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";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:7:"version";s:3:"2.0";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:7:"channel";a:1:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:61:"
	
	
	
	




















































";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:16:"WordPress Planet";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"language";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"en";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"WordPress Planet - http://planet.wordpress.org/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"item";a:50:{i:0;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"WPTavern: WooThemes Fixes XSS Vulnerability in Products Using the prettyPhoto Library";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=45080";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"http://wptavern.com/woothemes-fixes-xss-vulnerability-in-products-using-the-prettyphoto-library";s: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:2519:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WooThemesFeaturedImage2.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45083" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WooThemesFeaturedImage2.png" alt="WooThemesFeaturedImage2" width="648" height="196" /></a>Jeff Ikus of WooThemes, <a href="http://develop.woothemes.com/themes/2015/06/09/prettyphoto-xss-theme-updates/">announced</a> on the company&#8217;s themes development blog, that it has pushed out updates to all of its products that use the <a href="http://www.no-margin-for-errors.com/projects/prettyphoto-jquery-lightbox-clone/">prettyPhoto library</a>. The update fixes a <a href="https://github.com/scaron/prettyphoto/issues/149">DOM based cross-site scripting vulnerability </a>discovered in 2014.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.no-margin-for-errors.com/projects/prettyphoto-jquery-lightbox-clone/">prettyPhoto</a> is a jQuery lightbox clone used in a potentially large number of WordPress products. If you use a WordPress plugin or theme that relies on prettyPhoto, please get in touch with the author to make sure they&#8217;re aware of this security vulnerability. If you use the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/prettyphoto/">prettyPhoto WordPress plugin</a>, make sure it&#8217;s running version 1.2 as it contains the patched library.</p>
<h2>Risky Business</h2>
<p>In 2011, <a title="http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/2011/08/timthumb-2/" href="http://www.binarymoon.co.uk/2011/08/timthumb-2/">TimThumb made headlines</a> when a major security vulnerability was discovered and used to hack into several websites. At the time, Ben Gillbanks, the library&#8217;s maintainer, estimated 95% of all commercial WordPress themes supported TimThumb.</p>
<p>At the end of 2014, a <a href="http://wptavern.com/100000-wordpress-sites-compromised-using-the-slider-revolution-security-vulnerability">security vulnerability was discovered</a> in the Slider Revolution plugin that allowed more than 100k websites to be compromised.</p>
<p>Using third-party scripts and libraries is not a bad thing. The practice however, comes with a set of risks. It&#8217;s up to developers to be vigilant and accept the responsibilities that come with relying on a third-party. It&#8217;s also imperative that developers do everything they can to update their products and users when a security vulnerability is discovered.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re a developer, let us know the criteria in determining which third-party scripts, libraries, and tools you use.</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, 10 Jun 2015 20:31:11 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:1;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"Post Status: Quick tip: Disconnect Jetpack from the WordPress.com side";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=12963";s: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:80:"https://poststatus.com/quick-tip-disconnect-jetpack-from-the-wordpress-com-side/";s: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:2528:"<p>About sixteen months ago, I wrote a post noting that it is <a href="https://poststatus.com/managing-jetpack-enabled-blogs-wordpress-com/">really annoying to disconnect a WordPress.com account from a Jetpack install</a>. More annoying yet, is that you could not get rid of nonexistent Jetpack enabled websites from the WordPress.com &#8220;My Sites&#8221; section at all without contacting support.</p>
<p>Over the years I collected quite a few Jetpack enabled websites connected to my WordPress.com username. Whether I was connecting a staging site or was too lazy to get a friend to setup their own account on WordPress.com, I ended up with a couple of dozen websites connected to my account that were not in my control.</p>
<p>The traditional way to disconnect Jetpack from WordPress.com was via the site admin in the Jetpack settings. But over time, many of the sites I managed have went stagnant or completely offline, and there was no way to disconnect them anymore. But finally, you can disconnect Jetpack from the WordPress.com side.</p>
<p>You can disconnect sites from the main &#8220;My Site&#8221; link (shown above) or the individual site (pictured below). Errored sites show up with a red warning side, and when you click the icon, the ability to permanently disconnect the site appears.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-12965" src="https://poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wp-com-disconnect-solo-752x385.png" alt="wp-com-disconnect-solo" width="752" height="385" /></p>
<p>This has been a near daily annoyance of mine for years. I&#8217;m happy to see it finally get resolution. Special thanks to Automattician <a href="https://twitter.com/jeherve/status/606369302216728576">Jeremy Herve</a> for never forgetting about me.</p>
<p>One more tip: if you go to your WordPress.com homepage often, and it doesn&#8217;t open up the page you want to be default for stats, you can set your default site under your <a href="https://wordpress.com/me/account">account settings</a>. This is another annoyance of mine that I didn&#8217;t know had a solution until just now.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-12966" src="https://poststatus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wp-com-account-752x377.jpg" alt="wp-com-account" width="752" height="377" /></p>
<p>I know creating really effective user interfaces and account management tools is really hard. But attention to small details is awesome. I&#8217;m glad the WordPress.com team took care of this one, even if it took a while.</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, 10 Jun 2015 18:18:00 +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:15:"Brian Krogsgard";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:2;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:25:"Matt: Peter Thiel on MBAs";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45140";s: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:41:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/peter-thiel-on-mbas/";s: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:877:"<blockquote><p>I think one challenge a lot of the business schools have is they end up attracting students who are very extroverted and have very low conviction, and they put them in this hot house environment for a few years — at the end of which, a large number of people go into whatever was the last trendy thing to do. They’ve done studies at Harvard Business School where they’ve found that the largest cohort always went into the wrong field. So in 1989, they all went to work for Michael Milken, a year or two before he went to jail. They were never interested in Silicon Valley except for 1999, 2000. The last decade their interest was housing and private equity.</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/10/10/peter-thiel-on-what-works-at-work/">This entire interview with Peter Thiel is pretty interesting</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, 10 Jun 2015 17:18:09 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:"Matt";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:3;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"WPTavern: WordPress Core Contributors Call for User Testing on the Menu Customizer Plugin";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=45034";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"http://wptavern.com/wordpress-core-contributors-call-for-user-testing-on-the-menu-customizer-plugin";s: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:7216:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/menu-customizer-feature1.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/menu-customizer-feature1.jpg" alt="menu-customizer-feature" width="670" height="318" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-45053" /></a></p>
<p>Ryan Boren published a post to the Make/WordPress Core blog this afternoon, titled <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/09/trust-live-preview-and-menus-in-the-customizer/" target="_blank">Trust, Live Preview, and Menus in the Customizer</a>. In it he clarified the reasons why he and several other core contributors are committed to iterating the customizer and identified the feature as a means of building user trust through live previews.</p>
<blockquote><p>Being able to make non-destructive changes and preview them is an important component of building that trust. This is perhaps most noticeable in the “save and surprise” approach of the widgets admin screen – every time you add a new widget, modify its settings, or move one around, the changes are saved and appear live on your site, even if you’re not ready yet. The customizer is our framework for live previewing changes. We are committed to providing live preview for all aspects of site customization and making it usable on all devices from phones to large screens.</p></blockquote>
<p>Boren briefly summarized the history of the customizer and alluded to a few possibilities the framework may offer in the future:</p>
<blockquote><p>The customizer has come a long way, but it still lacks some features and needs time to mature. We have many improvements planned and in progress, including transactions, partial refresh, theme installation, speedier loading, scaling to large screens, and possibly even integration with front end editing. Our live preview framework offers many possibilities.</p></blockquote>
<p>The Menu Customizer plugin was <a href="http://wptavern.com/menu-customizer-tentatively-approved-for-wordpress-4-3" target="_blank">tentatively approved for merge</a> during last week&#8217;s core development meeting. In order for the it to be officially approved for merge on June 17th, the plugin will need to meet the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/how-the-release-cycle-works/features-as-plugins/" target="_blank">feature plugin criteria</a> outlined in the core handbook.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have eight days to get the Menu Customizer plugin ready for merge,&#8221; Boren said. During this time the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/flow/" target="_blank">flow team</a> will be testing and documenting the flow and visuals for the menu customizer.</p>
<p>Boren invited anyone who wants to contribute to this effort to create flow comparisons of the existing flow through Appearance > Menus versus flow through the customizer. This essentially involves walking through the experience of setting up menus, taking screenshots of the flow, and publishing them as a captioned gallery.</p>
<p>&#8220;Please help us capture the flows through Appearance > Menus used by you and your clients,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We need this information to ensure our new interfaces are mindful and aware of how WordPress is actually used.&#8221;</p>
<p>Anyone can contribute to WordPress in this way, as it doesn&#8217;t require any coding. The core team is looking for people to capture real user scenarios to help in making the final decision.</p>
<h3>There is No Timeline for Removing the Appearance > Menus Screen</h3>
<p>In the original <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/03/feature-plugin-merge-proposal-menu-customizer/" target="_blank">merge proposal</a> for the Menu Customizer the plugin&#8217;s author, Nick Halsey, outlined what he called a &#8220;fairly aggressive&#8221; plan for the removal of the old menus admin screen. As contributor resources are scarce when it comes to the Menus component, Halsey favored focusing all new development on the UI in the customizer.</p>
<p>The timeline he outlined was for WordPress 4.3 to point the Menus link in the admin bar to Menus in the customizer and later releases (WordPress 4.5 or 4.6) would remove all core links to the Menus admin screen.</p>
<p>WordPress users reacted strongly to this aggressive timeline for removing the old menus screen, but the timeline was merely a suggestion as part of the proposal. Halsey was not keen on merging the plugin without a definitive timeline for removing the old menus, a factor which he considered a &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/core/p1433384682001602" target="_blank">dealbreaker</a>&#8221; for merge.</p>
<p>However, WordPress 4.3 release lead Konstantin Obenland confirmed that no official timeline has been set.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/pollyplummer">@pollyplummer</a> There is no timeline either way.</p>
<p>&mdash; Konstantin Obenland (@obenland) <a href="https://twitter.com/obenland/status/608377778933743616">June 9, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>Ryan Boren also confirmed that WordPress will continue to maintain the Appearance > Menus screen should the plugin be officially approved for merge in the coming days:</p>
<blockquote><p>Meanwhile, the Appearance screens will remain and will be maintained. Appearance > Menus recently received some attention in the form of a few fixes. More attention is needed and will be given. There are still differences in the flows each approach best enables, whether it’s new site/theme setup, small maintenance tasks, or dedicated content managers for heavy usage of widgets, menus, or other pieces of content that benefit from having a preview mechanism. We should gather quantifiable metrics when it comes to performance and time to completion for a given flow, as well as evaluating the less-objectively-quantifiable perceived performance. <strong>There may come a time where the worlds converge; however, that time is not now.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>This confirmation should assuage those whose opposition to the Menu Customizer was solely based on the aggressive timeline proposed for removing the old menus screen.</p>
<p>The great divide on the Menu Customizer revolves around one aspect of improvement that Boren mentioned in his paragraph about the future of the customizer: <strong>scaling to large screens</strong>. The vast majority of WordPress users and developers who are following this debate are those who would be more likely to configure a menu in a desktop environment and not via mobile (where the customizer is currently designed to shine).</p>
<p>Many who oppose the merge of the plugin have identified the cramped UI as the primary reason that it does not provide a better experience for users. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who is opposed to live previews or better usability on mobile devices.</p>
<p>Those who manage WordPress sites via desktop are not willing to sacrifice the old menus screen for a new UI that currently caters primarily to smaller devices. Until the Menu Customizer can adequately provide a UI that fully adapts to all screen sizes, resistance to the feature is likely to continue.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Jun 2015 22:34:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"Matt: Trust but Preview";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45138";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/trust-but-preview/";s: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:273:"<p>If you&#8217;re following along with the customizer and menu work for the next version of WordPress, check out <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/09/trust-live-preview-and-menus-in-the-customizer/">Trust, Live Preview, and Menus in the Customizer</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Jun 2015 20:00:12 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:41:"WPTavern: Introducing the WP Tavern Wapuu";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44960";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"http://wptavern.com/introducing-the-wp-tavern-wapuu";s: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:6733:"<p>The <a href="http://wapuu.jp/">Wapuu craze</a> has spread far and wide. From its <a href="http://wptavern.com/community-translation-and-wapuu-how-japan-is-shaping-wordpress-history">origin in Japan</a>, to <a href="http://wptavern.com/scott-evans-on-designing-the-punk-wapuu-for-wordcamp-london-2015">WordCamp London</a>, and across the US, Wapuu has become quite the traveler. While the mascot has mostly represented WordCamps, site owners are creating a custom version of the mascot to represent their sites.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mynameismichelle.com/">Michelle Schulp</a>, a graphic designer who runs <a href="http://marktimemedia.com/">Marktimemedia, </a>has created a number of Wapuu&#8217;s for WordCamps and websites. She was gracious enough to create one specifically for the Tavern.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wapuu-wptavern.png"><img class="size-large wp-image-45028" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wapuu-wptavern-418x500.png" alt="WP Tavern Wapuu" width="418" height="500" /></a>WP Tavern Wapuu
<p>Schulp created the mascot with Adobe Illustrator using the original .svg files provided on the original <a href="https://github.com/jawordpressorg/wapuu">Wapuu Github repository</a>. She doesn&#8217;t plan on writing tutorials to modify the base Wapuu. Instead, she is creating <a href="https://github.com/marktimemedia/my-wapuu">a base Wapuu</a> that will have separated pieces so its easier to modify.</p>
<p>She often sketches and re-draws Wapuus that are not in their normal position.</p>
<p>&#8220;Actually, most of the Wapuus are slightly modified to make it easier for them to hold or interact with their elements. I thought of him like a cartoon character (fluid) more so than a logo or icon (rigid),&#8221; Schulp told the Tavern.</p>
<p>Schulp has always had an interest in sketching cartoons. For WordCamp Miami 2015, she created a variety of custom-made My Little Pony stickers.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MyLittlePonyStickers.jpg"><img class="wp-image-44978 size-large" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MyLittlePonyStickers-309x500.jpg" alt="My Little Pony Stickers" width="309" height="500" /></a>My Little Pony Stickers
<p>She also uses her skills to create <a href="https://speakerdeck.com/marktimemedia/developer-collaboration">unique slide decks</a> filled with colorful illustrations.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CustomSlideDeck.png"><img class="wp-image-44983 size-large" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CustomSlideDeck-500x415.png" alt="Custom Slide Deck" width="500" height="415" /></a>Custom Slide Deck
<h2>From WordCamps to Websites and Eventually Companies</h2>
<p>Wapuu is considered the official mascot character of WordPress and was designed by Kazuko Kaneuchi in 2011. It’s <a href="https://github.com/jawordpressorg/wapuu" target="_blank">distributed under the GPLv2 or later</a> and can be modified by anyone. The character is used to represent different cultures and regions of the world.</p>
<p>Now that Wapuu is showing up as a mascot for sites that focus on WordPress, the question is, when will it be used to represent companies in the WordPress ecosystem?</p>
<p>Shortly after <a href="http://wptavern.com/automattic-acquires-woocommerce">Automattic acquired WooThemes</a>, Nick Hamze was criticized on the Advanced WordPress Facebook group for creating a <a href="http://blog.nickhamze.com/2015/05/19/hiro-wapuu-bffs/">Wapuu dressed up like a ninja</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>If the graphic was created by WooThemes and independently of the acquisition I&#8217;d think oh cute, WooTheme&#8217;s mascot is teaching WordPress&#8217; mascot how to be a ninja, best friends forever for sure.</p>
<p>Instead, it came from an Automattician and in the context of Automattic acquiring WooThemes, to me it reads that Automattic is using Wapuu, which just bugs me.</p></blockquote>
<p>At WordCamp Miami 2015, Rocketgenius came under fire for creating swag that features Wapuu wearing a space suit with a rocket patch on its arm.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/carlhancock">@carlhancock</a> Wapuu is for promoting WordPress. It promotes a open source project and not a company.</p>
<p>&mdash; Marko Heijnen (@markoheijnen) <a href="https://twitter.com/markoheijnen/status/605072873586356224">May 31, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>This is what the swag looks like. The logo is subtle in nature and if you didn&#8217;t already know it represents Rocketgenius, it would fit naturally into the design.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SpaceWapuu.jpg"><img class="wp-image-44989 size-large" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SpaceWapuu-375x500.jpg" alt="Space Wapuu With Rocket Patch" width="375" height="500" /></a>Space Wapuu With Rocket Patch
<p>It&#8217;s important to note that there are no rules in how Wapuu can be used. The only guideline is maintaining Kaneuchi&#8217;s copyright. The mascot has appeared on physical products such as nails, cakes, and stuffed animals.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wapuu-everywhere.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-43945" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wapuu-everywhere.jpg" alt="photo credit:  Naoko Takano - Learnings from Growing Local WordPress Communities" width="1401" height="961" /></a>photo credit:<br />Naoko Takano &#8211; <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/naokomc/wordcamp-europe2013/47">Learnings from Growing Local WordPress Communities</a>
<p>Schulp says she plans to create more Wapuus when the inspiration strikes. &#8220;I like to imagine Wapuu in a ton of different circumstances and my plan is to create more <em>slice of life</em> Wapuus as the inspiration strikes, maybe similar to how you can express things with Facebook stickers.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Though Wapuu is open source and we can all use him and I&#8217;ve got good intentions, he isn&#8217;t mine so I&#8217;ll always defer to and respect the community that created it.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Community Protection</h2>
<p>The use of Wapuu is open for interpretation but I don&#8217;t see a problem with companies participating in the craze and creating one of their own. Unlike the WordPress logo, which is trademarked, Wapuu is free of such restrictions meaning anyone can use it for anything, including commercial endeavors.</p>
<p>The community needs to protect Wapuu from enterprises that want to claim it as their own. We must respect its origins and give credit where credit is due. Other than that, the more Wapuus the better!</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Jun 2015 18:31:03 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:6;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:111:"WPTavern: Prescription for a Stalled WordPress Agency: Mario Peshev’s Advice for Growing Development Services";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44596";s: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:117:"http://wptavern.com/prescription-for-a-stalled-wordpress-agency-mario-peshevs-advice-for-growing-development-services";s: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:2617:"<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/clients.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/clients.jpg" alt="photo credit: Alejandro Escamilla" width="1500" height="738" class="size-full wp-image-45014" /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/96E1A8F1CB">Alejandro Escamilla</a>
<p>WordPress agencies provide a critical connection point between users and the software by building custom solutions and guiding some of the more complex implementations. Yet client work is challenging, and many developers who work in it are concurrently planning their escape into product businesses.</p>
<p>Growing an agency reliably is one of the more difficult business endeavors one can embark upon in the WordPress ecosystem. That&#8217;s why many attempts linger at one or two person shops, and very few grow to become the powerhouse agencies that can accommodate enterprise level clients.</p>
<p><a href="http://devwp.eu/" target="_blank">Mario Peshev</a>, an agency owner specializing in SaaS solutions, wrote an excellent piece on <a href="http://devwp.eu/outsourcing-and-hiring-remote-talent/" target="_blank">Outsourcing and Hiring Remote Talent</a>. As strategic hiring is the lifeblood of any agency, it&#8217;s a skill that owners are eager to refine.</p>
<p>&#8220;Small businesses are not easy to run,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Growing from a one man show to two people is really hard.&#8221; Peshev&#8217;s article includes a wealth of advice from the trenches on topics that every WordPress agency owner has struggled with, especially in the beginning. He covers the following topics in depth:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tips on hiring technical people remotely</li>
<li>Strategies for hiring experts, junior developers, and trainees</li>
<li>Scaling a business and growing a team via outsourcing</li>
<li>When and why you might hire a consultant</li>
<li>The benefits of leasing employees</li>
<li>Outsourcing to another agency</li>
<li>When it makes sense to hire a freelancer</li>
<li>How to find WordPress talent</li>
</ul>
<p>Peshev blogs regularly on WordPress development and business topics, and this <a href="http://devwp.eu/outsourcing-and-hiring-remote-talent/" target="_blank">post</a> is a must read for any business owner who is struggling to grow a stalled agency. There&#8217;s no simple recipe for success when you&#8217;re in the business of helping clients harness the power of WordPress. Peshev&#8217;s post doesn&#8217;t offer a single magic formula for growing your agency but instead outlines various strategies and scenarios where they might be beneficial.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:06:40 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:24:"Matt: Online Privacy Lie";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45136";s: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:40:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/online-privacy-lie/";s: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:469:"<p>Techcrunch has a really great essay by Natasha Lomas that I think got missed, <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/06/the-online-privacy-lie-is-unraveling/">The Online Privacy Lie Is Unraveling</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>Americans believe it is futile to manage what companies can learn about them. Our study reveals that more than half do not want to lose control over their information but also believe this loss of control has already happened.</p></blockquote>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 09 Jun 2015 04:57:56 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:57:"WPTavern: Brighton, UK to Host Europe’s First BuddyCamp";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44932";s: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:63:"http://wptavern.com/brighton-uk-to-host-europes-first-buddycamp";s: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:3373:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/buddycamp-brighton.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/buddycamp-brighton.jpg" alt="buddycamp-brighton" width="670" height="318" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44976" /></a></p>
<p>BuddyPress fans, mark your calendars! <a href="http://brighton.buddycamp.org/2015/" target="_blank">BuddyCamp Brighton</a>, Europe’s very first BuddyPress conference, is just two months away. The event will be held at Clearleft’s 68 Middle Street venue on August 8, 2015. This venue has a maximum capacity of 60 people, so tickets are likely to sell out fast.</p>
<p>BuddyPress lead developer <a href="https://twitter.com/pgibbs" target="_blank">Paul Gibbs</a> and contributor <a href="https://twitter.com/karmatosed" target="_blank">Tammie Lister</a> are teaming up to organize the event and put out the <a href="http://brighton.buddycamp.org/2015/call-for-speakers/" target="_blank">call for speakers</a> and <a href="http://brighton.buddycamp.org/2015/call-for-sponsors/" target="_blank">sponsors</a> today.</p>
<p>&#8220;The really exciting thing is that this is going to be the first BuddyCamp outside North America/Canada &#8211; the first in Europe,&#8221; Gibbs said. &#8220;From my role in the BuddyPress project, I know we have many fans across the continent, and it&#8217;s those people we want to come to BuddyCamp, so we&#8217;re going to focus on making the event as accessible as possible for all those visitors.&#8221;</p>
<p>Brighton has a thriving <a href="http://www.meetup.com/WordUp-Brighton/" target="_blank">local WordPress community</a> and BuddyPress interest runs deep throughout the UK, making it a strategic location for hosting Europe&#8217;s first BuddyCamp.</p>
<p>&#8220;Brighton itself has a great tech community, as does London obviously (which is just over an hour away on train), so there&#8217;s a lot of potential,&#8221; Gibbs said.</p>
<p>Organizers are hoping to receive a wide range of presentation subjects from potential speakers, including both beginner and technical topics.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re pretty keen on beginners content, mixed with a range of showcases and great examples of the potential of BuddyPress,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Gibbs confirmed that peripheral bbPress topics are also welcome among speaker submissions, even though the event will focus primarily on BuddyPress.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think there&#8217;s a lot of overlap, especially around community management and development,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;d be happy to receive talk proposals in these areas.&#8221;</p>
<p>BuddyCamp Brighton is a historic event for the European BuddyPress community and will be formatted as an intimate gathering where attendees of all skill levels are welcome. BuddyPress enthusiasts will learn more about the varied uses of the plugin and will also have the opportunity to get connected to core contributors in the region.</p>
<p>&#8220;If people go home happy and inspired to use BuddyPress to help them grow a community, then I&#8217;ll be very happy,&#8221; Gibbs said.</p>
<p>Those interested to attend can <a href="http://brighton.buddycamp.org/" target="_blank">subscribe to email updates</a> or follow <a href="https://twitter.com/BuddyCampUK" target="_blank">@BuddyCampUK</a> on Twitter to be notified when tickets go on sale.</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, 08 Jun 2015 22:06:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:9;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:101:"WPTavern: WordPress Theme Review Team Seeks Feedback on the Review Process, Themes, and the Directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44912";s: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:109:"http://wptavern.com/wordpress-theme-review-team-seeks-feedback-on-the-review-process-themes-and-the-directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5378:"<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/survey.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/survey.jpg" alt="photo credit: Lukasz Kowalewski" width="1500" height="742" class="size-full wp-image-44957" /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/FI3UYVGNFD">Lukasz Kowalewski</a>
<p>The WordPress Theme Review Team (TRT) is currently seeking feedback via three separate surveys on the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-review-process-survey/" target="_blank">review process</a>, <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-usability-survey/" target="_blank">themes</a>, and the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-directory-survey/" target="_blank">directory</a>. After weathering several months of increasingly negative community feedback, the team is now looking to users and theme authors to help shape its <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/suggested-roadmap/" target="_blank">roadmap</a> for the future.</p>
<p>The team&#8217;s controversial decision to <a href="http://wptavern.com/wordpress-org-now-requires-theme-authors-to-use-the-customizer-to-build-theme-options" target="_blank">require theme authors to use the customizer for building theme options</a> ignited a heated debate, which continued as more guidelines came up for consideration. Community members expressed concern that more rules and regulations might limit the future of WordPress themes. The conversation surrounding violations of the &#8220;<a href="http://wptavern.com/wordpress-theme-review-team-is-cracking-down-on-violations-of-the-presentation-vs-functionality-guideline" target="_blank">Presentation vs. Functionality</a>&#8221; guideline contributed to the team&#8217;s decision to reevaluate the general direction of the official directory and the process of getting a theme approved.</p>
<p>Following a brainstorming session with Matt Mullenweg on May 28th, the TRT decided to step back and look at the process and the directory in a new way. This opened up many new avenues for the team to explore, and the three user surveys are a response to the new direction.</p>
<p>TRT member Tammie Lister opened up the feedback channels with an <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-directory-survey/" target="_blank">overview</a> of the purpose behind the surveys:</p>
<blockquote><p>As a part of our <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/suggested-roadmap/" target="_blank">Theme Directory Roadmap</a>, we are going to be taking a good look at every aspect of the theme submission, review, and browsing experience on WordPress.org.</p>
<p>To kick off the research phase of our roadmap, we’re issuing a series of surveys targeting theme authors, theme reviewers, and WordPress users. In addition to surveying users, we’ll also be analyzing other theme directories on the web, and reviewing other theme submission processes to see what we can bring back to WordPress.</p></blockquote>
<p>The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-usability-survey/" target="_blank">Usability survey</a> is an opportunity for anyone who has ever used a WordPress.org-hosted theme to voice an opinion on that experience. The survey briefly touches on whether the user views a demo before downloading the theme. The quality of theme demos is currently a hot topic of discussion, as many believe that the current demos are woefully inadequate at showing a theme&#8217;s potential.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-review-process-survey/" target="_blank">Theme Review Process survey</a> is specifically for theme authors and includes open-ended questions regarding the process and obstacles to getting a theme launched.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://13233232.polldaddy.com/s/what-is-it-like-to-have-your-theme-reviewed" target="_blank">Finding a WordPress Theme</a> survey concerns the directory, but it is the most limited in scope. The survey includes just one question about where users look for a theme when starting a new site.</p>
<p>One WordPress theme developer <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/06/05/theme-directory-survey/#comment-41962" target="_blank">commented on the survey</a>, suggesting a few more detailed questions that could be helpful, but Lister indicated that the TRT is examining the first round of responses before moving on to further research.</p>
<blockquote><p>At this stage we should not get into too much detail as we want to get an over-view. We also have some stats we can use in conjunction. This is not something we’re going to change format wise this time around.</p></blockquote>
<p>The three surveys are a unique opportunity for users to voice their opinions on the experience of using WordPress.org themes, and take just minutes to complete. Hopefully, when the next stage of research is launched they will survey users on more specific concerns.</p>
<p>The TRT&#8217;s request for feedback marks the beginning of a radical shift in the direction of the team. Instead of instituting more guidelines, TRT is looking at better ways to encourage creativity among theme authors and improve the process of submitting themes. The directory should also be receiving some useful improvements in the near future as the result of user feedback.</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, 08 Jun 2015 19:02:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"Akismet: Akismet WordPress Plugin 3.1.2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"http://blog.akismet.com/?p=1849";s: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:59:"http://blog.akismet.com/2015/06/08/akismet-3-1-2-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:1209:"<p>Version 3.1.2 of <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the Akismet plugin for WordPress</a> is now available.</p>
<p>This update includes seventeen fixes and enhancements; they&#8217;re summarized in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/changelog/">changelog</a> (or for all of the details, the <a href="https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/akismet/trunk">revision log</a>), but notably, Akismet will be easier to set up, use less space in your database, and be better protected against security holes &#8212; specifically ones in other plugins.</p>
<p>To upgrade, visit the Updates page of your WordPress dashboard and follow the instructions. If you need to download the plugin zip file directly, links to all versions are available in <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/akismet/">the WordPress plugins directory</a>.</p><br />  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/akismet.wordpress.com/1849/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/akismet.wordpress.com/1849/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=blog.akismet.com&blog=116920&post=1849&subd=akismet&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 08 Jun 2015 02:50:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"Christopher Finke";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"Matt: The Agency – NYTimes.com";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45132";s: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:44:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/the-agency-nytimes-com/";s: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:372:"<blockquote><p>From a nondescript office building in St. Petersburg, Russia, an army of well-paid “trolls” has tried to wreak havoc all around the Internet — and in real-life American communities.</p></blockquote>
<p>This story of Adrian Chen in Russian <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html">definitely turns weird at the end</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 07 Jun 2015 14:52:45 +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:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:30:"Matt: Aca-Awesome : Kay Cannon";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45130";s: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:44:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/aca-awesome-kay-cannon/";s: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:380:"<p>Pitch Perfect and its sequel, which I saw a few weekends ago, are the best geeky kind of fun (though I thought there were some jokes that fell flat in the latest). Longreads has an interview with Kay Cannon, the Pitch Perfect screenwriter, <a href="http://blog.longreads.com/2015/05/27/how-to-be-aca-awesome/">How to Be Aca-Awesome and the changing definition of cool</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 07 Jun 2015 05:21:00 +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:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22:"Matt: Favorite Rappers";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45120";s: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:38:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/favorite-rappers/";s: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:239:"<p>Someone asked me the other day who my favorite rappers were, here they are in no particular order:</p>
<p>Pre-2000: Big Pun, Jay Z, Nas, Ludacris, Method Man.</p>
<p>Post-2000: Kendrick Lamar, Kanye, Childish Gambino, J Cole, Drake.</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, 06 Jun 2015 04:02:00 +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:14;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:48:"WPTavern: A Primer on Writing Good Documentation";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44807";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"http://wptavern.com/a-primer-on-writing-good-documentation";s: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:8612:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JeffMatsonThumbnail.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-44911" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JeffMatsonThumbnail-150x150.jpg" alt="JeffMatsonThumbnail" width="150" height="150" /></a>This post was contributed by guest author <a href="http://jeffmatson.net/">Jeff Matson</a>. Jeff is the head of documentation for <a href="http://www.gravityforms.com/">GravityForms</a>. He is the creator of the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/heartbeat-control/">Heartbeat Control</a> WordPress plugin and is a fan of the 90s.</p>
<hr />
<p>Often times, documentation is the most underrated piece of the development process. When we look at rockstars in the WordPress community, we typically look at developers, designers, and marketers. Little is known about the documentation writers out there who shed their blood, sweat, and tears to ensure everything runs smoothly.</p>
<p>This post is about those who day in, and day out stare at endless lines of code to decipher what the developer was thinking, and the true meaning behind the code that exists.</p>
<h2>Good Documentation is More Than Words</h2>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DocumentationWords.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44914" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DocumentationWords.png" alt="Documentation Words" width="730" height="295" /></a>photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80719942@N00/4733367729">Variatie &#8211; Tekst</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>Good documentation writers provide more than an instruction manual, they provide an experience. I have known excellent documenters, coached beginners, and the largest difference between them is understanding the brain of those reading it. Just like a novel, documentation has a flow that keeps the reader interested and ingesting more information than they realize.</p>
<p>Quality documentation targets the users that are most likely to read it. It also provides a point of reference for those who are more unlikely to read it. For example, if documenting a particular hook, it’s typically assumed that a developer will be reading it, but what about those who have little development experience?</p>
<p>A good documentation writer will provide a point of reference for those who need more of a push in the right direction, without the need to contact support to spell it out for them.</p>
<h2>Documentation Has a Larger Impact Than You Think</h2>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ImpactImage.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44916" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ImpactImage.png" alt="Impact Image" width="585" height="298" /></a>photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24113168@N03/3891599149">Eruption</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>Most simply ignore documentation, pushing it off into the endless abyss until they can’t take it anymore. I’m guilty of the same thing in some cases. What those people don’t realize, is that every moment their plugin or theme is left undocumented, user experience suffers.</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at your most common support ticket. If you better documented that issue, would those tickets go away entirely? Probably not. Would you get fewer tickets regarding the issue as well as increase you or your support agent&#8217;s productivity? I guarantee it. I think we could all use fewer support tickets.</p>
<p>As I mentioned previously, documentation makes a dramatic impact on user experience. If the user is able to locate the information easily and efficiently, they have saved their own time as well as yours. The average world life expectancy is 66.57 years and your users would rather be doing something else with their lives than fiddling around with poorly written documentation.</p>
<p>If a customer sees that you have put quite a bit of time and effort into your documentation, they will, whether consciously or not, better appreciate you. Good documentation shows you care about them after the initial sale.</p>
<p>Have you ever been left high and dry after spending hard-earned money and soon regretted the purchase? I think we all have. With proper documentation, you can avoid passing that feeling off to your customers.</p>
<h2>How Can You Write Better Documentation?</h2>
<p>The first step is to stop avoiding it. Once you&#8217;re good at it, writing documentation is more of a pleasurable experience than you think. In fact, it will become second nature. Just like everything else in the world, practice makes perfect.</p>
<p>One of the first steps you want to take when deciding to take your documentation to the next level is to determine your pain points. What are you being contacted about? If you start blindly writing about things, you may find that what you’re writing about isn’t making as much of an impact you would like it to.</p>
<p>One of the best techniques I have discovered is to track the number of tickets that are documented vs. those that are not, and break those that are not into categories. This way, you can better target your pain points, and revise the parts that may not be as helpful as they should be.</p>
<p>After you have determined what documentation you should write, you should determine your target audience, and break it down into developers, users, and power users. This helps you cater to that particular audience. We’ll go over how to target those users a bit later.</p>
<p>Next, you want to break down the document. For developers, you’ll want to break it down into raw information (accepted arguments, return values, etc.), specific examples and use-cases. For users, the best course of action is a walkthrough. Every step they will need to take, regardless of how trivial it may seem, is critical.</p>
<p>Spell it out to them every step of the way. Documenting for power users is very similar to a user scenario, but more structured and scannable. Be clear, but allow them to easily jump to where they need to go without reading the previous step first.</p>
<h2>The Art of Writing Better Documentation</h2>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DocumentationArt.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44917" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DocumentationArt.png" alt="Documentation Art" width="497" height="249" /></a>photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41455403@N00/458033123">Space invader. Paris. Gare de lyon</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>When it comes to the art of writing your documentation, write in a way that best targets your audience, but also use simple language that you know they will understand. One of the best reasons for this is due to translations. While Google translate does an excellent job, it’s much easier to translate the simple vocabulary of a 5th grader than that contained within a post-grad thesis.</p>
<p>Within your content, don’t be afraid to link to relevant content. This will allow you to avoid repeating yourself through multiple documents, as well as allow the reader to back-track if they need more information about a particular subject. After all, your main goals are to make the user happy, and save yourself time.</p>
<p>The documentation process doesn’t stop after you press the <strong>publish</strong> button. Go back and revise every document as needed. Almost immediately after the document is published, go back and see if the support tickets you tracked have declined, and traffic to that particular article has increased. Usually, if you’re getting more traffic to an article, it’s helping. If you’re getting more traffic but the same number of support tickets, you may want to look into that article to see why.</p>
<h2>What We Have Learned</h2>
<p>First, I hope that after making it this far, you have a better appreciation for those in the trenches writing the documentation that most of us take for granted. It truly is an art form that many of us who write documentation for a living truly enjoy and put many, many hours into.</p>
<p>I also hope that you come away from this article thinking more about your existing documentation and how it can be improved. Proper documentation can be extremely rewarding and once in practice, can actually be quite fun to write.</p>
<p>Document early, document often. A great product is more than great code, it’s also beautifully documented.</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, 05 Jun 2015 21:26:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:64:"WPTavern: Menu Customizer Tentatively Approved for WordPress 4.3";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44894";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"http://wptavern.com/menu-customizer-tentatively-approved-for-wordpress-4-3";s: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:2520:"<p>WordPress 4.3 release lead Konstantin Obenland posted <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/05/dev-chat-summary-june-3/" target="_blank">notes</a> from this week&#8217;s core development chat, confirming that the <a href="http://wptavern.com/menu-customizer-officially-proposed-for-merge-into-wordpress-4-3" target="_blank">Menu Customizer</a> plugin has been conditionally approved to merge. The approval is pending a few conditions that will be required before officially merging it:</p>
<ul>
<li>Complete a11y audit.</li>
<li>Address possible blockers.</li>
<li>Merge php tests.</li>
<li>Add JS tests.</li>
</ul>
<p>One of the most controversial aspects of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/03/feature-plugin-merge-proposal-menu-customizer/" target="_blank">proposal</a> submitted by project leader Nick Halsey was the timeline he outlined for removing all core links to the old Menus admin screen in future releases. Commenters on the proposal reacted strongly to this approach as well as this particular use of the customizer.</p>
<p>Discussion continued following the meeting, as Halsey wanted to address the critical issue of the timeline for removing removing the menus screen from the admin. He <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/core/p1433388261001615" target="_blank">attributes</a> the resistance to the customizer to a lack of education on the feature and strongly <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/core/p1433384388001601" target="_blank">advocates</a> &#8220;focusing on the new UI as the primary (and in terms of development, only) menus admin interface.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>For Menu Customizer, this idea has been part of the project from the very beginning. My GSoC proposal (3/20/14) states &#8216;If the Menu Customizer provides all of the features of the existing menu management screen, while clearly demonstrating that it is a better solution than the existing screen in user tests, it could potentially replace the existing screen entirely for users that can access the Customizer,&#8217; and there has never been indication that this isn&#8217;t the direction we should move in, other than the general and ongoing resistance to the Customizer as a whole that we&#8217;ve seen from many community members (which I think is more of an educational issue).</p></blockquote>
<p>Discussion continues on the matter and work will move forward on the plugin to ensure that it meets the conditions outlined for its merge into WordPress 4.3.</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, 05 Jun 2015 13:35:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"WPTavern: BuddyDrive 1.3 Utilizes the New BP Attachments API";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44417";s: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:"http://wptavern.com/buddydrive-1-3-utilizes-the-new-bp-attachments-api";s: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:3160:"<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/paperclips.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/paperclips.jpg" alt="photo credit: Paperclips - (license)" width="1024" height="515" class="size-full wp-image-44887" /></a>photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45953381@N05/5539562805">Paperclips</a> &#8211; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
<p>One of the most exciting features added in <a href="http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-3-livio-released-features-the-new-bp-attachments-api" target="_blank">BuddyPress 2.3</a> is the new <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/plugindev/bp_attachment/" target="_blank">BP Attachments API</a>. It provides a BP core-supported method of managing user-submitted files and opens up a world of possibilities for plugin developers.</p>
<p>The API powers the new avatar uploads UI, but it can also be used to extend BuddyPress to add media sharing capabilities. If you want to see a good example of this in the wild, check out BuddyDrive version <a href="https://github.com/imath/buddydrive/tree/1.3" target="_blank">1.3.0</a>. The plugin was created by BP core developer <a href="http://imathi.eu/" target="_blank">Mathieu Viet</a>, who led the effort to get the BP Attachments API into the latest release.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddydrive/" target="_blank">BuddyDrive</a> allows members to share a file or a list of files with the community and includes various settings for restricting access. It&#8217;s essentially like a Dropbox clone for BuddyPress, designed to enhance collaboration between members. The plugin was a prime candidate for adapting the BP Attachments API to power community file sharing in a simpler, more elegant way.</p>
<p>You can see it active in the new &#8220;BuddyDrive Editor&#8221; included in version 1.3, demonstrated in the video below:</p>
<p></p>
<p>Viet posted an <a href="https://github.com/imath/buddydrive/wiki/The-BuddyDrive-Editor" target="_blank">example function</a> in the plugin&#8217;s wiki to show how the BuddyDrive Editor can be placed anywhere. The feature is a good example of how easy it is for developers to leverage the API to manage user-generated media from the frontend.</p>
<p>BuddyDrive 1.3 is currently in beta and on track to be released soon. If you&#8217;d like to help test the beta or inspect the code to see how it works, you can download a zip file from Viet&#8217;s <a href="http://imathi.eu/2015/06/02/buddydrive-1-3-0/" target="_blank">preview post</a>. The unreleased <a href="https://github.com/imath/buddydrive/tree/1.3" target="_blank">version 1.3</a> is also available on GitHub.</p>
<p>If you want to learn more about using the new BP Attachments API, check out Viet&#8217;s comprehensive <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/plugindev/bp_attachment/" target="_blank">BP codex article</a>. It walks you through extending the <code>BP_Attachment</code> class to validate and store files in a subdirectory of wp-content/uploads. The documentation also includes a sample plugin to demonstrate how you might add attachments to private messages.</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, 05 Jun 2015 04:20:05 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"WPTavern: How to Add a Default Image to Jetpack’s Related Posts Module";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44865";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"http://wptavern.com/how-to-add-a-default-image-to-jetpacks-related-posts-module";s: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:2712:"<p>Jetpack&#8217;s related posts module is a great way to show related content without using the same server resources used to host a site. When activated, the module displays three related posts. One of two options available is to use a large and visually striking layout.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JetpackRelatedPostsConfiguration.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44867" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JetpackRelatedPostsConfiguration.png" alt="Jetpack Related Posts Configuration" width="1105" height="402" /></a>Jetpack Related Posts Configuration
<p>When enabled, the module looks for a large image that&#8217;s at least 350x200px in posts and uses it when displaying related posts.</p>
<p>The downside to using this option is that related posts that don&#8217;t use images will display as a post excerpt instead. This can cause an undesirable look, especially if one or two related posts have images.</p>
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/RelatedPostsUsingText.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44869" src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/RelatedPostsUsingText.png" alt="Related Posts Displaying a Post Excerpt" width="990" height="333" /></a>Related Posts Displaying a Post Excerpt
<p>Jeremy Herve who works on the Jetpack team <a href="http://jeremy.hu/jetpack-missing-images-related-posts/">published a tutorial</a> that explains how to show a default image if one is not detected. Both of his solutions require the user to add code which is a barrier for many users.</p>
<p>Brian Krogsgard of <a href="https://poststatus.com/">PostStatus.com</a> recommends that a conditional option be added that allows users who use a large and visually striking layout to easily configure a default image.</p>
<blockquote><p>Currently, the user can click a checkbox to enable images for related posts output. I propose that an image upload option conditionally appear upon the image option being selected.</p>
<p>That keeps the option out of sight for folks that don&#8217;t use images for related posts but makes it easier for normal folks to upload a default image for what I imagine would be an incredibly well adopted feature.</p></blockquote>
<p>It&#8217;s a great suggestion and removes the need to edit or modify code. Although one of WordPress&#8217; philosophies is <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/philosophy/">decisions not options</a>, this is a scenario where I think it makes sense. If this is an option you&#8217;d like to see added or have a different suggestion, you&#8217;re encouraged to <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/jetpack/issues/2220">participate in the discussion</a> on GitHub.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 04 Jun 2015 23:03:22 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:18;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"WPTavern: All Official Easy Digital Downloads Themes are Now 100% Free";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44831";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"http://wptavern.com/all-official-easy-digital-downloads-themes-are-now-100-free";s: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:4235:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EasyDigitalDownloadsFeaturedImage-e1429138648237.png"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/EasyDigitalDownloadsFeaturedImage-e1429138648237.png" alt="EasyDigitalDownloadsFeaturedImage" width="620" height="220" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-40496" /></a></p>
<p>Easy Digital Downloads <a href="https://easydigitaldownloads.com/blog/easy-digital-downloads-themes/" target="_blank">announced</a> a major change to its <a href="https://easydigitaldownloads.com/themes/" target="_blank">themes marketplace</a> today. All official EDD themes (those that are built by the EDD core team) are now 100% free. This includes half a dozen themes that are guaranteed to be fully compatible with EDD, including the new <a href="https://easydigitaldownloads.com/downloads/vendd/" target="_blank">Vendd</a> theme launching today.</p>
<p>EDD support manager Sean Davis clarified how the free themes will be supported:</p>
<blockquote><p>Official EDD themes are available to you at absolutely no cost. They will still be licensed so that you can receive theme updates directly from your WordPress dashboard and we will also provide support. The only thing changing is the price.</p></blockquote>
<p>Responding to <a href="https://twitter.com/nphaskins/status/606478597851746304" target="_blank">criticism</a> on Twitter saying that the change contributes to the <a href="https://philiparthurmoore.com/ruining-wordpress/" target="_blank">undervaluation of WordPress themes</a>, EDD founder <a href="https://pippinsplugins.com/" target="_blank">Pippin Williamson</a> said, &#8220;For us it&#8217;s not about the themes. It&#8217;s about the entire package. By making it easy for users to have a good shop up and running in minutes, we significantly increase the potential value to that customer and of that customer. We also dramatically reduce the cost of support by having more users on more reliable themes that are built for EDD.&#8221;</p>
<p>Making half a dozen themes free might seem like it would significantly increase EDD&#8217;s support burden, but Williamson expects that the move will pay off in other ways. Like many other WordPress business owners who have made some of their best work free, Williamson has a strategy for how it will work.</p>
<p>&#8220;The change lowers the barrier to entry,&#8221; Williamson said. &#8220;When the barrier is lowered, the user base grows. When the user base grows, the customer base grows. From a business side, we will have far more success converting free users to paid customers after they&#8217;ve already been given a great experience with a theme.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/nphaskins">@nphaskins</a> Not sugar coating it at all. We'll make 5x more by giving them away than we did selling them <a href="https://twitter.com/SDavisMedia">@sdavismedia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NateWr">@natewr</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Pippinsplugins (@pippinsplugins) <a href="https://twitter.com/pippinsplugins/status/606480064448995329">June 4, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>This major change is in line with EDD&#8217;s basic freemium business model, which has been in place from the start. The core product(s) are free and satisfied users go on to make purchases from the <a href="https://easydigitaldownloads.com/downloads/" target="_blank">add-ons marketplace</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;By setting them up with a good theme from the get go, the likelihood that they become a paying customer is substantially higher,&#8221; Williamson said.</p>
<p>So far, the freemium model has worked well for the company and making six theme products free makes sense when the business primarily revolves around plugins. After just <a href="http://wptavern.com/easy-digital-downloads-turns-3-years-old" target="_blank">three years in business</a>, EDD pulled in roughly half a million dollars in <a href="https://pippinsplugins.com/2014-review/" target="_blank">revenue in 2014</a>. As themes were not a significant portion of the revenue, Williamson is re-assigning them to be free products in order to continue to build a customer base for his plugins.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 04 Jun 2015 19:13:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:19;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:24:"Matt: WordCamp US Survey";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45127";s: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:40:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/wordcamp-us-survey/";s: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:506:"<p>We&#8217;re trying something new this year: instead of WordCamp San Francisco being the main WordCamp event of the year doing a WordCamp US in a rotating city. I&#8217;ve heard some great in-person pitches for places like Phoenix already. Do you think your city would be the coolest place in the 50 states for the first ever WordCamp US? <a href="http://wordcampcentral.polldaddy.com/s/apply-to-host-wordcamp-us">Submit your city in this new survey</a>. It&#8217;s open until the end of the month.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 04 Jun 2015 07:01:31 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:20;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"WPTavern: WordCamp US 2015 Now Accepting Applications for Host City";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44810";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"http://wptavern.com/wordcamp-us-2015-now-accepting-applications-for-host-city";s: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:3841:"<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/usa-flag.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/usa-flag.jpg" alt="usa-flag" width="1022" height="507" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44819" /></a></p>
<p>WordCamp San Francisco has traditionally been one of the most important WordPress events of the year where Matt Mullenweg delivers his annual State of the Word address. Last year, he <a href="http://wptavern.com/matt-mullenwegs-state-of-the-word-highlights-internationalization-mobile-and-new-tools-for-wordpress-contributors" target="_blank">announced</a> that the the event had outgrown the Mission Bay venue and that it would be expanding to become WordCamp US in 2015.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Touch the walls as you walk out, as this is the last time we'll have <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WordCampSF?src=hash">#WordCampSF</a> here! ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt">@photomatt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wcsf14?src=hash">#wcsf14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/endofanera?src=hash">#endofanera</a></p>
<p>&mdash; WordCamp SF (@WordCampSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/WordCampSF/status/526454529584549889">October 26, 2014</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>The decision to seek a new venue in a new city was partly based on the need to make room for more attendees and presentations. Another benefit of moving the event out of San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the world, is that it will likely become more accessible to a greater number of people.</p>
<p>WordCamp US will follow a format similar to WordCamp Europe in that it will be held in a rotating city. The city has not yet been selected, which is surprising given that the year is nearly halfway finished.</p>
<p>Mullenweg put out <a href="http://ma.tt/2015/06/wordcamp-us-survey/" target="_blank">a call for host city applications</a> on his blog and linked to a <a href="http://wordcampcentral.polldaddy.com/s/apply-to-host-wordcamp-us" target="_blank">survey</a> where candidates can apply.</p>
<p>There are a lot of cities out there that might be an excellent fit for WordCamp US, but many are lacking a vibrant local WordPress community to help support the event. While this is not stated as an explicit requirement, it would be difficult to pull off such a large event without an army of local volunteers.</p>
<p>WordPress is aiming big for its first ever WordCamp US. The survey states that host city applicants must secure a venue with hotels within three miles that can support 1,500 &#8211; 2,000 attendees. Potential organizers must supply average hotel costs for a range of budgets and average flight costs from the West Coast, East Coast, Midwest, Mexico, and Canada.</p>
<p>Hosting the event will be a massive undertaking that will require an organization team capable of putting everything together in a very short amount of time. Events of this size normally have the benefit of longer planning periods. For example, <a href="http://wptavern.com/applications-to-host-wordcamp-europe-2016-closing-soon" target="_blank">applications to host WordCamp Europe 2016 closed two months ago</a> and the team is already training volunteers for next year&#8217;s event.</p>
<p>If your team is up to the challenge of hosting WordCamp US, you&#8217;ll need to be prepared to submit venue information with room capacities, a detailed event budget, potential dates, and contributor day options. So far, Mullenweg has received in-person pitches for Phoenix but the application process is open to teams from any city. When <a href="http://wptavern.com/where-will-wordcamp-usa-be-held" target="_blank">WP Tavern readers were surveyed seven months ago</a>, commenters favored Chicago, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Houston, and Dallas.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 04 Jun 2015 04:58:10 +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:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:21;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:36:"Matt: Unsubscribing from Newsletters";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45117";s: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:52:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/unsubscribing-from-newsletters/";s: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:2593:"<p>When <a href="http://ma.tt/2004/04/trying-gmail/">Gmail first came out I got on pretty early and procured what I thought was a cool email address</a>, mmmmmm@gmail.com. That&#8217;s because matt@ was too short, and matthew@ was taken. Ask anyone with a &#8220;cool&#8221; email address on a major service or Twitter handle and you&#8217;ll mostly hear about what a pain it is constantly getting spam, other people&#8217;s email, and people trying to log in to your account. These days it seems that address is used mostly by people forced to put something into an email form at places they don&#8217;t want to, so constant mail from mortgage places, car dealerships, porn sites, and countless email newsletters. I never ended up using the account for anything myself besides normal Google stuff.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a service to help you unsubscribe from things <a href="https://unroll.me/">called Unroll.me</a> which is pretty neat, and it&#8217;ll scan your account to find all of the newsletters and things you can unsubscribe from, and gives you a one-click interface to do so. Unfortunately if you had over 5,000 &#8220;subscriptions&#8221; as I had, that becomes a 5,000 click operation and they provide no bulk tools, and apparently no plans to add them:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/photomatt">@photomatt</a> unfortunately there's no mass unsubscribe option at this time, though  we are seriously considering it for the future!</p>
<p>&mdash; Unroll.Me (@Unrollme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Unrollme/status/595680719495634949">May 5, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>I assume this is because they want people to add newsletters to their digest service instead of just unsubscribing. Code to the rescue! Written by the <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/coffee2code">inimitable Scott Reilly</a>. After you sign up and sign in, go <a href="https://unroll.me/rollup/edit/new">to this page</a>, go to the javascript console (in Chrome: View → Developer → Javascript Console), then copy and paste the below code and press enter.</p>
.gist table { margin-bottom: 0; }
<p></p>
<p>Then sit back and wait, it&#8217;s set so every 1.5 seconds it clicks an unsubscribe link. I do this about once a week now since I can accumulate 20-100 new subscriptions in that time. This code will break if they change anything, but should be pretty easy to update when they do. It currently shows me as unsubscribed from 7,868 things! If there was a way to pay for my account on Unroll.me I would do so happily.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:23:00 +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:22;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"WPTavern: BuddyPress 2.3 “Livio” Released, Features the New BP Attachments API";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44666";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-3-livio-released-features-the-new-bp-attachments-api";s: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:4503:"<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/chez-livio.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/chez-livio.jpg" alt="photo credit: Chez Livio on TripAdvisor.com" width="700" height="348" class="size-full wp-image-44799" /></a>photo credit: <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g196581-d714980-Reviews-Chez_Livio-Neuilly_sur_Seine_Hauts_de_Seine_Ile_de_France.html#photos">Chez Livio on TripAdvisor.com</a>
<p>BuddyPress 2.3 &#8220;Livio&#8221; was released today, named in honor of <a href="http://www.chezlivio.com/" target="_blank">Chez Livio</a>, a famous Italian restaurant and pizza joint in Paris. Development on the 2.3 release cycle began in March with contributors <a href="http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-3-development-kicks-off-contributors-prioritize-work-on-new-apis" target="_blank">prioritizing work on new APIs</a> alongside improvements to BuddyPress&#8217; existing APIs. Here&#8217;s a quick overview of what&#8217;s new:</p>
<h4>BP Attachments API</h4>
<p>The highlight of this release is the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/plugindev/bp_attachment/" target="_blank">BP Attachments API</a>, a new library that enables developers to create components that have the ability to manage uploads. You can see it in action in the greatly <a href="http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-3-will-improve-avatar-uploads-with-the-new-bp-attachments-api" target="_blank">improved avatar uploads UI</a>, which now supports drag-and-drop uploads and includes mobile integration with phone/tablet/laptop cameras.</p>
<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/avatar-ui.gif"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/avatar-ui.gif" alt="avatar-ui" width="657" height="355" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44742" /></a></p>
<h4>Companion Stylesheets for WordPress Default Themes</h4>
<p>If you want to test BuddyPress and you&#8217;re not sure which theme to use, check out one of WordPress&#8217; most recent default themes. Version 2.3 of the plugin ships with <a href="http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-3-will-introduce-companion-stylesheets-for-wordpress-default-themes" target="_blank">companion stylesheets</a> for Twenty Fourteen and Twenty Fifteen, which tidy up the appearance of BuddyPress components and UI elements when the default themes are active. The stylesheets also introduce vertical menus that eliminate the crowding often seen in the horizontal user/group navigation.</p>
<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/bp-user-account-nav.png"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/bp-user-account-nav.png" alt="bp-user-account-nav" width="1300" height="1004" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43323" /></a></p>
<h4>Better Excerpts for Blog Post Activity</h4>
<p>Version 2.3 has better support for blog post activity items. If the Site Tracking component is activated, BuddyPress will now display better excerpts in the activity stream for posts containing images or other embedded media. This improvement pairs nicely with the custom post type support that was added to the activity stream in the <a href="http://wptavern.com/buddypress-2-2-spumoni-released-featuring-new-member-type-api" target="_blank">2.2. release</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/activity-stream-blog-post.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/activity-stream-blog-post.jpg" alt="activity-stream-blog-post" width="616" height="443" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44744" /></a></p>
<p>Other highlights in BuddyPress 2.3 include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Member Type Directories</strong> – Create directories of member types on your site using the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/developer/member-types/" target="_blank">Member Type API</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Star Private Messages</strong> – Mark important messages in your inbox with a star.</li>
<li><strong>Notification Meta</strong> – Notifications are now more extensible with an additional metadata table.</li>
</ul>
<p>Overall this release offers an excellent balance between new features and improvements upon existing features, which combine to make BuddyPress more extensible and more enjoyable to use. It includes hundreds of bug fixes and enhancements from 40 volunteer contributors. For a full list of changes, check out the <a href="https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-2-3-0/" target="_blank">BuddyPress codex page for version 2.3</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, 03 Jun 2015 21:19:53 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:23;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: Menu Customizer Officially Proposed for Merge Into WordPress 4.3";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44729";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"http://wptavern.com/menu-customizer-officially-proposed-for-merge-into-wordpress-4-3";s: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:5536:"<p>Contributors on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/menu-customizer/" target="_blank">Menu Customizer</a> feature plugin are proposing its inclusion in WordPress 4.3. Nick Halsey posted the Customizer Team&#8217;s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/06/03/feature-plugin-merge-proposal-menu-customizer/" target="_blank">proposal</a> last night, beginning with a summary of the purpose of moving menu management into the customizer:</p>
<blockquote><p>In the process, we hope to offer an updated design with improved user flow, a mobile-first interface, improved accessibility, rebuild the administration UI from the ground up to be JavaScript-driven, solve long-standing problems with the current implementation, and clarify the purposes and capabilities of the menus feature. Additionally, Menu Customizer contributes significantly to the long-term goal to move all appearance functionality and, really, everything that could benefit from live previewing, from the admin to the Customizer.</p></blockquote>
<p>Menu management in the customizer is essentially a full replacement of all the capabilities previously housed in the admin. It allows for editing, reordering, deleting, and adding individual menu items within any menu. The plugin adds a convenient global search that includes all post types, terms, and taxonomies.</p>
<p>The video below was prepared by Halsey&#8217;s team to demonstrate the capabilities of the Menu Customizer:</p>
<p></p>
<p>The dizzying speed with which she flips between panels in the demo is not representative of the capabilities of your average WordPress user. Given that the plugin currently requires WordPress 4.3 alpha, it&#8217;s not likely that it has not been widely tested by users of varying experience levels.</p>
<p>My initial impression after testing is that managing menus in the customizer makes me feel claustrophobic. The live previews and the mobile friendliness are the big wins here, but they come at the expense of a squished menu management experience. For sites that use WordPress as a CMS, with dozens and sometimes hundreds of pages and subpages, menu management in the customizer could become rather cumbersome.</p>
<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/menu-customizer-test-add-page.jpg"><img src="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/menu-customizer-test-add-page.jpg" alt="menu-customizer-test-add-page" width="848" height="644" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44768" /></a></p>
<p>I have no doubt that the Menu Customizer has been architected to perform better as a JavaScript-driven solution for managing menus. Halsey and the team employed no small amount of wizardry in creating the custom panel for implementing screen options and the sections that lazy load menu items.</p>
<p>But if you put a relatively new WordPress user in front of the customizer menu panel, will it be intuitive to use?  Will stuffing menus into the customizer cause the usability of the feature to decline?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/962590793803135/" target="_blank">Reactions to the proposal</a> in the Advanced WordPress Facebook group were less than enthusiastic, as not many favor expanding the customizer&#8217;s reach into menu management.</p>
<p>&#8220;I really don&#8217;t feel the Customizer is the correct place to <em>manage</em> menus or any content for that matter,&#8221; member Tom Hemsley commented. &#8220;If a theme offers <em>styling</em> options for a menu then fair enough &#8211; put those styling options in the customizer. But the customizer is not the place for managing content. Why not force people to create new posts using the Customizer, too?&#8221;</p>
<p>Lisa League&#8217;s comment accurately summarizes many others&#8217; initial reactions to the demo video: &#8220;My first impression of Make was not &#8216;Cool, look how they did this with the customizer&#8217; but &#8216;Whoa, there&#8217;s too much stuff in this tiny space.'&#8221;</p>
<p>If the Menu Customizer plugin is approved to merge into core, Halsey outlined a plan for the removal of the old menu admin screen in favor of focusing all new development on the UI in the customizer. WordPress 4.3 would point the Menus link in the admin bar to Menus in the customizer and later releases would remove all core links to the Menus admin screen, or point them to the customizer.</p>
<p>&#8220;The above plan is fairly aggressive, to eliminate any ambiguity about future plans and intentions and to avoid the potential for mass trac ticket rot,&#8221; Halsey said.</p>
<p>WordPress cannot move forward without making changes and taking risks. The question of whether or not to merge the Menu Customizer plugin should inspire some fairly active discussion in the days ahead. If you want to test the plugin for yourself, the easiest way is to install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/" target="_blank">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin to get 4.3-alpha running and then install <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/menu-customizer" target="_blank">Menu Customizer</a> from WordPress.org.</p>
<p>Core contributors will discuss the Menu Customizer proposal today during the regularly scheduled development meeting on Slack. According to the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/version-4-3-project-schedule/" target="_blank">WordPress 4.3 project schedule</a>, the feature plugin merge window will close June 17th and the official release is expected in mid-August.</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, 03 Jun 2015 18:15:20 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:24;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"WPTavern: Steven Gliebe Launches WordPress Commercial Plugin Directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44649";s: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:80:"http://wptavern.com/steven-gliebe-launches-wordpress-commercial-plugin-directory";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:6532:"<p>More than 38k plugins are available for free on the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/">WordPress plugin directory</a>. While the theme directory has a <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/commercial/">category for commercial themes</a>, the plugin directory does not.</p>
<p>When <a href="https://mattreport.com/interview-matt-mullenweg/">Matt Medeiros interviewed Matt Mullenweg</a> earlier this year and asked if the plugin directory could turn into something similar to an app store, Mullenweg replied that the plugin directory will not turn into a market place or an app store and will never host commercial plugins. Outside of <a href="http://codecanyon.net/">CodeCanyon</a>, I&#8217;m not aware of any WordPress plugin directory that focuses on commercial plugins.</p>
<h2>Introducing Pro Plugin Directory</h2>
<p>Steven Gliebe who <a href="http://wptavern.com/hostingreviews-io-webhosting-reviews-without-the-affliate-links">runs HostingReviews.io</a> and is the founder of <a title="http://churchthemes.com/" href="http://churchthemes.com/">Churchthemes.com</a> has launched the<a href="https://proplugindirectory.com/2015/05/30/launching/"> Pro Plugin Directory</a>. The site lists commercial plugins from a variety of categories including, forms, performance, and security. Its design is based on a modified child theme of <a href="https://array.is/themes/checkout-wordpress-theme/">Checkout by ArrayHQ</a>.</p>
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ProPluginDirectory.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44750" src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ProPluginDirectory.png?resize=960%2C609" alt="Pro Plugin Directory Home Page" /></a>Pro Plugin Directory Home Page
<p>Gliebe created the site because he was frustrated that there was no resource for easily locating commercial WordPress plugins.</p>
<p>&#8220;Most of the time I do find what I need in the free directory. Sometimes though, I want to see what the commercial options are,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>After asking several members of the community if such a site already exists, he came up empty. &#8220;I asked around and found that apparently there is no definitive <em>Pro</em> plugin directory as I suspected, so I thought I&#8217;d give it a go. WordPress is 12 years old and it&#8217;s beyond time to establish this.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Monetization Strategy</h2>
<p>Maintaining a directory can be hard work and without a way to be paid for the effort involved, interest can disappear quickly. Affiliate links are a natural strategy for the site while another is to sell upgraded listings.</p>
<p>His focus is getting the site established with as many listings as possible. &#8220;Right now, my focus is on building up the site and making it useful. If it proves to be successful in that respect then I&#8217;m sure there will be a reasonable way to turn a profit and take it to the next level,&#8221; Gliebe said.</p>
<h2>Scalability</h2>
<p>One of the largest obstacles of running a directory is scalability. In the case of Pro Plugin Directory, the submissions come directly from the plugin sellers. The <a href="https://proplugindirectory.com/submissions/">Submission Guidelines</a> have certain requirements to help ensure quality content.</p>
<p>&#8220;The original content they submit is in a sense their <em>payment</em> for being listed and gaining exposure. There surely is work to be done but it will not be as heavy as <a href="http://themesorter.com/">ThemeSorter</a> or similar failed plugin and theme directory endeavors. I basically click <strong>approve</strong> or <strong>reject</strong> with the way it&#8217;s setup,&#8221; Gliebe said.</p>
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SearchWPPluginListing.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44752" src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SearchWPPluginListing.png?resize=1025%2C601" alt="Search WP Plugin Directory Listing" /></a>SearchWP Plugin Directory Listing
<h2>How Success will be Measured</h2>
<p>Without monetizing the site up front and being a new resource within the community, Gliebe tells the Tavern what metrics he&#8217;ll use to measure success.</p>
<p>&#8220;Repeat visitors. If I see that people return to the site to find commercial plugin options then I&#8217;ll know that it is a <em>go-to</em> resource. I would also like to see search engine results for specific types of plugins return the free plugin directory at position number one and a Pro Plugin Directory category at number two, so that the user has a complete picture of his options readily available.&#8221;</p>
<h2>The Directory is Useless Without Plugin Submissions</h2>
<p>The directory won&#8217;t become what Gliebe envisions unless commercial plugin authors <a href="https://proplugindirectory.com/submissions/">submit their plugins</a>. &#8220;In order for these things to happen, the directory needs plugins. It needs a very wide selection of commercial WordPress plugins. I need the support of plugin authors above all.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although Gliebe is encouraged with the number of plugins already submitted to the site, he needs the directory to be the first thing people think of when searching for a commercial option.</p>
<p>&#8220;If it becomes a <em>go-to</em> place for plugin sellers to market their new plugins then it just might work. I figure, if they know about it, why wouldn&#8217;t they list their plugins? It&#8217;s free, it&#8217;s easy, and I&#8217;d do it myself before other, harder, marketing tactics.&#8221;</p>
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PluginSubmissionForm.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44753" src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PluginSubmissionForm.png?resize=676%2C734" alt="Pro Plugin Directory Submission Form" /></a>Pro Plugin Directory Submission Form
<h2>Does it Stand a Chance?</h2>
<p>Creating a commercial plugin directory is not a new idea. Brad Touesnard founded the WordPress App Store which tried to be a commercial plugin directory while making it easier to browse and buy plugins. It didn&#8217;t attract the number of eyeballs needed to make the business sustainable and <a href="http://wptavern.com/brad-touesnard-explains-why-the-wp-app-store-failed">ultimately shut down</a>.</p>
<p>If Gliebe can&#8217;t get the support of commercial plugin authors and find a way to get a large number of plugins into the directory within a year, it will likely suffer the same fate.</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, 03 Jun 2015 04:38:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:25;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:27:"Matt: Jefferson on Idleness";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45122";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:43:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/jefferson-on-idleness/";s: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:153:"<blockquote><p>
Determine never to be idle. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.</p>
<p>&#8212; Thomas Jefferson</p></blockquote>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 03 Jun 2015 04:26:00 +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:26;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"WPTavern: The Quest for the Perfect WordPress Admin Search Tool";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44660";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"http://wptavern.com/the-quest-for-the-perfect-wordpress-admin-search-tool";s: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:8586:"<a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/journey.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/journey.jpg?resize=1025%2C547" alt="photo credit: Jesse Bowser" class="size-full wp-image-44709" /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://stocksnap.io/photo/2DEL42UQ7M">Jesse Bowser</a>
<p>The quest for the perfect WordPress admin search tool continues with yet another plugin designed to help you zip around the backend. Those who are familiar with <a href="http://www.alfredapp.com/" target="_blank">Alfred</a> for Mac will find many similarities in <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/aladdin/" target="_blank">Aladdin</a>, which was released today by <a href="https://twitter.com/tsiger" target="_blank">Gerasimos Tsiamalos</a> and the folks at <a href="http://www.cssigniter.com/" target="_blank">CSSIgniter</a>.</p>
<p>Aladdin joins the ranks of <a href="http://wptavern.com/jarvis-a-free-quicksearch-tool-for-the-wordpress-dashboard" target="_blank">Jarvis</a>, <a href="http://wpbutler.com/" target="_blank">WP Butler</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-jump-menu/" target="_blank">WP Jump Menu</a>, and Jetpack&#8217;s <a href="http://jetpack.me/support/omnisearch/" target="_blank">Omnisearch</a> in the recent proliferation of WordPress admin search tools. The plugin provides a simple keyboard quick launcher for accessing WordPress admin menu items.</p>
<p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/aladdin-example.png"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/aladdin-example.png?resize=800%2C600" alt="aladdin-example" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44678" /></a></p>
<p>After installing the plugin, users can launch Aladdin by pressing the <strong>Shift key</strong> twice. Start typing in the search modal until you see the menu option then press enter. Here&#8217;s a quick demo of how it works:</p>
<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/aladdin.gif"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/aladdin.gif?resize=797%2C767" alt="aladdin" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44673" /></a></p>
<h3>How Does Aladdin Compare to Other WordPress Admin Search Tools?</h3>
<p>Aladdin cannot yet measure up to other admin search tools without adding the capability of searching through content. Tsiamalos posted his plugin in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/962183043843910/" target="_blank">Advanced WordPress users Facebook</a> group this morning, requesting feedback.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m thinking of adding auto-complete for user-generated content as well &#8211; Posts, Pages, Post Types etc.,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Initial testers of the plugin were enthusiastic about the interface but could not see a use for it outside of a large website with lots of menus for custom post types and/or a long list of plugins installed. Small, simple blogging sites would not benefit from this tool unless Tsiamalos adds the ability to search for user-generated content. In its current state, it&#8217;s best suited to those who are using WordPress as a CMS.</p>
<p>&#8220;I initially built it for my local multisite (60+ plus themes to maintain) and I thought others would find it useful, too,&#8221; Tsiamalos told the Tavern. This kind of scenario makes sense for the plugin&#8217;s current capabilities.</p>
<p>Aladdin&#8217;s interface, with its convenient launch and lightning fast filtering, is the golden feature of this plugin. After testing Aladdin, I believe the tool has a lot of promise, especially once the author expands its capabilities to include content searching. The search modal is currently positioned too low on the page, but that&#8217;s an easy fix. The fact that the modal is always hidden unless summoned is also a bonus.</p>
<p>The interface for Jetpack&#8217;s <a href="http://jetpack.me/support/omnisearch/" target="_blank">Omnisearch</a> module cannot compare. While it functions well to search through the admin and content, it requires the user to scroll to the top to type into the admin search bar or visit the dedicated Omnisearch page. Searching redirects you to a cluttered results page that is not convenient to browse.</p>
<p>Overall, the experience of searching with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jarvis/" target="_blank">Jarvis</a> is simpler and more visually appealing than Aladdin or the Omnisearch module. It searches both admin menu items and user-generated content. It can be launched using the quick key &#8220;/&#8221; or by typing in the admin search bar. The demo below demonstrates how it works:</p>
<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/jarvis-demo.gif"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/jarvis-demo.gif?resize=992%2C578" alt="jarvis-demo" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44695" /></a></p>
<p>Unfortunately, Jarvis hasn&#8217;t been updated in more than year. Similarly, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-butler/" target="_blank">WP Butler</a>, which provides a slightly less polished experience, hasn&#8217;t been updated in more than two years.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-jump-menu/" target="_blank">WP Jump Menu</a> is faster than all of the solutions above, but it doesn&#8217;t include WordPress admin menu items. Its somewhat clunky interface, anchored to the admin search bar, is almost forgivable given its speedy searching capabilities. However, WP Jump Menu is limited to searching user-generated content and isn&#8217;t designed for quickly jumping to admin menu items.</p>
<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wp-jump-menu.gif"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wp-jump-menu.gif?resize=1025%2C521" alt="wp-jump-menu" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44697" /></a></p>
<h3>WordPress Core Needs a Convenient Admin Search Experience</h3>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/omnisearch/" target="_blank">The Search Initiative</a>, which is currently an inactive feature plugin for WordPress core, essentially <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2014/01/15/search-initiative-on-hold/" target="_blank">fell off the map in January 2014</a> after the feature <a href="http://wptavern.com/wordpress-global-admin-search-evolves-to-tackle-bigger-problems" target="_blank">failed to merge into WordPress 3.8 at the end of 2013</a>. The project&#8217;s contributors no longer had time to devote to the plugin and its development has never regained the momentum it had in 2013.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, there&#8217;s no doubt that WordPress users are eager to add some sort of global search capability to the admin. It&#8217;s a feature that helps mitigate the complexity of the admin when many custom post types are active and plugins add in their own menu items. The ability to search both content and menu items is beneficial to new and experienced users alike.</p>
<p>Responses to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedwp/permalink/962183043843910/" target="_blank">Tsiamalos&#8217; post on Aladdin</a> indicate that users are willing to test and help refine any extension that demonstrates a convenient way of solving the admin search problem. Many disparate solutions have cropped up over the past few years and often the plugins&#8217; creators were not aware of the other options before building their own.</p>
<p>WordPress core improvement projects like the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/omnisearch/" target="_blank">Search Initiative</a> are led by volunteers and are at the mercy of contributors&#8217; available time. That means there is no guarantee that the project will move forward to become a more elegant solution for tackling current issues with searching the admin. As with any open source project, it will take motivated folks to step forward to propose a new path forward.</p>
<p>Admin search is a complex problem but one many plugin developers have found worthy of pursuit. If reception to the Aladdin plugin is any indication, WordPress users are ready to embrace an easier way of navigating the admin. A collaborative effort combining the best features all admin search attempts would make for an excellent feature plugin, as core contributors have already <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2013/10/23/omnisearch-global-admin-search-final-pitch/" target="_blank">demonstrated interest in merging a solution</a> with the right implementation to adequately serve WordPress users.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jun 2015 22:09:01 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:27;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66:"Post Status: Automattic to acquire WP Job Manager from Mike Jolley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://poststatus.com/?p=12810";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"https://poststatus.com/automattic-to-acquire-wp-job-manager-from-mike-jolley/";s: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:11800:"<p><a href="http://mikejolley.com/">Mike Jolley</a> is the lead developer of WooCommerce by day, and has managed the very successful WP Job Manager plugin by night.</p>
<p>Mike created <a href="https://wpjobmanager.com/">WP Job Manager</a> (<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-job-manager/">also on WordPress.org</a>) as a side project for fun <a href="https://poststatus.com/notes/mike-jolley-releases-alpha-of-a-new-job-manager-plugin/">in June 2013</a>. He released paid extensions through Gumroad (a hosted tool for selling digital downloads) in September 2013 and in May of 2014 &#8212; after the plugin had really taken off &#8212; <a href="http://mikejolley.com/2014/05/launching-wpjobmanager-com/">he moved to WooCommerce</a>.</p>
<p>WP Job Manager filled a void in the WordPress plugin space. It now has more than 30,000 active installs, according to WordPress.org, and the suite of add-on plugins and themes has been very successful.</p>
<h3>WP Job Manager to be acquired by Automattic</h3>
<p>As most readers know, <a href="https://poststatus.com/automattic-acquired-woocommerce-woothemes/">WooThemes and WooCommerce were acquired by Automattic</a> in May. Mike joined the other WooThemes employees at <a href="http://automattic.com">Automattic</a>. Automattic has a strict policy that employees cannot have paid side projects, whether client or product work. For Mike to stay at Automattic, he had to figure out what the future of WP Job Manager would be.</p>
<p>Mike decided to sell WP Job Manager to Automattic after they expressed interest, and they have reached an agreement for a deal. While the terms of the deal are not public and Matt Mullenweg and Mike would not comment on the deal, I&#8217;m able to offer some additional insight based on conversations with others that have knowledge of the situation.</p>
<h3>Revenue and WP Job Manager ecosystem</h3>
<p>According to sources, WP Job Manager was bringing in $35,000-$40,000 revenue per month at its peak. I believe that Automattic paid greater than one year of expected income to retain rights to the plugin and paid add-ons.</p>
<p>In March, Mark Forrester <a href="http://wordpress.tv/2015/03/09/mark-forrester-going-small-to-grow-big/">spoke at WordCamp Cape Town</a> on plugin sales models, where he noted that Mike&#8217;s <a href="https://wpjobmanager.com/add-ons/">add-ons</a> were making around $20,000 per month, a number which has grown considerably since then.</p>
<p>The move from Gumroad to WooCommerce &#8212; and the addition of a bundle option, were quite successful, it appears. Furthermore, add-on products from third parties helped drive growth to WP Job Manager.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://astoundify.com">Astoundify</a> has two themes that utilize WP Job Manager &#8212; Listify and Jobify &#8212; which gross between $45,000 and $50,000 per month alone. In addition to their themes, they make another $5,000-$7,000 from WP Job Manager related plugins. So Astoundify makes around $55,000 per month on top of the WP Job Manager plugin, and in result drive considerable sales back to WP Job Manager&#8217;s other paid add-ons.</p>
<p>There are other developers with add-ons and themes for WP Job Manager as well. It&#8217;s a successful ecosystem with a mix of themes and plugins.</p>
<p>Mike was able to create the product with relatively low support costs as well. He hired two part-time support providers, but otherwise managed development and other tasks himself.</p>
<p>By all means, WP Job Manager is a ridiculously successful product, especially as a side project. It&#8217;s important to remember that this is not the status-quo, but Mike did an incredible job finding the right market combined with a truly terrific product.</p>
<h3>Q&amp;A with Mike Jolley and Matt Mullenweg</h3>
<p>I sent some questions to Mike and both Mike and Matt Mullenweg responded. Here are those questions and answers in full:</p>
<p><strong>When did the acquisition take place? After WooThemes was acquired, same time?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: The acquisition of WPJM came after the Woo deal was finalised.</p>
<p>I had known that an acquisition may be happening, but when this was official and it was revealed that Automattic were the acquirers I wasn’t actually aware of their policies surrounding paid projects. I should have read “Year Without Pants” <img src="https://poststatus.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" /></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: We want for everyone at Automattic to be fully focused on our shared business and projects, it’s part of what brings everyone together. We had been aware of WPJM from pretty early in the process and thought it could be a nice complement to the WooCommerce business since its approach was so similar.</p>
<p><strong>What options did you have for the acquisition? I know A8C [Automattic] doesn’t allow paid side projects, so did a change have to happen for you to stay on with Automattic to work on WooCommerce?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: Anything was an option, including making WPJM free or selling it to a third party, but I’m glad we came to the solution we did. Since WPJM is part of Automattic now there’s no real or perceived conflict to the continuing work on it or revenue from it.</p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: I didn’t want to stop working on WooCommerce. It’s still the project I’m most passionate about and I’m not ready to walk away just yet. Although it was a really tough and emotional decision to make, I feel I made the right decision to part ways with WPJM to continue working on WooCommerce.</p>
<p><strong>Did you explore other options? Selling to someone else, etc?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: I looked into a few options before I knew the details of the deal from Automattic, naturally. I thought about offloading it to a developer-friend, making it all free, or doing it full time. Ultimately though, the appeal of working for Automattic, the benefits surrounding that, being able to continue working on WooCommerce and with the people I respect, and the acquisition itself won the day.</p>
<p><strong>Did you have any support, dev, or other paid help for managing WPJM?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: Yes; I’ve had help on the support front from both Bryce Adams and Scott Basgaard whom have done work for me on a freelance basis. They have both been a tremendous help, and crucial given the time I have available. Really thankful to those guys.</p>
<p>On the development side it’s been largely me, although Bryce and Remi Corson have both built an add-on, again freelance based.</p>
<p><strong>Will you still be the lead on WPJM development at A8C?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: This is not yet certain. WooCommerce demands most of my time as team lead so it may be difficult to work on both, however if possible I’d still like to contribute to the project and help where I can. The core project at least is GPL and public on Github so I can definitely see myself contributing there to keep my Github commit streak going.</p>
<p><strong>What does the third party ecosystem look like on WPJM? Jobify, etc. How many folks have products based on it? How could life change for these products?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: The 3rd party system for WPJM differs to that of WooCommerce in that I do not sell 3rd party items myself via a marketplace. All 3rd party stuff is external.</p>
<p>Plugin wise, Smyl.es has a cool field editor, Remi Corson, Tiny Giant Studios and Astoundify have several, and there are a few integrations with other plugins ranging from search to geolocation.</p>
<p>On the theme front, Jobify (and Listify) by Astoundify are the most prominent. Tiny Giant Studios have a few, I’m aware of some for sale on TemplateMonster (unsure of quality), and then there is one-that-shall-not-be-named on Themeforest which bundles paid add-ons (shame).</p>
<p>The theme side is diverse. Even though I’m targeting the jobs niche, Listify is a generic listings theme which can list everything, powered by WPJM. There are even also even more-niche themes such as Petsitter and Babysitter themes which customise the plugin further.</p>
<p>Overall, a lot of things going on in this space. If the plugin grows from a8c involvement (which I hope to see) these developers should benefit from an increased user base. Really glad they chose to back my little project.</p>
<p><strong>Will the format for sales of WPJM change in the future, under the umbrella of A8C? Will it become free?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MJ</strong>: Short term, things should remain as-is, with Automattic taking over the site, sales, and support. Medium- to long-term I cannot say for certain what will happen, but with more time and resources devoted to it (more than my weekends and evenings) I hope to see the ecosystem grow and support for the plugin to continue.</p>
<p><strong>What kind of revenue was WP Job Manager seeing in the months prior to the acquisition?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: No comment on the economics of the plugin.</p>
<p><strong>How many paid users do you have?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: Still no comment on the economics of the plugin.</p>
<p><strong>What kind of acquisition occurred? Cash and stock? Cash or stock only?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: Sorry we don’t comment on this.</p>
<p><strong>Can you tell me the ballpark of the acquisition value?</strong></p>
<p><strong>MM</strong>: Definitely Astrodome.</p>
<h3>What we&#8217;ve learned here</h3>
<p>There&#8217;s a lot we can take away from the WP Job Manager acquisition.</p>
<p>For one, it proves that a single individual can have a massive impact on the WordPress ecosystem. It&#8217;s impossible to deny how influential Mike has been. He&#8217;s the lead developer of the world&#8217;s most popular eCommerce plugin, while he runs an incredible successful job manager plugin on the side.</p>
<p>His success is astonishingly impressive to me. I&#8217;m quite happy for him and everything he&#8217;s achieved.</p>
<p>It also appears to me based on discussions that it was not well known that Automattic restricts side projects for their employees. It&#8217;s a long standing policy and I think it works for them; however it does make for certain challenges when they hire self-employed product makers or acquire companies with different policies.</p>
<p>The acquisition of WooThemes brought a number of challenges. Mike being on board would have been a huge priority for me, if I were acquiring WooThemes. The half a million dollars or more (I am just guessing) to acquire WP Job Manager would be well worth it, even if I didn&#8217;t have big plans for the product.</p>
<p>That said, I think in this case Automattic could make great use of WP Job Manager. It would be another terrific fit for their WordPress.com VIP clients, and if they actively develop it, it could receive even more adoption long term.</p>
<p>However, just as I thought with WooCommerce, I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if they make Mike&#8217;s traditionally paid add-ons free, as paid plugins don&#8217;t particularly jive with Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s historical viewpoints. And WP Job Manager &#8212; while it has quite a bit of potential for a normal person &#8212; doesn&#8217;t likely have the same growth potential as WooCommerce to be an attractive monetization avenue as an Automattic product.</p>
<p>So I would expect that the plugin model will change over the coming months.</p>
<p>Congratulations to both Mike and Automattic; this is a win for both parties. Mike is a huge asset to any organization, and I&#8217;m really glad he is able to be financially rewarded for all of his contributions making great WordPress products.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jun 2015 17:45:15 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Brian Krogsgard";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:28;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: WPShout Releases New WordPress Plugin that Displays all Image Sizes";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44654";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:87:"http://wptavern.com/wpshout-releases-new-wordpress-plugin-that-displays-all-image-sizes";s: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:2581:"<p>When images are uploaded to the WordPress media library, several different sized images are generated. Image sizes are based on the settings on the Media Settings screen and from themes that often contain custom image sizes that are specific, such as featured images.</p>
<p>Locating images with custom sizes in the WordPress media library is difficult since they&#8217;re not listed and the file URL points to the original image.</p>
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DefaultMediaLibrarySettings.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44655" src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DefaultMediaLibrarySettings.png?resize=758%2C415" alt="Media Library Image Settings" /></a>Media Library Image Settings
<p>The team at <a href="http://wpshout.com/">WPShout</a> released a new plugin called <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/display-all-image-sizes/">Display All Image Sizes</a> that displays all available image sizes, their permalinks, and dimensions. Once activated, you&#8217;ll see a list of all sizes of each image in the Add Media modal and in each image&#8217;s individual page in the Media Library.</p>
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DisplayAllImageSizesInAction.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44656" src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DisplayAllImageSizesInAction.png?resize=1025%2C519" alt="All Image Sizes and Their URLs" /></a>All Image Sizes and Their URLs
<p>With the plugin activated, a vertical scroll wheel is added to the attachment details screen. Depending on the size of your monitor,  you may encounter the same thing.</p>
<p>The scroll bar is annoying, because I commonly use the image sizes in the attachment display settings drop down menu. This requires me to scroll every time I need to access that menu.</p>
<h2>Ideas for Improvement</h2>
<p>Instead of showing all image sizes in a blocky manner and vertically stretching the screen, they should be moved to the existing drop down menu where you can select an image&#8217;s size. When a user selects an image size from the menu, the file URL could automatically change to point to that image. This way, the plugin would use native interface elements and make the default attachment details screen more useful.</p>
<p>Display all image sizes works as advertised with WordPress 4.2.2. If the team improves the user interface and can minimize the screen real-estate it uses, the plugin could turn out to be a very useful addition to sites that use a lot of custom image sizes.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:39:32 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:29;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60:"WPTavern: Matt Mullenweg’s Keynote at WordCamp Dallas 2008";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44639";s: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:"http://wptavern.com/matt-mullenwegs-keynote-at-wordcamp-dallas-2008";s: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:3206:"<a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WordCampDallas2008FeaturedImage.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44643" src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WordCampDallas2008FeaturedImage.png?resize=650%2C200" alt="WordCamp Dallas Featured Image" /></a>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://ma.tt/2008/03/first-day-of-wordcamp/">Matt Mullenweg</a>
<p>The following is a recording of Matt Mullenweg&#8217;s keynote presentation at WordCamp Dallas 2008. <a href="http://onemansblog.com/2008/04/03/wordcamp-dallas-2008-matt-mullenweg-wordpress-25-and-beyond/">Recorded by John Pozadzides</a> who helped organize the event, it&#8217;s the only video of Mullenweg&#8217;s keynote that exists. In the video, Mullenweg walks the audience through WordPress 2.5, the redesign of WordPress.org, and the future of WordPress. There&#8217;s also a question and answer segment in the second half of the presentation.</p>
<p><!--[if IE]><object width="545" height="405" id="viddlerOuter-33a80f5b" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="//www.viddler.com/player/33a80f5b/0/"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="flashVars" value="f=1&#038;autoplay=f&#038;disablebranding=f"><object id="viddlerInner-33a80f5b"><video id="viddlerVideo-33a80f5b" src="//www.viddler.com/file/33a80f5b/html5mobile/" type="video/mp4" width="545" height="363" poster="//www.viddler.com/thumbnail/33a80f5b/" controls="controls" x-webkit-airplay="allow"></video></object></object><![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]> <!-->  <!--<![endif]--></p>
<p>WordCamp Dallas 2008 was the first WordCamp I&#8217;ve ever attended and is the first time I met Mullenweg in person. Minutes before he took the stage, <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2008/03/wordpress-25-brecker/">WordPress 2.5 &#8220;Michael Brecker&#8221;</a> was released to the world.</p>
<p>WordPress 2.5 was the culmination of six months of work. In fact, Mullenweg <a href="http://lists.automattic.com/pipermail/wp-hackers/2008-January/016993.html">announced</a> on the WP-Hackers mailing list that WordPress 2.4 would be skipped so that extra focus could be applied to 2.5.</p>
<blockquote><p>In light of the big changes happening in the codebase and admin section, we&#8217;re going to push back the next release to be aimed for early March.</p>
<p>This is the timeframe when 2.5 was originally scheduled for, so we&#8217;re treating the originally planned 2.4 in December as a skipped release, as a result of both the holidays and the large changes which we weren&#8217;t able to start on until late October.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s some good stuff in the oven, and we don&#8217;t want to rush it. The new release shall be called 2.5. Various official docs and roadmaps will be updated in due course.</p></blockquote>
<p>The video is an important piece of WordPress history that needs to be preserved and if possible, uploaded to <a href="http://wordpress.tv/">WordPress.tv</a>. I&#8217;ve asked Pozadzides for permission to upload it to WordPress.tv and will update the post once I receive a response.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jun 2015 04:40:02 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:30;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23:"Matt: Webmonkey Podcast";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45115";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:39:"http://ma.tt/2015/06/webmonkey-podcast/";s: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:239:"<p>I was on the <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/05/webmonkey-podcast-e-commerce-coming-wordpress-com/">Webmonkey Podcast talking about WooCommerce and tech in general</a>, my part starts around 26 minutes in.</p>
<p></p>
<p>&nbsp;</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, 01 Jun 2015 23:34:55 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s: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:31;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"WPTavern: WordPress.com Launches Insights: Better Stats for Visualizing Publishing Trends";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44598";s: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:98:"http://wptavern.com/wordpress-com-launches-insights-better-stats-for-visualizing-publishing-trends";s: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:3505:"<p>WordPress.com <a href="https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/insights-a-new-view-of-your-stats/" target="_blank">announced</a> major improvements to its Stats feature today. The new Insights tab gives users a bird&#8217;s eye view of posting activity and visitor trends. The Stats panel now displays all-time numbers for posts, views, visitors, and the day the site received the most number of views.</p>
<p>Insights also calculates the most popular day of the week and the most popular hour based on when the site gets the most views on average.</p>
<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/insights-all-time-stats.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/insights-all-time-stats.jpg?resize=667%2C362" alt="insights-all-time-stats" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44604" /></a></p>
<p>Posting Activity is another new addition that provides a way to visualize how often you are publishing. The feature is reminiscent of GitHub&#8217;s <a href="https://help.github.com/articles/viewing-contributions-on-your-profile-page/#viewing-contributions-from-specific-times" target="_blank">Contributions calendar</a>, which makes it easy to view contributions from specific times. Insights allows you to mouse over a specific date with a color marker to see how many posts were published that day.</p>
<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/insights-posting-activity.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/insights-posting-activity.jpg?resize=658%2C256" alt="insights-posting-activity" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44615" /></a></p>
<p>If, for some reason, you&#8217;re missing the old version of WordPress.com&#8217;s stats, it is available for a limited time under <a href="https://wordpress.com/my-stats/" target="_blank">wordpress.com/my-stats/</a>.</p>
<p>Insights is not yet available on WordPress mobile apps but will likely be added soon. When asked when Insights will be available to self-hosted users, WordPress.com representative Jonathan Sadowski replied, &#8220;If you install Jetpack and enable the Stats module, you’ll be able to view these stats on WordPress.com for your .org blog.&#8221;</p>
<p>Stats is arguably one of the most popular features in Jetpack and a major factor for many in the decision to connect with WordPress.com. However, the view from inside the self-hosted Jetpack stats panel is starting to look a little dated when compared to the mobile apps or WordPress.com. Adding Insights to Jetpack&#8217;s stats panel would save users a trip over to WordPress.com to discover this information.</p>
<p>Most people don&#8217;t have the time or motivation to log into Google Analytics and create a meaningful interpretation of that data to improve their publishing habits. The new and improved stats with Insights offers a better understanding of when you&#8217;re posting and even interprets your traffic to provide actionable data, such as what hour might be the best for scheduling a post, what months lend you the most time to commit to blogging, etc.</p>
<p>The all-time stats also make it easier to track your blogging progress and set milestones for increasing posts, views, and visitors, and ultimately beating your best traffic day on record. The new feature is <a href="https://wordpress.com/stats/insights" target="_blank">live on WordPress.com</a> today and we&#8217;ll be watching for it in future updates to the mobile apps.</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, 01 Jun 2015 22:07:23 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:32;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"WPTavern: Sergej Müller, Creator of Antispam Bee, Says Goodbye to 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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44567";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:83:"http://wptavern.com/sergej-muller-creator-of-antispam-bee-says-goodbye-to-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:4847:"<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sergej-Müller.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Sergej-Müller.jpg?resize=250%2C382" alt="Sergej-Müller" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44590" /></a>Sergej Müller is <a href="https://gist.github.com/sergejmueller/bccd658a5cdeb5b57deb" target="_blank">saying goodbye to WordPress</a> after nine years and nearly three million downloads of his <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/sergejmueller/#content-plugins" target="_blank">free plugins</a>. <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/antispam-bee/" target="_blank">Antispam Bee</a>, his most popular contribution, is currently in use on more than 200,000 WordPress sites.</p>
<p>Müller penned a <a href="https://gist.github.com/sergejmueller/bccd658a5cdeb5b57deb" target="_blank">farewell</a> Gist on GitHub in his native German, which <a href="http://glueckpress.com/" target="_blank">Caspar Hübinger</a> was kind enough to <a href="https://gist.github.com/glueckpress/ed370acc556c475c3be5" target="_blank">translate</a> into English.</p>
<blockquote><p>For me, a chapter of my life is coming to an end. A chapter that has brought an abundance of experience, learning, and fun. A chapter that, on the other hand, demanded a lot of time, nerves, and motivation. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I deeply hope my software and my commitment may have made the WordPress community a bit better in terms of quality.</p></blockquote>
<p>Müller is discontinuing his WordPress contributions due to health reasons, but he plans to find a suitable successor who will be able to deliver the level of quality and support that his users have come to expect. His plugins, most notably <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/antispam-bee/" target="_blank">Antispam Bee</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cachify/" target="_blank">Cachify</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/statify/" target="_blank">Statify</a>, <a href="https://wpseo.de/" target="_blank">wpSEO</a> and <a href="https://optimus.io/" target="_blank">Optimus</a>, are used widely around the world, particularly throughout Germany, Austria, and the germanophone parts of Switzerland.</p>
<p>Hübinger, who is active in the German and European WordPress communities, has been using Müller&#8217;s plugins for the past six years.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just as valuable for me personally were his blog posts and tutorials,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I pretty much learned WordPress development from his blog, and <a href="http://bueltge.de/" target="_blank">Frank Bueltge</a>&#8216;s.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are a lot of comments expressing great surprise. No one saw him quitting, obviously. Sergej has been a key figure of the German-speaking WordPress community for the last nine years. While not quite so popular beyond the Germanophone context, I think his note that almost every WordPress user over here has heard of or uses at least one of his plugins is no exaggeration.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Müller does have a couple commercial plugins available, he has never made a living from them. For the past nine years he has been working as a software engineer outside of WordPress. Anyone aspiring to adopt his plugins will need to meet the high standards that he has set in terms of quality and support, especially in regards to supporting the German community.</p>
<p>&#8220;Monika Thon-Soun, a WordPress veteran from Austria, <a href="http://www.texto.de/sergej-einfach-danke-fuer-alles-2192/" target="_blank">mentions</a> she doesn’t remember a single instance where one of Sergej’s plugins would have been hacked,&#8221; Hübinger said. &#8220;Given the popularity of his plugins, that’s truly worth mentioning, as it underlines a character feature that everyone loves him for: reliability.&#8221;</p>
<p>Müller&#8217;s plugin contributions have always been a hobby for him but he is no longer able to sustain their development and support. He is currently in conversations with parties who are interested in his projects and will announce the new maintainers once it has been finalized.</p>
<p>Sergej Müller&#8217;s contributions signify the importance of having WordPress extensions and tutorials available for users to learn WordPress in their own language. His role in cultivating the German development community and supporting its many users will not be easily filled.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a friend, I understand and support his decision completely,&#8221; Hübinger said. &#8220;As a WordPress user, it’s&#8230;a catastrophe.</p>
<p>&#8220;Whoever follows him on G+ will have seen occasional moments of disappointment. In those moments, you could see all his passion. Because it really wasn’t about money for him. Acknowledgement and paying it forward is his favorite currency.&#8221;</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, 01 Jun 2015 17:11:02 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:33;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"Matt: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45099";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:43:"http://ma.tt/2015/05/beethoven-mozart-bach/";s: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:238:"<blockquote><p>Beethoven tells you what it&#8217;s like to be Beethoven and Mozart tells you what it&#8217;s like to be human. Bach tells you what it&#8217;s like to be the universe.</p></blockquote>
<p>― Douglas Adams</p>
<p>&nbsp;</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, 01 Jun 2015 05:42:00 +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:34;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"Matt: Martian Review";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45110";s: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:36:"http://ma.tt/2015/05/martian-review/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1727:"<p>On the recommendation of my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/timyoung">Timothy Young</a> I checked out the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EMXBDMA"><em>The Martian: A Novel</em> by Andy Weir</a>. Think of it like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IC8VF10/">Shackleton&#8217;s Voyage</a> (a great recommendation from <a href="http://toni.org/">Toni</a>) but on Mars. I really enjoyed the book, and if you like geeky, science-filled novels you will too.  One thing about the publishing I thought was really cool, as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_(Weir_novel)">the Wikipedia puts it</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Having been rebuffed by literary agents when trying to get prior books published, Weir decided to put the book online in serial format one chapter at a time for free at his website. At the request of fans he made an Amazon Kindle version available through Amazon.com at 99 cents (the minimum he could set the price). The Kindle edition rose to the top of Amazon&#8217;s list of best-selling science-fiction titles, where it sold 35,000 copies in three months, more than had previously downloaded it for free. This garnered the attention of publishers: Podium Publishing, an audiobook publisher, signed for the audiobook rights in January 2013. Weir sold the print rights to Crown in March 2013 for six figures.</p></blockquote>
<p>I was hoping it was on a WordPress blog, but <a href="http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html">it appears to be more of a static HTML site</a> (his <a href="http://www.andyweirauthor.com/">official site is WP-powered</a>) and includes some awesome short vignettes like <a href="http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/meetingsarah.html">Meeting Sarah</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 30 May 2015 10:54:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s: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:35;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66:"WPTavern: Why Cloudup is Not Replacing the WordPress Media Library";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44516";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"http://wptavern.com/why-cloudup-is-not-replacing-the-wordpress-media-library";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4027:"<p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CloudUpFeaturedImage2.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42250" src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CloudUpFeaturedImage2.png?resize=650%2C200" alt="CloudUpFeaturedImage2" /></a>When <a href="http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/cloudup-joins-the-automattic-family/">Automattic acquired Cloudup</a> in 2013, two of the most exciting parts <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/25/automattic-acquires-file-sharing-service-cloudup-to-build-faster-media-library-and-enable-co-editing/">of the announcement</a> was replacing the WordPress media library with <a href="https://cloudup.com/">Cloudup</a> and the ability to co-edit posts similar to Google Docs. We <a href="http://wptavern.com/cloudup-makes-file-sharing-incredibly-easy">discussed the concept</a> in early 2014 and readers were concerned about owning their data.</p>
<p>Two years later, the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2014/04/smith/">WordPress media library and the visual post editor</a> have received major improvements while integration with Cloudup is non-existent. When Matt Mullenweg was asked about the integration in a <a href="http://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-194-celebrating-wordpress-12th-birthday-with-matt-mullenweg">recent interview</a>, he responded,</p>
<blockquote><p>We did a lot of really awesome UI improvements to the editor and did some things we were very excited about, but because we weren&#8217;t working on a TinyMCE base, some of the basic editing stuff was really difficult.</p></blockquote>
<p>The team spent about six months to complete the first 80% of the project then spent a year and a half to reach 85%. Setbacks included a lot of rabbit holes and hidden complexity. The team now works on different things within Automattic that revolve around data.</p>
<h2>Zeditor is an Educational Resource</h2>
<p>The work completed by the team is <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/zeditor">open source and available on GitHub</a>. It&#8217;s called Zeditor and serves as an educational resource. &#8220;We learned a ton through the way we architected the JavaScript and we think it serves as a good model for doing lots of JavaScript projects going forward,&#8221; Mullenweg said.</p>
<p>Listen to Mullenweg explain why Cloudup is not replacing the WordPress media library in the following audio clip. Be sure to <a href="http://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-194-celebrating-wordpress-12th-birthday-with-matt-mullenweg">check out the entire interview</a> where we discuss a variety of other WordPress topics.</p>
<div class="audio-shortcode-wrap"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CloudUpFeaturedImage2.png?resize=175%2C131" alt="Why Cloudup is Not Replacing the WordPress Media Library" class="landscape thumbnail post-thumbnail audio-image" /><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');</script><![endif]-->
<a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CloudupWordPressMediaLibraryZeditor.mp3">http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CloudupWordPressMediaLibraryZeditor.mp3</a></div><div class="media-shortcode-extend"><div class="media-info audio-info"><ul class="media-meta"><li><span class="prep">Run Time</span> <span class="data">3:14</span></li><li><span class="prep">Artist</span> <span class="data">Jeff Chandler and Marcus Couch</span></li><li><span class="prep">Album</span> <span class="data">WordPress Weekly</span></li><li><span class="prep">File Name</span> <span class="data"><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CloudupWordPressMediaLibraryZeditor.mp3">CloudupWordPressMediaLibraryZeditor.mp3</a></span></li><li><span class="prep">File Size</span> <span class="data">1.36 MB</span></li><li><span class="prep">File Type</span> <span class="data">MP3</span></li><li><span class="prep">Mime Type</span> <span class="data">audio/mpeg</span></li></ul></div><button class="media-info-toggle">Audio Info</button></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 29 May 2015 21:11:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:36;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"WPTavern: Fight for the Future Leads Congress Blackout Campaign to Protest the Patriot Act";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44507";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:100:"http://wptavern.com/fight-for-the-future-leads-congress-blackout-campaign-to-protest-the-patriot-act";s: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:3501:"<p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/congress-blackout.jpg"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/congress-blackout.jpg?resize=1025%2C481" alt="congress-blackout" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44522" /></a></p>
<p>Three key provisions within the Patriot Act will expire at the stroke of midnight on Sunday. The Senate needs 60 votes in order to provide an extension or renew the provisions past June 1st. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_summary_of_the_Patriot_Act,_Title_II#Section_215:_Access_to_records_and_other_items_under_FISA" target="_blank">Section 215</a> of the measure is particularly controversial in that it allows the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect data from Americans&#8217; phone records.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fightforthefuture.org/" target="_blank">Fight for the Future</a> is leading an internet campaign wherein 14,000+ websites will be blocking access to Congress&#8217; IP addresses, redirecting that traffic to the <a href="https://www.blackoutcongress.org/" target="_blank">blackout protest page</a> where they will see the following message:</p>
<blockquote><p>You have conducted mass surveillance of everyone illegally and are now on record for trying to enact those programs into law. You have presented Americans with the false dichotomy of reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act or passing the USA Freedom Act. The real answer is to end all authorities used to conduct mass surveillance. Until you do, thousands of web sites have blocked your access, and more are joining every day.</p></blockquote>
<p>The campaign is coordinated by the <a href="https://www.internetdefenseleague.org/" target="_blank">Internet Defense League</a>, an organization that has been instrumental in <a href="http://wptavern.com/join-the-september-10th-internet-slowdown-protest-with-these-wordpress-plugins" target="_blank">defending net neutrality</a> and protesting the SOPA/PIPA censorship bills.</p>
<p>Self-hosted WordPress site owners who want to participate in protesting the renewal of the Patriot Act can install the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/cat-signal/" target="_blank">Internet Defense League Cat Signal</a> plugin from WordPress.org. It includes the blackout script as well as a dismissable notice to site visitors, asking them to <a href="https://www.sunsetthepatriotact.com/" target="_blank">urge Congress to sunset the Patriot Act</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cat-signal-modal.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cat-signal-modal.jpg?resize=749%2C426" alt="cat-signal-modal" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44519" /></a></p>
<p>The Cat Signal plugin will link your site up to the Internet Defense League&#8217;s online activist group. When an important bill is up for action, it will automatically enqueue the JavaScript required to post a notice on your site. It also includes an options page for selecting the pages where it should be active and for setting the notice as a banner or a modal.</p>
<p>If sunsetting the Patriot Act is important to you, the Cat Signal plugin is the easiest way to get your WordPress site into the protest. Alternatively, you can <a href="https://github.com/fightforthefuture/breakcongressinternet/blob/gh-pages/README.md" target="_blank">manually add the JavaScript to join the Congress Blackout</a> that will block Congress&#8217; IP addresses.</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, 29 May 2015 20:32:48 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:37;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: o2 Development Team Shifts Focus to WordPress.com’s Core Products";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44505";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"http://wptavern.com/o2-development-team-shifts-focus-to-wordpress-coms-core-products";s: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:3737:"<a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/O2SiteHeader.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-20307" src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/O2SiteHeader.png?resize=682%2C151" alt="O2 Is The Successor To The P2 Theme" /></a>O2 Is The Successor To The P2 Theme
<p>Since <a href="http://wptavern.com/o2-wordpress-plugin-expected-to-be-available-in-early-2014">writing about o2</a>, Automattic&#8217;s successor to the P2 theme in 2013, a <a href="https://twitter.com/dimensionmedia/status/534522740037148672">number of readers</a> have requested updates on the project&#8217;s status. When asked about the project in a recent interview, Matt Mullenweg explained that despite loving the project and truly believing in it, work on o2 has shifted to other parts of WordPress.com to focus on the service&#8217;s core products.</p>
<blockquote><p>Saying no is one of the hardest things but I think that&#8217;s where great design comes from is when you say no to a thousand things, including the things you love, or you really wanted to do. Saying no to the lame stuff is easy, but saying no to something you really believe in like o2 is much harder but that focus is crucial for creating great products.</p></blockquote>
<p>Although Mullenweg says anyone on WordPress.com can enable o2, this is not the case. Searching for o2 on WordPress.com generates no results while P2 brings up the original P2 theme.</p>
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/o2ThemeNotFound.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44513" src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/o2ThemeNotFound.png?resize=921%2C312" alt="o2 Theme Not Found" /></a>o2 Theme Not Found
<p>o2 is used internally at Automattic and the code is available via <a href="https://wpcom-themes.svn.automattic.com/p2-breathe/">WordPress.com&#8217;s subversion repository</a>. o2 is not listed since it was supposed to be a plugin but the work inside of o2 is listed under P2 Breathe. While you can download the code, it&#8217;s developed in such a way that it doesn&#8217;t make sense to run it outside of WordPress.com&#8217;s infrastructure.</p>
<p>Listen to Mullenweg explain why development resources have shifted away from o2 to WordPress.com&#8217;s core products and be sure to check <a href="http://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-194-celebrating-wordpress-12th-birthday-with-matt-mullenweg">out the full interview</a>.</p>
<div class="audio-shortcode-wrap"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/O2SiteHeader.png?resize=175%2C131" alt="O2 Is The Successor To The P2 Theme" class="landscape thumbnail post-thumbnail audio-image" /><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/StatusOfo2Theme.mp3">http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/StatusOfo2Theme.mp3</a></div><div class="media-shortcode-extend"><div class="media-info audio-info"><ul class="media-meta"><li><span class="prep">Run Time</span> <span class="data">2:53</span></li><li><span class="prep">Artist</span> <span class="data">Jeff Chandler and Marcus Couch</span></li><li><span class="prep">Album</span> <span class="data">WordPress Weekly</span></li><li><span class="prep">Track</span> <span class="data">194</span></li><li><span class="prep">File Name</span> <span class="data"><a href="http://wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/StatusOfo2Theme.mp3">StatusOfo2Theme.mp3</a></span></li><li><span class="prep">File Size</span> <span class="data">1.24 MB</span></li><li><span class="prep">File Type</span> <span class="data">MP3</span></li><li><span class="prep">Mime Type</span> <span class="data">audio/mpeg</span></li></ul></div><button class="media-info-toggle">Audio Info</button></div>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 29 May 2015 19:00:08 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:38;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"WPTavern: WordCamp Miami to Livestream Tracks Throughout the Weekend";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44488";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"http://wptavern.com/wordcamp-miami-to-livestream-tracks-throughout-the-weekend";s: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:2189:"<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/wcmia-2015.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/wcmia-2015.jpg?resize=750%2C349" alt="wcmia-2015" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39447" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://wptavern.com/wordcamp-miami-2015-to-experiment-with-new-tracks-tickets-selling-out-fast" target="_blank">WordCamp Miami 2015</a> is taking place this weekend with a BuddyCamp kicking off today. The event sold out again this year and will have roughly 800 attendees, including a kids&#8217; camp, convening at the Florida International University School of Business campus on Saturday and Sunday.</p>
<p>If you weren&#8217;t able to make it to BuddyCamp, the event is <a href="https://miami.wordcamp.org/2015/wcmia-livestream/" target="_blank">live streaming now</a> and will be throughout the afternoon. A Livestream account is required in order to watch but signup is free and allows you to watch from anywhere in the world.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm attending <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuddyCamp?src=hash">#BuddyCamp</a> Miami although there's an ocean between us! Many thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/buddycampmia">@buddycampmia</a> :) &lt;3 <a href="http://t.co/gtVmkmf91C">pic.twitter.com/gtVmkmf91C</a></p>
<p>&mdash; imath (@imath) <a href="https://twitter.com/imath/status/604290006274822145">May 29, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>WordCamp Miami is experimenting with new tracks and mini-workshops this year. The &#8220;How-To&#8221; track, for example, is a new concept for the camp and will include hand-selected speakers presenting with slides that are formatted to be a lasting educational resource for attendees and Livestream viewers.</p>
<p>The How-To, Content and Design, and Developer tracks will be available via Livestream on Saturday. Sunday&#8217;s live viewing schedule will include Business, Users, and more Developer tracks. The links are likely to change during the event but will be updated on the <a href="https://miami.wordcamp.org/2015/wcmia-livestream/" target="_blank">Livestream</a> page for each track.</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, 29 May 2015 16:49:32 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:39;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:24:"Matt: Ireland Censorship";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45107";s: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:40:"http://ma.tt/2015/05/ireland-censorship/";s: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:992:"<p>When I spoke in Ireland yesterday someone asked if I would blog about them today. I am, but not the best story: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/may/29/irelands-media-silenced-over-mps-speech-about-denis-obrien">Ireland&#8217;s media silenced over MP&#8217;s speech about Denis O&#8217;Brien</a>. Because of an injunction, no media in Ireland can report on alleged corruption, laws I think set up with good intentions (preventing libel?) but being twisted now to prevent the vital functioning of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Estate">the fourth estate</a>. The country showed <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/world/europe/ireland-gay-marriage-referendum.html">amazing mettle in their Yes vote for gay marriage</a> last week, perhaps censorship could be the next thing the populace tackles. (Also I really enjoyed my visit to Dublin, if you want an amazing meal check out <a href="http://forestavenuerestaurant.ie/">Forest Avenue</a>.)</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Fri, 29 May 2015 16:00:33 +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:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:74:"WPTavern: Nametiles Plugin Brings Blockchain-Powered Profiles to 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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44447";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"http://wptavern.com/nametiles-plugin-brings-blockchain-powered-profiles-to-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:4750:"<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/nametiles.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/nametiles.jpg?resize=1025%2C495" alt="nametiles" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44466" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://openname.org/" target="_blank">Openname</a>, the decentralized identity and naming system built on the blockchain, was recently renamed to Blockchain Name System (BNS). Founders <a href="http://muneebali.com" target="_blank">Muneeb Ali</a> and <a href="http://shea.io/" target="_blank">Ryan Shea</a> are pioneering decentralized identity with the long-term goal of creating decentralized authentication.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, BNS debuted <a href="https://passcard.info/" target="_blank">Passcard</a>, a digital form of identity and access control combined. It&#8217;s essentially a digital passport, secured by the blockchain, that allows you to control and display your identity.</p>
<p>A few months ago,  <a href="https://www.larrysalibra.com/" target="_blank">Larry Salibra</a>, founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.pay4bugs.com/" target="_blank">Pay4Bugs</a>, released a <a href="http://wptavern.com/new-plugin-adds-openname-avatars-to-wordpress" target="_blank">plugin that adds Openname avatars to WordPress</a>. An ardent fan of blockchain technology, Salibra has just released another plugin called <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/nametiles/" target="_blank">Nametiles</a> that adds Passcard profiles and tagging to WordPress.</p>
<p>Nametiles works like this: Type the plus character and a person&#8217;s +passname on a post or page and it will automatically display that person&#8217;s Passcard profile information when you hover over the link.</p>
<p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/nametiles-example.jpg"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/nametiles-example.jpg?resize=920%2C739" alt="nametiles-example" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44449" /></a></p>
<p>The plugin also includes the ability for registered users on your site to optionally use their Passcard avatar via a setting in wp-admin/profile.php.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://nametiles.co/" target="_blank">Nametiles</a> site has a live demo of how the tiles appear on your website. You can also see Nametiles in action on the <a href="https://www.bitcoinhk.org/" target="_blank">Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong’s website</a>, where it&#8217;s in use on the <a href="https://www.bitcoinhk.org/members/" target="_blank">members</a> page and <a href="https://www.bitcoinhk.org/2015-inside-bitcoins-discount/" target="_blank">posts</a>.</p>
<p>Salibra created Nametiles to help publishers keep people&#8217;s information and links continually up-to-date. Its two primary benefits for publishers include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Profile information is never stale and always up-to-date (including website, bio, social links, avatar, etc)</li>
<li>Users control their information and personal brand via Passcard</li>
</ul>
<p>&#8220;Publishers have no idea when the people mentioned or linked on their blog update their profile pic, bio, or website and no practical way to find out,&#8221; Salibra said. &#8220;The result is a site littered with broken links and out of date information that conveys sloppiness and apathy to visitors.&#8221;</p>
<p>This plugin is especially useful for sites that often have guest post authors, as well as news and organization sites that frequently reference names in content.</p>
<p>&#8220;With Nametiles, profile information about those you mention on your site is always up to date because the information is maintained by those who care most, the owners of the information,&#8221; Salibra said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m excited for a future where digital identity is something we own instead of something big social companies use to pull visitors from our blogs and websites and track people,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The only catch is that users who are linked have to be registered for a <a href="https://passcard.info/" target="_blank">Passcard</a> profile. The blockchain-powered identity service is free but it is also so new that it hasn&#8217;t yet caught on.</p>
<p>The idea of Passcard is similar to <a href="https://en.gravatar.com/" target="_blank">Gravatar</a> but has the potential to be more powerful, as it is secured by the blockchain and may eventually support decentralized authentication. If Passcard founders are successful in building the future of identification, it may be a long before the identity system is mainstream enough for the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/nametiles/" target="_blank">Nametiles</a> plugin to be useful beyond certain niche websites.</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, 29 May 2015 00:35:43 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Matt: Money and Motivation";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45104";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:42:"http://ma.tt/2015/05/money-and-motivation/";s: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:210:"<p><a href="http://intenseminimalism.com/2012/the-misconception-about-money-and-motivation/">The Misconception about Money and Motivation</a>, a good summary of the work by Dan Pink, Dan Ariely, and others.</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, 29 May 2015 00:23:52 +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:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"WPTavern: Sucuri is Building a Comprehensive Alternative to CloudFlare";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44415";s: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:80:"http://wptavern.com/sucuri-is-building-a-comprehensive-alternative-to-cloudflare";s: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:4812:"<p><a href="https://sucuri.net/" target="_blank">Sucuri</a> launched a new free performance tool today. The <a href="https://performance.sucuri.net/" target="_blank">Global Website Performance Tester</a> allows anyone to enter a URL and get a quick assessment of how fast the website is loading from 13 globally distributed testing stations. Results include three key metrics: connection time, time to first byte (TTFB) and total load time.</p>
<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/performance-test.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/performance-test.jpg?resize=958%2C476" alt="performance-test" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44422" /></a></p>
<p>At the moment, there are no plans for an API, but Sucuri CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/perezbox" target="_blank">Tony Perez</a> said that it&#8217;s possible to build one if there&#8217;s enough demand.</p>
<p>The new performance checker is a simple free tool that the Sucuri team built for its own use but also signifies the company&#8217;s foray into performance-related products and services.</p>
<p>&#8220;Performance can easily fall into the realm of Availability, and as such we see it as an important piece of security,&#8221; Perez told the Tavern. &#8220;There is no denying that performance is top of mind to most website owners, as is security.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sucuri has been quietly beefing up its architecture to support an expansion into performance-related services that would go hand-in-hand with its <a href="https://sucuri.net/website-firewall/" target="_blank">WAF</a> (Website Firewall) product.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve been building out our network and performance is a tenant of our Website Firewall,&#8221; Perez said. &#8220;It was imperative that we understood how good or bad our network was compared to the other performance (CDN) providers. Like most things we do, the performance tool was a tool to satisfy our own needs.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Sucuri Is Expanding to Accommodate Plans for a Full-Featured CloudFlare Alternative</h3>
<p>Sucuri is currently managing over 40 billion page views per month via its WAF network. The team is working on expanding to a full WAF/CDN solution to serve performance-related features.</p>
<p>&#8220;The fundamental difference is that it&#8217;s security first, performance second,&#8221; Perez said. &#8220;So yes, in the coming months you&#8217;ll see more as our solution blossoms into a full WAF/CDN solution.&#8221;</p>
<p>Up until now the company has been limited by using a leased architecture but is making changes to support the WAF/CDN expansion.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re actively migrating from a leased architecture to our own infrastructure, giving us full control of the website,&#8221; Perez said. &#8220;This gives us optimal control to mitigate all attacks, including large scale DDOS attacks; a by-product of that will be performance in the form of a global CDN.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sucuri is is building its own DNS architecture with full DNS management within its application.</p>
<p>&#8220;Users will have an alternative to solutions like <a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/" target="_blank">CloudFlare</a>,&#8221; Perez said. &#8220;The fundamental difference being we&#8217;re a security company first.</p>
<p>Sucuri is building its expansion on top of the an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anycast" target="_blank">Anycast</a> network, which means that users&#8217; requests will be routed to the nearest node on request.</p>
<p>&#8220;With most of the content cached at the edge it&#8217;ll be designed for optimal speeds regardless of where you are in the world,&#8221; Perez said. &#8220;That&#8217;s perhaps the biggest feature &#8211; most everything comes down to our design and configuration and how we handle the traffic.&#8221;</p>
<p>When asked if he sees the final WAF/CDN solution to be a comprehensive Cloudflare alternative, Perez responded, &#8220;Oh hell yeah &#8211; with one key differentiator: we&#8217;ll clean the mess too.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The idea is when you think of Sucuri it&#8217;s a complete package &#8211; Protection &#8211; Detection &#8211; Response. It&#8217;s all built in-house, no third-party integrations,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The cleaning is the one thing that no one else can match us on, it&#8217;s either too much liability or they haven&#8217;t figured out how to scale.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sucuri&#8217;s WAF service is currently used by iThemes, Gravity Forms, List25, and many others in the WordPress space. If the company is able to deliver on their CloudFlare alternative, which is planned for this summer, customers will have the opportunity to get their security services bundled in with the new performance-enhancing features of the CDN.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 28 May 2015 19:23:47 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"WPTavern: Fast Page Switch Adds a Quick Way to Switch Between Pages in the WordPress Backend";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44405";s: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:"http://wptavern.com/fast-page-switch-adds-a-quick-way-to-switch-between-pages-in-the-wordpress-backend";s: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:1232:"<p>If you find yourself editing pages often and want a quick way to switch between them without visiting the All Pages screen first, try the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/fast-page-switch/">Fast Page Switch</a> plugin by <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/marclarr/">Marc Wiest</a>.</p>
<p>Fast Page Switch adds a metabox with a drop down menu to the Page editing screen that allows you to quickly switch to a different page. This eliminates the need to visit the All Pages screen and search for the next page you want to edit.</p>
<p>Fast Page Switch saves time if you have less than 20 pages. If you have more than 20, it could be cumbersome to use and outweigh the time saving benefits.</p>
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FastPageSwitchInAction.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-44406" src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FastPageSwitchInAction.png?resize=919%2C403" alt="Fast Page Switch in Action" /></a>Fast Page Switch in Action
<p>I tested Fast Page Switch on WordPress 4.2.2 and didn&#8217;t experience any issues. You can <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/fast-page-switch/">download it for free</a> from the WordPress plugin directory.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 28 May 2015 05:48:33 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:93:"WPTavern: WPWeekly Episode 194 – Celebrating WordPress’ 12th Birthday with Matt Mullenweg";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:44:"http://wptavern.com?p=44397&preview_id=44397";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:96:"http://wptavern.com/wpweekly-episode-194-celebrating-wordpress-12th-birthday-with-matt-mullenweg";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1644:"<p>In this birthday celebration episode of WordPress Weekly, <a href="http://marcuscouch.com/">Marcus Couch</a> and I are joined by Automattic CEO, <a href="http://ma.tt/">Matt Mullenweg</a>. We covered a lot of ground with Mullenweg discussing the following topics:</p>
<ul>
<li>Update on <a href="http://wptavern.com/o2-wordpress-plugin-expected-to-be-available-in-early-2014">O2</a> the successor to the <a href="http://p2theme.com/">P2 theme</a></li>
<li>Memorable moments of the last 12 years</li>
<li>Update on the <a href="https://github.com/WordPress/book">WordPress history book</a></li>
<li>Status of WordCamp USA</li>
<li>The WooThemes/WooCommerce acquisition</li>
<li>Hype surrounding the WP REST API</li>
<li>The WordPress Mobile App</li>
</ul>
<p>We talked about a number of other topics as well. I apologize for the audio glitches in this episode as Mullenweg experienced bandwidth issues. We also experienced some technical difficulties with Google Hangouts.</p>
<h2>WPWeekly Meta:</h2>
<p><strong>Next Episode:</strong> Wednesday, June 3rd 9:30 P.M. Eastern</p>
<p><strong>Subscribe To WPWeekly Via Itunes: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wordpress-weekly/id694849738" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe To WPWeekly Via RSS: </strong><a href="http://www.wptavern.com/feed/podcast" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a></p>
<p><strong>Subscribe To WPWeekly Via Stitcher Radio: </strong><a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/wordpress-weekly-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a></p>
<p><strong>Listen To Episode #194:</strong><br />
</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 28 May 2015 03:52:11 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:45;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:116:"WPTavern: WordPress Theme Review Team is Cracking Down on Violations of the Presentation vs. Functionality Guideline";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44356";s: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:125:"http://wptavern.com/wordpress-theme-review-team-is-cracking-down-on-violations-of-the-presentation-vs-functionality-guideline";s: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:8344:"<a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/red-pen.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/red-pen.jpg?resize=1024%2C500" alt="photo credit: pollas - cc" class="size-full wp-image-37241" /></a>photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pollas/526544001/">pollas</a> &#8211; <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
<p>During this week&#8217;s WordPress.org Theme Review Team meeting Chip Bennett opened the floor to discuss the &#8220;grey areas&#8221; of presentation vs. functionality distinctions in themes. The hotly debated topic concerns what is permissible in terms of &#8220;content creation&#8221; for themes that are hosted in the official directory.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know that CPTs and custom taxonomies are off-limits; likewise with non-presentational post custom meta data,&#8221; Bennett said. &#8220;But what about content created via theme options, custom widgets, etc.?&#8221;</p>
<p>This question often comes up in relation to themes that offer static front pages with custom widgets or textareas in the customizer where users can add small blocks of text. For example, a theme might offer a biography section or a place to enter copyright text. The concern is that a user is entering content, not knowing that it will be lost upon switching themes.</p>
<p>The Theme Review Team has had an <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/themereview/p1432668662001049" target="_blank">established policy for years</a> that forbids theme authors from defining the generation of user content. However, due to disorganization during the process of moving the official version of theme requirements from the Codex to the Theme Review Handbook, this particular guideline was omitted.</p>
<p>Bennett posted a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2015/05/27/theme-review-requirements-and-documentation/" target="_blank">review of Theme Review Requirements and documentation</a> today on the Make/Themes blog with previously omitted items highlighted in red for clarity.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Presentation vs. Functionality</strong><br />
Since the purpose of Themes is to define the presentation of user content, Themes must not be used to define the generation of user content, or to define Theme-independent site options or functionality.</p></blockquote>
<p>As this is a fairly general statement, the Theme Review Team will be discussing the finer points of how it applies during the next meeting. In the past, this guideline has been subjectively and inconsistently applied, allowing many themes to slip by with functionality that falls into these grey areas.</p>
<h2>Theme Review Team to Begin Aggressively Enforcing &#8220;No Content Creation&#8221; Guideline</h2>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/zerif-lite/" target="_blank">Zerif Lite</a>, one of the top themes on WordPress.org, was highlighted during the meeting as an example of a theme that has been permitted to skirt this guideline, among others.</p>
<p>&#8220;Looking at Zerif Lite: testimonials, our team, our focus, about us &#8211; these are all CPTs, disguised as custom widgets,&#8221; Bennett said. In a <a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24907" target="_blank">ticket where the theme is currently being reviewed for updates</a>, Bennett encouraged Zerif Lite&#8217;s author to remove any custom post meta data, except for that that which is presenatational, as it falls into plugin territory. This includes aspects of the theme such as author details, team member position, social network profiles, etc.</p>
<p>Reviewers are already aggressively cracking down on Zerif Lite&#8217;s violation of this specific guideline and will likely extend their vigilance to uphold the guideline more consistently with all themes as they come up for review.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.codeinwp.com/" target="_blank">Codeinwp</a>, the company behind Zerif Lite, replied to Bennetts&#8217; requests on the ticket:</p>
<blockquote><p>Most of the things that you are pointing out are really sensitive for two reasons: </p>
<ul>
<li>Probably 50% of the most popular themes use some custom content on the homepage</li>
<li>A lot of things like contact issue or testimonial can&#8217;t be solved without breaking 100k sites which use the theme</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>Codeinwp contends that the approach used in Zerif Lite is far more user friendly than having to install a plugin, or multiple plugins, in order to add small bits of text to the home page.</p>
<blockquote><p>At the end I agree that our approach was a bit different/radical. However, it looks like it is something that people really want (Zerif is one of the hottest themes at the moment, with mentions all over the web). I mean most of them want to build a beautiful site in 10 minutes, without any knowledge and with Zerif Lite they can easily do it. They don&#8217;t want 10 CPT, 10 required plugins, contact form, and Captcha plugins for a simple site.</p></blockquote>
<p>The theme author believes that creating a plugin to handle four of the theme&#8217;s focus widgets would simply waste users&#8217; time.</p>
<p>&#8220;Also, you realize the amount of work required to do this for 100+ themes installed on million of sites, right?&#8221; Codeinwp said. The author also cited several other examples of popular themes in violation, including <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/accesspress-parallax/" target="_blank">AccessPress Parallax</a>, <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/onetone/" target="_blank">Onetone</a>, and <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/colorway" target="_blank">Colorway</a>.</p>
<p>Given that the WordPress.org theme directory is riddled with violations of what is purported to be a long standing guideline, it&#8217;s clear that reviewers have been exceedingly lax in enforcing it. Theme authors who were ignorant of this guideline will be in for a rude awakening on their next submission for an update. Bennett <a href="https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24907" target="_blank">confirmed</a> in the ticket open on Zerif Lite that the policy will be strongly enforced in the future:</p>
<blockquote><p>It has recently come to our attention that possibly several themes have been approved that may have similar issues. We&#8217;ll address them as we find them, and work with the developers to come up with a plan to bring the themes back into conformance with the requirements &#8211; just as we&#8217;ll do here with your theme.</p></blockquote>
<p>This will mean a considerable amount of work for authors who have defined ways for users to generate content through the theme. They will need to port this functionality into a plugin(s).</p>
<p>WordPress.org themes are not permitted to bundle plugins, but authors can recommend plugins using the <a href="http://wptavern.com/tgm-plugin-activation-library-publishes-roadmap-for-version-3-0" target="_blank">TGM Plugin Activation Library</a> or another method. Themes are only permitted to recommend plugins that are listed in the official WordPress.org plugin directory. This means that authors who remove functionality in favor of companion plugins will need to get those plugins approved for WordPress.org before submitting their themes for updates.</p>
<p>Next week&#8217;s Theme Review Team meeting will include a discussion on specific examples of types of content that themes should or should not be allowed to create, i.e. button text, copyright text, etc. The team is generally in favor of authors using core methods for content creation.</p>
<p>Documentation regarding this issue has been unclear, incomplete, and scattered, spread across the Codex, Make/Themes, and two different places in the Theme Handbook. The team is working to rectify this in light of its renewed dedication to systematically enforce the &#8220;no content creation&#8221; guideline.</p>
<p>This will affect many of the top themes hosted on WordPress.org, which will be forced to implement changes that are likely to break thousands of sites&#8217; appearance on update. <a href="http://wptavern.com/do-wordpress-org-themes-need-a-changelog" target="_blank">Without a change log</a> in place, many users will not be aware when they are receiving an update that suddenly requires the installation of new plugins.</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, 27 May 2015 21:31:06 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Matt: Why Awe?";s: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:21:"http://ma.tt/?p=45102";s: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:29:"http://ma.tt/2015/05/why-awe/";s: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:436:"<blockquote><p>In the great balancing act of our social lives, between the gratification of self-interest and a concern for others, fleeting experiences of awe redefine the self in terms of the collective, and orient our actions toward the needs of those around us.</p></blockquote>
<p>The New York Times answers <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/opinion/sunday/why-do-we-experience-awe.html">Why Do We Experience Awe?</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, 27 May 2015 16:48:33 +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:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"WPTavern: My Struggle to Learn How the WordPress REST API Works";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44319";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:73:"http://wptavern.com/my-struggle-to-learn-how-the-wordpress-rest-api-works";s: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:3087:"<p>Earlier today, I watched a <a href="http://wptavern.com/learn-how-to-utilize-the-wp-rest-api-with-rachel-baker">free presentation</a> on how to use the WordPress REST API by Rachael Baker via <a href="http://wpsessions.com">WPSessions</a>. If you missed it, you can <a href="http://wpsessions.com/sessions/utilizing-the-wp-rest-api/">watch the recording</a> for $9.</p>
<p>As I watched the presentation, it was clear that no matter how many tutorials I read, WordCamp sessions I attend, and videos I watch, I won&#8217;t be able to grasp the API until I use products built with it. I&#8217;m not a developer and the REST API is developer centric technology.</p>
<h2>What I Think the REST API Is</h2>
<p>Based on what I&#8217;ve learned so far, I&#8217;ve figured out that the API provides a series of end points which are specific parts of WordPress. These end points can be connected to and manipulated through the REST API.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s this API that opens up a slew of new opportunities for application developers to send and receive data. This is what allows a developer to build an app that connects to WordPress with minimal code.</p>
<h2>Learning Custom Post Types</h2>
<p>In 2010, there <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/styling-individual-pagesposts">were a lot of requests</a> for <a href="http://www.nathanrice.net/blog/wordpress-2-8-and-the-body_class-function/">tutorials</a> on how to give specific posts a unique style. When <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Post_Types">Custom Post Types</a> were introduced in WordPress 3.0, I was excited because I thought they would provide the ability to create custom styles for posts.</p>
<p>Looking back, some of the requests are due to the <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Migrating_Plugins_and_Themes_to_2.7#Post_Classes">post_class() function</a> added in WordPress 2.7 that provides the ability to use CSS to style a post. It took a few years to rewire my brain to not think of Custom Post Types this way.</p>
<p>When I described how long it took to figure out Custom Post Types on Twitter, Justin Tadlock responded, that end users should have never been introduced to the term <em>post type</em>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/jeffr0">@jeffr0</a> End users should've never heard the term "post type". We devs did a poor job with that. We should've said "forums," "e-commerce,"&#8230;</p>
<p>&mdash; Justin Tadlock (@justintadlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/justintadlock/status/603287148863819776">May 26, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<h2>Reviewing Products Helps Connect the Dots</h2>
<p>I didn&#8217;t fully comprehend Custom Post Types until I reviewed several WordPress products that utilized them. After awhile, I was able to connect the dots between what I saw in the WordPress backend and what appeared on the front end.</p>
<p>I think the same thing will happen when the REST API is added to WordPress core. I&#8217;ll be able to connect the dots and figure out how it works by reviewing products that use it.</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, 27 May 2015 02:02:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: Replace the BuddyPress Mystery Man with Unique, Colorful Identicons";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=39298";s: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:86:"http://wptavern.com/replace-the-buddypress-mystery-man-with-unique-colorful-identicons";s: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:3665:"<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/buddypress-identicons-featured.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/buddypress-identicons-featured.jpg?resize=752%2C377" alt="buddypress-identicons-featured" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44341" /></a></p>
<p>Nothing makes a BuddyPress site seem more active or more colorful than when members upload their own unique avatars. Unfortunately, not all users have the motivation to follow through with adding a profile picture. You could use a plugin to <a href="http://wptavern.com/add-avatar-upload-to-buddypress-registration" target="_blank">add avatar upload to registration</a>, or even <a href="http://wptavern.com/new-plugin-forces-buddypress-users-to-upload-a-profile-photo" target="_blank">force BuddyPress users to upload a profile photo</a> before accessing other pages. However, this may seem a bit heavy handed for some social networks.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-identicons/" target="_blank">BuddyPress Identicons</a> plugin is one alternative that will bring some color to the members directory without troubling users to upload a profile photo. By default, those who haven&#8217;t uploaded an image will have the mystery man avatar assigned. Too many of these can turn your directories into a sea of grey and white and give the impression that members are not invested in the community. BuddyPress Identicons replaces the mystery man with GitHub-style identicons.</p>
<p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/buddypress-identicons.jpg"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/buddypress-identicons.jpg?resize=644%2C404" alt="buddypress-identicons" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44322" /></a></p>
<p>BuddyPress developer <a href="http://henrywright.me/" target="_blank">Henry Wright</a>, the plugin&#8217;s creator, was inspired by <a href="https://github.com/blog/1586-identicons" target="_blank">GitHub&#8217;s implementation of identicons</a>, which the social network added in 2013 for users who do not have a Gravatar. The idea is based on <a href="https://github.com/donpark/identicon" target="_blank">Don Park&#8217;s original Java and Canvas implementations</a> for creating unique identicons.</p>
<p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/henry-identicon.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/henry-identicon.jpg?resize=229%2C163" alt="henry-identicon" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44338" /></a>BuddyPress Identicons are uniquely generated from a hash of the member&#8217;s username. The implementation will not look exactly how it does on GitHub, as the logic used to generate the identicon is somewhat different. In fact, this plugin allows for a few customizations to better fit your social network. You can set the background to transparent in the BuddyPress settings menu and also adjust the image size by <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-identicons/faq/" target="_blank">defining the constants in your bp-custom.php file</a>.</p>
<p>The plugin is compatible with both WordPress multisite and bbPress. After testing it on a BuddyPress site, I can confirm that it works as advertised. If you&#8217;ve been frustrated by a lack of unique avatars on your social network, the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-identicons/" target="_blank">BuddyPress Identicons</a> plugin provides an instant fix. Simply install it from WordPress.org, activate it, and all of your mystery men will be transformed into unique, colorful identicons.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 26 May 2015 23:04:33 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"WPTavern: Postcard Project Discontinued, iOS and Android Apps Now Open Source";s: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:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=44282";s: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:86:"http://wptavern.com/postcard-project-discontinued-ios-and-android-apps-now-open-source";s: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:6094:"<p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/postcard-share.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/wptavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/postcard-share.jpg?resize=316%2C531" alt="postcard-share" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44291" /></a>Kyle Newsome, creator of <a href="http://www.postcardsocial.net/" target="_blank">Postcard</a>, announced over the weekend that the project will be discontinued. The free social sharing app for iOS <a href="http://wptavern.com/own-your-content-postcard-social-sharing-app-launches-with-wordpress-integration" target="_blank">launched in February of 2014</a> with the aim to make it easy to share content from your phone to multiple social networks, including your own website.</p>
<p>Postcard&#8217;s chief selling point was the idea of owning your own content. Instead of posting content directly on Facebook or Twitter, for example, you could set your own website as the “host” network and direct all the traffic there.</p>
<p>Newsome also built a free WordPress <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/postcard-social/" target="_blank">plugin</a> as a companion to the app to allow users to host and archive their data. He intended it to help users make sure their websites didn&#8217;t go stale as they regularly posted short form content to social networks.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the idea did not catch on as Newsome hoped it would and he was unable to keep up with the maintenance.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve fallen behind on maintenance and, due to some sweeping new policy changes in Facebook&#8217;s platform as of May 2015, the live iOS and Android development versions are broken and it&#8217;s been the final kick in my ass necessary to admit Postcard is unsustainable,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Despite making progress on the Android version last month, he was ultimately unable to get it ready for release on the Android market.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Android version making progress. It is very real. <a href="http://t.co/7nYYtnHZpm">pic.twitter.com/7nYYtnHZpm</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Postcard (@postcardsocial) <a href="https://twitter.com/postcardsocial/status/458338905772023808">April 21, 2014</a></p></blockquote>
<p></p>
<p>In <a href="http://postcardsocial.net/posts/2015-05-25-post-mortem" target="_blank">Postcard&#8217;s post mortem</a>, Newsome identified changes to external services and their APIs as one of the primary factors for discontinuing the project.</p>
<blockquote><p>Postcard was an interesting project for me. It started from a frustration with ever changing policies and lack of standardization in social media and ironically will be shutting down for exactly the same reasons. I really have to say that social media management is a tough thing to tackle for any single developer. It&#8217;s hard enough to depend on code that you didn&#8217;t write yourself and it&#8217;s even harder to depend multiple on APIs. It takes a lot of maintenance just to stand still.</p></blockquote>
<p>Keeping the WordPress plugin updated was also a challenge, and Newsome was discouraged at the prospect of having to rebuild it in the near future.</p>
<p>&#8220;The WordPress plugin also got stale as a major update and even a new forthcoming JSON API made the custom work I had done seem like a large investment made in something soon to be obsolete,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Additionally, he found that the costs of maintaining the app, both financially and in terms of time spent, were unsustainable, as the app only pulled in a total of $750 over the past year. This barely covered the app store licensing fees.</p>
<h3>Postcard Mobile Apps Now Open Source</h3>
<p>Newsome has no intention of maintaining or developing the mobile apps or the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/postcard-social/" target="_blank">WordPress plugin</a> anymore. The apps are now available on GitHub under the MIT license with broken/partial functionality:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>iOS:</strong> <a href="http://github.com/bitwit/postcard-ios" target="_blank">github.com/bitwit/postcard-ios</a></li>
<li><strong>Android:</strong> <a href="http://github.com/bitwit/postcard-android" target="_blank">github.com/bitwit/postcard-android</a></li>
</ul>
<p>All the code is available to any developer who wants to take the original Postcard idea and run with it or modify it to suit another purpose.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be that developer who never admits their project is over when it&#8217;s over,&#8221; Newsome said. &#8220;Both myself and my users deserve better.&#8221;</p>
<p>He hoped that Postcard would fundamentally change how people use social networks, but the idea of having your WordPress site as the host network for your social content never really caught on. Since many people do not host and maintain their own websites, the golden feature of this app probably went unused by the majority of those who tried it. The ability to broadcast the same content to multiple networks was likely the more popular feature. In the end, the Postcard iOS app was downloaded just 6,000 times.</p>
<p>Postcard&#8217;s failure may be an indication that people are still not ready for decentralized social networking, where you host your own data and distribute it to third-party social networks at will. Given that the project was powered by a one-person team (a developer who is otherwise employed), Postcard had little chance of being able to keep pace with the development burden of external networks and their changing APIs.</p>
<p>Newsome may not have launched it with enough resources, or it may not have been the right approach or the right time. Multiple factors combined ultimately spelled Postcard&#8217;s doom, but if any interested parties have the vision and time to revive it or fork it, Newsome is happy to assist in any small way. You can contact him directly via the <a href="http://bitwit.ca/blog/2015-05-25-postcard-post-mortem/" target="_blank">Postcard post mortem blog</a> or on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/kylnew" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 26 May 2015 17:18:57 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";a:10:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:43:07 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:8:"text/xml";s:14:"content-length";s:6:"205895";s:10:"connection";s:5:"close";s:4:"vary";s:15:"Accept-Encoding";s:13:"last-modified";s:29:"Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:30:14 GMT";s:15:"x-frame-options";s:10:"SAMEORIGIN";s:4:"x-nc";s:11:"HIT lax 250";s:13:"accept-ranges";s:5:"bytes";}s:5:"build";s:14:"20130911110210";}