675";s:7:"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://heropress.com/heropress-geography-middle-east/";s: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:3588:"<img width="960" height="444" src="http://20094-presscdn.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/heropress_middle_east-min-1024x474.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="HeroPress pins on a google map in the Middle East" /><p>For a while now I&#8217;ve been thinking about how to best leverage older content on HeroPress. People who&#8217;ve been a fan of HeroPress for a year now have missed an entire year of essays. Also, older content gets very little traffic, and there&#8217;s some really great stuff in there.</p>
<p>One idea I came up with is doing a blog post like this on the weekend, showcasing several essays from a particular geographic area. This week I chose the Middle East.</p>
<p>Please enjoy!</p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/how-to-become-a-reputable-wordpress-developer-on-your-own/">How to Become a Reputable WordPress Developer, on Your Own!</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/growing-through-wordpress/">Growing Through WordPress</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/ambition-persistence-self-motivation/">Ambition, Persistence, and Self-Motivation</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content"><p><a href="https://heropress.com/essays/blogging-solopreneurship-terrorism/">Blogging, Solopreneurship, &#038; Terrorism</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<div class="rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-right rtsocial-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal"><div class="rtsocial-twitter-horizontal-button"><a title="Tweet: HeroPress Geography: The Middle East" class="rtsocial-twitter-button" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=HeroPress%20Geography%3A%20The%20Middle%20East&via=heropress&url=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-middle-east%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal fb-light"><div class="rtsocial-fb-horizontal-button"><a title="Like: HeroPress Geography: The Middle East" class="rtsocial-fb-button rtsocial-fb-like-light" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fheropress.com%2Fheropress-geography-middle-east%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%2Fheropress-geography-middle-east%2F&title=HeroPress+Geography%3A+The+Middle+East" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share: HeroPress Geography: The Middle East"></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/heropress-geography-middle-east/&media=https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/heropress_middle_east-min-150x150.png&description=HeroPress Geography: The Middle East" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Pin: HeroPress Geography: The Middle East"></a></div></div><a rel="nofollow" class="perma-link" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-middle-east/" title="HeroPress Geography: The Middle East"></a></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com/heropress-geography-middle-east/">HeroPress Geography: The Middle East</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 01 Apr 2017 13:42:30 +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:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:102:"WPTavern: WordPress Community Support Shuts Down WordCamp Netherlands in Favor of City-Based WordCamps";s:7:"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=68144";s:7:"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:113:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-community-support-shuts-down-wordcamp-netherlands-in-favor-of-city-based-wordcamps";s: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:10904:"<p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/wordcamp-netherlands.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>The application for WordCamp Netherlands 2017 has been denied. The camp, which held its sixth edition in Utrecht last year with more than 425 attendees, was one of the most well-established WordPress events in Europe. Yesterday lead organizer Marcel Bootsman published a <a href="https://nl.wordpress.org/team/2017/03/30/het-einde-van-wordcamp-the-netherlands/" target="_blank">post</a> on the Dutch WordPress community site to explain why the camp has been cancelled.</p>
<p>Bootsman&#8217;s post is written in Dutch but includes correspondence in English between the WCNL team and WordPress Community Support (WCS), formerly WordCamp Central. WCS is now pushing for all WordCamps to be city-based with the exception of regional camps, such as WordCamp US and WordCamp Europe, where the cities already have their own camps and do not prevent or detract from local communities launching their own camps.</p>
<p>&#8220;WordCamp Netherlands has been held 6 times to date and&#8230;It has not inspired any local WordCamps (in fact, I think it’s probably fair to say that local camps have not been happening because people don’t see a need for them with the country-wide camp happening each year) and, with the exception of Nijmegen, which is still in the pre-planning phase, no cities in the Netherlands have their own WordCamps,&#8221; a WCS representative said. &#8220;With that in mind, we feel that the time has come for your community to move from the country-wide camp to running local camps. This has started happening with Nijmegen already and can easily start happening more with WordCamps in Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and other cities.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Netherlands is <a href="http://mapfight.appspot.com/nl-vs-us.md/netherlands-maryland-us-size-comparison" target="_blank">roughly the size of Maryland</a>, or twice the size of New Jersey, in terms of land space. One can drive across the country in two hours or less. The WCNL team contends that a country-wide WordCamp makes sense for geographical reasons and because of the locations of the organizers. The country already has an active meetup culture with 13 different meetups hosting an average of 100 attendees per event. Organizers do not see the need to have multiple smaller WordCamps fill the role that the local meetups are already doing.</p>
<p>In response to the reasons WCNL organizers&#8217; outlined for not shutting down their event, the WCS representative replied, &#8220;I don’t think there’s really any benefit to responding to all of your points in the last email individually.&#8221; WCS reiterated its decision regarding the camp:</p>
<blockquote><p>We will not be approving WordCamp The Netherlands 2017. We would like to see city-based WordCamps happening around the Netherlands – Nijmegen being a great start to that process.</p>
<p>We’re confident that with the space that WCNL filled being vacated, we will see some of the meetup organizers around the country stepping up to fill that space for their local communities. The local city camps may be smaller, but in many ways that can be a much better than a single large camp.</p>
<p>As I said before, we would be happy to look at doing WCNL again in a couple of years time once there are a few city-based camps around the country happening regularly. In that case, however, WCNL would be there to complement, and not replace, the city-based camps.</p></blockquote>
<p>WordCamp Netherlands was the last remaining exception to this new rule that drops country-wide WordCamps in favor of city-based camps. The Dutch community and many of its supporters are <a href="https://twitter.com/roytanck/status/847365810506969089" target="_blank">now</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jrf_nl/status/847470162496241664" target="_blank">in</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nielsvr/status/847384382541148161" target="_blank">an</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mchaste/status/847374014414704645" target="_blank">uproar</a> over the decision and organizers are at a crossroads. They can choose to rebrand the event as WordCamp Utrecht, with significant drawbacks, or move forward with an independent country-wide event without the use of WordCamp tools, branding and trademarks, or funding from the Global Community Sponsorship Program.</p>
<h3>WordCamp Netherlands Conflict Highlights Cultural Differences Between the U.S. and Europe</h3>
<p>Marcel Bootsman, who heads up the 13-person WordCamp Netherlands organization team, said they have been working since late December 2016 on the upcoming event. The team had added eight new members after the event grew 68% from 2015 to 2016.</p>
<p>&#8220;Everybody was thrilled to start, and the news that we could not continue hit us hard,&#8221; Bootsman said. &#8220;We have officially stopped and I have thanked everyone for their enthusiasm and support, which was difficult because I wanted to let these people feel what it is to organize an event and see happy faces all over the place.&#8221;</p>
<p>WordPress developer and Dutch community member Juliette Reinders Folmer said she doesn&#8217;t believe that more than one or perhaps two city-based WordCamps will get started in the Netherlands. Organizing a WordCamp is not an easy endeavor with a small pool of local organizers and volunteers. Folmer notes that since the WordPress Foundation doesn&#8217;t allow for compensating speakers for their out-of-pocket costs, the speaker pool is further limited.</p>
<p>&#8220;A trend I&#8217;ve spotted over the last few years is that &#8216;local&#8217; WCs will have a mix of local, national and international speakers,&#8221; Folmer said. &#8220;While national speakers might still be prepared to go out of pocket, the only international speakers who can afford to do this are the ones who are sponsored by big companies which pay their travel and time to speak at those WCs.</p>
<p>&#8220;Instead of creating a larger speaker group with new and interesting voices, we&#8217;re ending up with a corporate uniform message where the more innovative and sometimes dissident voices are few and far between. By forcing WCNL to break up into smaller more local groups, this trend will become even more persistent and insidious as the demands on the limited group of national speakers will increase unless they have corporate sponsoring. Even they will not able to afford the time and costs to attend and speak at the various local WCs.&#8221;</p>
<p>Remkus de Vries, WordCamp Netherlands lead-organizer from 2009 to 2015, said the team has worked for years to see the local communities come together, and have seen people get involved with translations, forum moderation, and local meetups after attending the WordCamps.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our idea from the get go for WordCamp Netherlands was to be as inclusive as possible, to unite the scattered Dutch WordPress community,&#8221; de Vries said. &#8220;The Dutch community consisted of little islands that didn&#8217;t really connect at all. We&#8217;ve been working very hard to unite our Dutch Community via WordCamp Netherlands and it was working perfectly.</p>
<p>&#8220;Because of our inclusive approach we started getting international visitors and speakers from the early start as well, but more importantly, the event, as a national event, pulled everyone in from all corners of the Netherlands. Our community started and flourished because we started as a central entity.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bootsman is not optimistic about the future of the Dutch WordPress community after receiving the decision from WCS. The conflict has highlighted a key difference between U.S. and European cultures when it comes to traveling. Whereas Americans might think a 4-5 hour drive to another city is a short road trip, Europe&#8217;s population is much more dense than the U.S. and traveling several hours to another city is not common.</p>
<p>&#8220;When there is no WordCamp Netherlands, my personal belief is that this will break up the community,&#8221; Bootsman said. &#8220;Of course we will have central tools like Slack, nl.w.org and other ways to communicate, but that is nothing compared to an event where all these people can meet. People are busy and can&#8217;t find time to visit multiple WordCamps in the Netherlands. Distances are not that large in NL, that is not an issue, but time is. When you have a central WordCamp The Netherlands once a year you plan, so you are available to go. In the new situation, when there is a WordCamp Rotterdam, why visit a WordCamp in another town? This maybe hard to understand, but this is how it works for Dutch people. We&#8217;re too practical sometimes, and in this situation, it will not help the community.&#8221;</p>
<h3>WordCamp Netherlands Organizers are Considering Hosting an Independent Event</h3>
<p>Both de Vries and Bootsman are said they do not believe rules that make sense for the U.S. should be applied universally. They would prefer them to be guidelines that communities can follow or depart from if they express their preference for a country-wide WordCamp. WordPress communities in other countries like Denmark, Croatia, and Switzerland have expressed similar frustrations with the U.S.-centric rules.</p>
<p>&#8220;WordCamp Netherlands was what started the local WordPress meetups and ended up being the glue between the WordPress Meetups,&#8221; de Vries said. &#8220;Forcing us to stop using WordCamp Netherlands is going to impact that as you could see by the outpouring of reactions yesterday on Twitter and Facebook. Renaming WordCamp Netherlands to WordCamp Utrecht, as suggested by many, could be a solution, but nobody of the organizing team lives in the city which means, per the WCS rules, we can&#8217;t do that. But more importantly, we would be losing &#8216;our glue.&#8217; We feel that our efforts of the last years have just been flushed down the toilet with this &#8216;one-size-fits-all&#8217; rule.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although WCNL organizers were told in no uncertain terms that their camp is cancelled, a recent <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2017/03/30/wordcamp-netherlands-today-the/" target="_blank">post</a> on the Community team blog indicates that representatives are considering feedback on the decision.</p>
<p>The first two WordCamp Netherlands were not under the umbrella of WordCamp Central, and de Vries said they will find a way to have the camp if it comes to that. Organizers are currently examining their options.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is too soon to announce things about this but let me say that we feel the Netherlands needs to have a countrywide WordPress event based on the experiences of the last years,&#8221; Bootsman said. &#8220;We are not going to let the Netherlands WordPress community down.&#8221;</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:39:14 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:97:"WPTavern: WordPress Plugin Directory Redesign: Why So Many People Feel Their Feedback Was Ignored";s:7:"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=68135";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-plugin-directory-redesign-why-so-many-people-feel-their-feedback-was-ignored";s: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:15523:"<p>Earlier this week, the WordPress plugin directory <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm">relaunched</a> with a new design and an improved search algorithm. Feedback has been rolling in <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm#comments">from Tavern readers</a> and members of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/1446257985436411/?match=cGx1Z2luKyBkaXJlY3RvcnkscGx1Z2luIGRpcmVjdG9yeSxwbHVnaW5z">Advanced WordPress Facebook group</a>.</p>
<p>The improvements to search has received a number of positive comments in addition to people requesting the ability <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm#comment-216693">to sort results</a>. The responsive design and aesthetics of the page have also received praise.</p>
<p>There are a number of items that plugin developers and users have reported as downsides to the new design. Some of the most notable include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Plugin stats are only available to the plugin author by logging into the admin.</li>
<li>Tabbed layout was replaced with a series of Read more links.</li>
<li>Plugin banner images are distorted.</li>
<li>The Installation tab which provided instructions on how to install the plugin is gone.</li>
<li>Screenshots do not open in a lightbox, but open on a new page instead.</li>
<li>Links to download older versions of plugins is missing.</li>
</ul>
<p>Many of the issues reported above are known and have been known for months. While it may seem like a lot of people are <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm#comment-216738">suddenly complaining</a> and didn&#8217;t participate in the feedback loop, it&#8217;s important to look back to see how the plugin directory redesign reached this point.</p>
<h2>From Prototypes to Open Beta</h2>
<p>In May 2016, the WordPress Meta team <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-meta-team-publishes-prototypes-of-the-plugin-directory-redesign">published prototypes</a> of a new design for the WordPress plugin directory. The announcement generated <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/05/19/plugin-directory-prototypes/">abundant feedback</a> with a strong push towards adding data instead of removing it.</p>
<p>Many users <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/05/19/plugin-directory-prototypes/#comment-8151">reported</a> that moving the plugin author, last updated, and active install information from the plugin&#8217;s listing page to the plugin&#8217;s details page was a downside. Samuel Sidler, Apollo Team Lead at Automattic, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/05/19/plugin-directory-prototypes/#comment-8154">responded</a> to the feedback explaining why he didn&#8217;t think showing the information to users was useful.</p>
<blockquote><p>Author, as you said, is only really useful for insiders. The latter two, meanwhile, are already taken into account in the search results. If a plugin doesn’t have a recent compatible version, it will move down the list. If it’s too old, it won’t get shown at all (which is the case today).</p>
<p>Active installs is more interesting, but we account for it weighting search results as-is. I actually find it refreshing to <em>not</em> show the active installs as it allows for less-popular plugins to get more downloads. Users will be less likely to click the popular plugins (outside of familiar names) and more likely to find the plugin they actually need.</p></blockquote>
<p>There was also a lot of discussion on how to improve and display search results.</p>
<p>In June 2016, at WordCamp Europe, Konstantin Obenland, WordPress core contributor, <a href="https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-plugin-directory-now-in-open-beta">announced</a> that the WordPress plugin directory redesign was in open beta. The team received feedback from Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of the WordPress project, on changing the direction and design of the page. “We’re really just at the beginning of design iterations,” Obenland said. “He thinks we can do better, which he’s right about. We can and we should.”</p>
<p>Kevan <a href="https://wptavern.com/new-wordpress-plugin-directory-now-in-open-beta#comment-185077">commented on the open beta</a> and pointed out many of the same issues that were reported with the prototypes. In July 2016, Obenland <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/07/12/plugin-directory-v3-open-beta/">announced</a> version three of the open beta. The use of Read more links in favor of the tabbed interface was again <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/07/12/plugin-directory-v3-open-beta/#comment-8400">brought up</a> in the comments by John Blackbourn.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m really concerned about the liberal use of &#8216;Read more&#8217; links on individual plugin pages,&#8221; Blackbourn said. &#8220;They’re being used in order to fix the information overload problem caused by placing all the information onto one page, instead of using the tabbed interface of the current directory.&#8221;</p>
<p>In response to Blackbourn, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/07/12/plugin-directory-v3-open-beta/#comment-8413">Joy stated</a> that the issue of Read more links had already been discussed and that the feedback was ignored. The feeling of being ignored was also shared <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/07/12/plugin-directory-v3-open-beta/#comment-8476">by Jon Brown</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s hard to see feedback has been heard and in this case a lot of it doesn’t seem to have been taken into account (bring back tabs, no read more…).&#8221; Brown said. &#8220;I don’t see everything, or even much, so I could have certainly missed it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Mika Epstein <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2016/07/12/plugin-directory-v3-open-beta/#comment-8418">responded</a> that the feedback was not ignored and that Obenland was in the process of collecting and collating information.</p>
<p>Four months ago, Kenshino <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2328">created a ticket</a> on WordPress Meta that outlined usability concerns with using Read more links instead of tabs.</p>
<p>&#8220;Clicking on <span class="searchword0">Read</span> <span class="searchword1">more</span> &#8211; say on the change log requires me to scroll to the bottom before I&#8217;m able to reach the next section,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Essentially for me to go through all the sections, provided that they are long enough, I&#8217;d have to click, scroll a few pages, click, scroll a few pages etc until I get through all the sections.&#8221;</p>
<p>The ticket was closed as a duplicate of <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2278">Greg Ross&#8217; ticket</a>. In it, he suggests a Jump section be added so users can navigate to specific sections of the Read Me without having to scroll through the entire page. The ticket has received minor support and recently had its milestone changed from version three to a future version.</p>
<h2>WordPress Contributors Feel Ignored</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490824833904957">meeting held earlier this week</a> in the WordPress Meta Slack channel, Matt Cromwell, Head of Support and Community Outreach at WordImpress, <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490825538070889">suggested</a> that the Meta team describe the process of collecting and acting on feedback in as much detail as possible in the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2017/03/30/announcing-the-new-wordpress-plugin-directory/">announcement post</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve chatted with a lot of developers and many feel like they provided actionable feedback about the direction of the plugin directory and all advice was ignored,&#8221; Cromwell said. &#8220;Whether or not that&#8217;s an accurate assessment, it&#8217;s a real feeling that is shared by many. I&#8217;ve been here most weeks and know well that feedback was received and acted on, but there&#8217;s still a strong perception.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite the concerns of using Read more links brought up during every phase of the project, they don&#8217;t appear to have been addressed. Other gripes expressed by members of the community at the outset of the redesign have largely remained. It&#8217;s no wonder that so many people feel like they&#8217;ve been ignored.</p>
<p>Mullenweg <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490826336242943">commented</a> in the meeting saying he, too, felt ignored, &#8220;For what it&#8217;s worth, I feel like my feedback was ignored as well,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I hope we can do another major iteration on the directory, because I’m not really a fan of the new one.</p>
<p>&#8220;Perhaps the WordPress backend will make it easier to make incremental improvements in the future, as being on bbPress before was often cited as the reason things were slow to iterate previously.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although Mullenweg&#8217;s feedback in June 2016, was not public, his recent comments indicate not much has changed between then and now.</p>
<p>Alex Shiels, a member of Team Apollo at Automattic, <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490826698320557">says</a> user feedback wasn&#8217;t ignored. &#8220;It’s not that anyone’s feedback has been ignored; just that we’ve had limited resources and a big back-end component to the project, and a lot of conflicting requests&#8221; he said. &#8220;I’ll make sure to give a clear invitation to provide feedback in the announcement post, and include something about future iteration.</p>
<h2>The Inability to Measure the Impacts of the Redesign</h2>
<p>Kevin Hoffman, who participated in discussions on trac about <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/1828">how to display screenshots</a>, asked if there was any user data and feedback that the Meta team could share that led to some of the decisions and changes that were made. For example, changes to the UI or how often the Read more links are clicked. Shiels <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490826026176187">responded</a> that the team does not have that data because they don&#8217;t have the tools to do it.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is Google Analytics tracking, but access is very limited and from what I’ve seen of it (I don’t have direct access) it’s messy and hard to draw objective conclusions from,&#8221; Shiels said. &#8220;I absolutely agree that analytics and A/B testing would be great, but we just don’t have the tools for it right now. I think that needs to be considered a next step, but a separate project by itself really.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hoffman stepped back from contributing to the redesign after receiving <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/1828#comment:41">this response</a> seven months ago from Sidler on Trac where he says much of the feedback received was from plugin developers and not representative of users.</p>
<blockquote><p>First, we&#8217;re building the site for users, not developers. Certainly some of our users are developers, but not the vast majority. One of the WordPress core philosophies is building first for the 80%, not the 20%, and that applies in this case as well.</p>
<p>Second, almost all of the &#8216;overwhelming community feedback&#8217; we&#8217;ve received so far is from plugin authors who are (typically) developers. It&#8217;s all great feedback and we&#8217;re obviously listening closely. But it&#8217;s not necessarily representative of the users who visit the plugin directory regularly. We&#8217;ll certainly run user tests before launching, and we can probably run a more obvious beta, with a link from the current directory to the new one. But the directory isn&#8217;t yet ready for that.</p>
<p>Third, this &#8216;self-imposted limitation&#8217; as you call it is not arbitrary. Rather, it&#8217;s the result of research and in-person discussion with a number of designers. Will it be the final design? I dunno. But since we haven&#8217;t tested it with real users (see the paragraph above), it&#8217;s hard to say right now. I think pursuing this direction is worthy for a number of reasons, which aren&#8217;t really worth rehashing here. First and foremost though, until we build out a product that can run through user tests, we won&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s the right direction.</p></blockquote>
<p>How can the team know that the redesign is working or is the right direction if WordPress.org doesn&#8217;t have the tools necessary to measure its impacts? There&#8217;s also the question of what data was obtained or user testing done that supports the decisions that were made? Who are these users and how does the team know what the best user experience is for them?</p>
<h2>Iteration Is the WordPress Way</h2>
<p>Now that the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2017/03/30/announcing-the-new-wordpress-plugin-directory/">new directory</a> is publicly available, the Meta team is reviewing feedback, gathering bug reports, and organizing tickets on Trac.</p>
<p>&#8220;If there are tickets that were closed or postponed during the project that you think need revisiting, then this would be a great time to start reviewing and re-opening them,&#8221; Shiels said. &#8220;We already have a bunch of tickets against the future milestone.</p>
<p>&#8220;The new directory has been built with future maintainability and iterative enhancement in mind. We’re looking forward to hearing feedback from the whole WordPress community, and making regular improvements and additions.&#8221;</p>
<p>To report a bug or enhancement with the plugin directory, you&#8217;re encouraged to <a href="https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/newticket?component=Plugin+Directory">create a ticket on Trac. </a>If you have any questions concerning the directory or would like to get more involved, visit <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/meta/">#meta</a> on Slack.</p>
<h2>The Vocal Minority</h2>
<p>There are a lot of people voicing their complaints about the WordPress Plugin Directory redesign and to <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02QB8GMM/p1490897847701262">summarize them</a> as a vocal minority is unfair.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let’s also not forget that one of WordPress’s philosophies is <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/philosophy/#minority">The Vocal Minority</a>,&#8221; Aaron Jorbin, WordPress core contributor, said in a conversation on the Meta Slack channel concerning feedback. &#8220;Many people being loud on the internet isn’t a reason to do anything.&#8221;</p>
<p>As I&#8217;ve documented above, the issues people are complaining about today are roughly the same as those reported during the prototype stage more than seven months ago.</p>
<p>If months have passed and the issues brought up by members of the community who are part of the so-called vocal minority were not addressed before shipping to the public, can we blame them for complaining and feeling ignored? What about those who think that getting involved to be part of the solution was a waste of time? While the plugin directory design will undoubtedly improve with time, the complaints and concerns expressed by people this week are justified.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:04:51 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:81:"WPTavern: WordPress App for Android Adds Better Support for Jetpack-Enabled Sites";s:7:"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=68068";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-app-for-android-adds-better-support-for-jetpack-enabled-sites";s: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:1764:"<p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/wordpress-for-android.jpg?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>Automattic’s mobile engineers <a href="https://jetpack.com/2017/03/29/full-android-support-for-jetpack/" target="_blank">released a major update to WordPress for Android</a> this week. Last year the app&#8217;s users saw a <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-for-android-5-7-adds-path-to-upgrade-wordpress-com-plan" target="_blank">growing disparity</a> between the features available to self-hosted sites and those available to WordPress.com users. Not having the WP REST API in core was holding the app back from providing the same site management features that WordPress.com site owners already enjoy. The upcoming release narrows that gap with better support for Jetpack-enabled sites.</p>
<p>Self-hosted WordPress sites owners will now have access to People Management, Site Settings, and Site Icons in the app. A complete re-write of the app&#8217;s network layer brings more performance improvements to Stats and other features.</p>
<p>The Jetpack blog <a href="https://jetpack.com/2017/03/29/full-android-support-for-jetpack/" target="_blank">announced</a> the release but doesn&#8217;t mention that these features are not yet available to all users. If you manage a self-hosted site on your mobile device, you&#8217;ll need to wait until version 7.0 hits the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wordpress.android" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a>. According to Automattic mobile engineer Maxime Bias, version 7.0 is currently in staged rollout and not all users can update to get it yet. He said 7.0 should be fully rolled out soon but could not give an ETA.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 30 Mar 2017 19:53:48 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"WPTavern: Community Team Releases Plugin That Displays WordPress Events Nearby";s:7:"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=67925";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"https://wptavern.com/community-team-releases-plugin-that-displays-wordpress-events-nearby";s: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:3309:"<p>Two weeks ago, I <a href="https://wptavern.com/how-to-view-upcoming-wordcamps-in-the-wordpress-dashboard">highlighted a WordPress plugin</a> that displays upcoming WordCamps in the Dashboard. I&#8217;ve <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/community/2017/03/23/showing-upcoming-local-events-in-wp-admin/">recently discovered</a> that the WordPress Community team is working on an official plugin that does something similar called <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/nearby-wp-events/">Nearby WordPress Events</a>.</p>
<p>The plugin attempts to detect a user&#8217;s location and displays upcoming events within the WordPress News dashboard widget. Events include WordCamps and <a href="https://www.meetup.com/topics/wordpress/">Meetups</a> from Meetup.com. If the location detected is incorrect, users can click the pencil icon and change it to their city and state.</p>
<img />Nearby WordPress Events Dashboard Widget
<p>The bottom of the widget includes links to the <a href="https://www.meetup.com/pro/wordpress/">WordPress Meetups landing page</a>, WordCamp schedule, and the official WordPress news blog. If your site has multiple users, each one can configure the widget to display events near their locations.</p>
<p>According to Ian Dunn, the API includes any meetups that are within a 100 kilometer radius. For WordCamps, the radius is 350 kilometers.</p>
<p>Here is what the radius looks like for WordPress Meetups.</p>
<img />US WordPress Meetup Radius
<p>Here is what the radius looks like for WordCamps.</p>
<img />US WordCamp Radius
<p>The distances can not be modified but, depending on feedback, they can be increased to be more accommodating.</p>
<p>WordCamp data is gathered using an <a href="https://api.wordpress.org/events/1.0/">API endpoint on</a> WordPress.org. The initial HTTP request is performed asynchronously so it doesn&#8217;t affect page loading times. The response is cached for 12 hours to avoid making unnecessary requests.</p>
<p>The WordPress Community team created the plugin to generate more awareness of WordPress events.</p>
<p>&#8220;The community that has been created around WordPress is one of its best features, and one of the primary reasons for its success, but many users are still unaware that it exists, and aren’t taking advantage of all of the resources that it makes available to them,&#8221; Dunn said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Inviting more people to join the community will help to increase its overall health, diversity, and effectiveness, which in turn helps to ensure that WordPress will continue to thrive in the years to come.</p>
<p>&#8220;We think that wp-admin is the perfect place to display these events, because that’s the place where almost all WordPress users are visiting already. Instead of expecting them to come to us, we can bring the relevant information directly to them.&#8221;</p>
<p>I tested the plugin on WordPress 4.8 Alpha and didn&#8217;t encounter any issues. Users can report bugs on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/nearby-wp-events">plugin&#8217;s support forums</a> or create an issue on the <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/nearby-wordpress-events/issues">project&#8217;s GitHub page</a>. If you test the plugin, let us know what you think in the comments.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 30 Mar 2017 19:50:14 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: New WPstats.me Site Displays WordPress.org Plugin Download Stats";s:7:"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=68109";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"https://wptavern.com/new-wpstats-me-site-displays-wordpress-org-plugin-download-stats";s: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:3202:"<p>WordPress.org <a href="https://wptavern.com/wordpress-relaunches-plugin-directory-with-new-design-and-improved-search-algorithm" target="_blank">relaunched the plugin directory</a> this week with a new design and improvements to the search algorithm. The redesign spent more than six months in beta for feedback and testing, but many contributors on the project said they felt their feedback was not taken into account. The result is that the new design shipped but has not been well received by the community. Most users and developers welcome the changes to the search algorithm, but the new UI for the plugin pages has received quite a bit of negative feedback.</p>
<p>One of the unpopular changes made during this refresh was the removal of individual plugin stats, which can now only be viewed by plugin admins. The decision may be temporary but depends on feedback from users.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if you&#8217;re missing plugin stats after the redesign, check out the new <a href="http://wpstats.me/" target="_blank">wpstats.me</a> site. WordPress plugin developer <a href="https://wpartisan.me/" target="_blank">Edward Dakin</a> created it in just a few hours using the WordPress.org API&#8217;s. Visitors can enter a plugin&#8217;s slug and see recent and all-time download stats.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/wpstats.me_.png?ssl=1"><img /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;I like checking out plugin stats, seeing which are popular, how others are doing, etc, so I put together a quick something to do that and thought others might find it useful,&#8221; Dakin said. WPstats.me is essentially a one-page app so Dakin opted to host it on GitHub pages.</p>
<p>&#8220;The CSS is done with <a href="http://tachyons.io/" target="_blank">Tachyons</a> (I’m super into function CSS at the moment), the JS is Backbone for the routing, jQuery for the ajax stuff, and Underscore for the templating,&#8221; Dakin said. He said the hardest part of putting the site together was finding the WordPress.org APIs, as the <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress.org_API" target="_blank">documentation</a> is sparse and out of date.</p>
<p>If the Meta team decides to bring stats back into the plugin page design, Dakin said he will consider leaving WPstats.me up anyway if people are finding it useful. Some users like to see how stats have changed over time and developers appreciate being able to check up on their competition.</p>
<p>As a WordPress.org plugin developer, Dakin is directly affected by the changes to the directory. He is considering changing how he markets his plugins and is hoping for improvements to the UI that was shipped this week.</p>
<p>&#8220;I like the improvements to the search a lot,&#8221; Dakin said. &#8220;In terms of the page redesign I like that they’re trying, but I don’t think it’s quite there yet. Like many others, I feel that the collapsing sections is a bit of a poor use of space. And yes, I haven’t done anything yet but I will be experimenting with restructuring plugin readme&#8217;s so the important points are immediately visible and not hidden on page load.&#8221;</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 30 Mar 2017 19:12:39 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"WPTavern: WordPress Polyglots Team Calls for Volunteers to Organize Global Translation Day Three";s:7:"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=68066";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"https://wptavern.com/wordpress-polyglots-team-calls-for-volunteers-to-organize-global-translation-day-three";s: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:2111:"<p>The WordPress Polyglots team is <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2017/03/29/global-wordpress-translation-day-3-call-for-organisers/">asking for volunteers</a> to help organize <a href="https://wptranslationday.org/">WordPress Global Translation Day Three</a>. The event may take place on September 30th, the same day as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Translation_Day">International Translation Day,</a> but the date is dependent on when organizing teams form.</p>
<p>Global Translation Day is a 24-hour event that includes live streaming, local, and remote activities. The first Global Translation Day was held <a href="https://wptavern.com/global-wordpress-translation-day-draws-448-participants-from-105-countries">in April, 2016</a> where 448 translators from 105 countries translated 40,350 new strings across 597 projects. These numbers increased to 780 translators with a total of 60,426 strings translated across 590 projects at the conclusion of Global Translation Day Two.</p>
<p>Activities during Translation Day include, on boarding new contributors, sharing knowledge, and discussing topics related to translating. There are a variety of roles available for organizers to fill, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Communication</li>
<li>Design</li>
<li>Outreach</li>
<li>Website/admin volunteers</li>
<li>Live Streaming</li>
<li>Local events mentors</li>
</ul>
<p>These roles are open to anyone who is able to dedicate the time and effort needed to run a smooth event. &#8220;If you have a couple of hours a week to spare, the Polyglots team would really appreciate your help,&#8221; organizer Petya Raykovska said. &#8220;WordPress Translation Day has been essential for many local communities around the globe and each edition helps more people to understand us better.&#8221;</p>
<p>For more information on what each role entails and to volunteer, check out the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/2017/03/29/global-wordpress-translation-day-3-call-for-organisers/">official call for organizers</a> and leave a comment.</p>
<div id="epoch-width-sniffer"></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, 29 Mar 2017 23:38:59 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";O:42:"Requests_Utility_CaseInsensitiveDictionary":1:{s:7:"*data";a:8:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Mon, 24 Apr 2017 12:13:20 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Mon, 24 Apr 2017 12:00:09 GMT";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:4:"x-nc";s:11:"HIT lax 249";s:16:"content-encoding";s:4:"gzip";}}s:5:"build";s:14:"20170416182728";}