WP Tavern

In this episode, Saumya Majumder joins Nathan Wrigley to discuss innovations at BigScoots, focusing on high-performance WordPress hosting and Cloudflare-powered architecture. They unpack the recent global Cloudflare outage, the complexities of internet infrastructure, and Cloudflare’s transparency in response. Saumya explains advanced caching technologies, BigScoots’ direct physical connection with Cloudflare, and their custom cache plugin, highlighting how these developments offer speed, security, and fine-grained control for WordPress users, agencies, and enterprise clients. If you’re curious about how hosting companies manage such advanced caching strategies, and how Cloudflare might fit into the hosting jigsaw, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley talks with Devin Walker, the new Artistic Director (Head) of Jetpack at Automattic. Devin shares his background in WordPress, the challenges and opportunities of leading Jetpack, and his plans to bring focus, simplify the experience, and improve both functionality and marketing. They discuss Jetpack’s strengths, weaknesses, upcoming AI features, organisational changes at Automattic, and the importance of listening to user feedback to enhance Jetpack over the next year. If you’re a WordPress user wondering where Jetpack is headed, what’s working, or how AI fits into the future of site building, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Roger Williams joins Nathan Wrigley to discuss the complexities and evolution of sponsored contributions in the WordPress community. They explore how companies like Kinsta can support WordPress and other open source projects, balancing philanthropic goals with business realities. The conversation covers practical strategies for sponsorship, bridging gaps between individuals and organisations, and the challenges of aligning community-driven and financial motivations to ensure WordPress continues to thrive. If you’re interested in how WordPress sponsorships work, how business and community might collaborate, or you’re seeking practical advice as a contributor or company, this episode is for you.

Joshua Bryant, an engineer at Dow Jones, revolutionizes editorial workflows by embedding the Gutenberg block editor into a standalone React tool, streamlining publishing for major news outlets like the Wall Street Journal. He discusses the motivations behind this decoupling, focusing on speed and minimizing distractions for breaking news. The conversation covers the unique three-system architecture, rapid publishing via the REST API, and the challenges of adapting WordPress for enterprise needs. He also shares insights on collaboration among editors and the open-source community.

In this discussion, Arnas Donauskas, a product manager at Hostinger, shares insights into how AI is revolutionizing WordPress troubleshooting. He reveals Hostinger’s AI can automatically detect and fix errors with a success rate of 70%. Arnas discusses the balance between automation and user control, and the future of AI in optimizing SEO and content. He delves into performance metrics, user communication, and plans for enhancing backup features. It's a fascinating look at AI's role in transforming website management.

In this episode of WP Tavern, Seth Rubenstein from Pew Research Center talks with host Nathan Wrigley about advanced WordPress development, focusing on block composability in Gutenberg. Seth explains how new APIs, Block Bindings, Block Bits, and the Interactivity API, are making WordPress more powerful, enabling developers and editors to build dynamic web applications, like complex quizzes, directly in the block editor. They discuss the potential for easier UI interfaces and the promising future of WordPress as a flexible platform for interactive content, while touching on performance improvements and upcoming needs like responsive blocks. Whether you’re a developer curious about the future of Gutenberg or an editor dreaming of more drag-and-drop web app power, this episode is for you.

In this WP Tavern episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Weston Ruter at WordCamp US in Portland. Weston shares insights from his presentation on WordPress performance, discussing improvements made by the Core Performance Team, including lazy loading, enhanced responsive images, and speculative loading. They explore the challenges of maintaining speed as plugins increase site complexity, browser and ecosystem collaboration, and upcoming features for WordPress 6.9. Weston talks about making performance effortless for users and highlights resources for staying informed. Whether you’re a developer, designer, site owner, or just someone curious about what keeps the web running smoothly, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley interviews Bud Kraus at WordCamp US 2025. Bud shares his experience living and working with macular degeneration, a condition affecting his central vision. He discusses the adaptations he makes to use computers and WordPress, his approach to teaching and content creation, and how his low vision has become a unique perspective in his work. Bud reflects on accessibility challenges, technology, and AI as a career extender, as well as the positives and practicalities of navigating both digital and physical worlds with low vision. Whether you’re a designer, developer, educator, or simply passionate about building a more inclusive web, this episode is for you.

June Liu, co-lead for the marketing team and organizer of WP Accessibility Day, and David Denedo, a visually impaired web designer, share their powerful journey into accessibility advocacy. They discuss the vital importance of embedding accessibility from the start and how personal experiences shape their passion. The conversation highlights the upcoming global 24-hour event, featuring diverse tracks on technical, legal, and business aspects of accessibility. They also emphasize how assistive technology demonstrations can educate developers and foster inclusivity across the web.

In a captivating conversation, software pioneer Dave Winer explores the evolution of the web and its lost idealism. Known for his contributions to RSS and podcasting, he shares insights on the dangers of walled gardens and advocates for open standards. Dave introduces his new project, WordLand, a Markdown-based writing tool designed for decentralized publishing. He emphasizes the importance of user control, compatibility, and how RSS can redefine social feeds, empowering writers to reclaim their digital freedoms in an increasingly siloed landscape.