Blocks are now a key part of the WordPress experience. But what if they were platform-agnostic? That’s the idea behind the Block Protocol. Founded in 2022, the organization recently released a WordPress plugin.In its initial release, the Block Protocol plugin adds over a dozen new blocks to WordPress. Included in the package you’ll find blocks to display common items such as addresses, how-to lists, and countdown timers. There are also AI-powered blocks for generating images and text.The blocks work on any platform that supports the Block Protocol. And additional blocks are in the works.To learn more, The WP Minute’s Eric Karkovack sat down with HASH CEO David Wilkinson to discuss the project, along with its potential to enhance WordPress and other platforms. https://youtu.be/oY2-lBUrz9o Next up (listen to the podcast for more): Amber Hinds of Equalize Digital discusses the pre-seed investment her company received from Emilia Capital and what it means for their Accessibility Checker plugin.Links You Shouldn’t MissArtificial Intelligence is increasing its presence within WordPress. Last week, we reported that OpenAI has made its API available to developers wanting to integrate ChatGPT into their applications. It didn’t take long for the WordPress community to dive in. One example: the recent launch of DocsBot AI. The product allows you to create a custom chatbot based on your website’s content and documentation. It’s free to try, with paid plans also available.Meanwhile, an open-source alternative called OpenChatKit has also been announced.Speaking of ChatGPT, The WP Minute’s Eric Karkovack recently used the AI tool to build a simple WordPress plugin. He wrote about the experience and the unexpected lesson he learned.WordPress security is getting better. According to Patchstack’s State of WordPress Security In 2022 report, 328% more security bugs were reported year over year. The firm opines that, because more vulnerabilities are being reported and patched, the ecosystem is becoming more secure. They also note that 93% of security flaws originate from plugins. Thus, keeping your installs up to date is as important as ever.Automattic is increasing its presence in the Fediverse. The company has purchased the ActivityPub plugin, which allows WordPress websites to integrate with Mastodon and other decentralized platforms. Sarah Goo ★ Support this podcast ★

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 MissOpenAI 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 BagNow 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 FerrimanCourtney Robertson ★ Support this podcast ★

WordPress 6.2 is slated for release on March 28. Among its most impactful new features will be the integration of the Openverse media search. This will allow users to add images, audio, and video that are available via a Creative Commons license.While Openverse integration adds a layer of convenience, there was some debate about how the feature initially worked. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, the first iteration (released in version 15.1 of the Gutenberg plugin) simply hotlinked to images, rather than uploading files to the user’s website by default.Users had the option to upload the image via the WordPress Media Library. However, the default hotlinking behavior meant that some users would inevitably leave things as they are. This could run afoul of privacy regulations like GDPR in the European Union.Meanwhile, WordPress core contributor Jeremy Herve created a ticket that called attention to the potential issue. Others have since raised questions regarding usage rights - including the right to crop or otherwise modify media.The debate has led to a change in plans. WordPress contributors reacted swiftly and now the feature will upload Openverse images by default. A fallback has also been implemented that warns users when an image couldn’t be uploaded. Check out WP Tavern’s follow up for more details on how things evolved.Links You Shouldn’t MissThere are more acquisitions to report in the WordPress space. First, Caseproof, makers of the MemberPress plugin, have acquired rival MemberMouse. In the announcement, MemberPress Creator and CEO Blair Williams says both products have different audiences and thus will remain separate offerings.Next up, Syed Balkhi announced that tutorial service WP101 has been acquired by Awesome Motive. Balkhi notes that the acquisition furthers his goal of creating the “best class-room style WordPress training videos to help WordPress grow in enterprise, government agencies, as well as at the school and collegiate level.”The democratization of publishing is a stated goal of WordPress. To see proof of it in action, look no further than the Prison Journalism Project. Sarah Gooding profiled the organization and its use of WordPress to help incarcerated writers to connect with the outside world.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.The popular All in One SEO plugin recently patched two security vulnerabilities. It’s recommended that users upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible. Security firm Wordfence provided further detail on their blog.Back in July 2022, we reported that WordPress blog WPLift was sold to an undisclosed buyer. It’s been revealed to The WP Minute that Boston-based agency UnlimitedWP is the new owner.A new proposal aims to display more topic-based meetups in the WordPress News & Events dashboard widget.Take in the sights of the recent WordCamp Asia with BobWP’s recap of the event.With so many recent changes to WordPress content creation and theming, web designers need to adjust. Justin Tadlock explored the topic on the WordPress Developer Blog.Speaking of themes, developer Anders Norén announced that his collection of free block themes are now compatible with features added in WordPress 6.1.If you’re looking for some inspirational stories, People of WordPress has you covered. Recent profiles Hauwa Abashiya and Daniel Kossmann are worth a read.Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today: Jeff ChandlerAmber HindsAbha Thakor ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s the WP Minute!Support independent WordPress news like this, join the Slack membership, or purchase a classified listing in the weekly newsletter at thewpminute.com/support  And now a word from our sponsor. You know how it goes, everything I mention here will be linked up in the newsletter and the blog post. Check out thewpminute.com for the links.Most ImpactfulThe first-ever WordCamp Asia wrapped up on February 19. The event took place in Bangkok, Thailand and brought together attendees from all over the globe, along with a live streaming audience.Global Lead Naoko Takano posted a thank you to attendees and volunteers. And there’s also an attendee survey available to help organizers gain feedback.Among the highlighted events was a Q&A with WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg. If you missed the session, the video is available on YouTube. You can also check out a recap of the session written by David Bisset.Next year’s event is already being planned. It’s scheduled to be held in Taipei, Taiwan in March 2024.Links You Shouldn’t MissThe glut of layoffs in the tech industry has started to impact WordPress professionals. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, the trend has hit companies of varying sizes. Large companies like GoDaddy and DigitalOcean have made cuts, as have smaller firms like Human Made and XWP.Back in November 2022, the WordPress community raised concerns about meeting platform Meetup.com’s use of an accessibility overlay. The company pledged to work with advocates to improve their user experience. They recently released an assessment that lists 700+ improvements to be made and shared a plan for action. The WordPress Accessibility Team posted more details on the process, while WP Tavern provides more background regarding the issue.Should Gutenberg-related features be treated differently when it comes to how they’re merged into beta versions of WordPress? Project Lead Developer Andrew Ozz has proposed a method to make it easier to merge these changes after a WordPress beta 1 version “feature freeze”. The idea has generated a robust debate in the proposal’s comment section.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is now available for your WordPress.org account. Access can be verified via a third-party app on a mobile device, such as Authy or Google Authenticator.Developers Olivia and David Bisset have launched wpfront.page, a curated collection of WordPress news, opinions, and social media posts.The team behind WordCamp London have announced that the event is in the early planning stages and will take place in September 2023. They’ve also posted a survey to collect attendee input.As WordPress becomes more focused on JavaScript development, some developers are feeling left out. Jamie Reevior wrote a short essay on why he’s feeling “betrayed” by the project.The WordPress mobile app is changing, and some features are being moved over to Jetpack’s new app. WordPress.com has published a guide to help users understand the differences.Hey.com CEO and Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson says his company will save money by exiting the cloud and building their own data centers.If you’re a content creator interested in how a “headless” WordPress configuration might benefit you, WP Engine is hosting a webinar on February 23.New Members This WeekRemkus de Vries, follow @remkusdevriesIf you’re not a member yet, go to thewpminute.com/support/ to join.Video of the weekSubscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@wpminuteThis week, The WP Minute takes InstaWP for a spin. This service allows you to create a new WordPress install with just a few clicks.https://youtu.be/oNVHjYJwf3MThanks to all of the members who shared these links today: Jeff ChandlerSam MunozCourtney RobertsonDaniel SchutzsmithAbha ThakorOutroThanks to you, dear listener, for tuning in to your favorite 5-minutes of WordPress news every Wednesday.You can support independent content like this by purchasing us a digital coffee at thewpminute.com/supportOr join the #linksquad membership for $79/year to support the show and become a producer of the WP Minute at thewpminute.com/supportThat’s it for today’s episode, if you enjoyed it, please share it wherever you do social media and jump on the mailing list at thewpminute.com. ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s no secret that tools boasting Artificial Intelligence are popping up all over the place. That most certainly includes WordPress. And now Auttomattic’s WordPress.com is running an experiment to see how the technology might benefit users.As reported by blogger JenT at WPcomMaven, the managed hosting service quietly added two AI-powered blocks to the Block Editor. The AI Image and AI Paragraph blocks are aimed at helping content creators.As the name suggests, the AI Image block allows users to generate an image that can be inserted into a post. And the AI Paragraph block will “read” your post’s content and generate follow up text.Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg confirmed the new features on Twitter, but made no promises regarding how long they’ll stick around.Meanwhile, Automattic engineer Artur Piszek published a brief post introducing the blocks and answering questions in the WordPress.com support forums. Based on the conversation, it looks as though this could be a commercial add-on in the future.The technology is being branded as “Jetpack AI”, and was built in conjunction with OpenAI.Links You Shouldn’t MissThe first-ever WordCamp Asia is set to take place from February 17-19 in Bangkok, Thailand. If you’re not able to attend in person, you can still watch a live stream of the event. Recordings of each session will also be posted on WordPress.tv at a later date.WordPress.org has kicked off a monthly feature called “What’s new for developers?” Written by Justin Tadlock, February’s post outlines several key changes that impact theme and plugin authors. You’ll also find links to the site’s latest educational materials. This resource looks like a win for the WordPress developer community.Cost cutting measures have continued to hit the tech industry hard. Domain registrar and hosting giant GoDaddy is among the latest to announce staff cuts. In a February 8 letter to employees, CEO Aman Bhutani said the company would cut approximately 8% of its workforce. The devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have impacted millions - including members of the WordPress community. Developer Baris Ünver shared his story of survival on HeroPress and provided several ways to help those in need. The WP Minute would like to take this opportunity to share our support for everyone who has been affected.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.WordPress 6.2 Beta 2 has been released. This version includes 292 enhancements and 354 bug fixes.According to security firm Sucuri, nearly 11,000 WordPress websites have been infected by malware that redirects users to scam sites. At last report, no specific vulnerability had been found.The team behind popular plugin iThemes Security have announced that they’re teaming up with security research firm Patchstack. The company will provide vulnerability details within the plugin’s site scan feature.Matt Cromwell has announced that new episodes of the WP Product Talk podcast will be starting up again this week. Katie Keith of Barn2 Plugins will join on as a co-host.What would WordPress’ 20th birthday celebration be without an appearance from Wapuu? A commemorative version of the virtual mascot is now available for download.The WordPress Design Team has released mockups for a planned redesign of the Block Pattern Library. It’s the latest in a series of design revamps for the site.Internet Explorer is dead again, sort of. An update to Windows 10 will finally disable access to the since-retired browser. But not so fast - a few versions of the OS will still keep the app around for the time being.Video of the weekSubscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@wpminuteJoin The WP Minute as we take you on a tour of the new AI-powered Image and Paragraph blocks at WordPress.com.https://youtu.be/D9LYfjnHMdwThanks to all of the members who shared these links today: Matt CromwellBirgit Pauli-Haack ★ Support this podcast ★

WordPress 6.2 is scheduled for release on March 28, 2023. But it’s never too early to start preparations. Therefore, you may want to check out the first beta release, which is now available for testing.The first major release of 2023 brings a plethora of enhancements to the Site and Block Editors. Some features, such as color coded template parts within the Site Editor, focus on improved usability. But there are a few big picture changes as well.For one, the ability to search and download Openverse images will be included in the Block Editor. This allows anyone to grab Creative Commons licensed media from within their website. Also included are a revamped Navigation block, a Style Book feature for creating custom styles, and sticky blocks.To see what else is new, GoDaddy Pro's Courtney Robertson has published a detailed guide on WordPress 6.2.Links You Shouldn’t MissWhen it comes to WordPress core, newer doesn’t always mean faster. Core committer Adam Silverstein has submitted a proposal to change that. According to a report from WP Tavern, Silverstein’s proposal calls for automated performance monitoring. The goal is to catch potential problems before they reach the average user.Last December, we reported on the WP Community Collective (WPCC). The not-for-profit organization aims to financially support contributions to the WordPress project. This week it was announced that Alex Stine has been selected as the first WPCC Fellow. Stine is currently a member of the WordPress Accessibility team and will continue in that role. The WPCC is still looking for donations in order to fully fund Stine’s fellowship.Twitter recently announced that free access to its API will no longer be available as of February 9, 2023. That’s likely to impact both WordPress plugin developers and end users. Core contributor Mika Epstein posted a notice about the change and asked developers to investigate what this new policy means for their products.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.The “freemium” product model is a popular one within the WordPress ecosystem. MasterWP’s Nyasha Green and Rob Howard discussed their experiences with building freemium products on a recent episode of the Press the Issue podcast.Applications to attend the 2023 WordPress Community Summit are now being accepted. The invitation-only event for project contributors will take place from August 22-23 in National Harbor, MD, prior to WordCamp US.Is there anything ChatGPT can’t do? ZDNet’s David Gewirtz recently wrote about his successful attempt at using the AI tool to build a WordPress plugin.Speaking of AI, Microsoft has announced that its Bing search engine and Edge browser will be enhanced by OpenAI technology. A limited preview is underway for Bing, with an expansion due in the coming weeks.The WordPress Training team is looking for feedback regarding user learning preferences. Fill out their individual learner survey to let the team know your thoughts.Video of the weekSubscribe at youtube.com/@wpminuteThe WP Minute takes a closer look at ★ Support this podcast ★

Should WordPress move away from Slack and towards the fediverse for project communication? Automattic-sponsored Meta team contributor Alex Kirk thinks so. Kirk has proposed a project to explore switching to the free Matrix open-source federated chat system.The potential benefits are compelling. For one, there’s something to be said for open-source projects supporting each other. Beyond that, easier onboarding and a variety of available chat clients were also touted. https://youtu.be/dq23lJBYtpM Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern demonstrated some of these advantages in a recent article. And Kirk’s team has also created a Gutenberg block, Chatrix, that embeds a Matrix chat client directly into any WordPress website.Slack, meanwhile, has long been the chosen platform for project communication. A move to Matrix will certainly face both technical and philosophical hurdles. We’ll keep you updated as the discussion progresses.Introducing The WP Minute +The WP Minute’s goal is to bring you the latest WordPress news in just 5 minutes a week. But we also see the value in going in-depth with newsmakers and discussing important issues.With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to The WP Minute +. It’s our new podcast dedicated to longform content. You’ll find exclusive interviews and conversations, bringing you even closer to what’s going on with WordPress.To kick things off, we spoke with Awesome Motive’s Syed Balkhi regarding the recent acquisition of Thrive Themes.Be sure to add The WP Minute+ to your podcast apps to get 3 additional episodes featuring Miriam Schwab, Chris Badgett, and Chris Lubkert.Links You Shouldn’t MissWordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy recently outlined the project’s goals for 2023. The list included finishing up Phase 2 of the Gutenberg project, which focuses on customization. But what does “concluding” a phase really mean? Haden Chomphosy provided details on the WordPress Briefing podcast.Not every WordPress bug gets resolved in a timely fashion. In fact, there are currently 19 Trac tickets that are over 15 years old. But as WP Tavern reports, a new monthly triage session aims to take on these long standing issues. More insight on the project’s goals are available on the Make WordPress blog.WordPress turns 20 this year. As part of the celebration, a collection of commemorative 20th anniversary logos are available to download. Also look for them to appear on special swag that is scheduled for release in February.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.WooCommerce is looking for developer feedback. On February 13, 2023, they’ll hold the first of three monthly chats on Slack regarding WooCommerce Blocks Extensibility.On a similar note, the team behind Advanced Custom Fields will hold their first “ACF Chat Friday” session on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3pm UTC. It’s a chance to ask questions and provide feedback regarding the plugin.WordPress developers Aurooba Ahmed and Brian Coords have released the first episode of their viewSource podcast. The episode looks at their experiences with GitHub Copilot.As artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent, its shortcomings are also becoming apparent. A look at how OpenAI’s Whisper tool is struggling with an indigenous language is but one example.If you’re looking for a job in the WordPress space, Michelle Frechette hosts a weekly Twitter thread of open positions every Wednesday. Check it out and you may find a great opportunity.New Members This WeekCarl Hancock, follow @carlhancock and @GravityFormsIf you’re not a member yet, go to thewpminute.com/support/ to join.Video of the weekSubscribe at youtube.com/@wpminuteThe WP Minute takes a look at the current state content marketing strategy for WordPress products. https://youtu.be/zyutM-DLUv4 Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today:Michelle FrechetteJohn LockeAbha Thakor ★ Support this podcast ★

In today's episode, Matt is talking about the new WP Minute+ podcast and why he started it. The WP Minute, which is a five-minute weekly podcast on WordPress news, continues to be produced with the intention of providing busy WordPress professionals with short-form content. The WP Minute+, will feature longer form conversations and interviews, while the original WP Minute will continue to offer short form news. Matt Report will live on, focusing on the career side of the digital workforce, through the lens of "blue collar digital workers" who do good work and want to be paid for it. https://twitter.com/syedbalkhihttps://thrivethemes.com/https://awesomemotive.com/https://thewpminute.com/support ★ Support this podcast ★

What’s on tap for WordPress core in 2023? Project executive director Josepha Haden Chomphosy recently outlined some big picture goals. By design, the post is light on detail. Haden Chomphosy says the list represents a view from “10,000 feet”.Perhaps the biggest item mentioned is the completion Phase 2 of the Gutenberg project, which focuses on the customization of the Block and Site editors. From there, the project will begin exploring Phase 3, where collaborative functionality will be on the table.Other areas of interest include improvements to media management, adding Openverse search in WordPress core, and the return of the WordPress Community Summit.The goals are ambitious and there is a lot of work to be done. With that, Haden Chomphosy also put out a call for volunteers.Links You Shouldn’t MissFor WordPress product makers, identifying a target audience can be challenging. There is often difficulty in balancing new features, support, and marketing. After a few years of catering to publishers of all sizes, Newsletter Glue’s Lesley Sim has decided to train her product’s focus on newsrooms and media companies. In a blog post, Sim explained the reasons behind the shift and what it means for current customers.The folks at Awesome Motive have made their second major acquisition this month. This time around, they’ve purchased Thrive Themes. Known for the Thrive Architect and Thrive Theme Builder products, the company also touches on the LMS, automation, and marketing niches.Wordfence has released their annual State of WordPress Security report. Takeaways include a higher number of reported vulnerabilities, while fewer of them were categorized as “critical unauthenticated”. One constant is the need to keep your WordPress installation up-to-date. Neglect is still a huge factor when it comes to security. ★ Support this podcast ★

The lines between the open-source WordPress.org and its commercial counterpart WordPress.com (owned by Automattic) have long been blurred and confusing. So much that commercial offerings from Automattic’s suite of tools were integrated into the official WordPress mobile app.That’s about to change. As Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern reports, features that rely on Automattic products are moving to the latest version of the free Jetpack app.This means that users will need the Jetpack app to access site statistics, comment notifications, and the Reader content discovery feature. https://youtu.be/i8t1KRbsvzQ In a blog post announcing the change, WordPress.com says that site data can be automatically migrated from the WordPress app to Jetpack, provided you have the latest version of both installed on your device. Meanwhile, the WordPress app will become more focused on the core functionality of the content management system.Links You Shouldn’t MissMailchimp have disclosed a recent security breach - and an account belonging to Automattic appears to have been affected. WooCommerce has sent an email informing users of the situation, but says that “No payment data, passwords, or other sensitive security information is part of this breach.”The WordPress Theme Directory is in the early stages of a refresh. A post on the Make WordPress blog shared mockup images, with the design looking similar to the recently upgraded News and Showcase sections. Stated goals include improved usability, along with implementing the recently-introduced theme taxonomies.If you’ve ever wanted to contribute to WordPress core, here’s your chance. WordPress 6.2 is tentatively scheduled to become available on March 28, 2023. The project is currently looking for volunteers to lead various aspects of the release and become a part of the “squad”.Artwork generated via artificial intelligence is generating lots of buzz - and a high-profile lawsuit. Getty Images is suing Stability AI, maker of the Stability Diffusion artwork generator, for copyright infringement. The outcome could alter the way these tools scrape content, not to mention a user’s ability to safely publish AI images.From the Grab BagNow it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.MasterWP’s Rob Howard and Allie Nimmons recapped the annual State of the Word event and looked at the biggest challenges facing WordPress.WordPress theme and plugin sales platform Freemius have posted a year in review that highlights interesting notes from 2022, as well as plans for 2023.WordPress developer Brian Coords wonders why creating an email newsletter within WordPress is still so hard.LearnDash product manager Jack Kitterhing opines that it's time to fix the WordPress user experience.Brin Wilson recently published a guide to placing ads on Blaze, the new advertising platform for WordPess.com and Tumblr.In an effort to support its authors and publications, online publishing platform Medium has created its own Mastodon instance.2023 will see six new privacy laws take effect in North America. MainWP has a rundown of each law and tips for how to prepare for them.Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today: Dennis DornonJustin FerrimanJohn LockeCourtney RobertsonBrin Wilson ★ Support this podcast ★