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A way to escape chronic pain and give a sense of independence, is what using WordPress means for Italian-American Allison Dye. Now as a project manager and social media content manager living in North Carolina, USA, she uses the software in her work and in disability-advocacy.

The People of WordPress series shares inspiring stories of how people’s lives can change for the better through WordPress and its global community of contributors.

Allison was first introduced to WordPress when she was 13 years old. Her parents gave her own WordPress website to use, play, test, and try whatever she wanted with it. Her health issues had started when she was eight years old, and being able to express who she was and learn new skills provided an escape she needed.

My first encounter with WordPress

Allison said: “While the technical aspects of my new WordPress website intrigued me, I was more interested in the space it made for me to write. All throughout my childhood I had struggled with chronic pain, fatigue, and other unexplained symptoms. Having a private world I could call my own, I was able to write my story.”

“There is something truly amazing about having a place to tell your story.”

Allison Dye

Her family faced many doctors, nurse, specialists and hospital visits, but could not get an answer to the difficulties faced by Allison. She said: “I felt like my life and world were out of control. But logging onto my little website and typing away on the computer keys gave me a sense of control. I couldn’t always do things that other kids had the energy to do. But I could get lost in writing for hours. I couldn’t control my life story, but I could write about it.”

She felt it was like writing letters to her future self and would act as a reminder of how strong she had become. Even now when Allison writes on her website, she feels it is writing letters to her past self, expressing reassurance and pride. The practice of writing online continues to help her reflect on how she coped and made it through the difficulties.

WordPress in the real world

Allison hoped her early experiences with hospitals and being unwell was just part of being a child, and that in adulthood she would be healthy. She longed for this time.

Growing up did not bring her this dream of a healthier life and an end to chronic pain. In fact, her condition worsened as she went through her teens and at 18 she finally received a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

This changed what had been conventional job choices, as she was not able to handle a 9 to 5 work schedule. She could not drive herself to work on some days and relied on her mother to help with transport. She knew that she would have to find another way to work and she was determined to find it.

She began writing music and book reviews online, and then moved onto writing blog posts. As they were published she started to receive payment and a sense of power over her life. She said: “WordPress felt familiar, typing on the computer keys felt comfortable, and sharing my words with the world felt surreal.”

Allison’s sense of ownership of the software became part of her strength. “I think I believed WordPress was mine somehow. I was learning that WordPress is something that belongs to everyone in some way. And I loved it.”

Finding work with WordPress

The confidence using the platform gave Allison led her to find more about what it could do and meet other people who used it. She said: “The thing I love about WordPress is that it’s not just for developers or bloggers or SEO experts. I began to meet more people in the community and was delighted to find people like me, who didn’t know the technical stuff, but were a part of WordPress.”

This global community orbiting around the software gave her an opportunity to meet social media managers, designers, and people from many different areas. She found that ‘there was a place for everyone’. The guiding strength and fascination Allison found and still finds today is in that community. Allison said: “The community felt as important as the rest of everything that makes WordPress what it is. It felt like it was about people and relationships as well as codes and databases.”

In 2020, she was hired by a WordPress company. She said: “I like being a part of a WordPress company, and I love that I contribute to a team that helps people with their websites. I understand the importance of having a space that’s yours. Whether it’s a business or personal site, having a website gives you the power of telling your own story.”

WordPress gave Allison a freedom and an independence. She did not have to work a 9 to 5 job, rely on others to drive her on bad days with her MS, nor worry about days when she wanted to stay in her sweatshirts rather than go into an office to work. She said: “I have a 100% remote job which I can do despite the plot twists in my story, thanks to WordPress and the people in it.”

WordPress took Allison into the world of project management for a small agency, and this experience was to help guide her path, skills and confidence into the future. She went on to work in content management in WordPress, building pages for awareness campaigns for non profit organizations and small businesses as a contractor. She helps people update their websites, add and edit content, perform basic updates and help them to learn how to use their sites.

“I tell all my clients to use WordPress because there is really no other solution that can scale as easily for growing organizations and small businesses. I love how WordPress allows them to tell their stories, share their passion, and have a place to call their own on the internet.”

Allison Dye

As a fluent English and Italian speaker, Allison is able to support clients in different countries from where she lives. “I love that with WordPress I’m able to support clients remotely. This is thanks to all of the many WordPress contributors, developers, project managers, content writers, and many, many volunteers that work tirelessly to enable people around the world to use WordPress.”

Allison also became a certified as an English As A Second Language (ESL) teacher. “My affinity for words and languages allows me to teach passionately and creatively. I’m Italian-American and am fluent in English and Italian. Teaching English allows me to share my passion for communication with others.”

Welcomed into the WordPress community

Allison attributes mentors and supporters in the WordPress community for helping her appreciate she really is part of it. Allison recalled: “It felt unreal. I wasn’t a dev, I don’t know how to code, and yet I got to be a part of it all? I felt like I was a fake. But Kimberly continues to remind me that I’m real, I get to be here, I get to stay, I have a place.”

She was later encouraged to contribute by a WordPress community member to the Big Orange Heart, which aims to support and promote positive well-being and mental health within remote working communities. She said she felt ‘honored typing my words, pieces of my story, and sharing them with a community of people’.

She also joined the WordCamp US 2021 online organizing team.

Allison enjoys the fact that in the WordPress community, ‘everyone here is constantly working to be better and do better’.

Facing the future with strength from her friends and colleagues in WordPress

Allison was later diagnosed with two additional neurological conditions: Functional Neurological Disorder and Migraine. She said: “If it were not for WordPress I would really be unable to work. But WordPress and its community continue to be a part of my life and I am grateful to everyone who’s helped me along my way. I don’t know where I would even be without it.”

She strives to raise awareness of dynamic disabilities and invisible illnesses like her own through podcasts and social media. She feels that her WordPress friends have helped her both in her professional life and in her wish to be an advocate for others with disabilities too.

Allison hopes reading of her experience will help others who are worried about not progressing in a WordPress career due to health concerns.

“I hope that it will remind anyone reading this that WordPress is a space for everyone. Healthy or not, developer or not, blogger or not — WordPress belongs to you too.”

Allison Dye

Share the stories

Help share these stories of open source contributors and continue to grow the community. Meet more WordPressers in the People of WordPress series.

Contributors

Thanks to Allie Dye (@allisondye) for sharing about her adventures in WordPress.

Props to Abha Thakor (@webcommsat) and the late Surendra Thakor (@sthakor) for interviews and writing the feature, Meher Bala (@meher) for work on images, and to Meher, Maja Loncan (@mloncar) and Chloe Bringmann (@cbringmann) for reviews.

The People of WordPress series thanks Josepha Haden (@chanthaboune) and Topher DeRosia (@topher1kenobe) for their support.

Let’s dive into the world of WordPress.com support, where one particular group of superstars is making all the difference: our expert Happiness Engineers! 

In today’s post, we’ll explore how these incredible humans make WordPress.com’s technical support a uniquely delightful experience.

Our knowledgable, globe-spanning Happiness Engineers

In a world where dreadful customer support has become the norm, WordPress.com is proud to stand out from the pack with our exceptional service. 

Happiness Engineers, or “HEs” (as we call them around the digital office), aren’t just your run-of-the-mill support staff provided with a word-for-word script to follow. Their enthusiasm for helping users navigate the wide world of WordPress, coupled with their second-to-none knowledge of the platform, makes them a uniquely extraordinary bunch.

We’re proud of the fact that our Happiness Engineers span the entire globe, residing in 60 countries and 18 different time zones, which allows for 24/7 availability no matter your home base. For our international customers, few companies can offer the same level of direct support. 

The journey to becoming a Happiness Engineer

Now, you don’t simply become a Happiness Engineer overnight. For every hundred applications, only a few individuals are selected to move into our trial phase. Then, every one of them undergoes rigorous evaluation and hands-on training. 

From diving into the nitty-gritty of WordPress customization and optimization, to mastering the art of troubleshooting, our Happiness Engineers are truly an exceptional group. They know our products inside and out, particularly because they beta test all of our new features, acting as “product ambassadors” on behalf of you.

Committed to going above and beyond

What really sets these folks apart is their unwavering passion for going beyond the usual support model. There are no cookie-cutter answers here. Happiness Engineers are experts at understanding users’ individual challenges, asking all the right questions, and crafting tailored solutions that address your unique goal or issue. 

Whether you reach out with a technical question or just need some inspiration for which theme to use for your baking blog, our HEs will happily answer any and all of the questions you have about WordPress.  

Nurturing a vibrant learning community

Your WordPress.com support system doesn’t need to start or end with one-on-one help from Happiness Engineers. Through our forums, webinars, free classes, and unparalleled support library, our HEs demystify WordPress, as well as provide creative ideas and inspiration for success.

Not only does our team interact directly with customers through forums, social media, email, and chat, but they also play a major role in cultivating a thriving community that fosters learning, collaboration, and connection. 

Ultimately, here’s what this means for you: Let your creativity run wild and fearlessly embark on all your blogging and website-building quests. Though we’ve run out of superlatives, you can rest assured that our Happiness Engineers have got your back!

WordPress 6.3 Beta 2 is ready for download and testing. This is the first release of the 6.3 cycle, as there was no Beta 1 due to technical issues with packaging the release. Rather than further delaying a beta release, the release squad has decided to package and ship Beta 2.

This version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, the release squad recommends you evaluate Beta 2 on a test server and site.

WordPress 6.3 demonstrates incredible progress toward achieving the goals outlined in the WordPress roadmap and is the final major release of Phase 2. Phase 2 has focused mainly on the Site Editor, enabling site creators to build websites, design compelling layouts, and manage content without toggling between multiple configuration areas or editing code.

Learn more about Gutenberg updates debuting since WordPress 6.2 by reviewing prior editions of What’s New in Gutenberg posts for 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8, 15.9, 16.0, and 16.1 (post pending.)

WordPress is the result of contributions by users, developers, and extenders across the globe. As this community seeks new features, the platform will continue to evolve, including the site editing features and beyond. Get an overview of the 6.3 release cycle, and check the Make WordPress Core blog for 6.3-related posts in the coming weeks for further details.

A first look at 6.3

This latest WordPress release includes many updates spanning all platform areas, emphasizing the editing experience and polishing usability. This release contains more than 500 new features and enhancements and 400+ bug fixes.

Performance

Following the incredible performance improvements introduced in 6.2, the release includes more than 170 performance-related updates, including adding defer and async support to the WP Scripts API and fetchpriority support for images. Optimizations were made to block template resolution, image lazy-loading, and the emoji loader, all of which benefit LCP performance. Support for PHP versions 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2 has been improved. 

Site Editor

The Site Editor expands to include navigating and editing pages, styles, templates, and content. The unified site editing experience will include a distraction-free mode, enhanced navigation, and an improved loading experience. Additionally, you can use the Site Editor to preview a block theme and adjust your site before activating the new theme. This release includes style revisions so you can toggle between and preview different saved styles. Rounding out the changes, 6.3 ushers in a new Command Palette, enabling users to context switch and perform actions quickly across different sections of the site editing experience.

Blocks

New blocks for details, time-to-read, and footnotes debut in this release, along with updates for better handling of image aspect ratios and improved fallback states. Spacer blocks now include presets, and the cover block gets updates for managing text colors and layout support.

Patterns and Design

Reusable blocks have been renamed to synced patterns. This change reflects the unification of reusable blocks and traditional block patterns (unsynced patterns) within the Editor. A new option allows you to assign patterns to templates, adding the ability to have starter patterns to speed up the creation process. Site creators can now easily create, save, and manage custom synced and unsynced patterns, as well as browse a directory of curated patterns. Additionally, the duotone filter and captions can now be edited in the Styles interface.

Usability

Some key usability highlights include toolbar updates, updated template descriptions, enhanced list view drag-and-drop, improved padding and margin controls, and a new area for managing patterns (including reusable blocks, now called synced patterns.) Link control receives some updates, rounding out high-level usability enhancements in 6.3.

Accessibility

WordPress remains steadfast in making the site-building experience accessible to everyone. 6.3 incorporates over 50 accessibility improvements across the platform. Improved labeling, optimized tab and arrow-key navigation, revised heading hierarchy, and new controls in the admin image editor allow those using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technology to navigate more easily. The login form, installation steps, and list tables (for sorting and selection) have all been updated. Additional accessibility tickets are viewable in the WordPress Trac.

Other notes

This release includes auto-rollback for failed manual updates of themes and plugins.

Please note that the features in this list may change before the final release.

Testing makes WordPress stronger!

Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute—whether you have experience or not. 

While testing the upgrade process is essential, testing new features is too. Review the many new features listed above and focus your testing efforts on those areas in particular.

If you encounter an issue, please report it to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums. If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, you can file one on WordPress Trac. You can also check your issue against a list of known bugs.

New to testing? This detailed guide is a great place to start if you’ve never tested a beta release.

Want to know more about testing releases in general? Follow along with the testing initiatives in Make Core and join the #core-test channel on the Making WordPress Slack.

Vulnerability bounty doubles during Beta 2

Between the Beta 2 release and the final release candidate (RC) for each new WordPress version, the monetary reward for reporting new, unreleased security vulnerabilities is doubled. Please follow responsible disclosure practices as detailed in the project’s security practices and policies outlined on the HackerOne page and in the security white paper.

Get WordPress 6.3 Beta 2

You can test WordPress 6.3 Beta 2 in three ways:

Option 1: Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).

Option 2: Direct download the Beta 2 version (zip).

Option 3: Use the following WP-CLI command:

wp core update --version=6.3-beta2

The current target for the final release is August 8, 2023, which is about six weeks away. Your help testing this version ensures everything in this release is the best.

The first haiku for 6.3

A chapter closes
Excitement yet much newness
Phase 2 finale

Thank you to the following contributors for collaborating on this post: @DanSoschin, @Meher, @JPantani, @CBringmann, @AudrasJB, @annezazu, @ndiego, @davidbaumwald, @desrosj, @priethor, @flixos90, and @JPantani for authoring the haiku.

The WordPress.com team is always working on new design ideas to bring your website to life. Check out the latest themes in our library, featuring beautiful new options for bloggers, photographers, restaurateurs, and more.

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George Lois

George Lois (1931-2022) was one of the most creative, prolific advertising communicators of our time. To honor his iconic style, we created this text-forward theme that utilizes bold yet classic typography and colors. Perfect for the blogger who wants to minimize visual clutter while still making a statement. 

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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Poema

Poema pays tribute to the revered Portuguese writer, poet, and philosopher Fernando Pessoa. Its minimalist design features a black-and-white color scheme, complemented by an elegant serif font. Poema’s carefully crafted templates provide a comfortable content width and meticulously considered white space that creates a calming and immersive reading experience—ideal for the appreciation of poetry.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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Archivo

Archivo came to life after one of our designers stumbled upon Documerica.org, which houses public-domain photographs originally taken as part of a photographic initiative from the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency. Utilizing a relatively small font and a large featured image allows the photography to play the starring role for any site using this theme.  

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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Bibimbap

Named after the scrumptious Korean rice dish, Bibimbap is a fun and lively theme created with restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks in mind. It comes with unique patterns for menus, locations, and food-centric image galleries, allowing you to quickly design and build pages. 

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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Olymp (Paid)

Olymp is a theme designed with WooCommerce users in mind. It’s a bold, fresh, and exciting look for any retailer looking to make waves with an online store. Built-in patterns for a number of pages means you don’t have to start from scratch when implementing Olymp. 

We’ve recently re-introduced third-party paid themes to the WordPress.com marketplace. All of these themes can be purchased as a $79/year subscription. Be sure to explore the entire collection here.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

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To install any of the above themes, click the name of the theme you like, which brings you right to the installation page. Then click the “Activate this design” button. You can also click “Open live demo,” which brings up a clickable, scrollable version of the theme for you to preview.

Premium themes are available to use at no extra charge for customers on the Premium plan or above. Paid themes are third-party products that can be purchased for $79/year each.

You can explore all of our themes by navigating to the “Themes” page, which is found under “Appearance” in the left-side menu of your WordPress.com dashboard. Or you can click below:

Until now, writers and creators who wanted to start earning on their WordPress.com site needed to upgrade to one of our paid plans. Those days are officially behind us. 

Now, whether you’re on the Free plan or one of the paid tiers, you can start collecting payments and earning from your work from day one. That makes a site on the Free plan a fully-fledged, zero-risk platform for every creator looking to share and earn from their work. 

Starting from scratch, not starting from zero

At WordPress.com we reckon that anyone should be able to spin up a site and start creating. We wanted to take that even further by making it possible for anyone to start earning from the work they put into the world, too.

This isn’t just about making money—it’s about empowering you to take creative risks and push boundaries instead of fretting about what it’ll cost. Spoiler: it won’t cost you anything.

A few free flavors of paid

So you’ll now find that there are few ways to earn a little (or a lot) from the work you publish on WordPress.com, whatever plan you’re on.

• Gated, exclusive content? Check. 
• Paid subscriptions at a price you decide? Check. 
• Selling one-off items like photos, songs, or ebooks? Check. 
• Giving your audience a quick way to tip you or donate to your cause? Double check.
• And more.

They’re all available on the Free plan. And every other plan, too. The only limit is that you’ll need to be in a country where Stripe payments are currently supported.

Free as in freedom

The beauty of starting with our Free plan? You’re not locked in. It’s like a creative sandbox, and you’re free to play. For as long as you like. The Free plan isn’t just a trial—it’s forever. So take your time, build your audience, and when you’re ready to expand your horizons, we’ll be right here.

As you grow, you might want a little more. More customization options, more plugins, a custom domain, or maybe even dipping your toes into the ocean of ecommerce with the powerful WooCommerce platform. When you’re ready for that extra power, we’ve got you covered with a range of affordable plans. It’s always up to you.

Making it possible

To make this as accessible to as many people as possible we’ve set up a sliding scale of transaction fees that goes from 10% on the Free plan down to zero on our Commerce plan. That means you can grow at your own pace, striking the right balance for you as your project or audience grows.

It’s a bit like choosing the right gear for a bike ride—you can start in a lower gear, then shift up as you build momentum. 

Here’s how that looks:

WordPress.com Plan	Payment Fees
WordPress.com Commerce	0%*
WordPress.com Business	2%*
WordPress.com Premium	4%*
WordPress.com Personal	8%*
WordPress.com Free	10%*

*Depending on your region, you’ll also pay a standard Stripe fee for each payment made to your Stripe account. You can read a little more about that, here. 

For the creators, the coders, the artists, and makers

At WordPress.com, we believe that anyone should be able to create, share, and profit from their passions, vision, and work, whatever budget they’re playing with. It’s not just about making a living—it’s about taking risks, trying things out, and making a difference. And when you build on WordPress.com you’re building on a platform that’s been here for 17 years and counting, sending out 20 million+ emails a day and serving lightning-fast sites across the planet.

Whether you’re an author, an influencer, an artist, or a photographer, the power to get paid for the work you made is here, and here for good. We’d love to hear what you’re working on.

If you’re a Google Domains customer, you may have heard that your domain will soon be acquired by Squarespace. This change might work for some folks, but there’s good reason to consider moving elsewhere—like WordPress.com. 

By transferring your domain to WordPress.com, you’re entrusting your precious online real estate to the best-performing, most reliable registrar in the business.

Domains are our domain

Here’s why we’re confident that moving your domain to WordPress.com is the savviest move you could make: 

Lightning fast speeds. No matter your website goals, speed is critical. At WordPress.com, you’ll benefit from our lightning-fast DNS performance so that your domain loads nearly instantaneously when someone types your URL and hits “Enter.”

Unimpeachable security. All domains hosted at WordPress.com get a free SSL certificate, ensuring secure and encrypted connections for your customers. 

Privacy protection. To sweeten the pot even more, we offer free privacy protection to keep your contact information confidential. (There are a handful of domain extensions that don’t qualify for privacy protection, so you may need to check if yours is eligible; learn more here.) 

One convenient dashboard for all your website management. Whether or not you plan to use your domain as the primary URL for a website, housing it with us is especially handy if you’re already a WordPress.com customer. Managing your hosting, domain, email, and other web services can all happen from one convenient dashboard. 

How to transfer your domain from Google to WordPress.com 

If you’re looking to make a change, here’s how to transfer your domain from Google to WordPress.com. 

1) First, you’ll need to unlock your domain at Google Domains and request an authorization code. (Note: Your domain must be at least 60 days old to be eligible for transfer.) Since there are a few international extensions that aren’t supported at this time, you should also confirm that WordPress.com can host your specific domain extension; you can find the list here. 

2a) If you have a WordPress.com account, head over to your domain management dashboard. Click “Add a domain,” and then “Use a domain I own.” 

2b) If you don’t have a WordPress.com account, use this link to get started right away with the domain you want to transfer.

3) Type in the domain you want to transfer, then click “Continue.”

4) Select the option to transfer your domain, and you’ll be prompted to start the process. After completing a couple of final steps, it generally takes 5-7 days for the transfer to complete. Then you’re free to build a website—or just hold onto your domain until you’re ready to get started. 

Click here to see the full step-by-step process, laid out in even more detail and with screenshots of what you should be seeing along the way.  

If you have questions, our Happiness Engineers are always available to help. Click here to get in contact with us.  

Join WordPress guest host, Chief of Staff and Head of Operations, Chloé Bringmann, and special guest Head of Programs and Contributor Experience, Angela Jin, in the 58th episode of the WordPress Briefing as they discuss the next generation of WordCamps.

Credits

Show Notes

• WordCamp Europe 2023 Keynote
• Establishment of a formal WordPress Sustainability Team
• WordPress 6.4 Development Cycle Announced
• WCUS – Still looking for volunteers
• The Next Generation of WordCamps
• Idea generation: Next Gen WordCamps!
• Discussion: Next Generation Event Tooling
• Twenty Years of WordPress at WCEU
• Contributor Handbook

Transcript

(Intro music)

[Chloé Bringmann 00:00:10] 

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the WordPress Briefing, the podcast where you can catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project, some insight into the community that supports it, and get a small list of big things coming up in the next two weeks. I’m your guest host Chloé Bringmann. And here we go.

(Intro music)

[Chloé Bringmann 00:00:40] 

So I have the privilege of guest hosting this episode of the WordPress Briefing. And today I have with me a very special guest. The Head of Programs and Contributor Experience, Angela Jin. Welcome. Before we dive into all the questions, can you tell me and our listeners a little bit about your role in the WordPress community?

[Angela Jin 00:01:01] 

Yeah, happy to, and thank you so much for having me. I’m very excited to be here. I am the Head of Programs and Contributor Experience, and I provide oversight and guidance for our WordPress programs, such as our events programs, training, and Five for the Future, with an eye toward ensuring their sustainability and growth. I’m very fortunate to work with our contributors across many teams around the world. In addition to troubleshooting and helping folks figure out how to move forward, I also spend a good amount of time exploring with others what could be in our programs.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:01:41] 

We just got back from WordCamp Europe in Athens, Greece. It was such an energizing event for me, but I’m curious about what your impressions were of the past week.

[Angela Jin 00:01:52] 

Yeah, it was fantastic. I’m always really inspired by what a group of like-minded people can achieve together. There’s a lot of passion for this particular WordCamp, and it made for a really wonderful WordPress experience. Full of lots of great connections and memories; I have a million follow-ups and probably even more thoughts to reflect on. So it’s great. There were a lot of new WordPressers there. So it was lovely to meet them. And I’m really excited to see how many exciting new projects and ideas that we have in the space.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:02:27] 

Same, you said it perfectly. Josepha also mentioned in the flagship’s keynote, the proposal for the next generation of WordCamps. I’m curious about what the main ideas and goals, as discussed thus far, are of that proposal.

[Angela Jin 00:02:42] 

For sure. So WordCamps have been fundamental for the WordPress community for a very long time. And while they have continued to grow larger and reach more places around the world, it’s also undeniable that the way that people meet has changed since 2006. 

[Angela Jin 00:03:01] 

And so, just as WordPress itself iterates we’re looking at iterating on WordCamps so that they move from fundamental to indispensable for the WordPressers of today and tomorrow. So event attendees today are looking to learn essential skills, make connections that lead to neat opportunities, and more. 

[Angela Jin 00:03:23] 

So to that end, we put forth an updated purpose for our events, which is that WordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow. 

[Angela Jin 00:03:47]

So the goal here is to create events that are more clearly defined – who these are for what you will gain from attending. We are looking to see events that take a deeper dive into content, or topics and provide more advanced content. And let’s try out some different formats and see how that shapes our event experience. And so it is a big shift. And change is always hard. 

[Angela Jin 00:04:13]

However, the feedback that I’ve gotten so far, and certainly at WordCamp Europe, is that this is a very welcome evolution. And the Community team has already received over 60 proposals. So I’m very excited about that. In fact, a WordPress Community Day in Rome has already been announced and is focused on providing meet-up organizing and community management skills. So that’s pretty cool.

 [Chloé Bringmann 00:04:37] 

Wow, that’s incredible. I love that we’ve gotten 60 suggestions already and that we already have an event in place. That’s fantastic. In that blog post, too, it’s mentioned that WordCamps should prioritize inclusivity and diversity. How can organizers ensure these values are upheld in the next generation of WordCamps and beyond events? Into our day-to-day project involvement?

[Angela Jin 00:05:04]

Excellent question. So while WordCamps themselves are changing, some of our core values, like prioritizing inclusivity and diversity, are non-negotiable. For the whole project, we have a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement, and a Code of Conduct that lays out how we expect our community to engage with each other in this space. 

[Angela Jin 00:05:27]

And on top of that, our programs do focus on providing resources and training like how to create a diverse speaker roster. And we have diverse speaker training workshops on how to organize a diverse and inclusive WordPress event. And we also have a great list of third-party resources as well. And so, with so many events, we create a lot of opportunities to grow as a visible contributor, whether it is a speaker, a volunteer, or an organizer. 

[Angela Jin 00:05:56]

And so with the next generation of events, we could more intentionally create these spaces for groups that historically have been underrepresented. Even long before my post went live, the BlackPress meetup group, for example, wanted to create an event that connected with historically black colleges and universities. And an event like that that really invites a specific group to learn all about WordPress would be a really great experience and a wonderful way to celebrate that community and a great connection to the broader community so that we can intentionally get to the diversity that we want to see. 

[Angela Jin 00:06:38]

And I also want to add that the people who are underrepresented in our community are more likely to need financial sponsorship. And so even though we do keep our ticket prices low so that our events are more easily accessible, the cost of travel continues to increase, not to mention the time and energy required to participate in these events. So an excellent way that companies can help is to sponsor somebody’s time and somebody’s contributions, which we’re always trying to encourage through the Five for the Future program.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:07:11] 

Beautiful. So, with that in mind, how do you foresee the next generation of WordCamps impacting the WordPress community, that larger ecosystem? So, what changes do you hope to see regarding community engagement, learning opportunities, and best practices?

[Angela Jin 00:07:31]

I foresee us evolving our tried and true event format into a dynamic wealth of community-led opportunities. I know that online events were pretty exhausting during the worst of the pandemic, but there is a ton of unexplored opportunities there. And community research is also showing that online is a great way to create more inclusive and diverse events. 

[Angela Jin 00:07:58]

The Training team, with their learn WordPress online workshops, have really led the way with our online events. And there are so many more people that we can reach there. 

[Angela Jin 00:08:08]

And so in addition to providing more advanced content, I also hope to see content around broader tech and business trends that influence WordPress, and conversely, how WordPress can shape those trends as well. And with all of that, I really hope that we can bring in more community members that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in what we currently offer, especially a younger generation that will help us drive the next generation of WordPress, the open source project.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:08:39]

Very excited to hear all of this, and I bet our listeners are too. I’m curious how they and community members can provide feedback or get involved with this next generation of WordCamps.

[Angela Jin 00:08:50]

I’m going to encourage everyone, please come chat with the Community team and comment on the current posts. We really welcome your feedback to help us get our events to this next iteration of what they will become. There are two posts, in particular, one is to suggest ideas of event formats and topics that you would like to see. And the second is if you are an organizer, we’re inviting you to hear some recommendations for improved tooling that would be helpful for your event site. And we’ll include links to those posts in the show notes.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:09:26]

One final question for you, Angela. Any thoughts as we prepare for WordCamp US and the Community Summit, which will be in National Harbor, Maryland, in August?

[Angela Jin 00:09:37]

For the Community Summit in particular, if you want to attend and you haven’t already applied, please please do make sure to apply as soon as possible. And encourage somebody else who you think should attend to apply as well. 

[Angela Jin 00:09:53]

And if financial constraints are a blocker, we are aiming to help with the cost of hotel and or flight. And so one way to help support the diversity and inclusion of this event, and really to the whole project, is to also contribute to the Community Summit travel fund. You can find information about all of that on the Community Summit site. 

[Angela Jin 00:10:15]

And next, if you have a topic in mind that you think needs to be discussed at the Community Summit, please please also share that information with us as well. And last but not least, I am, I am so excited. I’m not going to spoil anything. But I have been working with the WordCamp US organizing team and looking at some of what they have planned and some of the content. It’s going to be a truly incredible event, so don’t miss out.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:010:41]

Oh, wonderful. Thank you so much for joining me, Angela. And I can’t wait to see you and the WordPress community in August in person.

[Chloé Bringmann 00:010:58]

Which brings us now to our small list of big things. First up is the proposal and establishment of a new WordPress contributor team, the Sustainability team. Coming into WordCamp Europe, a proposal was put forward to create a team that would embed sustainable practices and processes in the ecosystem to ensure the Project’s longevity, both socially, economically, and as well environmentally. At WordCamp Europe, this proposal was confirmed, and the Sustainability team is now officially the 22nd contributor team that WordPressers can support with their contributions. Head on over to their making WordPress Slack channel, #sustainability, and join the conversation. 

[Chloé Bringmann 00:011:39]

Second, I would like to call your attention to the 6.4 development cycle post that was published on June 5th. 6.4 will be the third major release of 2023 and supports our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by being led by those contributors that identify as underrepresented gender. This release will also be the first to kick off phase three of the Gutenberg roadmap, which is collaborative editing and workflows. I’ve included a link to the post in our show notes and encourage anyone who is interested in being part of this momentous release to join us in making this both impactful and meaningful. 

[Chloé Bringmann 00:012:16]

Finally, WordCamp US, as discussed, will be upon us before we know it starting on August 24th at National Harbor, Maryland. While tickets may be sold out, volunteers are still very much needed to make the flagship event run smoothly. So stop by us.wordcamp.org, raise your hand, and join us in August for engagement, inspiration, and learning. And that, my friends, is your small list of big things. I’m your guest host Chloé Bringmann and thank you for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing.

Since we first started offering premium plugins directly from the WordPress.com marketplace one year ago, we’ve been busy making sure you have direct access to the highest-quality plugins serving the WordPress ecosystem. These enhancements to your site add important features, eye-popping audio and visual elements, and a big helping of convenience for you and your potential customers.

Each plugin comes with automatic updates and premium support, ensuring you’re well-equipped for your website’s journey. 

Check out our top 15 new and noteworthy offerings below. They might just be the game-changers your site needs! 

Sensei Pro

Sensei Pro is a premium plugin for WordPress that enables you to create, manage, and sell online courses. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for creating engaging course content, tracking student progress, and assessing their performance. With its intuitive interface, customizable options, and comprehensive features, Sensei Pro is an ideal choice for creators and educators looking to grow their online knowledge business.

WooCommerce Product Bundles

One of the keys to retail success is giving customers exactly what they want. One way to do that is to let shoppers create their own personalized product bundles and bulk discount packages. They’ll know that you are the place to get their custom one-of-a-kind backpacks, mix-and-match smart phone accessories, or built-just-for-them computers. Whatever you sell, Product Bundles will make your customers feel special. Included at no extra charge in our commerce plan.

Gravity Forms

Millions of WordPress businesses and web professionals know that Gravity Forms is the powerhouse solution for building custom forms. Going beyond the simple contact form, Gravity Forms unlocks your ability to handle registrations, subscriptions, donations, sales, and more, all with advanced features like file uploads, conditional logic, and automation based on user interactions. 

Events Calendar Pro

Easily create and manage an events calendar on your WordPress site. Whether your events are in-person or virtual, this WordPress calendar plugin boasts professional features backed by a world-class team of developers and designers.

AutomateWoo

Imagine if you had the power to automate processes based on your customer’s actions on your site. What if you could trigger an offer to get a discount on the product they just added to their cart, if they also add an accessory to the cart, but only if their total is above $50? This is the kind of power AutomateWoo puts directly in your hands. AutomateWoo provides powerful marketing automation for WooCommerce, providing you with the tools you need to grow your store and increase revenue. Included at no extra charge in our commerce plan.

WP Job Manager Add-Ons

Manage job listings from the WordPress dashboard and allow users to post job listings directly to your site. Now you can purchase any add-on on top of the free WP Job Manager plugin. Explore all the possibilities: Resume Manager, Applications, WC Paid Listings, Alerts, Bookmarks, Tags, Embeddable Job Widget, Application Deadline, Simple Paid Listings.

Astra Pro

Are you one of the millions of WordPress users that have designed their sites with the Astra theme? If you are, or are planning to switch to Astra, you should also consider the theme’s pro add-on, Astra Pro. While the Astra theme helps you create stunning websites, Astro Pro’s premium features and functionalities will take it to the next level! 

WooCommerce Gift Cards

Make gift-giving easy for your loyal customers and give new customers an exciting reason to try your store. Offer prepaid digital gift cards that customers can redeem online. The Gift Cards plugin makes the whole process delightful. Included at no extra charge in our commerce plan.

Visual Composer Premium

Visual Composer Website Builder is a drag and drop editor for WordPress. Design page and site layouts with premium templates, elements, and extensions. 

Presto Player Pro

Presto Player Pro extends the already popular Presto Player plugin with advanced features that make this the ultimate video player plugin for WordPress. It’s fast, flexible, and enables you to feature video from multiple sources, add calls to action, provide email opt-in elements, and more. 

Start Booking

Accept appointments and bookings right from your WordPress website with Start Booking. Not just limited to individual appointments, Start Booking also enables booking class scheduling and group events. Online payments, customer notifications, and mobile apps are just a few more of the features that Start Booking provides.

WPBakery Page Builder

A leading WordPress page builder plugin with drag and drop editor, design options, and two interfaces—a live frontend editor and a schematic backend editor.

WooCommerce Composite Products

With Composite Products, shoppers can configure and build their own custom products right on your site, selecting every wheel, nut, and bolt needed to make their dream creation.

WooCommerce Back In Stock Notifications

Don’t lose customers because you ran out of stock for their favorite products! Bring them back with Back In Stock Notifications and let customers know when your products are restocked. Build brand loyalty, stay connected with customers, and recover lost sales. It’s customizable, extendible, and even works with variable products. Included at no extra charge in our commerce plan.

WooCommerce Conditional Shipping and Payments

Use conditional logic to restrict the shipping and payment options available on your store. This plugin allows you to make free shipping available per product, category, or shipping class. It can also restrict shipping methods and live rates based on package weight, item count, or cart total.

How often do you consider the domain name when deciding the credibility of a website? Do you know how a domain-specific email address could influence your communication with clients or followers?

Few things convey your brand’s identity like a carefully selected custom domain, and in our newest webinar, “Mastering Custom Domains,” we aim to eliminate any uncertainties around incorporating this crucial element into your WordPress site.

In this session you can expect to learn about:

• Choosing and registering a custom domain that amplifies your brand and boosts credibility
• Connecting your domain to your WordPress.com site for a seamless user experience and improved SEO
• Employing best practices for domain management, email setup, and more

This free webinar is perfect for everyone, from beginners to experienced WordPress users. The session concludes with a live Q&A segment, so come prepared with your questions!

We’re offering the webinar at three different times this week only, well-spaced so that any timezone around the world should find a convenient option: 

• Tuesday, June 13 at 7:00 PM UTC / 3:00 PM ET (convert to your timezone)
• Wednesday, June 14 at 9:00 AM UTC / 5:00 AM ET (convert to your timezone)
• Thursday, June 15 at 4:00 PM UTC / 12:00 PM ET (convert to your timezone)

Mark your calendar for these other upcoming webinars

Don’t miss our other webinars for June, where we’ll guide you through the powerful capabilities of the WordPress Site Editor. Both are designed to equip you with the tools needed to enhance your website’s functionality and aesthetics in ways that were not possible before.

Site Editor vs. Page Editor: Editing your entire site in WordPress

In this in-depth session, we will walk you through the process of modifying every aspect of your WordPress site, from the header to the footer. With the new Site Editor tools, total site customization is now within your grasp, even if you’ve never written a line of code.

Site Editing: Custom Headers

We take a deep dive into how you can customize your site header to reflect your brand’s persona, making it more attractive and easy to navigate. An effective header is crucial in establishing your online identity, and our experts will show you how to edit it with ease using the WordPress.com Site Editor.

All our WordPress.com webinars are presented live and designed for site owners of all levels in mind. Whether you’re just starting out or already have some WordPress experience under your belt. We wrap up each hour-long session with a live Q&A, offering you a chance to interact directly with our experts.

Be sure to bring all your website-related questions and an eagerness to learn. See you there! 

Inspiring the global community

The atmosphere was electric at WordCamp Europe (WCEU) 2023 in Athens, Greece, as WordPress celebrated its 20th anniversary and the opportunity to gather in person for inspiration and engagement. More than 2,500 individuals from 94 countries came together in person or through the live stream to participate in a remarkable three-day event (plus Contributor Day) filled with talks, networking, and learning opportunities. The event concluded on June 10 with a captivating keynote address by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and Gutenberg Product Architect Matías Ventura, who highlighted the advancements and upcoming milestones of the WordPress Project.

One significant update shared during the keynote was the successful reactivation of WordCamps. This time last year, we organized eight in-person WordCamps, and by the end of 2022, the number had risen to 23. Thanks to the enthusiasm and involvement of the WordPress community, we are already on track to organize 25 WordCamps in the first half of this year alone. 

Josepha also emphasized the importance of the upcoming Community Summit on August 22-23. This in-person gathering brings contributors together across the WordPress open source project, fostering cross-project discussions vital for future growth and sustainability. For more information, visit the official Community Summit website.

Discussing the Five for the Future (5ftF) program, Josepha highlighted the impressive growth in active contributors and company pledges over the past year. She also underscored the expansion of the WordPress ecosystem, citing examples like Openverse, which now provides access to nearly 800 million images and audio files, all easily accessible in the Site Editor. 

Another exciting addition to the WordPress repertoire is WP Playground. This new feature allows users to build WordPress applications instantly in the browser without needing a PHP server. This tool provides a swift and seamless experience, reducing the installation time from five minutes to a near-instantaneous 500 milliseconds. The application of WP Playground may seem like magic, but its practical application promises tangible and revolutionary benefits for WordPress users.

Matías Ventura then took the stage to share updates on Gutenberg. Through a visually stunning video built entirely with blocks, he showcased the six-year development journey and the transition from words to blocks to a final design. The upcoming WordPress version 6.3 will mark the completion of the first two phases of Gutenberg, consolidating all these features into a cohesive and user-friendly experience. He also highlighted the introduction of features such as the Wayfinder tool, Style Book, and the ability to save patterns, further empowering users to own their web presence and voice.

Following the keynote presentation, the WordPress leadership engaged in a lively Q&A session with the audience, further illustrating the continuous evolution within the WordPress Project. This session highlighted how the WordPress community innovates, iterates, and continually improves to create a better platform for today and tomorrow.

Join the global community and be part of the WordPress journey toward a brighter future!

Special thanks to @cbringmann and @eidolonnight for review and collaboration.