


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so yeah, I think that what you&#8217;re describing is essentially what I was describing, a little bit more detail. And there&#8217;s of course a lot of nuance there around how often do we do that? We have a lot of parts of the release process that need to be automated before we can even consider that. The different parts of the block editor are, many of it is managed as packages, NPM packages. And so a lot of those are so interconnected, it&#8217;s a little difficult to release just one feature because they&#8217;re all being updated at the same time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so like there&#8217;s some architectural things to think about around that. Like, how do we compartmentalize things better to be able to do that? Make sure we don&#8217;t accidentally include something that&#8217;s not ready but when we intended to include a certain feature. There&#8217;s a lot to unpack there and I don&#8217;t know that we&#8217;ll ever get there just because of the sheer size of the project and how, backwards compatibility, how long we&#8217;ve been around.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But I think that training users that auto updates are important to have enabled that are quality, you know, not shipping things that break people&#8217;s sites as much as possible, even though it&#8217;s unavoidable because of how flexible WordPress is.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After 6.9 came out, I was looking into some of the data because I had this gut feeling that 6.9 was being updated to, slower than other releases. And so for a little while I was looking at that. And after about a month, I was like, okay, this is just a hunch. Let me go and actually look at the data around this.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so what I noticed was actually the opposite. When I looked at, I created 5% thresholds for the percentage of total WordPress sites. And when I looked at the data, I realised that for the last 10 releases, let&#8217;s see here. So every major version of the last six to eight releases has passed 35% of all WordPress sites in two days or less. And also every one of these columns as far as percentages is increasing.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so WordPress 6.9 reached the 50% threshold of all WordPress sites in 10 days, and that&#8217;s four days faster than 6.8, which was the next fastest. And currently we&#8217;re approaching 65% threshold of all WordPress sites. And only six other releases have done that so far. All of them are the most recent ones, except for 4.9, which we all know had a waiting period for Gutenberg. And the only release the past 70% was 6.8.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so I&#8217;m interested to see how this trend continues because it&#8217;s showing an acceleration of adoption for each new major version of WordPress. They&#8217;re getting installed faster, by more people. It&#8217;s a sign that we&#8217;re shipping stable software. People are more confident. People are opting into auto updates for major versions. And in general, it&#8217;s just a quality sign that we&#8217;re doing something right here. And so how can we lean into that more?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:23:52] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Okay, let&#8217;s pivot a little bit. Let&#8217;s sort of bind community, we did touch on this a minute ago, but let&#8217;s spend a little bit of time binding the community to these kind of things because right at the start you mentioned that really the community is the underpinnings of your interest in the WordPress space. The code is obviously tremendously important, but without the community there is no code basically.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so we&#8217;ve got these events. We&#8217;re trying to create interest around the WordCamps and the releases at the same time. But just looking back over the last period of time, let&#8217;s go for year, two years, something like that. I don&#8217;t know what your spidey sense is telling you, but my spidey sense is telling me that that community portion, it&#8217;s sort of slowly but surely, it feels like it&#8217;s withering away slightly.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I&#8217;m not really picking up on like this angry mob of people who are stamping their feet and shouting, I don&#8217;t want anything to do with the WordPress community and then disappearing. I mean maybe there&#8217;s a few of those, probably, somewhere. But I don&#8217;t get a sense of that. I just get this sense of sort of, somebody&#8217;s pulled the plug out of a bathtub and it&#8217;s slowly sort of draining away.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Attendance down at WordCamps. Meetups struggling to sort of get the numbers that they had several years ago. And so it would feel like at the moment, you would have to be watching the news fairly closely, especially right now. So at the beginning of February, 2026 is when we&#8217;re recording this. There does seem to be a push from the senior leadership to make WordPress Meetups and things like that, a much more central part.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And then there&#8217;s this whole broad spectrum of educational initiatives as well going on. So we&#8217;ve got WP Campus Connect, we&#8217;ve got the Credits Program and a whole smorgasbord of other things which is happening.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So there&#8217;s no question there, really, what I&#8217;m just trying to do is give you the opportunity to bind the two things, the WordPress community and the software, and really just talk about whether you&#8217;ve noticed the same thing as me, where there&#8217;s this slow, withering of the community. And maybe this is a part of just sort of getting it all back together, making events like this a bit more fun and interesting.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:26:02] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> Yeah. I think there&#8217;s a few things there to call out. The first observation I&#8217;ve had over the last year is there&#8217;s a palpable excitement to build with WordPress again. I&#8217;m noticing there&#8217;s a renewed enthusiasm. People, they want to move on from certain things, and they want to get back to building experiences and tools and things on the WordPress platform.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But there&#8217;s also, I think we&#8217;re dealing with some, in some ways, a long tail COVID effect, right? There was obviously, you know, a lack of in-person events for a while, and during that time a lot of the people who were keeping Meetups alive and WordCamps alive, they moved on, or burnt out, and chose not to return after. And so there was a break in that pipeline of, usually there&#8217;s a lead doing that and there&#8217;s other people learning under them, and then they move up and take over. And that was totally disrupted and I think that we&#8217;re still trying to rebuild that.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I think that it manifests differently in different areas too. So for example, the APAC WordCamp community is very strong and they have lots of WordCamps. But in the United States, there was one WordCamp that wasn&#8217;t WordCamp US last year, I think, Montclair. And I lead the Boston WordPress Meetup and so finding speakers is difficult. Getting people to come out is difficult as well. And I think those are partially just larger societal shifts where it&#8217;s harder to get people to come out to certain things. And we just have different preferences as far as how we consume information or learn.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But I&#8217;m still not sure why the difference in the geographical areas, and I think it may have to do more with, APAC is a more emerging market when it comes to WordPress, right? Like their community, especially in certain areas has been growing and is much newer than it is in the US. And so I think that they&#8217;re growing their communities for the first time in many ways, right? But in the US it&#8217;s the second or third or fourth time that we&#8217;re growing those communities or revitalising those communities. And the form that that needs to take, I think is a little different. And I&#8217;m not clear on what the holdup is there.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But I do know that a big factor of that is to get new people involved with WordPress and interested in WordPress, and that&#8217;s why some of the priorities that Mary Hubbard published, and one of them in particular is education and awareness and all of those different things that work together in the form of the WP Credits program, mentorship programs. There&#8217;s been the contributor mentorship programs that happen every few quarters in WordPress over the last few years.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And we&#8217;ve seen some really great contributors who were mentored in that program, and then the next time the program happened, they mentored, and then they became a team lead, and then they served on release squads. And so we&#8217;ve seen some really great contributed journeys through those paths.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:28:53] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I&#8217;ll just sort of run through with you the kind of things that I&#8217;ve noticed in my part of the world. So I think COVID is an enormous part of it. It upended so many ordinary things in life. So, as an example, you know, people obviously, they ceased going out, and then that pattern of not going out became habituated. People didn&#8217;t go out because that&#8217;s not what you do.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And in the UK we have this institution called the pub, which I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve heard of. And it used to be that prior to COVID, the pub was the real centerpiece of many communities. You know, towns, suburbs, what have you. Everybody would coalesce around the pub and that was very important. Since the pandemic, a lot of those institutions, they don&#8217;t really function in that way anymore. You know, there isn&#8217;t the throughput, there isn&#8217;t the footfall and so they go out of business.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And the same, I presume is true in the WordPress space. You know, we&#8217;re trying to encourage people to get up, leave their home, spend money on transportation. Obviously there&#8217;s the time cost, the sunk cost of time and what have you as well. It&#8217;s difficult, but it makes me more sanguine that it&#8217;s not just like, it&#8217;s not just a WordPress thing, you know, it&#8217;s the whole of society.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But like you said, I get the feeling that the WordPress community has begun to address it. And the way it&#8217;s being addressed is through these educational initiatives. Trying to get a throughput of younger talent. So get them at the school age, get them at the university age, and then hopefully they will have an interest. They&#8217;ll get a flavor of what it means to be involved in these Meetups and things like that and hopefully take those on.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It&#8217;s a laudable goal. I hope that it has the capacity to transfer. You know, so in a decade&#8217;s time we can look back and say, look what happened. This young blood emerged. I think it&#8217;s yet to be seen. I think certainly in the area, the locale where I am, the United Kingdom, we don&#8217;t see evidence of that yet. Maybe in the US that would also mirror.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But from everything that I&#8217;ve learned and the people that I&#8217;ve talked to for this podcast and events in Asia and places like that, that seems to be a really different picture. There seems to be a real thirst for solutions like WordPress. Because there&#8217;s a direct kind of career path there. You know, you can pick up a free piece of open source software, crack open a laptop and get going and start to sell your services far and wide. And so again, there&#8217;s no question there, just observations that I hope these initiatives bear fruit. But it&#8217;ll be interesting to see. Only time will tell.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:31:16] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> I think at the root of what we&#8217;re dealing with is that people are motivated by what they see as valuable, right? If they&#8217;re not going out to events, so they&#8217;re not engaging with the community, they don&#8217;t recognise or feel that it&#8217;s valuable to them in some way. And so we&#8217;re having to reprove why communities are valuable, why open source is valuable, why you should care.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And then the other aspect of it is, you know, overall project sustainability. We can&#8217;t just keep getting older. We need to have a balance of new, younger people that get involved as well.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so one way to lean into getting younger is obviously, like you said, to approach people at schooling age, right? Or university, and teach them about open source. Show them how to contribute, how to be a part of a community, and why it&#8217;s valuable. But we have to be really careful because we need to be prepared to, I&#8217;ve written in the past that we need to be prepared to activate these contributors, right?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So it&#8217;s one thing to make them aware of this, but it&#8217;s another thing to make sure they&#8217;re properly supported and we give them pathways to grow. We give them clear criteria to be successful, clear projects to work on, so they understand what they&#8217;re doing and what they&#8217;re trying to accomplish.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And I think that this is one thing that is also a benefit of having the releases coincide with these major events because new people are getting together already, so why not use that opportunity?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One of the goals that every table lead and every organiser of a Contributor Day has is to ensure as many contributors see, realise their work over the finish line. And so on the Core team that&#8217;s a patch that someone tests gets committed, or a patch someone writes gets committed to WordPress, right? How can we make that more valuable, where it&#8217;s not just ending when they leave Contributor Day?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so I&#8217;ve been thinking about all the different logistics and helping to coordinate with the WordCamp Asia team and the 7.0 release team to make sure we&#8217;re prepared for that final day. And one of the things I&#8217;ve been thinking about is the release process itself. One of the best, lowest friction ways to get involved with WordPress in the actual release process. And you don&#8217;t need any experience contributing to really take part in it. And that&#8217;s when we get to a point where we say, okay, here&#8217;s the zip file of what we think we&#8217;re going to ship, go test it.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so people will take it, and they install it on their server and they say which version of PHP they&#8217;re using, and how they installed it and what they did and, you know, it worked. And the majority of that though is just looking for problems. And when problems don&#8217;t come up, we just don&#8217;t do anything with all the information that people are dropping, right? And there might be 50 people at a major release. We call them parties, but at the release parties that are dropping information. And again, if there&#8217;s no red flags, that information just largely goes away.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But, how can we rethink that and make that effort more meaningful, and also create a pathway for them to continue contributing in some way past that moment? And having everybody in person is a great way to have pilot programs for different approaches, because there can be someone that briefs a set of contributors on what we&#8217;re going to try this time, here&#8217;s what we want to do, give us feedback on how you felt it went. Everybody that&#8217;s involved in the squad and doing the release can say, oh yeah, that actually was really helpful and better than what we do before.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And these newer individuals that are learning also have fresh perspective. And so having them participate in these, I guess I&#8217;ll call them experiments of such, but just these processes and things that we are considering, it helps get that fresh opinion and perspective on why things are working and why things aren&#8217;t and helps us just improve.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:35:04] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I&#8217;ve got three children and they&#8217;re all of a certain age now, they&#8217;re certainly no longer small. You know, they&#8217;re basically adults. And it&#8217;s really fascinating looking at the kind of things that engage them. I think they&#8217;ve just grown up in a different era. The diet of the kind of things that excite them is very different to the kind of things that excited somebody of my generation, just because, you know, they&#8217;ve had the whole world in their pocket ever since they were born.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And having that dialogue with the next generation, and trying to figure out what it is that they want and that they desire. And even things like open source. So when, I was already an adult before the internet began to be put into everybody&#8217;s homes, and people started to own personal computers and things like that. And so I was ready to receive that message of open source right at the start. And it became really obvious to me, oh, that&#8217;s a really clever way of making software.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But now of course we&#8217;ve got this landscape of closed platforms. Everything&#8217;s free at the point of use, but everything&#8217;s not free in any way, shape, or form. You can think of the siloed platforms that I&#8217;m talking about. My children have been raised with those and so just even making the argument about open source is hard enough.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So I think what I&#8217;m really advocating for is, obviously we&#8217;ve got to shepherd these people in, but at the same time, I think we have to be willing to let go of a lot of the things that we think the project is. We think the Meetup should contain. We think the WordCamp should maintain. Because at the end of the day, we&#8217;re competing for eyeballs and if we don&#8217;t make it, I&#8217;m going to use the word exciting, if we don&#8217;t make it exciting, they&#8217;re just not going to show up.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And I feel that&#8217;s a piece of the next five, six years, trying to figure out what excites these people. Because unless we do excite them, I fear the Meetups are going to be empty and there&#8217;ll be a certain throughput from the WordPress initiatives, Campus Connect and what have you. But we need to make these things exciting, interesting, innovative, fun. But I don&#8217;t have an answer to that.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:36:59] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> Yeah, you touched on something interesting that I&#8217;ve been thinking about quite a bit. I gave a talk last year about how to implement AI into open source communities while maintaining what makes them great in the first place, which is the human element, right? The community aspects of it.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so I&#8217;ve been thinking a lot about just AI and how it&#8217;s affecting us. And there&#8217;s a few things that I&#8217;m really excited about with AI and those are empowerment and learning. And so you can have an AI model that digests massive amounts of information and summarises it in the specific way that you learn best, right?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And likewise, I&#8217;m noticing that people feel more empowered to try things themselves because they have more of an ability to distill a lot of information down into something that&#8217;s digestible, right?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so I feel that the tension between those two areas of closed and open is growing. Because when I was growing up, computers were just starting to be less than the size of a car, right? People were starting to have them in their house. But they were still at a point where, the computer went bad, you took it apart and fixed it. You didn&#8217;t trade it in for a new one, right?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And so I feel like my generation, there was a level of, we had the tools, but we had to go out and build the things we needed ourselves in some ways, and experiment. And then there&#8217;s been the generations between that and now where they pretty much had everything that they needed.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But AI is changing what we need, or what we want, and what ways we want it. And so now there&#8217;s a new found need to build again in some ways. And in some ways it&#8217;s kind of a circle, right? Because it&#8217;s, the AI is making it easier to build, but it&#8217;s also making you more aware you have to build. It&#8217;s kind of like building against itself in certain ways.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But I&#8217;m finding that there&#8217;s more of a willingness to do things on your own, try to tackle something you would typically need to hire a professional to do in the past. You know in many ways we need to lean into that because then that gets people excited. Oh, WordPress, I could use WordPress to build this, or I could use just the WordPress for just the database part of it and the REST API and have some type of application on it because it scales well and it caches or whatever it may be.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But I feel like people are starting to scoff at the walled gardens a little bit more, and I&#8217;m seeing that there&#8217;s a resurgence in things like RSS. I&#8217;m seeing new RSS readers are popping up. People are leaning towards the Fediverse. People are blogging more, having their own website instead of just their business on Facebook, right? Because that can get taken away.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We saw with Twitter how they just chose to close their platform. And embeds no longer work in WordPress because they shut down oEmbeds. And I feel like it changes every month, but there&#8217;s times where you have to log in to see a post, or you can&#8217;t see a post, or you can see one post and then you can&#8217;t see any more that&#8217;s shared externally. Yeah, so it gives you more control.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:40:02] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> Yeah, I think that&#8217;s really interesting. And I also noticed that swing. Obviously, I don&#8217;t have any broader data. I can only point to the things in my life, the little intuitions that I&#8217;m gaining. But I see the same thing. I see an interest in AI, so we&#8217;ll just put that to one side for a moment. But in terms of the closed platforms, I do see that the people that I know who are significantly younger than me, they have intuitions around that, and they&#8217;ve kind of figured out for themselves that this is not great. It seems to be a vehicle to serve me ads, and I wonder what the incentive is for the stuff that I&#8217;m seeing, and maybe it&#8217;s kind of pushing me off in one direction politically and all of that.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And yeah, this resurgence of RSS, of the blog. I know it&#8217;s hard to talk about, but it&#8217;s almost like we&#8217;re doing some sort of archaeology in the internet space. We&#8217;ve gone back to something older. We kind of dug up the relics from the past and we found that they&#8217;re still usable. They&#8217;re still there.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It&#8217;ll be so interesting. But I think if it was just the RSS and it was just the open nature of things, I think that&#8217;s going to be a hard sell. But throw AI into the mix, this capacity for somebody with very little relationship with writing code who can get something credible out. Now, it may not be robust, it may have security problems here and there. The accessibility may be something that needs to be addressed and what have you. But who can argue with the excitement of it.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You know, you tell a computer to make a colourful website that&#8217;s got rainbows and pictures of cats, and sure enough, two minutes later you have a website with rainbows and pictures of cats. And that wasn&#8217;t possible until just a couple of years ago. And so I think we&#8217;ve got the tools. I think there&#8217;s things that we can deploy. AI seems to be the primary one at the moment. Let&#8217;s hope that that continues to be sustainable.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But that&#8217;s interesting. That gives me some hope. And the way that you&#8217;ve encapsulated it, open source combined with things like AI. Trying to get Meetups back. Trying to combine it with educational initiatives. Trying to combine it with WordCamps and releases.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:41:52] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> You mentioned something that&#8217;s important there in that it&#8217;s very easy for someone to get something built that they need specifically, right? And I think that&#8217;s where we&#8217;re at right now where AI is, like I said, is empowering, but more on a personal level. Once you need to scale those things, that&#8217;s when it gets difficult.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And it&#8217;s a rollercoaster of, oh my God, there&#8217;s going to be no software. And then, oh, look at all this crappy software that AI built. We are always going to have a job. And then it&#8217;s like up and down all throughout time as new tools get released. And it definitely matches what I&#8217;m seeing is like the personal empowerment level, they could take that and run with it and build this really massive thing, or they could just build something that they just want, that does specifically what they want, that they haven&#8217;t found out there that it accomplishes.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And I think that another aspect of that is I&#8217;m noticing that a lot of people that you may not have thought would try things in the physical world on their own are more likely to do so as well. So maybe changing their faucet, or doing a landscaping project or something. I feel like we&#8217;ve had YouTube tutorials, right, has been a big thing for maybe a decade, right? But I feel like AI has unlocked a new level of empowerment where people feel more confident to try things because of the knowledge that&#8217;s available to them in different ways.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:43:09] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> The year 2026 is going to be punctuated by WordCamps. It&#8217;s going to be punctuated by WordPress releases. Hopefully we will start to see the needle move on educational initiatives, and maybe some younger people joining in with the community.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">That has been a fascinating chat, Jonathan. I really appreciate that, getting your insight into what I think we both hope is going to happen in the WordPress project. That it will still be relevant in 10 years time, and that there&#8217;ll be children who are now, not old enough to be using computers, in a decade, they&#8217;ll be coming on podcasts like this, and hosting podcasts like this, and being involved in the community that we love so very much.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Where can we find you, Jonathan? If people want to talk to you and have a bit of a natter, where&#8217;s the best place to locate you?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:43:48] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> My website is just jonathandesrosiers.com. I&#8217;m desrosej pretty much everywhere on the internet. I try to keep it consistent and easy. And you can also, of course, find me in the wordpress.org Slack.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:44:01] <strong>Nathan Wrigley:</strong> I will link to all of those in the show notes. So if you go to the wptavern.com website, search for the episode with Jonathan Desrosiers, you&#8217;ll be able to find all of the links probably at the bottom underneath the transcript and the preamble. Go and have a look down there and hopefully we&#8217;ll be speaking soon. I&#8217;ll probably see you in Mumbai in a few weeks time. Take care, Jonathan.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[00:44:21] <strong>Jonathan Desrosiers:</strong> Thank you. Look forward to it, and hopefully I see your listeners there as well.</p>
</div></details>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On the podcast today we have <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/">Jonathan Desrosiers</a>.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jonathan has been involved with WordPress for almost two decades, both as a user and a contributor. He’s a principal software engineer at Bluehost, where his role sees him sponsored to work on WordPress through the Five for the Future program. Over the years, he’s become a Core committer, and has spent many hours thinking about how to enhance the contributor experience and make it easier for people to get involved in the project.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In this episode we discuss how WordPress releases might be made more impactful by synchronizing them with flagship community events like WordCamps and State of the Word. A recent experiment of combining a major release with a live event sparked some excitement, and Jonathan shares insights on the logistics behind such synchronized moments, the challenges posed by international holidays and regional scheduling, and the broader vision for connecting releases with community gatherings.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We also get into the changing landscape of the WordPress community, how it’s recovering from the effects of COVID, the struggle to rebuild local Meetups, and efforts (like mentorship and educational initiatives) to bring in new contributors, particularly from younger generations. Jonathan reflects on the importance of making release moments engaging and fun, akin to the anticipation of a new TV series or software launch, and the role of AI and open source in empowering a new wave of builders.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you’re interested in how release cycles, community events, and contributor onboarding are evolving in WordPress, or what the future might hold for the platform and its community, this episode is for you.</p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://jonathandesrosiers.com">Jonathan&#8217;s website</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/">Jonathan on WordPress.org</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://x.com/desrosj">Jonathan on X</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.bluehost.com">Bluehost</a></p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2025/12/04/state-of-the-word-2025-recap/">State of the Word 2025 recap</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://events.wordpress.org/campusconnect/">WP Campus Connect</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://wordpress.org/education/credits/">WordPress Credits</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mary Hubbard on the importance of education &#8211; <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/project/2026/01/23/big-picture-goals-for-2026/">Big Picture Goals for 2026</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse">Fediverse</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, 25 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Nathan Wrigley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"Open Channels FM: AI Sidekick Features for WooCommerce Merchants";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/?p=1650257";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://openchannels.fm/ai-sidekick-features-for-woocommerce-merchants/";s: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:235:"Katie Keith asks about an AI assistant for WooCommerce like Shopify's Sidekick. James LePage confirms upcoming features will simplify custom AI integration, enabling easier plugin installations and enhanced merchant management support.";s: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, 25 Feb 2026 12:32:05 +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:8:"Bob Dunn";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"HeroPress: Finding autonomy through WordPress";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=8405";s:7:"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:142:"https://heropress.com/essays/finding-autonomy-through-wordpress/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=finding-autonomy-through-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:18380:"<img alt="Pull quote: WordPress helped me evolve from a designer and developer into a more complete professional. WordPress mi je pomogao da se od dizajnera i developera razvijem u cjelovitijeg profesionalca." class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3026/02/022426.webp" width="1024" /><p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#hrvatski" id="#hrvatski">Ovaj esej dostupan je i na hrvatskom jeziku.</a></p>



<p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#deutsch">Dieses Essay ist auch auf Deutsch verfügbar.</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls="controls" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3026/02/english.mp3"></audio><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Here is English audio of Edo&#8217;s essay, read in his own voice.</figcaption></figure>



<p>I started working with WordPress in 2020. I joined a digital agency and was at the start of my professional career. I had freshly completed a developer bootcamp where we learned about web development concepts and the basics of JS, HTML and CSS. I was initially hired as a frontend developer, but soon expanded my role to UX design and WordPress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overcoming-prejudice"><strong>Overcoming prejudice</strong></h2>



<p>Initially, I was hesitant about working with WordPress. In some developer circles, it was looked down upon. I thought someone might think less of me for using such a basic tool instead of doing the real thing, since coding was considered the “proper” way to build things.</p>



<p>After some initial resistance, I managed to let go of my prejudice and started enjoying it. The process involved designing the website in Figma and then implementing it via WordPress. Although I like to write code, I always thought of myself as more of a visual person than a coder, so this felt quite satisfactory.</p>



<p>In the Agency we worked mostly with Elementor, and even though there were some trade-offs when using it, I still remember how glad the benefits made me feel. I could implement scroll animations and various custom effects just by adjusting a couple of settings. It was great!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shift-in-perspective"><strong>Shift in perspective</strong></h2>



<p>As time progressed and I became more fluent in WordPress, I stopped thinking only from a design and frontend perspective and started seeing the bigger picture. Besides getting familiar with SEO, I began to understand the relationship between design decisions, business goals, and real-world constraints.</p>



<p>I also realized that I no longer had to wait for someone else to finish the project. Design didn’t end at handoff, and implementation didn’t end at developing the frontend. I could take a project from an initial idea to a finished, high-quality website all on my own. WordPress made that possible without requiring me to become a backend specialist.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-delivering-complete-value"><strong>Delivering complete value</strong></h2>



<p>These insights changed my role more than any job title ever could and encouraged me to start freelancing. I took part in bigger, team-oriented WordPress projects, but I also worked on smaller ones where I was responsible for the whole process, from the initial “get-to-know-you” interview with the client to the final approval. I came to understand how design decisions influenced performance, how content structure shaped SEO, and how visual complexity affected load times and maintenance. </p>



<p>As I gained more experience, the scope of my work expanded. I was no longer just a designer or developer. Over time, I started to understand the business side of projects as well. It became clearer how a website fits into a broader strategy, how it supports client goals, and how decisions influence long term value. WordPress allowed me to develop a more strategic mindset. It helped me move from purely operational work toward strategic thinking. That broader business perspective became just as important to me as the technical execution itself.</p>



<p>The feeling of being able to provide a complete product to the client and own the entire process felt exciting because it satisfied my need for autonomy.</p>



<p>First time I truly felt responsible for the entire outcome was while developing a full hotel website from start to finish. Publishing the site felt different. Since working in a team is a collaborative activity, there is always sharing of responsibility, giving each other support and feedback. This is why this felt different. It was only me. It was not a contribution. It was owning the project from start to finish. Seeing the site live, functional, and in real use made this shift clear. It felt exciting to be able to deliver the full outcome.</p>



<p>Even if WordPress is not suitable for every use case and even if there are certain trade-offs, for someone like me, who wanted to feel autonomy and experience delivering a product from the initial idea to completion, WordPress was the right tool. It didn’t just teach me how to build a website or implement SEO. It taught me how to deliver real value to a client.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion"><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2>



<p>If I had to summarize what WordPress changed in my life, it would be that it helped me become more autonomous. It allowed me to take responsibility for entire projects and deliver complete value to clients, from idea to finished product. </p>



<p>It also exposed me to a much larger number of real-world projects, clients, and challenges. That volume of experience shaped my growth more than any single tool or role. More projects meant more conversations, more constraints and more responsibility. </p>



<p>In that sense, WordPress wasn’t just a tool for me. It helped me evolve from a designer and developer into a more complete professional. Someone able to understand problems, deliver outcomes, and think beyond individual tasks.</p>



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



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="hrvatski"><strong>Pronalaženje autonomije kroz WordPress</strong></h1>



<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls="controls" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3026/02/croatian.mp3"></audio><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ovdje je hrvatska audioverzija Edovog eseja, pročitana njegovim vlastitim glasom.<br /></figcaption></figure>



<p>S WordPressom sam počeo raditi 2020. godine, na samom početku svoje profesionalne karijere. Pridružio sam se digitalnoj agenciji nakon što sam završio developerski bootcamp na kojem smo prošli osnove web razvoja te rad s JS-om, HTML-om i CSS-om. Isprva su me zaposlili kao frontend developera, ali se moja uloga ubrzo proširila na UX dizajn i WordPress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-suocavanje-s-predrasudama"><strong>Suočavanje s predrasudama</strong></h2>



<p>U početku sam bio skeptičan prema WordPressu. U nekim developerskim krugovima na njega se gledalo s visoka. Imao sam dojam da će netko pomisliti kako radim s lakšim alatom, umjesto da radim stvari “kako treba”, kroz čisti kod.</p>



<p>Nakon početnog otpora, ta se percepcija promijenila. Počeo sam uživati u procesu. Prvo dizajn u Figmi, zatim implementacija kroz WordPress. Iako volim pisati kod, uvijek sam sebe doživljavao više kao vizualni tip nego kao klasičnog programera. Ovakav način rada mi je prirodno odgovarao.</p>



<p>U agenciji smo najčešće koristili Elementor. Imao je svoja ograničenja, ali prednosti su mi bile važnije. Mogućnost da relativno brzo implementiram animacije na scroll, razne interakcije i custom efekte, bez kompleksnog kodiranja, bila mi je konkretna vrijednost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-promjena-perspektive"><strong>Promjena perspektive</strong></h2>



<p>Kako sam postajao sigurniji u WordPressu, prestao sam razmišljati isključivo iz dizajnerske ili frontend perspektive. Počeo sam sagledavati širu sliku. Postalo mi je jasnije kako su dizajnerske odluke povezane s poslovnim ciljevima i potencijalnim ograničenjima koje svaki projekt nosi sa sobom.</p>



<p>Također sam shvatio da više ne moram čekati druge da završe svoj dio posla. Dizajn nije završavao primopredajom, a implementacija nije stajala na frontendu. Mogao sam projekt iznijeti od početne ideje do potpuno gotove web stranice, bez da budem stručnjak za backend. WordPress mi je to omogućio.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isporuka-cjelovite-vrijednosti"><strong>Isporuka cjelovite vrijednosti</strong></h2>



<p>Ta promjena utjecala je na moju ulogu više nego bilo koja titula. Potaknula me da se krenem baviti freelancingom. Radio sam na većim timskim WordPress projektima, ali i na manjima gdje sam samostalno vodio cijeli proces. Od prvog razgovora s klijentom do finalnog odobrenja. Počeo sam razumijevati kako dizajnerske odluke utječu na performanse, kako struktura sadržaja oblikuje SEO i kako vizualna kompleksnost utječe na brzinu učitavanja i održavanje.</p>



<p>Međutim, kako sam postajao iskusniji, širio se i opseg mog rada. Više nisam bio samo dizajner ili developer. S vremenom sam počeo razumijevati i poslovnu stranu projekata. Postalo mi je jasnije kako se web stranica uklapa u širu strategiju, kako podržava ciljeve klijenta i kako odluke utječu na dugoročnu vrijednost. WordPress mi je pomogao razviti strateški način razmišljanja. Pomaknuo sam se od operativnog izvršavanja zadataka prema razumijevanju šireg konteksta i donošenju odluka. Ta šira, poslovna perspektiva postala mi je jednako važna kao i sama tehnička izvedba.</p>



<p>Prvi put sam stvarno osjetio punu odgovornost kada sam samostalno razvio kompletnu web stranicu za jedan hotel, od početka do lansiranja web-a u produkciju. Osjećaj kada je stranica napokon otišla online bio je drugačiji. U timu uvijek postoji dijeljenje odgovornosti, podrška i zajedničke revizije. Ovdje je sve bilo na meni. Nije to bila samo kontribucija, nego vlasništvo nad cijelim procesom. Vidjeti tu stranicu online, za mene je jasno označilo tu promjenu.</p>



<p>Iako WordPress nije rješenje za svaki projekt i ima svoja ograničenja, meni je omogućio upravo ono što mi je tada bilo važno: autonomiju i mogućnost da isporučim cjelovit proizvod, od ideje do realizacije. Nije me samo naučio kako izraditi web stranicu ili optimizirati SEO, nego kako klijentu isporučiti stvarnu vrijednost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zakljucak"><strong>Zaključak</strong></h2>



<p>Ako moram istaknuti jednu stvar koju je WordPress promijenio u mom profesionalnom razvoju, rekao bih da mi je omogućio veću autonomiju. Dao mi je prostor da preuzmem odgovornost za cijeli projekt i isporučim potpunu vrijednost, od inicijalne ideje do finalnog proizvoda.</p>



<p>Uz to, otvorio mi je pristup većem broju stvarnih projekata, klijenata i izazova. Količina iskustva koju sam tako stekao oblikovala je moj rast više nego bilo koja pojedinačna uloga ili alat. Više projekata značilo je više različitih razgovora, ograničenja, odgovornosti i drugačijih prosudbi.</p>



<p>U tom smislu, WordPress nije bio samo alat. Bio je to način rada koji mi je omogućio da izađem iz okvira dizajnera i developera te razvijem sposobnost razumijevanja problema, preuzimanja odgovornosti i razmišljanja šire od pojedinačnog zadatka.</p>



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



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="deutsch"><strong>Autonomie durch WordPress finden</strong></h1>



<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls="controls" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/3026/02/german.mp3"></audio><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hier ist die deutsche Audioaufnahme des Essays von Edo, gelesen mit seiner eigenen Stimme.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Ich habe 2020 angefangen, mit WordPress zu arbeiten. Zu dieser Zeit stand ich am Anfang meiner beruflichen Karriere und trat einer Digitalagentur bei. Kurz zuvor hatte ich ein Developer-Bootcamp abgeschlossen, in dem wir Web-Grundlagen sowie die Basics von JS, HTML und CSS gelernt hatten. Ursprünglich wurde ich als Frontend Developer eingestellt, aber meine Rolle erweiterte sich schnell in Richtung UX Design und WordPress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vorurteile-uberwinden"><strong>Vorurteile überwinden</strong></h2>



<p>Zu Beginn war ich unsicher, ob ich mit WordPress arbeiten wollte. In Teilen der Entwickler-Community wurde es nicht besonders ernst genommen. Ich hatte das Gefühl, man würde mich weniger ernst nehmen, wenn ich mit einem „einfachen“ Tool arbeite, statt alles klassisch zu programmieren, da Coding als der „richtige“ Weg galt.</p>



<p>Anfangs habe ich mich dagegen gesträubt, mit WordPress zu arbeiten, aber mit der Zeit begann ich, die Arbeit damit zu genießen. Der Prozess bestand darin, Websites in Figma zu gestalten und anschließend mit WordPress umzusetzen. Obwohl ich gerne Code geschrieben habe, sah ich mich immer eher als visuellen Typ. Diese Arbeitsweise lag mir daher besonders.</p>



<p>In der Agentur haben wir hauptsächlich mit Elementor gearbeitet. Natürlich gab es Nachteile, aber für mich überwogen die Vorteile. Scroll-Animationen und individuelle Effekte ließen sich durch wenige Einstellungen umsetzen. Das fand ich sehr überzeugend.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perspektivwechsel"><strong>Perspektivwechsel</strong></h2>



<p>Mit wachsender Erfahrung änderte sich mein Blickwinkel. Ich dachte nicht mehr nur aus Design- oder Frontend-Sicht, sondern begann, Zusammenhänge zu erkennen. Neben SEO verstand ich zunehmend, wie Designentscheidungen mit Geschäftszielen und realen Rahmenbedingungen verbunden sind.</p>



<p>Mir wurde auch klar, dass ich nicht mehr auf andere warten musste, um das Projekt zu Ende zu bringen. Design endete nicht mit der Übergabe, und die Umsetzung nicht beim Frontend. Ich konnte ein Projekt von der ersten Idee bis zur fertigen Website eigenständig führen, ohne Backend-Spezialist zu sein. WordPress machte das möglich.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ganzheitlichen-mehrwert-liefern"><strong>Ganzheitlichen Mehrwert liefern</strong></h2>



<p>Diese Entwicklung beeinflusste meine Rolle stärker als jede offizielle Bezeichnung. Sie war auch der Impuls, als Freelancer zu starten. Ich war an größeren Teamprojekten beteiligt, übernahm aber auch kleinere Projekte, bei denen ich für den gesamten Prozess verantwortlich war – vom ersten Kennenlerngespräch bis zur finalen Freigabe.</p>



<p>Ich verstand, wie Designentscheidungen die Performance beeinflussten, wie Inhaltsstrukturen sich auf SEO auswirkten und wie visuelle Komplexität Ladezeiten und Wartbarkeit beeinflusste.</p>



<p>Mit wachsender Erfahrung erweiterte sich auch mein Aufgabenbereich. Ich war nicht mehr nur Designer oder Developer. Ich begann, die geschäftliche Seite von Projekten zu verstehen: wie sich eine Website in eine übergeordnete Strategie einfügt, wie sie Unternehmensziele unterstützt und wie Entscheidungen langfristigen Wert beeinflussen. WordPress hat mir geholfen, strategischer zu denken und mich von rein operativer Arbeit zu lösen. Diese geschäftliche Perspektive wurde für mich genauso wichtig wie die technische Umsetzung.</p>



<p>Ein vollständiges Produkt liefern und den gesamten Prozess selbst tragen zu können, war für mich besonders wichtig, weil es meinem Bedürfnis nach Autonomie entsprach.</p>



<p>Der Moment, in dem ich erstmals die komplette Website eines Hotels eigenständig von Anfang bis Ende entwickelte, markierte einen Wendepunkt. Die Veröffentlichung fühlte sich anders an. Ich arbeite gern im Team, da man dort Feedback erhält. Doch hier trug ich die volle Verantwortung. Es war kein Beitrag zu einem Projekt, sondern die vollständige Verantwortung für das Ergebnis. Die Website live zu sehen, machte diesen Schritt für mich sehr deutlich.</p>



<p>Auch wenn WordPress nicht für jeden Anwendungsfall ideal ist und gewisse Kompromisse mit sich bringt, war es für mich das richtige Werkzeug. Ich habe dadurch nicht nur gelernt, wie man Websites baut oder SEO umsetzt, sondern auch, wie ich echten Mehrwert für Kunden schaffen kann.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fazit"><strong>Fazit</strong></h2>



<p>Wenn ich zusammenfassen müsste, was WordPress in meiner beruflichen Entwicklung verändert hat, dann ist es vor allem die gewonnene Autonomie. Es gab mir die Möglichkeit, Projekte von der ersten Idee bis zum fertigen Produkt eigenständig umzusetzen und echten Mehrwert zu schaffen.</p>



<p>Zudem arbeitete ich an einer größeren Zahl realer Projekte mit unterschiedlichen Kunden und Anforderungen. Diese Erfahrung war für meine Entwicklung wichtiger als jedes einzelne Tool oder jede Positionsbezeichnung. Mehr Projekte bedeuteten mehr Gespräche, mehr Rahmenbedingungen und mehr Entscheidungen.</p>



<p>In diesem Sinne war WordPress für mich nicht nur ein Werkzeug. Es half mir, über die Rolle des Designers und Developers hinauszuwachsen, Probleme zu verstehen, Ergebnisse zu liefern und über einzelne Aufgaben hinauszudenken.</p>



<div class="wp-block-group has-background is-vertical is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fc43baa9 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex" id="desktop">
<h2 class="kt-adv-heading8405_30ba8f-7b wp-block-kadence-advancedheading" id="work-environment">Edo&#8217;s Work Environment</h2>



<p>We asked Edo for a view into his development life and this is what he sent!</p>


	<div class="hotspots-image-container">
		<img alt="Edo&#8217;s Desk" class="hotspots-image skip-lazy" height="1536" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/edo-work-area.webp" width="2048" />
	</div>




<p class="has--font-size">HeroPress would like to thank <a href="https://wpdrawattention.com/">Draw Attention</a> for their donation of the plugin to make this interactive image!</p>
</div>
<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/finding-autonomy-through-wordpress/">Finding autonomy through WordPress</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12:"Edo Begagić";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"Open Channels FM: How Instant Access to Information Has Changed Patience and Learning";s:7:"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:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=115203";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/how-instant-access-to-information-has-changed-patience-and-learning/";s: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:188:"A reflection on the internet's impact on patience and learning. It highlights how instant answers have reshaped our experiences, often sacrificing depth for speed in knowledge acquisition.";s: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, 24 Feb 2026 13:01:57 +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:8:"Bob Dunn";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"Open Channels FM: Start With Content, Even If the Plan Is Messy";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/?p=1492852";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"https://openchannels.fm/start-with-content-even-if-the-plan-is-messy/";s: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:90:"The worst thing you can do is wait until everything is perfect before publishing anything.";s: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, 23 Feb 2026 09:44:17 +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:8:"Bob Dunn";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"Matt: Claude &amp;amp; Sonos";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"https://ma.tt/?p=151297";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://ma.tt/2026/02/claude-sonos/";s: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:1795:"<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tonight was one of my most surreal Claude Code Sundays. To make a long story short, I pointed Claude Code at my <a href="https://www.sonos.com/">Sonos</a> setup in Houston: &#8220;All 29 Sonos speakers were running on WiFi with SonosNet completely disabled. They had accumulated ~89 million dropped packets across the system. That packet loss is why groups kept falling apart &#8211; Sonos grouping requires tight sync between speakers, and the WiFi was too congested to deliver it.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We had a wild rollercoaster where at one point it bricked several of my devices (green LED), got mixed up on some groupings being a home theater, and sent me all around the house plugging things in to ethernet or not. At one point, I was certain I&#8217;d have to redo everything from scratch. Then we came back and everything worked, I asked, &#8220;What song should we play to celebrate this accomplishment?&#8221;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Ha &#8211; has to be &#8220;The Chain&#8221; by Fleetwood Mac. Seems fitting given we just spent the evening fixing one. Want me to queue it up on the Gym/Office?</p>
</blockquote>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It then failed horribly at trying to play that song, then, because it thought the speakers were re-meshing, it tried to play it on outdoor speakers, which would have surprised my neighbors at midnight. I ended up picking the song manually, and I must say it&#8217;s quite nice. I see why it&#8217;s easy to fall in love with these things, because the variable positive reinforcement slot machine cowboy hacking is honestly more fun than if it had just gotten it right on the first try.</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, 23 Feb 2026 07:58:57 +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: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:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"Gutenberg Times: Interactivity API, WordPress 7.0 Beta and Telex updates — Weekend Edition 358";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=44400";s:7:"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://gutenbergtimes.com/interactivity-api-wordpress-7-0-beta-and-telex-updates-weekend-edition-358/";s: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:18691:"<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Greetings from snow-covered Munich — or at least it was when we left Friday for Salzburg, Austria, with a one-hour delay after our locomotive engineer got caught in the city&#8217;s snow-induced chaos. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Have a fabulous weekend! </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Yours, <img alt="💕" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f495.png" style="height: 1em;" /><br /><em>Birgit</em></p>





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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This week, <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2026/02/wordpress-7-0-beta-1/"><strong>WordPress 7.0 Beta 1</strong></a> is ready for your testing on a staging or local site, please, not your live site. You can jump in via the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester plugin,</a> a direct zip download, WP-CLI, or instantly through <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?php=8.3&amp;wp=beta&amp;networking=no&amp;language=&amp;multisite=no&amp;random=r8nny4q18x">WordPress Playground</a> in your browser. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The most important feature coming to WordPress 7.0 is real-time collaboration, when more than one person can edit a post or page. Even for a single-person blogger this might be helpful when the proofreading buddy and the photographer can also be involved in editing different parts of a post. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The final release is scheduled for April 9, 2026. Bugs go to the Alpha/Beta support forums or Trac — your testing genuinely shapes what ships. The release post also has an overview of the other features coming to WordPress 7.0, there are quite a lot. </p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v22.6.0-rc.1">Gutenberg 22.6 RC1</a> </strong>is also available for testing. Once released it introduces a new Icon block, lightbox support for the Gallery block (a personal favorite of mine), and renames the Verse block to Poetry. Next to improvements to the Navigation overlay and block visibility controls, it also features a new approach to revisions with visual change tracking and block awareness. The final release is planned for February 25, 2026.</p>



<div class="wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><img alt="🎙" class="wp-smiley" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f399.png" style="height: 1em;" /> The latest episode is <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-127-wordpress-7-0-beta/">Gutenberg Changelog #127 – WordPress 7.0 Beta and Gutenberg 22.6</a> with special guest <strong>Jessica Lyschik</strong>, senior developer at Greyd</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-style-no-vertical-margin"><img alt="Jessica Lyschik and Birgit Pauli-Haack recording Gutenberg changelog episode number 127" class="wp-image-44548" height="184" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-27-at-12.47.56.png?resize=652%2C184&#038;ssl=1" width="652" /></figure>


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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Content for AI is a hot topic for news sites, especially since they rely on those ad views and sponsored posts, and AI is pulling snippets from their content. It’s a tough situation, and many sites are working hard to keep AI bots from crawling their pages. But here’s the thing: AI really loves quality, long-form content. If your site serves up unique, quality stuff for humans, then it&#8217;s also going to catch the attention of AI systems looking to help users with their questions. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If your site fits the bill, <strong>Maddy Osman</strong> has put together <a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2026/02/16/ai-search-engine-optimization-wordpress/"><strong>9 Steps to Prepare Your WordPress Site for AI Search Engines</strong></a> as a practical guide for the era of ChatGPT and Google&#8217;s AI Mode. The good news: WordPress already has most of what AI systems need. You&#8217;ll learn to write answer-first content, use structured blocks, add schema markup, and manage your <code>robots.txt</code> — small, actionable tweaks that help your site surface in both traditional and AI-generated search results.</p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong> built a plugin for block theme to manage beautiful sticky header variations. He demos it in the video <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcLu9sRg1U4">This Sticky Header Trick Makes WordPress Sites Look Incredible!</a></strong> If you are interested in the free plugin you get it on the <a href="https://www.pootlepress.com/sticky/">website</a>.</p>


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<div class="ng-block-ecd605bada713dab wp-block-newsletterglue-container ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div class="ng-block-vs ng-block-vs-1" colspan="3" height="0" style="height: 0px;"></div></div><div><div class="ng-block-hs ng-block-hs-1" height="0" style="width: 0px;"></div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: none; color: #666666; background-color: #fdfcea; border-radius: 12px;"><div class="ng-block-29f323f3d311d7a4 wp-block-newsletterglue-text ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: none; color: #666666;"><p><strong> <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg—Index &#8211; Index 2025&#8221;</a> </strong><br />A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2024 on. Updated by yours truly. </p></div></div></div></div>

<div class="ng-block-7b0c8046403c55f5 wp-block-newsletterglue-text ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: none; color: #666666;"><p>The previous years are also available: <br /><strong><strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/">2020</a> | <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2021/">2021</a></strong> | <strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2022/">2022</a></strong></strong> | <strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/gutenberg-index-2023">2023</a></strong> | <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/gutenberg-index-2024/"><strong>2024</strong></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="ng-block-hs ng-block-hs-2" height="0" style="width: 0px;"></div></div><div><div class="ng-block-vs ng-block-vs-2" colspan="3" height="0" style="height: 0px;"></div></div></div></div>


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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Carolina Nymark</strong> published two companion lessons on her Full Site Editing resource site. The <strong><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/block-bindings-api/">Block Bindings API guide</a> </strong>walks you through connecting dynamic data—post meta, custom sources, and more—to core blocks like paragraphs, images, and buttons, potentially saving you from building custom blocks altogether. In her <a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/block-hooks-api/"><strong>Block Hooks API lesson</strong></a>, she shows you how plugins can automatically insert blocks into templates and patterns using PHP filters, with practical examples including WooCommerce and context-aware placement.</p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the latest article on the WordPress Developer, I show you exactly <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2026/02/how-to-add-custom-entries-to-the-editor-preview-dropdown/"><strong>How to add custom entries to the editor Preview dropdown</strong></a>. Using the <code>PluginPreviewMenuItem</code> component from <code>@wordpress/editor</code>, you can extend the Preview menu with your own options — the tutorial walks you through building a &#8220;Social Card Preview&#8221; to show how to add an entry and serve up a modal for content. </p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Paulo Carvajal</strong> dives deep into <a href="https://wp-block-editor.com/building-dynamic-lists-and-collections-with-data-wp-each/"><strong>Building Dynamic Lists and Collections with data-wp-each</strong></a> on WP Block Editor. The <code>data-wp-each</code> directive from the Interactivity API lets you build reactive lists — product catalogues, task lists, feeds — that update automatically when state changes, no manual DOM manipulation needed. You&#8217;ll learn how to coordinate PHP server-side rendering with JavaScript-derived state and implement advanced patterns like filtering, sorting, and pagination following WordPress best practices.</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Ryan Welcher</strong> gave a talk at <em>WordCamp Sofia</em> titled <strong><a href="https://wordpress.tv/2026/02/14/from-static-to-dynamic-mastering-the-interactivity-api/">From Static to Dynamic: Mastering the Interactivity APIn the Interactivity API</a>.</strong> With the arrival of the <strong>I</strong>nteractivity API, WordPress offers a native, declarative way to add client-side behavior to blocks using directives like <code>data-wp-on–click</code>, <code>data-wp-bind</code>, and <code>data-wp-context</code>. Developers can define reactive behavior, state management, and side effects—all while staying in the WordPress stack. The talk&#8217;s recording just appeared on WordPressTV. It&#8217;s a well-rounded introduction to the Interactivity API with real-life examples.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="ai-and-wordpress">AI and WordPress</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Semiha Kocer</strong> shares the latest <strong><a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2026/02/19/february-telex-updates/">Telex updates</a> </strong>from WordPress.com&#8217;s AI-powered block creation tool, launched last August. The two headline features are </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>upload reference images</strong> — a Figma mockup, a screenshot, or even a napkin sketch — alongside your prompt to guide complex layouts.</li>



<li><strong>download your block</strong>, edit it in your favorite code editor, and bring it back into Telex seamlessly.</li>
</ul>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This week, <strong>Jonathan Bossenger</strong> explored the <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCS6WExmCYQ">WordPress Studio MCP</a> </strong>server, which connects WordPress Studio with AI tools via MCP. He set up MCP in VS Code and then used an AI agent to generate a custom block theme for a small coffee shop selling beans and accessories.</p>


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<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Ray Morey</strong> reported on WordPress.com&#8217;s launches of a <a href="https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-com-launches-built-in-ai-assistant-that-works-in-editor-media-library-and-notes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Built-In AI Assistant That Works in Editor, Media Library, and Notes</strong></a>. She notes that in the block editor, users can make plain-language requests — adjust layouts, swap color palettes, rewrite copy — and see changes render in real time. Notes users can tag &#8220;@ai&#8221; for fact-checks or edits, and the media library gets image generation and editing too. Morey adds that the feature, powered by <em>Google&#8217;s Nano Banana</em> models, is available on Business and Commerce plans.</p>


<div class="ng-block-1241249e133f5764 wp-block-newsletterglue-container ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div class="ng-block-vs ng-block-vs-1" colspan="3" height="0" style="height: 0px;"></div></div><div><div class="ng-block-hs ng-block-hs-1" height="0" style="width: 0px;"></div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: none; color: #666666; background-color: #f8f8f8; border-radius: 8px;"><div class="ng-block-3df0f8eb87e8fb91 wp-block-newsletterglue-text ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: none; color: #666666;"><p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review.</p></div></div></div></div>

<div class="ng-block-9e3425f48f8b825b wp-block-newsletterglue-image ng-block size-full is-resized" width="100%"><div><div><div align="center" class="ng-block-td" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px;"><a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/playnightly.json"><img alt="" class="wp-image-42874 ng-image" height="45" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-12.06.44.png?resize=196%2C45&#038;ssl=1" style="border-style: none; border-color: transparent;" width="196" /></a></div></div></div></div>

<div class="ng-block-857a117d53fd7a8a wp-block-newsletterglue-text ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: none; color: #666666;"><p>Now also available via <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/playnightly.json">WordPress Playground</a>. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">Email me </a>with your experience.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="ng-block-hs ng-block-hs-2" height="0" style="width: 0px;"></div></div><div><div class="ng-block-vs ng-block-vs-2" colspan="3" height="0" style="height: 0px;"></div></div></div></div>


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



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



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


<div class="ng-block-db9acbb432e60410 wp-block-newsletterglue-separator ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="center" class="ng-block-td" style="padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; color: #666666;"><hr style="background-color: transparent; color: transparent; margin: 0; border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #666666; width: 560px; height: 0;" /></div></div></div></div>

<div class="wp-block-newsletterglue-showhide ng-block" width="100%"><div class="ng-block-dd7038507e8e862b wp-block-newsletterglue-text ng-block" style="color: #666666;" width="100%"><div><div><div align="none" class="ng-block-td" style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: 0.2; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: none; color: #666666;"><p><strong>Featured Image: </strong></p></div></div></div></div></div>




<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:52:42 +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:18:"Birgit Pauli-Haack";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"Matt: WordPress, AI, plugins, future of software engineering";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"https://ma.tt/?p=151285";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://ma.tt/2026/02/wp-ai/";s: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:7054:"<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Yesterday <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6AjnlGMIaQ">I was on the WP-Tonic podcast</a>, and my colleague Adrian Laboş did a great summary of the key points, which I&#8217;ll share here:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>AI security audit wave incoming</strong>: Expect AI tools to flood WordPress core and the 70,000+ plugin ecosystem with both improvements and newly discovered security vulnerabilities, requiring infrastructure to triage at scale.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Avoid vibe-coding compliance surfaces</strong>: For payments, fraud, and regulated commerce flows, prioritize battle-tested WooCommerce and vetted extensions over bespoke AI-generated code.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Reposition plugins around durable differentiation</strong>: If AI collapses “nice-to-have” features (e.g., basic image manipulation), shift value to workflow ownership, integrations, compliance, performance, and support.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Agencies gain leverage, not obsolescence</strong>: AI tools give motivated technical people 10-100x capability increases, meaning agencies can serve existing clients far better rather than being replaced by DIY site builders.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sell outcomes, not hours, as an agency</strong>: Client expectations will compress delivery timelines; adapt pricing to value-based packaging and use AI internally to raise throughput and QA coverage.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Design for agentic usability</strong>: Strengthen APIs, WP-CLI, and machine-friendly interfaces so personal agents can safely operate WordPress tasks without brittle UI automation.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>WordPress Playground enables AI verification</strong>: Spinning up fully containerized WordPress instances in 20-45 seconds inside browsers allows AI to test code across 20+ environments simultaneously, fundamentally changing plugin compatibility testing.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Benchmark AI outputs against WordPress-specific evals</strong>: Adopt WordPress block, plugin, and site-generation evaluations to catch “small file” failures (readme, headers, packaging) that break deployments.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Prioritize compatibility testing by real-world co-install patterns</strong>: Reduce factorial plugin-combination risk by sampling tests based on which plugins are commonly used together and automating those paths.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Plugin directory needs editorial curation</strong>: With submissions accelerating toward 100,000+ plugins, WordPress will introduce editorial spotlights on newer plugins with excellent code/design to balance discoverability with marketplace openness.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Improve plugin discoverability without freezing innovation</strong>: Curate “trusted” and “high quality” signals while preserving pathways for new entrants to earn distribution through measurable excellence.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Plan for uneven economic diffusion</strong>: Even with today’s models, enterprise adoption lags consumer usage; build internal enablement and governance now so teams can scale impact as tooling matures.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Learning to learn beats domain expertise</strong>: When advising students/parents, the most future-proof skills are curiosity-driven learning, command of language, and study of classics/philosophy/ethics rather than specific technical domains.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>WordPress 7.0 promises AI integration</strong>: The upcoming release will feature “lots of fun AI stuff” and represents one of the most exciting technology years in Matt’s career since starting in the industry.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I had no idea that <a href="https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-code-security">today Anthropic would release their security thing that does exactly what I said</a>.</p>



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



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The best thing you&#8217;ll read about AI engineering today is <a href="https://www.modular.com/blog/the-claude-c-compiler-what-it-reveals-about-the-future-of-software">Chris Lattner&#8217;s take on Claude&#8217;s C compiler implementation</a>. To steal Techmeme&#8217;s headline: &#8220;Claude&#8217;s C Compiler shows AI elevates the role of human judgment and vision; it&#8217;s a milestone, but closely mirrors LLVM/GCC, and hard codes things to pass tests.&#8221; The entire post is important, but this paragraph is particuluarly profound:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"> As writing code is becoming easier, designing software becomes more important than ever. As custom software becomes cheaper to create, the real challenge becomes choosing the right problems and managing the resulting complexity. I also see big open questions about who is going to maintain all this software.</p>
</blockquote>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To bring this back to WordPress: While I was in another meeting today, Claude Code with Opus 4.6 completed a cleanroom implementation of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/">ACF plugin</a> in about 45 minutes. It was about to go off and implement all the pro features, but I stopped it because it would be a tremendous waste of tokens. The entire point of open source is collaborating on a shared goal rather than reinventing the wheel every time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We&#8217;ve seen a slow version of this play out over the past decade, where every single web host that offers WordPress also spun up some sort of proprietary website or ecommerce builder. Bless their hearts. None has caused Shopify any lost nights of sleep. With countless person-years of development and who knows how many tens or hundreds of millions of dollars spent, I think we can now safely say that all of these efforts have had at most a marginal impact on their businesses, while the benefits of WordPress have continued to compound. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The thought experiment of whether <a href="https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/">those same resources had been used to make WordPress better</a> is left as an exercise for the reader.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It does mean that competition is fiercer. You have to differentiate yourself on performance, customer service, reliability, design—things that are hard, but that&#8217;s capitalism.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It&#8217;s really important that <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/">in the plugin directory</a>, we figure out how to make it easier for people to collaborate and build things together, rather than make a thousand versions of the same thing.</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, 21 Feb 2026 00:04:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 7.0 Beta 1";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=19908";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://wordpress.org/news/2026/02/wordpress-7-0-beta-1/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15410:"<p class="wp-block-paragraph">WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing! <strong>This beta release is intended for testing and development</strong> only. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, use a test environment or local site to explore the new features.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to Test WordPress 7.0 Beta 1</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You can test WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 in any of the following ways:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Plugin</strong></td><td>Install and activate the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin on a WordPress install. (Select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream.)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Direct Download</strong></td><td>Download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-7.0-beta1.zip">Beta 1 version (zip)</a> and install it on a WordPress website.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Command Line</strong></td><td>Use this <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/cli/">WP-CLI</a> command: <code>wp core update --version=7.0-beta1</code></td></tr><tr><td><strong>WordPress Playground</strong></td><td>Use a <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?php=8.3&amp;wp=beta&amp;networking=no&amp;language=&amp;multisite=no&amp;random=r8nny4q18x">7.0 Beta 1 WordPress Playground instance</a> to test the software directly in your browser. No setup required &#8211; just click and go!</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The scheduled final release date for WordPress 7.0 is <strong>April 9, 2026</strong>. The full <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/02/12/wordpress-7-0-release-party-schedule/">release schedule can be found here</a>. Your help testing Beta and RC versions is vital to making this release as stable and powerful as possible. Thank you to everyone who contributes by testing!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How important is your testing?</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute &#8211; whether or not you have experience. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2026/02/20/help-test-wordpress-7-0/">Details on what to test in WordPress 7.0 are available here</a>.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you encounter an issue, please share it in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">Alpha/Beta area</a> of the support forums. If you are comfortable submitting a reproducible bug report, you can do so <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">via WordPress Trac</a>. You can also check your issue against this list of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">known bugs</a>.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Curious about testing releases in general and how to get started? Follow along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">testing initiatives in Make Core</a> and join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-test/">#core-test channel</a> on <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/">Making WordPress Slack</a>. WordPress 7.0 will include new features that were previously only available in the Gutenberg plugin. Learn more about Gutenberg updates since WordPress 6.9 in the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/gutenberg-new/">What’s New in Gutenberg</a> posts for versions <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11/05/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-0-05-november/">22.0</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11/20/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-1-18-november-2025/">22.1</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/12/03/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-2-dec3/">22.2</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/12/17/gutenberg-22-3-december-17/">22.3</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/01/22/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-4-20-january/">22.4</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/02/04/whats-new-in-gutenberg-22-5-04-february/">22.5</a> &amp; 22.6.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What’s new in WordPress 7.0?</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">WordPress 7.0 boasts numerous upgrades in the editing and admin experience, delivering enhanced real time collaboration, refined customizability, new dashboard styles, and an expanded developer toolbox for people who create, design, and build with WordPress every day.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Working as a team just got easier with the ability for multiple users to edit together in real time, while visual revisions allow a visual comparison between page versions, adding agility to the creation and review process. Working with patterns has been simplified, making layout updates and content changes more intuitive, while view transitions smoothly move you from screen to screen as you click.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">New and improved blocks and design features in 7.0 make sites more customizable, with video embed backgrounds in the Cover block, a responsive-enabled Grid block, and new Icons, Breadcrumbs and Heading blocks. An updated Navigation block makes menu changes easier and more reliable in fewer steps. Responsive, mobile-friendly controls in 7.0 allow you to hide or reveal blocks based on screen size, while client-side media handling speeds up media processing. The Font Library screen for managing installed fonts is now enabled for all themes, so site editors are always able to browse, install, and organize fonts. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For developers, it’s now easier to build modern experiences while staying aligned with Core principles. The new WP AI Client in WordPress 7.0 brings a layer into Core that allows leveraging of AI models from any provider within the WordPress framework. This means plugins and themes can tap into any AI model to expound on its endless options. 7.0 offers even more versatility with the Client Side Abilities API that introduces a standardized way to register and run “abilities” in the browser, supporting richer, more consistent workflows. Additionally, 7.0 introduces PHP-only block registration with auto-generated inspector controls, adding a new dimension to block creation, while Block Bindings updates for pattern overrides expands support to custom dynamic blocks, giving block creators more options.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Needless to say, this release offers a wide range of flexibility to creators, teams and developers, while bringing a visual refresh to the admin experience you know and love with a fresh default style.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Work together in real time</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Building on the momentum started in WordPress 6.9, the ability for teams to create and edit together is more refined and robust in 7.0. With this version of WordPress multiple users can edit and collaborate on the same post or page in real time, with data syncing and stabilized notes for smoother teamwork and a more streamlined editing and review process.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Real Time Collaboration: Teams can now edit posts and pages together live from multiple locations, with offline editing and data syncing enabled, and a new default HTTP polling sync provider with options for plugins or hosts to include websocket support. With this collaborative content creation workflow, teams can brainstorm more effectively and boost productivity. For the beta period, real-time collaboration is opt-in in order to get broader feedback and testing.</li>



<li>Notes: 7.0 introduces real time syncing of notes that helps facilitate collaboration, a keyboard shortcut for new notes, and a series of quality-focused fixes that bring more stability to the Notes feature.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Refined Admin Experience</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">WordPress 7.0 gives the wp-admin experience a boost with a fresh default color scheme, and a cleaner, more modern looking dashboard, while keeping the interface familiar. The upgraded dashboard enhances the editing experience with new visual revision comparisons, and smooth transitioning between screens.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Visual Revisions: Working with revisions is even better in 7.0 with the added ability to make visual comparisons to revision versions within the editor.</li>



<li>View transitions: Cross-document view transitions in the dashboard offer visual continuity with seamless movement from screen to screen.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Customizing content with ease</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Creators have more flexibility in 7.0 with new tools for content and design, enhanced editing controls, and attention to mobile friendliness. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Responsive Editing Mode: Block visibility is now more responsive and mobile-friendly, with the ability for blocks to be displayed or hidden based on screen size. </li>



<li>Pattern Editing and contentOnly interactivity: WordPress 7.0 introduces pattern-level editing modes, a tree view for buttons and list blocks, and the ability to opt out of the default content only mode. The new Spotlight mode helps you isolate content in patterns and notes, while the Isolated Editor mode can be used for editing symbols and reusable pieces like synced patterns, template parts, or navigation. </li>



<li>Block supports and design tools: 7.0 includes text line indent support, text column support, aspect ratios for wide and full images, dimension width and height support, and dimension presets, tools and controls.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New blocks and design options at your fingertips</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">7.0 delivers a series of new and improved blocks and block features, a streamlined navigation workflow, and more versatile design options like video embeds as section backgrounds.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Navigation Block: Navigation workflow is now more intuitive and clear, with improved editing and presentation. 7.0 introduces customizable navigation overlays as template parts, including mobile version overlays that can be hidden or revealed based on custom breakpoint settings. </li>



<li>Heading Block: Heading levels are now available as block variations, giving more control over page hierarchy and design.</li>



<li>New blocks: 7.0 makes building pages more diverse with new Breadcrumbs and Icons blocks.</li>



<li>Cover block embedded videos: Video embeds can now be used as a background in the cover block, opening up opportunities for sleeker and more creative designs.</li>



<li>The Grid block is now responsive-enabled allowing grid-based layouts to adapt more smoothly across screen sizes.</li>



<li>The Gallery block now has lightbox support that lets the user click through and view each gallery image.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Developer&#8217;s toolbox</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Working with WordPress on the backend is now more robust for developers, with new and enhanced API features that support flexibility and lay a foundation for future advancements. The Client Side Abilities API provides a client-side registry for WordPress capabilities that allows you to tap into new and innovative website options. WordPress 7.0 offers even more by introducing the Web Client AI API to Core, enabling access to generative AI models in one central interface.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Web Client AI API: The new AI client and API acts as a command center for accessing and communicating with generative AI models, with providers remaining external to WordPress Core, and Abilities API integration.</li>



<li>Abilities and Workflows API: With the new client side abilities package users have access to new and hybrid abilities, filter and search functionality for abilities, and an improved command palette and UI.</li>



<li>Blocks and patterns created on the server: WordPress 7.0 boasts the ability for PHP-only blocks and patterns to be generated server-side and auto-registered with the Block API.</li>



<li>DataForm: Introducing a new details layout, new controls (combobox, adaptiveSelect), and updated trigger for panel layout (dedicated edit button). Additionally, the initial iteration for validation is complete: all controls have support, and all layouts display error messages.</li>



<li>DataViews: DataViews has a new activity layout, and a foundation has been laid to be able to register 3rd party types in future releases.</li>



<li>CodeMirror update: CodeMirror has been updated to version 5.65.40, aiding more flexible extensibility and library options.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Media processing in the browser</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">WordPress 7.0 introduces Client-side media processing, leveraging the browser&#8217;s capabilities to handle tasks, like image resizing and compression, for smoother image processing. This enables the use of more advanced image formats and compression techniques, and reduces demand on the web server; providing a more efficient media handling process for both new and existing content, and supporting smoother media workflows.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With so many options and enhancements in WordPress 7.0 Beta 1, this is still only the beginning. You can expect future releases to be even better.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Just for you: a Beta 1 haiku:</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>As sun kisses moon</em>,</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Beta 1 ignites in bloom</em>&#8230;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Seven-oh lands soon</em>.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph"><em>Props to <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ellatrix/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>ellatrix</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>jeffpaul</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/annezazu/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>annezazu</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/chaion07/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>chaion07</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/zunaid321/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>zunaid321</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>audrasjb</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mukesh27/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>mukesh27</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/ankit-k-gupta/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>ankit-k-gupta</a></em>, <em><a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/oandregal/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>oandregal</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>westonruter</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>karmatosed</a>, <a class="mention" href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>bph</a> for reviewing and collaborating on this post!</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:39:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Amy Kamala";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"WordCamp Central: Introducing WordCamp Mukono 2026: Sustainable Growth, Building a Lasting WordPress Future";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:40:"https://central.wordcamp.org/?p=13715228";s:7:"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:130:"https://central.wordcamp.org/news/2026/02/introducing-wordcamp-mukono-2026-sustainable-growth-building-a-lasting-wordpress-future/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8074:"<p>The WordPress community in Uganda is pleased to introduce <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/"><strong>WordCamp Mukono 2026</strong></a>, scheduled for <strong>March 13 &amp; 14, 2026</strong>, at <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/venue/"><strong>Murs Country Resort, Kigunga</strong></a>, in Mukono, Uganda.</p>



<p>Guided by the theme <strong>“Sustainable Growth &#8211; Building a Lasting WordPress Future,”</strong> WordCamp Mukono 2026 will bring together over 300 attendees including WordPress users, contributors, code wranglers, developers, designers, educators, and business owners to explore how sustainable practices can strengthen the WordPress project, local communities, and the broader open-source ecosystem.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A Focus on Sustainability and Long-Term Impact</strong></h3>



<p>The 2026 theme reflects a growing emphasis within the WordPress project on sustainability not only in technology, but also in people, communities, and contribution pathways. Sessions and discussions will focus on:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-174" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2025/11/DSC_2001-1024x683.jpg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-231" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2025/11/000-1024x683.jpg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-343" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2025/12/student-1024x768.webp" /></figure>
</figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Sustainable WordPress businesses and client practices</li>



<li>Long-term community building and leadership development</li>



<li>Performance, security, and maintainable WordPress solutions</li>



<li>Inclusive contribution and mentorship in open source</li>



<li>Content, accessibility, and responsible digital publishing</li>



<li>AI tools and practices for both individuals and businesses</li>



<li>An Educational track for Students and Educators</li>
</ul>



<p>The program is designed to support both new and experienced WordPress users, offering practical insights alongside opportunities for deeper engagement with the WordPress project.</p>



<p>This year includes a lot of Community building activities, programs and strategies to support and grow open source communities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Strengthening the Local and Regional WordPress Community</strong></h3>



<p>WordCamp Mukono has become a key gathering point for WordPress users in Mukono, Uganda, and the wider East African region. The 2026 event continues this trajectory by prioritizing local voices, first-time speakers, and contributors who are actively growing WordPress adoption through education, translation, support, and community leadership.</p>



<p>By hosting the event in Mukono, the organizing team reinforces WordPress’s mission to democratize publishing and ensure that open-source opportunities are accessible beyond major urban centers.</p>



<p>WordCamp Mukono 2026 will be hosted at the spacious and prestigious <a href="https://murscountryresort.com/">Murs Country Resort </a>in Kigunga, Seeta, Mukono Municipality. The venue offers a variety of amenities and services that make it a beautiful home for WordCamp Mukono.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accommodation Options at WordCamp Mukono</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4714" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/img7-1024x683.jpg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4674" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/IMG_8657-1024x768.jpeg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4659" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/IMG_8672-1024x768.jpeg" /></figure>
</figure>



<p>WordCamp Mukono has spoken to several hotels and Accommodation options around the Host venue including the host venue itself and Accommodations have been made available for all attendees. </p>



<p>Details have been shared on the website. Feel free to secure your pick as you see fit.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4692" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/IMG_8641-1024x768.jpeg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4720" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/736470384.jpg" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4667" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/02/IMG_8663-1024x768.jpeg" /></figure>
</figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>An Official, Community-Led WordPress Event</strong></h3>



<p>WordCamp Mukono 2026 is an official <a href="https://central.wordcamp.org/">WordPress event</a>, organized by a dedicated team of local volunteers and run as a non-profit. Like all WordCamps, the event is built on the principles of openness, inclusivity, and collaboration.</p>



<p>Over two days, attendees will participate in talks, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to foster meaningful connections and long-term contributions to WordPress.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Get Involved</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-3221" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/01/Patrick.webp" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-436" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/01/Arthur.webp" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-4290" src="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/files/2026/01/desire.webp" /></figure>
</figure>



<p>Calls for <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/call-for-speakers/"><strong>speakers</strong></a> are open to any one with a brilliant idea they would want to share<strong>, </strong>and the <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/call-for-sponsors/"><strong>sponsor</strong></a> call is also open. An event of this magnitude can only be made possible by the many generous individuals who contribute to open source and community initiatives. The volunteer call is now closed, and the event is already taking shape.</p>



<p><a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/tickets/"><strong>Ticket Sales</strong></a> are now open for this great experience and are the main talk on the streets. Community members from Uganda, the East African region, and beyond are encouraged to take part and contribute to an event focused on building a sustainable future for WordPress. Have no excuse! <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/tickets/">Book </a>your space now!</p>



<p>Community partners are also allowed to sponsor people to get this great experience by buying a ticket for them. Sponsoring them fully or partially. <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/contact/">Contact </a>the Team for details</p>



<p>More details can be found on the official WordCamp Mukono <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/">website </a>and on WordCamp.org as they become available. Kindly also check the <a href="https://mukono.wordcamp.org/2026/news/">Blog Section</a> for live updates on the event.</p>



<p></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:48:51 +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:21:"Moses Cursor Ssebunya";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"Open Channels FM: Communicating Transparently Around Challenges";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/?p=1487435";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/communicating-transparently-around-challenges/";s: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:88:"Communication isn’t just about communicating around the good things, the shiny things.";s: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, 20 Feb 2026 09:33:38 +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:8:"Bob Dunn";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"Open Channels FM: How AI Is Changing the Way Developers Work";s:7:"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:33:"https://openchannels.fm/?p=115157";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/how-ai-is-changing-the-way-developers-work/";s: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:176:"The rise of AI tools is revitalizing programming for developers, making coding enjoyable, but also increasing workload and emphasizing the need for visibility in contributions.";s: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, 19 Feb 2026 14:58:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"Bob Dunn";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: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:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:97:"Open Channels FM: An Inside Look at Building Consistent Brand Experience in the Digital Ecosystem";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/?p=1650103";s:7:"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://openchannels.fm/an-inside-look-at-building-consistent-brand-experience-in-the-digital-ecosystem/";s: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:242:"In this episode, Adam Weeks interviews Jessica Malamud, who discusses Elementor's significant rebranding efforts to better reflect its innovation and community engagement, focusing on elements like design, storytelling, and brand consistency.";s: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, 19 Feb 2026 11:04:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"Bob Dunn";s:7:"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";a:9:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:20:37 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:00:22 GMT";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:16:"content-encoding";s:4:"gzip";s:7:"alt-svc";s:19:"h3=":443"; ma=86400";s:4:"x-nc";s:9:"HIT ord 1";}s:5:"build";i:1764794488;s:21:"cache_expiration_time";i:1773328835;s:23:"__cache_expiration_time";i:1773328835;}