The idea of using WordPress to power a social networking site isn’t new. The BuddyPress plugin has offered this functionality since 2009. But Elon Musk’s recent takeover of Twitter (and the ensuing chaos) has WordPress community members taking another look at what’s possible.

Mike McAlister recently shared a concept for OpenPress, a plugin that would turn your WordPress install into a microblogging platform. Your site’s content can then be connected with, and followed by, other sites using OpenPress.

The aim is to build a network of related content that allows creators to maintain ownership. As McAlister puts it, the network “is powered by individuals, but connected as a community.”

Who knows where the OpenPress concept will go. But it’s an interesting proposition for those looking to ditch Twitter and other corporately-owned communities.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

The WP Minute’s Eric Karkovack is intrigued by the potential of managed WooCommerce hosting. He took a look at what it can and can’t do to simplify the eCommerce platform.

In an effort to decrease the barriers to contributing to WordPress core, project lead developer Helen Hou-Sandí has proposed using GitHub Codespaces. The tool allows for the rapid setup of a development environment. Sarah Gooding has the details at WP Tavern.

In a tongue-and-cheek effort to compete with Twitter’s new account verification system, Tumblr is selling two “useless” checkmarks for a one-time fee of $7.99. Yes, that’s one penny less than Twitter’s service. The microblogging platform is owned by Automattic. To paraphrase CEO (and WordPress co-founder) Matt Mullenweg’s tweet, two checkmarks are cooler than one.

What’s your top WordPress-related story for 2022? The WP Minute wants to know! Share your thoughts with us on Twitter.

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From the Grab Bag

Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.

• WordPress 6.1.1 was released on November 15 and fixes a total of 50 bugs.
• If you missed out on WordCamp Italia 2022, a nearly 9-hour recording of the event is available for viewing.
• How would you like the WordPress Site Editor to work? What pain points would you like to see resolved? The project has put out a call for user feedback.
• It’s been a long time coming, but WooCommerce 7.1 is finally adding the ability to store orders in a custom database table. Sarah Gooding at WP Tavern reports that it’s currently an experimental feature, but should become the default sometime in 2023.
• Podcasters using Automattic’s Pocket Casts platform can now embed their episodes on WordPress.com via a custom block.
• WordPress marketing firm Ellipsis has announced a new web tool from their SEO product FALCON AI. It aims to help content creators conduct more accurate keyword research through machine learning.
• WordPress.org’s Showcase section is undergoing a redesign and you can take a peek at what’s in store.

Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today: 

• Birgit Pauli-Haack

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