As my 2 weeks as a guest writer at The Tavern wind down, I thought y’all might be curious to hear some of my reflections on the experience. As James wrote, bringing 7 writers in for 2-week stints is kind Continue reading Reflections on My 2 Weeks Writing for The Tavern
As you likely know, WordPress software powers 46% of all websites on the Internet. I thought it would be fun to dive a bit deeper and note some trends that affect the WP community. WordPress powers 46% of all websites Continue reading Surprising Tech Trends in WordPress and Beyond
There’s something in the water at Automattic, and I don’t think it just started with Matt Mullenweg’s “samattical“. The last few months have seen a number of interesting changes across the company and its approach to the broader WordPress community. Continue reading Automattic Doubles Down on the Developer Community
Today I embarked on a mission to figure out which WP.org themes are used the most and why. As you likely know, “Top 5” lists, as a rule, are generally very opinionated and based on fuzzy assumptions and non-standard use Continue reading Which WP Theme is Best? Fun With Theme Download Stats
What do you get when you put a handful of outspoken WordPress developers, agencies, product owners, and community advocates on a video call with both the Lead Architect and the Product Owner of the entire Gutenberg project? Hopefully progress. Matt Continue reading Gutenberg’s Project Leadership Sits Down with New Outreach Team to Discuss Problems with the Site Editor
Around three years ago, I was at a crossroads. I had spent nearly my entire adult life and most of my professional career within the WordPress space. However, the responsibilities of being a solo theme/plugin shop owner were like a Continue reading A Farewell from Justin Tadlock
Gutenberg 13.2 was released earlier today. While much of the developer community is gearing up for the WordPress 6.0 release in two weeks, work continues steadily on the plugin, driving future updates. The latest release is not as hefty on Continue reading Gutenberg 13.2 Adds Persistent User Preferences and a Visualizer for Margin and Padding Controls
And another theme shop hops on the block bandwagon. Catch Themes’ first block-based theme, Catch FSE, landed on WordPress.org over the weekend. The company is one of the most prolific authors in the official WordPress theme directory, touting a total Continue reading Catch FSE Is a Bold, Business-Friendly WordPress Block Theme
WordPress 6.0 has several new features that should make any extender happy about building on top of the platform. However, one of the more advanced tools is the ability to lock blocks, which can be used to prevent specific blocks Continue reading WordPress 6.0 To Ship New Block Locking Feature
Round #14 of the FSE Outreach program is now open to the public. Anne McCarthy, who oversees the program, calls for testers to build a recipe post using existing tools like the template editor and some new and experimental blocks. Continue reading FSE Outreach #14: Building Recipe Posts With Lists and Quotes
One of the features that I have long wanted for WordPress has been on my mind lately. It is not a new idea, and it has been implemented in some form or fashion by plugin and theme authors in the Continue reading WordPress Should Support Featured Images for Categories, Users, and More
Kevin Batdorf released the Image Filters plugin for WordPress yesterday. It is a block that allows users to select from curated list of filters and apply it to their images. Batdorf is the creator of one of my favorite “fun” Continue reading The Image Filters Plugin Adds Over 20 Filters, Including Vintage, Pastel Pink, and More
I have been raving about the power of patterns for what feels like forever at this point. And, just when I start wondering what this feature will look like next, someone surprises me with a new idea. Often that person Continue reading Gutenberg Hub Launches an Online Page Builder App Using WordPress Patterns
Gutenberg 13.1 landed in the WordPress plugin directory earlier today. Not quite as heavy on the feature list as its predecessor, the update focuses more on improvements and bug fixes. The highlight of the release is the overhauled border design Continue reading Gutenberg 13.1 Ships a Batch of Improvements and Implements a New Border Design Component
It is no secret that I have been excited about global style variations. The upcoming feature will allow theme designers to bundle multiple design presets. In turn, end-users can cycle through them, selecting their preferred look without changing their active Continue reading A Look at Twenty Twenty-Two’s Upcoming Global Style Variations
A couple of weeks ago, Munir Kamal updated his Block Slider plugin for WordPress. While not as popular as some of the other projects he has spearheaded, such as Editor Plus, he wanted to breathe some fresh life into it. Continue reading Munir Kamal Updates and Overhauls the Block Slider Plugin
I built four block plugins last week. It was not something I had set out to do. I did not wake up one day and declare, “I think I will build a suite of custom block types over the next Continue reading Failure and Learning: My Experience Building 4 Block Plugins in a Week
Anyone who has been watching or participating in the development of the web fonts API can attest that it has been an emotional rollercoaster. At one point, it seemed to be a shoo-in for WordPress 5.9. Then, it was punted Continue reading A Pared Back Web Fonts API May Land in WordPress 6.0 or Not at All
Less than a week after launching Block Enhancements, Phi Phan has released another project: Icon Separator. It is a block plugin for creating custom dividers with an SVG icon. “I’ve tried to support icons in the core/separator,” Phan said when Continue reading Phi Phan Launches a Separator Block With an Icon Option
Gutenberg 13.0 landed earlier today in the WordPress plugin directory. It is one of the heftier releases lately, containing the final features that should ship with WordPress 6.0. The more prominent features include multi-block partial text selection, Cover blocks with Continue reading Gutenberg 13.0 Adds Text Selection Across Multiple Blocks, New Stack Group Variation, and Featured Cover Blocks