If you’re a WordPress professional, it can be hard to know where you fit into the bigger picture. Online community The Admin Bar aims to provide a glimpse into the market with its annual WordPress Professional Survey. Web designer Kyle Van Deusen interviewed 667 professionals and reported on a range of topics.

Among the highlights:

• 77% of respondents consider themselves to be full-time;
• Over half of respondents have been in business for 10 years or less, while the majority have started up within the past 5;
• Solo freelancing is still popular, as 59% of respondents work alone;
• WordPress professionals are generally optimistic about the future of the software and agencies;
• The average hourly rate charged by respondents is $96.00;

That’s just a small sampling of what’s included. There’s plenty more to explore and the full data set is also available for download.

 https://youtu.be/1axiJSTDmK4 

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

OpenAI has announced that APIs for their Chat GPT and Whisper products are now available. This step will allow developers to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their own products. Expect the WordPress community to take advantage.

Development agency ThemeKraft have published an open letter describing their concerns with the WordPress plugin review team. The letter details their experience when collaborating to fix a security issue with one of their products. With that being said, it’s also worth mentioning that the plugin review team consists of volunteers and has noted a backlog of work. This letter details one developer’s view and we’re sharing it as such.

With the upcoming release of WordPress 6.2, project core contributor Anne McCarthy has published an extensive guide to what’s new. If you’re looking for all the details regarding new features and important changes, this is a one-stop resource.

To get a first-hand look at WordPress 6.2, you’ll also want to check out the live demo hosted by McCarthy, Rich Tabor, and Nathan Wrigely. The video highlights new features and includes a Q&A session.

From the Grab Bag

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

• There’s another WordPress-related acquisition to report. This time around, ad revenue optimization service MonitizeMore announced that it has acquired the Advanced Ads WordPress plugin. The plugin has free and commercial versions, with over 100,00 active installations.
• Meanwhile, plugin developer SnapOrbital has been put up for sale. The shop specializes in premium add-ons for LearnDash.
• With tightening privacy regulations, it’s recommended that WordPress themes host Google Fonts locally. Several WordPress legacy default themes (from Twenty Twelve to Twenty Seventeen) are following suit, thanks to the efforts of contributors.
• The first-ever WordCamp Asia has left a lasting impression on attendees. Hidekazu Ishikawa spoke at the event and also launched a website detailing his experience.
• It’s no secret that AI tool ChatGPT is seeing a lot of use. But what does that mean in terms of its environmental impact? One estimator says that, in January 2023, it may have used as much electricity as 175,000 homes.

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

• Justin Ferriman
• Courtney Robertson