Author: nishat

WordPress 7.0 Plans, AI APIs, Education Growth & More | WP More – Issue 32
Big moves ahead: real-time collaboration, new blocks, AI infrastructure, and global learning programs take shape.
Hello WordPressers!
Welcome to this month’s WPMore newsletter issue 32, where you get curated news about WordPress and the WordPress community all in one.
WordPress is closing out 2025 with momentum. Planning for version 7.0 is underway with ambitious features like real-time collaboration and responsive editing. The project’s new AI architecture shipped with 6.9, education programs are spreading globally, and long-time contributors are reflecting on what it takes to sustain open source at scale. Here’s what’s happening across the WordPress ecosystem.
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In this Issue:
WordPress 7.0: Real-Time Collaboration and Responsive Editing on the Roadmap
WordCamp Bhopal Brings WordPress to Central India This Weekend
Jonathan Desrosiers Marks Seven Years as a WordPress Committer
WordPress Education Programs Expand Globally
State of the Word 2025: AI, Education, and a Year of Highs and Lows
WordPress 7.0: Real-Time Collaboration and Responsive Editing on the Roadmap
Planning is officially underway for WordPress 7.0, expected in March or April 2026. Core contributors recently shared their priorities, and the list is extensive. The biggest ticket items include real-time collaboration (think Google Docs-style editing with live cursors and conflict resolution), major upgrades to the Notes feature introduced in 6.9, and a responsive editing mode that lets you customize designs for different screen sizes.
New blocks are also in the pipeline: tabs, breadcrumbs, playlist, slider, dialog, and icon blocks are all in progress. The navigation block is getting a simpler editing flow, and the DataViews system (used for managing posts and pages) will become more extensible. Behind the scenes, work continues on the Abilities API, block bindings, and a new design system built on WordPress UI components.
Real-time collaboration depends on server infrastructure; WordPress will ship a baseline peer-to-peer version, with hosts and plugins able to extend it.
Responsive editing will let you hide blocks and adjust styles based on screen size, with customizable breakpoints.
Many items are still experimental; not everything listed will make the final release.
Read the full post here.
With 6.9 delivering only two major releases this year due to disruptions, the 7.0 roadmap signals renewed energy heading into 2026.
WordCamp Bhopal Brings WordPress to Central India This Weekend
WordCamp Bhopal is happening December 20–21, marking Central India’s first major WordPress conference. Over 400 developers, designers, and community members are expected to attend. The event kicks off with Contributor Day on December 20 at SFA Technologies, where attendees can work directly on the WordPress open-source project. The main conference follows on December 21 at the Courtyard by Marriott.
Sessions cover AI automation, remote work strategies, and SEO updates, with networking events including a “404: Adulting Not Found” games evening and an after-party. Platinum sponsors include Bluehost, WooCommerce, and Jetpack. Student discounts are available, and organizers are teasing a “Wapuu” mascot reveal. It’s a strong showing for the local tech community and a sign of WordPress’s continued reach across India.
This event adds to the 97 WordCamps held globally this year, attended by over 100,000 people.
Jonathan Desrosiers Marks Seven Years as a WordPress Committer
Jonathan Desrosiers recently celebrated his seventh anniversary as a WordPress Core Committer, a contributor with the ability to commit code to the main repository. Since 2018, he’s made 2,552 commits across all branches, placing him fifth on the all-time list behind Ryan Boren, Sergey Biryukov, Andrew Nacin, and Andrew Ozz.
In the past year, Desrosiers made 365 commits (up 42% from the previous year), gave props to 66 unique contributors, and worked across build tools, bundled themes, security, and external libraries. He’s also been traveling to conferences, mentoring contributors, and thinking deeply about decision-making in large open-source projects. His anniversary post reflects on what being a “great contributor” means to him, shaped by a year he describes as both productive and challenging for the WordPress community.
WordPress has had roughly 117 people with commit access since 2004; 111 have made at least one commit.
Desrosiers’ first commit happened on November 30, 2018—also Blue Beanie Day.
Read his full blog here.
His work is a reminder of the steady, often invisible effort that keeps WordPress running.
WordPress Education Programs Expand Globally
WordPress’s education initiatives are growing fast. Campus Connect, which started as a grassroots program in India, has now held 14 events across 28 institutions, reaching 2,690 students. Recent events in Spain, Bangladesh, and the Philippines included hands-on workshops where students built their first WordPress sites. Five more events are scheduled, and 11 are in the planning stages.
The WordPress Credits internship program, launched this year with the University of Pisa, has expanded to universities in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Bangladesh, and Poland. Eighty-eight students are actively working on contribution projects, completing structured training and working with mentors. At WordCamp Pisa, students attended Contributor Day and presented their progress, with one student opening the event to discuss her project.
Learn WordPress served over 1.5 million users this year, with a 32% jump in engagement after WordCamp US. A new wordpress.org/education page and handbook have also launched to help organizers and mentors get involved.
Campus Connect focuses on meeting students where they are, with local leadership and mentorship.
Credits gives students a supported pathway into open source, lowering barriers to entry.
Read the full report on Make WordPress here.
These programs are building the next generation of WordPress contributors, not just users.
State of the Word 2025: AI, Education, and a Year of Highs and Lows
Matt Mullenweg delivered his annual State of the Word address from San Francisco, marking the release of WordPress 6.9 live during the keynote, a first for the event. He described 2025 as a “rollercoaster” year shaped by legal disputes, governance tensions, and internal challenges, but also by progress in AI and education.
WordPress still powers 43% of the web, with 56% of sites now non-English. Japan remains a standout market, with 58.5% of all Japanese websites using WordPress. The plugin directory surpassed 60,000 plugins, up 68% from 2024, and block theme adoption increased 40%. WordPress 6.8 was downloaded 79.5 million times by the time 6.9 shipped.
AI was a major focus. The WordPress AI Team, formed in May, delivered all four of its planned “Building Blocks” with 6.9, including the Abilities API. The team’s roadmap for 7.0 includes a Workflows API for chaining AI actions and deeper integration with collaborative editing. Mullenweg emphasized that WordPress isn’t adding “sparkle buttons everywhere” but building infrastructure the ecosystem can extend.
Automated AI checks now support plugin reviews, translation, theme validation, and security scanning.
A new 24-hour delay for auto-updates gives developers time to catch issues before they roll out to millions of sites.
Executive Director Mary Hubbard highlighted the education initiatives detailed above, framing them as a shift toward actively nurturing the next generation rather than waiting for them to arrive. The keynote also featured a livestream crossover with the TBPN podcast, bringing WordPress to a wider tech audience.
Read the full report on The Repository here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
Proposed 2026 Release Schedule Ties Major WordPress Versions to Flagship Events
Court Dismisses WP Engine Customer Class Action Against Automattic, Allows Amended Complaint
The SEO Framework Creator Launches Troy as Alternative to WordPress.org Plugin Distribution
State of Enterprise 2025: WordPress Usage Deepens as Long-Term Commitment Jumps to 95%
Real-Time Collaboration Shows Promise in Early WordPress VIP Testing
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing, hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
WordPress Must Read
→ WordPress Gives A Hand: Connecting, collaborating and creating for good (wpbakery.com)
→ The Cloudflare Radar 2025 Year in Review (radar.cloudflare.com)
→ We All Lose With Ad Hominem Arguments (remkusdevries.com)
→ Once A Year, I Get To Be Scrooge (pootlepress.com)
→ Don’t Let WordPress Ruin Your Christmas (davidallsop.com)
→ Product Shops: Want to Win in 2026? Learn How to Go to Market (wpproducttalk.com)
On other WordPress News
→ Call for Volunteers: Support Our Education Programs (make.wordpress.org)
→ WordPress Credits Mentor Huddles – Notes and Next Steps (make.wordpress.org)
→ Stephen Wolfram has joined as a special advisor to Automattic (ma.tt)
→ Ability to Hide Blocks in WordPress 6.9 (make.wordpress.org)
→ State of the Word 2025: Innovation Shaped by Community (wordpress.org)
→ WordPress 6.9 Hotfixes (make.wordpress.org)
→ What’s new for developers? (December 2025) (developer.wordpress.org)
→ Training Team Meeting Recap – 25th November 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ Proposal to change the user documentation workflow (make.wordpress.org)
→ Community Team Rep Nominations for 2026 (make.wordpress.org)
→ 2026 Global Partner Program Announcement (wordpress.org)
→ When Typepad Shut Down, WordPress.com Helped 3,684 Blogs Find a New Home (wordpress.com)
From WordPress Community
→ Remembering Harshad Mane (bombaypirate.com)
→ SOTW 2025:The Year WordPress Became AI-Native (j.cv)
→ ClassicPress Version 2.6.0 is Out! (classicpress.net)
→ Top 10 WordPress Products Bought During Black Friday 2025 (webtng.com)
→ Enqueue Shows Why Australia Needed a Developer-Focused WordPress Event (therepository.email)
→ DHH & Open Source (ma.tt)
→ ‘Source available’ is not open source (and that’s okay) (dri.es)
Conclusion
2025 wasn’t easy for WordPress, but the project kept moving. Version 7.0 is coming soon with features that could reshape how people build and collaborate on sites. Education programs are spreading, AI infrastructure is maturing, and contributors are staying committed. If you’re building with WordPress, now’s a good time to pay attention.
What are you most excited about for 7.0? Hit reply and let me know. And if you found this useful, forward it to someone who’d appreciate the update.
— Nishat, WPMore
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December 19, 2025
Remembering Zeel, Security Wake-Up Calls, and WordPress 7.0 | WP More – Issue 31
Mourning a contributor, rethinking WordPress security, and what’s coming in 7.0.
Hello WordPress friends! Happy Thanksgiving! How’s black friday going for you?
Welcome to this month’s WPMore newsletter issue 31. This week’s newsletter carries a heavier weight than usual. We’re reflecting on a devastating loss to our community, confronting uncomfortable truths about WordPress security, and looking ahead to what 2026 holds for the platform. There’s also a heartwarming reminder that our ecosystem is at its best when we give back. Let’s dig in.
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In this Issue:
The WordPress Community Loses a Bright Light
111,000+ Infected Sites Had Security Plugins, Here’s What Went Wrong
WP Gives a Hand Returns December 22–28
The Core Program Team Sets Its Sights on Roadmaps
WordPress 7.0 Targets Spring 2026 with Three Major Releases Planned
The WordPress Community Loses a Bright Light
The WordPress community is mourning Zeel Thakkar, a web developer from Ahmedabad who collapsed on stage at WordCamp Surat on 16 November and passed away shortly after. She was addressing the audience when she fell, and despite being rushed to the hospital, she couldn’t be revived. Local authorities suspect cardiac arrest.
Zeel had been contributing to WordPress since 2023, quickly becoming a fixture in the community. She helped organize multiple WordCamps, contributed to WordPress 6.7 and 6.8, served as a Training Team mentor, and was part of the WordCamp Asia 2026 operations team. She received the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship in 2024 and traveled to Manila for WordCamp Asia 2025 as a volunteer. Tributes have poured in across Slack, X, and LinkedIn from contributors worldwide, all remembering her passion, kindness, and the lasting impact she made in such a short time.
She started contributing just two years ago after a WordPress 20th anniversary event
Recognized as an all-star mentee in the Contributor Mentorship Program
Her legacy lives on through the communities she helped build
The loss reminds us how precious and fragile life is, and how much one person can accomplish when they show up with genuine care for others.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Speaking of security, this next story is a wake-up call we all need to hear.
111,000+ Infected Sites Had Security Plugins—Here’s What Went Wrong
If you think installing a security plugin means your WordPress site is protected, this will make you uncomfortable. In September alone, malware removal team WeWatchYourWebsite cleaned 111,354 infected WordPress sites. Every single one had at least one security plugin installed. Nearly 20% were running two leading security plugins simultaneously. None of them stopped the attacks.
The root cause? A staggering 81% were compromised through stolen admin credentials or hijacked authentication cookies. Attackers didn’t exploit vulnerabilities, they walked in using legitimate login access. Traditional security plugins watch for malicious files and suspicious activity, but they can’t stop someone who has your password or session token. Even more telling: on 1,377 sites running SolidWP’s security plugin, attackers followed a deliberate pattern, they authenticated first, then immediately deactivated the security plugin before installing backdoors.
The article argues that most security services fail at something critical: root cause analysis. Cleaning malware without understanding how attackers got in means the same vulnerability remains. Sites get reinfected weeks later because the stolen credentials are still valid, the weak password is still in use, or the vulnerable plugin is still installed.
Use passkey authentication or hardware-based 2FA (not SMS or email codes)
Monitor continuously for post-compromise indicators like file changes
Update ALL plugins, not just your security plugin
Demand root cause analysis from any security service you hire
Effective WordPress security in 2025 requires layered defense: strong authentication, traditional hardening, continuous monitoring, and regular updates. One layer alone won’t cut it.
Read the full report here.
Now for something that reminds us why this community matters beyond code and features.
WP Gives a Hand Returns December 22–28
It’s that time of year again. WP Gives a Hand, the WordPress community’s annual charity initiative, runs from December 22 to 28 this year. The concept is simple: participating WordPress businesses donate a portion of their revenue to charities of their choice, then share the results publicly.
The initiative started in 2020 when people across the WordPress ecosystem decided to do something meaningful instead of just offering Christmas discounts. It wasn’t about raising money alone, it was about shifting the conversation toward compassion and responsibility. The idea caught on, and #WPGivesAHand has returned every December since.
Here’s how it works: companies, agencies, freelancers, and developers choose a charity, decide what percentage of revenue they’ll donate, announce their participation publicly using the #WPGivesAHand hashtag, and share their final results after the week ends. The initiative builds momentum, when one company gives, another sees it and joins. When users buy from participating businesses, it encourages others to do the same.
WordPress businesses can join by reaching out to WP Gives a Hand and announcing participation
WordPress users can support participating products during the campaign week
The movement grows each year because it’s authentic, transparent, and impactful
Whether you’re a business or a user, there’s a role for you in making this December’s campaign the biggest yet.
Read the full report on wpbakery.com here.
Now on the WordPress roadmaps, what you should know —
The Core Program Team Sets Its Sights on Roadmaps
The WordPress Core Program team has announced its main focus for Q4: creating a unified approach to roadmaps across the project. Tammie Lister shared the proposal following discussions on GitHub, explaining that the team wants to concentrate energy efficiently rather than spreading efforts too thin.
The roadmap initiative will start as a discovery task, gathering and documenting all existing roadmaps across WordPress teams to understand how they’re built, maintained, and communicated. From there, the team plans to suggest a lightweight process for teams that don’t have roadmaps yet and find a central location, potentially a roadmap page; where contributors can see what needs work across the entire project. The goal isn’t to replace individual team roadmaps but to provide a bird’s-eye view of WordPress development.
Beyond this main focus, the Core Program team identified several collaboration opportunities. They’ll support WP Credits as it grows, explore ways to help Five for the Future, assist with tooling for WordCamps (currently in discovery), and work on improving recognition of invisible contributions, efforts already underway in the Documentation team and around non-dev contributions.
The discovery phase will document how existing roadmaps work and recommend formats others can follow
A central roadmap location would help contributors identify where help is needed
Multiple teams are working on contributor recognition from different angles, potential for collaboration
The team is now gathering feedback on the proposed focus before starting work together.
Read the full report here.
Meanwhile, the WordPress project is making plans for a busy year ahead.
WordPress 7.0 Targets Spring 2026 with Three Major Releases Planned
WordPress is returning to three major releases in 2026, a shift from earlier plans to ship just one due to ongoing legal matters and Automattic’s pause in contributions. According to notes from this week’s Core Committers Check-in, WordPress 7.0 is targeted for March or April, with two more releases to follow later in the year.
The meeting covered several potential features for 7.0, including template activation, the Tabs block, and client-side media editing. The most extensive discussion centered on the WordPress AI Client, which shipped version 0.1.0 last week. The AI Client provides a native, provider-agnostic way for plugins and themes to interact with AI services without hard-coding specific providers. Committers see it as a strong candidate for core because it encourages the ecosystem to build on solid foundations. However, they stressed that WordPress will remain agnostic—no specific AI model will be baked in, and the project won’t favor certain third-party services.
The admin redesign also came up. Contributors clarified it won’t be a full overhaul but rather a “fresh coat of paint” refreshing what’s already there. The redesign is part of Phase 3: Collaboration, but there’s still no timeline for when it might land. The last major admin refresh shipped over a decade ago in WordPress 3.8.
February was ruled out since beta would fall during holiday season
Committers discussed raising minimum PHP version to 7.4 but made no decision
The group wants clear use cases for AI features in “default WordPress” before proceeding
It’s encouraging to see the project returning to a healthier release cadence and thinking carefully about how to integrate emerging technologies responsibly.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
WordPress 6.9 RC3 Arrives as Field Guide Drops and Final Release Nears
WordPress 6.9 to Introduce Notes, Bringing Asynchronous Collaboration to the Post Editor
Inside FAIR’s Approach to Security: A New Model for WordPress Package Safety
FAIR and Patchstack Build Security MVP at CloudFest USA Hackathon
WP Engine Moves to Dismiss Automattic’s Counterclaims, Arguing They Were Filed Too Late
Letters of Protest Fail to Stop ‘Managed WordPress’ and ‘Hosted WordPress’ U.S. Trademark Bids
Real-Time Collaboration Flagged for WordPress 7.0 Amid Ongoing Technical Challenges
State of the Word 2025 Set for San Francisco, Coinciding With WordPress 6.9 Release
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
WordPress Must Read
→ Understanding the Abilities API: What It Is, Why It Matters and How It’s Going to Transform WordPress (therepository.email)
→ Breaking free from subscription fatigue: Why Nag Me Not switched to pay once (nagmenotwp.com)
→ The State of Ecommerce in 2025 (storeleads.app)
→ WordPress needs to catch up to the web (progressplanner.com)
→ The importance of a good changelog (developer.wordpress.org)
→ Enterprise Doesn’t Doubt WordPress. They Doubt Us. (jamesgiroux.ca)
→ We need to reinvent contributor days (progressplanner.com)
→ Did the UK budget leak because of WordPress? (altis-dxp.com)
On other WordPress News
→ The PHP Foundation is Seeking a New Executive Director (thephp.foundation)
→ WooCommerce 10.4: Pre-release updates (developer.woocommerce.com)
→ Preview Gutenberg Development Branches in Your Browser (make.wordpress.org)
→ WordPress Importer can now migrate URLs in your content (make.wordpress.org)
→ MCP Adapter v0.3.0 is now available. (make.wordpress.org)
→ PHP 8.5 support in WordPress 6.9 (make.wordpress.org)
→ Introducing the WordPress AI Client SDK (make.wordpress.org)
→ Call for Mentors: Join WordPress Campus Connect! (make.wordpress.org)
→ A Month in Core – October 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ In Loving Memory of Zeel Thakkar (asia.wordcamp.org)
→ Meet your 2026 Training Team Representatives (make.wordpress.org)
→ What’s new for developers? (November 2025) (developer.wordpress.org)
→ Playground CLI adds ImageMagick, SOAP, and AVIF support (make.wordpress.org)
→ Automattic Inc. Claims It Owns the Word ‘Automatic’ (404media.co)
→ Rethinking Contributor Recognition in Documentation Team (make.wordpress.org)
→ Monthly Education Buzz Report – October 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
From WordPress Community
→ The WP Community Collective Celebrates Contributor Day Table Leads With Appreciation Campaign (therepository.email)
→ Summary of Hallway Hangout on content creation across different mediums (make.wordpress.org)
→ WordPress Udupi Community Empowers 300+ Students Across Coastal Karnataka Through Campus Connect (central.wordcamp.org)
→ WordCamp Canada: Reflections from an Organizer (troychaplin.ca)
→ Celebrating #YourDay: Four years of the 4-day work week (wpbakery.com)
→ Life at Automattic: Communication is oxygen (jonathanbossenger.com)
→ Shape the Future: SiNC Seeks Senior Leaders to Mentor WordPress Contributors (supportinclusionintech.com)
→ FAIR: rethinking how WordPress software is distributed (fair.pm)
→ Finding the Next Right Thing (mattcromwell.com)
→ Why people really choose WooCommerce (in the words of the community) (barn2.com)
→ The Story Behind Checkout Summit: the New WooCommerce Conference (publishpress.com)
→ How Page Builders Transformed WordPress and What’s Next for the Web | Raitis Sevelis (WPBakery) (youtube.com)
What’s Your Thought?
This week brought us loss, lessons, and opportunities to come together. Zeel’s memory reminds us to show up fully and support each other. The security data reminds us that protection requires more than good intentions. And the planning for 7.0 and WP Gives a Hand show a community that keeps moving forward, building better tools and making space for kindness.
What’s on your mind after reading this issue? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response.
Nishat, WPMore
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Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community
P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.
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November 28, 2025
WordPress 6.9 Beta Testing, Trademark Drama, and WordCamp Costs | WP More – Issue 30
New beta release, Automattic’s trademark disputes heat up, and the hidden costs of WordCamps revealed.
Hello WordPressers!
Welcome to this month’s WPMore newsletter issue 30,
WordPress 6.9 is shaping up to be a significant release with expanded template management, new blocks, and AI integrations on the horizon. But the community’s attention has been divided, trademark disputes involving Automattic are making waves, and important conversations about WordCamp sustainability are heating up. Here’s what you need to know this week.
Thanks for reading WPMore!! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
In this Issue:
WordPress 6.9 Beta 2 Is Ready for Your Feedback
Automattic Sends Trademark Notice to AutomaticCSS Creator
WordPress Foundation and WooCommerce Join WP Engine Countersuit
The Hidden Costs of Your WordCamp Ticket
Matt Mullenweg on AI, Playground, and the WordPress Roadmap
WordPress 6.9 Beta 2 Is Ready for Your Feedback
WordPress 6.9 Beta 2 arrived this week, bringing the December 2 release one step closer. This update includes over 33 editor improvements and bug fixes since Beta 1, with 28 core tickets closed. Testing betas is how they catch bugs before millions of sites upgrade, so your participation matters.
The 6.9 release brings meaningful updates: multiple templates per slug, Notes for block-level collaboration, new Accordion and Math blocks, an expanded Command Palette across the dashboard, and the new Abilities API for AI integrations. Performance improvements include reduced CSS in classic themes, better caching, and optimized script loading.
Key features to test:
Draft and activate/deactivate templates without publishing immediately
Hide blocks on the frontend while keeping them editable
New drag-and-drop behavior (blocks move instead of copy)
You can test via the WordPress Beta Tester plugin, direct download, WP-CLI, or WordPress Playground (no setup required). Report issues to the Alpha/Beta support forums or WordPress Trac if you’re comfortable writing bug reports.
The admin redesign originally planned for this release has been postponed, and for the first time in seven years, WordPress 6.9 won’t ship with a new default theme.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
This sets the stage for the legal and community challenges that have complicated development this year.
Automattic Sends Trademark Notice to AutomaticCSS Creator
Automattic has sent a legal notice to Kevin Geary, creator of Automatic.css, over name similarity. The letter from law firm Morgan Lewis claims that “Automatic” is “nearly identical” to “Automattic” and could confuse users, especially since both target WordPress developers. Automattic became a registered trademark in 2016.
Kevin shared the letter publicly on X (formerly Twitter), sparking debate. Matt Mullenweg responded that Automattic also owns automatic.com, making this “a fraught naming area.” Kevin countered that “AutomaticCSS” is called “automatic” because the framework automates many tasks, and owning a domain for a generic term doesn’t make it off-limits.
The twist? Back in July 2024, Matt had asked Kevin to add a disclaimer clarifying that AutomaticCSS wasn’t affiliated with Automattic. Kevin agreed, and the site’s footer still carries that note. Despite this, Automattic escalated with a formal legal notice requesting a rebrand.
Community reactions are split:
Some see it as overreach—”Nobody’s confusing Automattic with a CSS framework”
Others argue Kevin should have chosen a different name from the start
A trademark lawyer called Automattic’s claim “baseless” and unlikely to hold up in court
Whether you see this as trademark protection or unnecessary drama, it’s a reminder that naming WordPress products requires careful consideration of the ecosystem’s major players.
Read the full report on wp-content.co Here.
Speaking of legal battles, Automattic isn’t done yet.
WordPress Foundation and WooCommerce Join WP Engine Countersuit
The WordPress Foundation and WooCommerce have officially joined Automattic and Matt Mullenweg in countersuing WP Engine for trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition. Filed October 23, the counterclaims accuse WP Engine of calling itself “The WordPress Technology Company” and allowing others to call it “WordPress Engine” to mislead consumers.
The filing alleges WP Engine’s trademark use increased after Silver Lake acquired a controlling stake in 2018 as part of a “coordinated scheme” to inflate valuation ahead of an anticipated sale. It also claims WP Engine engaged in bad-faith licensing negotiations, knowing that paying fees would hurt earnings and Silver Lake’s expected return.
The counterclaims reveal:
Automattic was approached to acquire WP Engine but declined
A 2010 agreement gave Automattic an exclusive, royalty-free license to use and enforce WordPress trademarks commercially
“Direct, real-world examples” of consumer confusion, including redacted support tickets from WP Engine customers who mistakenly contacted Automattic
Graphs showing WP Engine’s trademark usage “dramatically increased” between 2021 and 2023
The collective is asking the court to bar WP Engine from using WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks in marketing and to recover profits earned through alleged trademark misuse, with potential triple damages if infringement is found willful.
WP Engine responded that its use of the WordPress trademark “is consistent with longstanding industry practice and fair use under settled trademark law.”
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
WordPress Plugins Team Rolls Out Automatic Security Scans for All Plugin Updates
Automattic Again Pushes to Dismiss WP Engine’s Antitrust Claims Amid Dispute Over Redacted Excerpts
WP Engine Accuses Automattic and Matt Mullenweg of Concealing Control of WordPress.org and the WordPress Trademarks
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
While these legal battles play out, community members are raising important questions about sustainability.
The Hidden Costs of Your WordCamp Ticket
WordCamp tickets are remarkably affordable—often around 25 euros per day. But who’s really paying for these events? According to Taco Verdonschot’s analysis, the answer goes far beyond sponsors and ticket sales. There are massive hidden costs, and they’re carried almost entirely by volunteers.
The breakdown:
Organizers spend 100–300 hours per event, often unpaid. At a 65 euro/hour freelance rate, that’s 6,500–19,500 euros in donated time per organizer—often exceeding top-tier sponsorships
Volunteers typically work 4-hour shifts during the event, contributing around 260 euros per day in time (minus their free ticket)
Speakers spend hundreds of hours preparing talks, receive no speaking fees or travel reimbursement, and get only a free ticket in return
For flagship WordCamps (the larger, international events), Verdonschot suggests it might make sense to pay for travel and accommodation for outside speakers—people who aren’t giving back to their own community but simply giving. He argues that inviting speakers from outside WordPress could bring valuable cross-pollination of ideas.
His proposals:
Keep local WordCamps volunteer-driven to support community thriving
Allow flagship events to compensate non-WordPress speakers for travel and accommodation
Expand the WordPress Foundation’s role in advancing diversity through programs like the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship
The post sparked important conversations about sustainability. As Verdonschot notes, WordCamp budgets only show financial income and costs—they don’t capture the thousands of donated hours that make these events possible.
Read the full report on progressplanner.com Here.
This analysis ties back to the broader challenges facing WordPress development and community events this year.
Matt Mullenweg on AI, Playground, and the WordPress Roadmap
At WordCamp Canada, Matt Mullenweg delivered an unscripted talk covering everything from his personal projects to WordPress’s future. He discussed Day One (his encrypted journaling app), WordPress Playground (which spins up WordPress in your browser in 30 seconds using WebAssembly), and his vision for WordPress as a full development platform capable of powering entire mobile apps.

On the commerce side, WooCommerce now processes over $30 billion in gross merchant volume annually and runs on 8% of all websites worldwide. Mullenweg also highlighted Beeper, a messaging app that unifies WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram DMs, LinkedIn messages, and more into one interface.
On AI and the photo directory:
Mullenweg suggested WordPress could evolve its photo directory rules to allow AI-generated faces (since they don’t require model releases) and use AI for better semantic search across the 30,000+ Creative Commons Zero-licensed photos. He noted that WordPress.org already uses AI models like Gemini to handle plugin submissions more efficiently, reducing the review queue from six months to under a week.
On legal challenges:
Mullenweg acknowledged that “the main distractions and things holding back WordPress right now are the legal attacks from WP Engine and Silver Lake,” but said he couldn’t comment further, promising “major updates soon.” The legal situation contributed to the earlier decision to skip a second major release in 2025, though that was later reversed.
On WordPress philosophy:
When questioned about Hello Dolly (the plugin that ships with WordPress core), Mullenweg defended keeping it simple rather than over-engineering it: “The whole idea is to show how easy it is to use the actions and filter system inside of WordPress.” He emphasized that WordPress has “soul” and honors jazz musicians in every release name.
Mullenweg closed by encouraging attendees to check out his blog at ma.tt, where he’s been posting daily for 29 consecutive days (with one missed day).
Read the full blog on ma.tt Here.
WordPress Must Read
→ Every website needs a brand assets page (progressplanner.com)
→ Do Lifetime Licenses Really Cost More to Support? We Finally Have the Data (wpproducttalk.com)
On other WordPress News
→ Automattic 20 & Counter-claims (ma.tt)
→ State of the Word 2025 San Francisco | December 2, 2025 (wordpress.org)
→ What’s New for WordPress Developers – October 2025 (youtube.com)
→ Judge Reins In Discovery Fight as WP Engine Ordered to Produce Customer Data (therepository.email)
→ Devin Walker Joins Automattic as Artistic Director for Jetpack (therepository.email)
→ Gutenberg 21.9 (October 22) (make.wordpress.org)
→ FAIR and Patchstack Joining Forces at CloudFest USA Hackathon to Build New Security Integration (therepository.email)
→ WordCamp Canada 2026: Looking for New Co-Leaders (canada.wordcamp.org)
From WordPress Community
→ 2025 WordPress Youth Day, Nicaragua. Mission accomplished! (make.wordpress.org)
→ WordPress Community Team Calls for Contributors to Rebuild WordCamp Tooling (therepository.email)
→ Core-AI Contributor Check-in – Oct 22nd, 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ Recognising contributors work: discussion notes and potential opportunities (make.wordpress.org)
→ WordPress Campus Connect Cartago COVAO 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ 10 Years of Reviewing WordPress Themes: A Journey Through Code, Community, and Contribution (kafleg.com.np)
→ The PressConf Story: How Raquel Manriquez Launched the Best WordPress Business Conference (publishpress.com)
→ Shape Contributor Day at WordCamp Asia 2026 — Share Your Ideas! (asia.wordcamp.org)
→ From Steering Wheel to Stage: My Drive to WordCamp Bengaluru 2025 with Tata Punch 🚗 (makarandmane.com)
→ Blocktober Wraps Up as Telex Inspires a Wave of WordPress Experimentation (therepository.email)
Conclusion
WordPress 6.9 is coming December 2, legal battles are intensifying, and important conversations about community sustainability are happening right now.
Testing the beta, understanding the trademark landscape, and supporting WordCamp organizers are all ways to strengthen the ecosystem.
Got thoughts on any of these stories? Hit reply, I’d love to hear from you.
Nishat, WPMore
Follow → X.com | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Facebook
Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community
P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.
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November 5, 2025
Local Voices for WordCamp Asia, WooCommerce's AI Future, and Tough Lessons Learned | WP More – Issue 29
From calls for more regional representation at WordCamp Asia to WooCommerce’s bold AI initiatives. Matt Mullenweg reflects on a turbulent year while WordPress creator shape the platform’s future.
Hello My WordPress Friends!
Welcome to this week’s WP More newsletter issue 29, many new events, and issues are arrived after I last wrote the previous issue.
Let’s dive in —
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In this Issue:
WordCamp Asia Needs More Local Voices
WooCommerce Embraces the AI Shopping Revolution
Matt Mullenweg Opens Up About Leadership and Lawsuits
WordPress Community Faces Trust Challenge After Fund Misappropriation
YouTube Creators Bridge WordPress to the Next Generation
WordCamp Asia Needs More Local Voices
The WordPress community in Asia-Pacific is calling for change. Despite the region contributing 42% of WordPress core contributors and hosting nearly 40% of global WordCamps, local speaker representation at WordCamp Asia remains disappointingly low. WordCamp Asia 2024 featured only 29% APAC speakers, improving to 38% in 2025—well short of the organizers’ 60% target and the WordPress Handbook’s recommended 80%.
The justification that Asia needs speakers from other regions doesn’t hold water when you consider that Asian speakers rarely appear at US or European WordCamps, and livestreams work perfectly well for accessing global content. With Mumbai hosting the 2026 event from April 9-11, organizers have an opportunity to showcase the stories, innovations, and experiences from a region that’s genuinely driving WordPress forward.
Read the full blog on wpapac.com here.
As the community pushes for better representation, attention turns to how WordPress itself is preparing for an AI-powered future.
WooCommerce Embraces the AI Shopping Revolution
WooCommerce is positioning itself at the forefront of “agentic commerce”—a future where AI assistants handle shopping tasks autonomously. Starting with WooCommerce 10.3 this month, store owners gain access to the new MCP (Model Context Protocol) that lets AI tools like Claude directly manage products and orders. This isn’t just about backend efficiency; it’s about preparing for customers who’ll never visit your actual website.
The vision extends beyond store management (The Repository). WooCommerce is testing solutions with Google and Stripe to enable AI agents to discover products and complete secure transactions on behalf of users. Built on WordPress’s open-source foundation and the new Abilities API, these tools ensure the entire ecosystem—not just WooCommerce—can adapt to AI-driven shopping behaviors.
Read the full blog on WooCommerce.com here.
While WooCommerce charts its AI course, the WordPress community continues processing the fallout from a challenging year.
Matt Mullenweg Opens Up About Leadership and Lawsuits
In a revealing Crossword interview, Matt Mullenweg addressed the elephant in the room: his controversial “WordPress.org belongs to me personally” comment and the WP Engine conflict that’s divided the community. When pressed about the stress his decisions placed on contributors, including fears of being banned, Mullenweg stood firm, calling it necessary pruning—though he did offer an apology to those caught in the crossfire.
His biggest takeaway from the year? The American legal system’s capacity to be “weaponized” through expensive discovery processes. While hosts Jonathan Wold and Luke Carbis hoped for deeper reflection on community impact, Mullenweg focused on litigation lessons and pointed to WordPress 6.9’s success as validation. He also surprised many by questioning whether the REST API should have been included in core, suggesting GraphQL might have been better.
Read the full report on The Repository here.
Speaking of community impact, recent events have tested the very foundation of trust that WordPress events are built upon.
WordPress Community Faces Trust Challenge After Fund Misappropriation
WordPress Community Support revealed that a 2024 WordCamp organizer misappropriated approximately $734 in surplus funds for personal use. The individual, who managed funds locally rather than through WPCS, failed to respond to multiple recovery attempts and repayment plan offers. As a result, they’ve been permanently banned from WordPress events and their .org account, with a legal report filed with local authorities.
In response, WPCS will now distribute Global Sponsorship Grants in smaller payments—initial deposits first, then additional funds as attendance numbers clarify. Matt Mullenweg pushed back on this change, urging the program not to “punish all organizers for one bad actor” and to maintain default trust. The incident highlights the delicate balance between trust and accountability in community-run events.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
WordPress 6.8.3 Security Release Patches Data Exposure and XSS Vulnerabilities
Ollie’s Menu Designer Lands on WordPress.org, Praised as “Game Changer”
Fidélitas University Hosts First WordPress Campus Connect in Latin America as Credits Program Expands
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
From financial accountability to creative influence, the WordPress ecosystem relies on diverse voices to thrive.
YouTube Creators Bridge WordPress to the Next Generation
At a recent “Campfire Chat,” prominent WordPress YouTubers discussed their crucial role in shaping the ecosystem’s future. With individual creators often reaching more viewers in a day than official WordPress channels manage in weeks, personalities like Jamie Marsen (180K subscribers) are becoming the primary educators for new users. The panel emphasized authenticity over corporate messaging—viewers connect with real people sharing genuine experiences, not polished brand content.

The creators see themselves as bridges between WordPress and the 5 billion people consuming video content online. Their mission? Sell the open-source vision to Gen Z by emphasizing data ownership and platform independence. They’re advocating for free training days at WordCamps and university outreach to capture younger users where they are—on video platforms, not in documentation.
On other WordPress News
→ What’s new in Gutenberg 21.7? (24 September) (make.wordpress.org)
→ The wpaccessibility.org Knowledge Base is ready to contribute (make.wordpress.org)
→ Nominations for Hosting Team Reps 2026 is open now (make.wordpress.org)
→ Introducing: Test Team Reps for 2025 – 2026 (make.wordpress.org)
→ The Test Handbook Overhaul (make.wordpress.org)
→ Shopify unviels their new WordPress plugin (Shopify.com)
From WordPress Community
→ Good Chaos: A WordPress Plugin Discovery Experiment (iconic.io)
→ “Wildly unethical” — Sam shared additional thoughts about Fueled’s latest round of layoffs and public statements (delta.blog)
→ The WP World Launches AI-Powered Multilingual Messaging for the WordPress Community (therepository.email)
→ changelogWP is now accepting premium plugins changelog, submit yours (changelogwp.com)
What’s Your Thought?
From community governance challenges to AI-powered commerce, WordPress continues evolving through both controversy and innovation.
What’s your take on these developments? Hit reply and share your thoughts, or forward this to someone who needs to stay in the loop.
—
Nishat, WP More
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P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.
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October 7, 2025
WordPress 6.9 Preview, Opensource Funding Debate, and Community Challenges | WP More – Issue 28
New features coming, funding discussions heat up, and WordCamp scheduling woes
Hello, my lovely WordPressers,
It’s been 126 days since I last sent a newsletter issue. Lots of things happened in these days. I will start curating the WordPress community news again every week, expect to get a minimum of 2 emails every month from me.
Thank you to those who subscribed in the meantime.
Welcome to this month’s WPMore newsletter issue 28,
WordPress is buzzing with activity this week. From exciting new features in the upcoming 6.9 release to heated debates about funding and community sustainability, a lot is happening that affects every WordPress user. Let’s dive into what’s shaping the platform and community you rely on.
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In this Issue:
WordPress 6.9 brings hidden blocks, simplified editing, and expanded command palette features
Drupal founder argues governments should fund open source projects like public infrastructure
WordCamp 2026 schedule creates a coordination nightmare with three flagship events in 4.5 months
Nick Hamze’s post reignites the debate about WordPress losing its “cool factor” to newer platforms
WordPress Foundation seeks mentors for university student contribution program
WordPress 6.9 Brings Hidden Blocks and Simplified Editing
WordPress 6.9 is shaping up to be a significant release, with several features designed to make your editing experience smoother. The ability to hide blocks is nearly ready, giving you better control over what appears in your content. The command palette is expanding beyond the editor to work across your entire dashboard, making it faster to navigate your site’s admin area.
Block commenting is getting refined with bug fixes and improved accessibility, while new experimental blocks like accordion, breadcrumbs, and tabs are being tested. Perhaps most interesting is the work on simplified site editing, which aims to reduce the overwhelming nature of the current site editor through either toggle modes or making patterns content-focused by default.
Read Anny Maccarthy’s detailed blog “Exploring work in progress for WordPress 6.9 v2” here to dive deep into the details.
Open Source Needs Government Funding, Drupal Founder Argues
Dries Buytaert, founder of Drupal, is making waves with his call for governments to fund open source projects like public infrastructure. His argument centers on a striking statistic: replacing the most widely used open source software would cost $8.8 trillion, yet 96% of that value depends on just 5% of contributors.
Buytaert points out that governments worldwide rely heavily on open source software but contribute little back. The European Commission runs over 100 Drupal sites, France operates more than 1,000, yet most provide minimal upstream support. He proposes that governments track the health of critical projects, commit to long-term funding, and require vendor contributions in procurement contracts.
A small group of maintainers supports infrastructure used by millions
Government agencies use open source extensively but rarely contribute back
Public funding could stabilize critical projects at relatively low cost
This debate has direct implications for WordPress users, as the platform faces similar sustainability challenges with its vast ecosystem of plugins and themes.
Read Dries Buytaert’s Blog “Funding Open Source like public infrastructure” Here.
WordCamp 2026 Schedule Creates Coordination Nightmare
The WordPress community is grappling with a scheduling problem that could impact everyone who attends conferences or works for companies that sponsor them. All three flagship WordCamps—Asia, Europe, and US—are crammed into just 4.5 months in 2026, creating logistical headaches for organizers, sponsors, and attendees.
Taco Verdonschot breaks down why this matters: organizing a flagship WordCamp takes 9-12 months of work, major venues need to be booked years in advance, and the compressed schedule puts enormous pressure on everyone involved. WordCamp US 2026 in Phoenix during August presents additional challenges with extreme heat and vacation season timing.
The financial impact is significant too. Companies that normally sponsor all three events may have to choose just one or two, potentially leaving organizers scrambling for funding. Individual attendees face the prospect of spending thousands of dollars in a few months if they want to attend multiple events.
Tight scheduling makes planning exponentially harder for volunteers
Sponsors may skip events due to budget and logistics constraints
Summer timing in Phoenix could reduce attendance significantly
This scheduling squeeze highlights the growing pains of WordPress’s global community and the need for better long-term planning.
Read Taco Verdonschot’s “WordPress’ flagship WordCamp strategy is a mess, and 2026 will be hell” blog Here.
WordPress’s “Cool Factor” Problem Gets Fresh Attention
WordPress’s “Cool Factor” Problem Gets Fresh Attention
Nick Hamze has reignited discussion about WordPress’s image problem with a post arguing the platform has “lost the cool kids” to newer tools like Webflow and Framer. His critique focuses on perception rather than technical capability, noting that while WordPress powers much of the web, it’s often seen as “legacy” in design circles.
The post struck a nerve, earning a repost from Matt Mullenweg and drawing responses from across the community. Mike McAlister from Ollie even offered to redesign WordPress.org to give it a more modern, confident feel. Joost de Valk from Yoast agreed with the assessment but argued the project needs an empowered marketing team and better product direction.
Read Nick Hamze’s “Why WordPress Lost the Cool Kids (And How to Win Them Back)” blog Here.
Read Joost de Valk’s “Should WordPress have a product and a marketing team?” blog here.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
WordPress Project Launches New Experimental Core Program Team
Court Dismisses Antitrust and Extortion Claims in WP Engine v Automattic, Allows Other Counts to Proceed
WordPress Campus Connect Quickly Growing With Global Events, Student Clubs and Scholarships
WP Includes Is Helping Women Level Up Their Careers in WordPress — and Applications Are Now Open
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
WordPress Foundation Seeks Mentors for Student Program
The WordPress Foundation is looking for experienced community members to mentor university students through its WordPress Credits program. This educational initiative connects students with real-world open source contribution opportunities over 13-18 weeks, requiring mentors to commit 2 hours per week.
Mentors will guide up to 5 students each, helping them navigate WordPress contribution processes and develop professional skills. The program aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical experience while building the next generation of WordPress contributors.
The foundation is building a global pool of mentors to match with students as more universities join the program. Currently, only a limited number of institutions participate, but expansion is planned.
Commitment is 2 hours per week for 13-18 weeks
Mentors guide students through real contribution projects
Program helps develop the next wave of WordPress contributors
This mentorship opportunity represents a chance to give back to the community while helping shape WordPress’s future through new talent development.
Apply Here.
On other WordPress News
→ The stepping away of a team member (make.wordpress.org)
→ Two-Factor Authentication is Required for All People With the Capabilities to Publish Here, on make/core (make.wordpress.org)
→ Ryan Logan and Derek Ashauer launched changelogwp.com to serve as the #1 resource for changelogs within the WordPress ecosystem. (changelogwp.com)
→ Announcing the Winners of the Summer Photo Contest (events.wordpress.org)
→ Summary, Dev Chat, September 24, 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ Core-AI Contributor Check-in September, 24 2025 (make.wordpress.org)
→ The 5 Best Things About WordCamp US 2025 (wordpress.com)
→ Core Committer Meeting notes from WordCamp US 2025
→ WordPress Security Stats 2025 – Melapress Security Survey Results (melapress.com)
→ New FAIR 1.0 Release Brings Decentralized Package Management to WordPress (therepository.email)
→ Enqueue Reveals Speaker Line-Up With Focus on AI, Performance, and the Future of WordPress (therepository.email)
→ Fueled Layoffs Spark Tension After Former Employee Pre-Empts Announcement (therepository.email)
→ WordPress Accessibility Day 2025 will be held on October 15-16, featuring 24 talks over 24 hours. (2025.wpaccessibility.day)
From WordPress Community
→ WordCamp Organizer Guide: Lessons I Learned (The Hard Way) (leokoo.com)
→ Something Has to Change with WordPress. FAIR is a Great Start. (carriedils.com)
→ The $8.8 Trillion Wake-Up Call: Notes from Open Source Summit NA 2025 (rogerwilliamsmedia.com)
→ Planes & Determination: A Disabled Traveler’s Journey Through Chaos (underrepresentedintech.com)
→ Why Sponsoring WordPress Content Creators is a Win for Your Brand (thewpminute.com)
→ The web isn’t URL-shaped anymore (jonoalderson.com)
→ Why Plugin, Theme & Addon Authors Should Join A Vulnerability Disclosure Program (wpbakery.com)
→ HeroPress at WordCamp US 2025! (heropress.com)
→ PODCAST:“Are there WordPress Echo Chambers” with Imran Siddiq (youtube.com)
→ It’s Always About Authenticity (remkusdevries.com)
→ Rich Tabor argues “WordPress doesn’t need a traditional marketing team.” (X.com)
What’s Your Thought?
Whether it’s technical improvements, funding sustainability, or community coordination, the decisions made now will shape WordPress for years to come. What do you think about these developments?
Hit reply and share your thoughts.
Nishat, WPMore
Follow → X.com | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Facebook
Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community
P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.
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September 27, 2025
Why we're still WordPress (despite everything) | WPMore – Issue 27

WordCamp Europe defied the odds, banned developers found their way back, women stepped into leadership across 25+ countries, and PressConf proved vulnerability beats posturing.
The WordPress community you thought was broken? It’s stronger than we knew.
Hey there,
I’ll be honest.
I almost didn’t know how to start this newsletter. WPMore exists to bring you the stories that matter in WordPress, the ones that go beyond plugin updates and hosting deals to show you what’s really happening in our community. And lately, what’s been happening has been… a lot.
We’ve watched legal battles play out in public. We’ve seen longtime contributors banned without explanation. We’ve wondered if the community we’ve invested years of our lives in would survive intact. There were moments when writing about WordPress felt less like celebrating a platform and more like documenting a breakup.
But then something funny happened as I put together these stories. In Basel, I found organizers who refused to let controversy derail WordCamp Europe. In Bangladesh and beyond, I discovered women stepping into leadership roles for the first time. In Arizona, I saw business owners choosing vulnerability over posturing. And in one developer’s painful account of being banned, I found a reminder that our community’s strength isn’t in its perfection—it’s in our willingness to keep showing up for each other.
These aren’t feel-good stories manufactured to make us forget the hard stuff. They’re real accounts of real people navigating real problems. And somehow, that makes them more hopeful than any corporate PR statement ever could.
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WordCamp Europe 2025: How Basel Became a Symbol of Community Strength
WordCamp Europe is happening June 5-7 in Basel, Switzerland, and honestly, the organizers deserve a medal just for keeping it together this year. Lead organizers Laura Sacco, Steve Mosby, and Uros Tasic managed a 90-person organizing team through one of the most turbulent periods in WordPress history.
The numbers tell part of the story: around 2,000 attendees are expected, which is better than anyone dared hope when planning began. Switzerland’s reputation for high costs initially worried organizers, but they’ve worked hard to make the event accessible. Free tram travel comes with your Basel Card, you can bike in from France or Germany (literally across the border), and there are plenty of budget-friendly food options beyond the tourist traps.
What impressed me most was how the team handled the WP Engine-Automattic dispute. They held three town hall meetings—unrecorded, judgment-free spaces where organizers could voice concerns. “We’re not here to pick sides,” Uros explained. “We’re here to organize a community event.” When team members felt uncomfortable continuing, leaders made it clear they could step back without consequences.
The speaker lineup reflects deliberate choices around inclusion—something that took years of learning from past criticism. “This is the first year I can remember where we haven’t had complaints about inclusion,” Laura noted. They’ve also built in more networking breaks because, as Steve put it, “the most valuable part of WordCamp is the people.”
For those still on the fence about attending: visa issues have been challenging ~~(Switzerland isn’t in the EU)~~, but the team issued over 200 invitation letters to help. And the next location is already being planned with affordability and visa accessibility as top priorities.
Read the full interview with WordCamp Europe organisers here at The Repository
Edit: but actually Switzerland IS in the Schengen area, which is the same for ALL countries in it, same rules, same requirements, and not more difficult than with any other Schengen country (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland)
The local team received the endorsement of the Swiss Confederation, as shown on the WordCamp Europe website. The number of visa letters sent by the Attendees team is similar to that of previous years.
What It’s Really Like to Be Banned from WordPress.org
Chris Reynolds discovered he was banned from WordPress.org on January 6th. No email, no notification, no explanation—just suddenly locked out of an account he’d held for 17 years. His story offers a rare inside look at what happened to dozens of community members during the height of the WP Engine controversy.
The ban appeared to stem from adding a clown face emoji to one of Matt Mullenweg’s Slack posts. Chris explains the context: during COVID, he and his partner used that emoji to react to wild, unpredictable situations—not as a personal attack, but more like “things are getting out of hand.” Without conversation or context, the reaction was apparently interpreted as hostile.
The practical consequences were serious. When Chris’s Progress Bar plugin received a vulnerability disclosure through Patchstack’s bug bounty program, he couldn’t push the fix to WordPress.org where over 1,000 users had downloaded it. He could only update it on GitHub and Packagist, leaving repository users vulnerable. This highlighted a concerning precedent—earlier, Matt had taken control of WP Engine’s Advanced Custom Fields plugin over a similar security issue.
The personal impact ran deeper. “I’ve never felt less like a valued member of the WordPress community than when my account was blocked with no justification,” Chris wrote in his blog. It led him to DrupalCon Atlanta, where he found a surprisingly welcoming community facing similar challenges but handling them differently.
Chris was among 32 people whose bans were lifted last week—again, without communication or explanation. He’s relieved but still processing the whiplash. His experience raises important questions about due process and communication in our community leadership.
Read Chris’s full blog here.
Read the scope from The Repository: WordPress Leadership Reinstates 32 Banned WordPress.org Accounts, Launches Formal Review — Project leadership is reviewing WordPress.org and WordPress Slack bans following months of tension, with dozens of reinstatements already made and more under evaluation.
Read also — The real impact of a WordPress ban (progressplanner.com)
A different perspective on WordPress ban — Toxic Users: The Unforgiven and the Danger of Unbanning (halfelf.org)
Women in WordPress: A Global Movement Takes Root
Sometimes the best initiatives start with simple conversations. When Aditya Kane shared his sister’s idea for an all-women WordPress meetup in Mumbai, it sparked something bigger. Pooja Derashri took that concept global, and the result was over 25 International Women’s Day events across the WordPress community.
The logistics were challenging. Pooja personally reached out to 30-40 WordPress communities worldwide, many of which had never organized women-led events before. Some struggled to find female speakers or volunteers. But the persistence paid off, creating a powerful network of events from Ajmer to Nicaragua to Madrid.
The impact went beyond single-day celebrations. In Nicaragua, the event “was entirely led and organized by women, most of whom had never led a community event before.” WP LATAM trained four new organizers who can now run events in their local communities. WP Bhopal held sessions in both Hindi and English for better accessibility, drawing everyone from students to entrepreneurs to a fifth-grade schoolgirl.
What struck me most was how these events created lasting change. As WP Pune organizers put it: “Our hope is that this event will inspire even more women to step into the spotlight, whether by organizing sessions, speaking at conferences, or leading teams in the tech industry.”
This wasn’t just about International Women’s Day—it was about reshaping what leadership looks like in WordPress communities. When we create space for new voices to lead, we don’t just run better events; we build stronger communities.
Read Puja Derashri’s full official recap here.
PressConf: Where Showing Up Still Matters
Sometimes the most important conversations happen when the cameras are off. PressConf wrapped up last weekend in Tempe, Arizona, and by all accounts, it was exactly what the WordPress business community needed—a chance to reconnect, be vulnerable, and remember why this all matters.
The numbers tell part of the story: 140 people, no recordings, and an atmosphere more like a retreat than a typical conference. Organizer Raquel Manriquez and her team created something special at the Tempe Mission Palms, the same venue that housed PressNomics for years.
The emotional openness surprised some attendees, especially international visitors not accustomed to American-style vulnerability in business settings. Miriam Schwab from Elementor delivered what many called the most powerful session, sharing deeply personal stories about balancing career, family, and the ongoing impact of war in Israel. Her talk ran 30 minutes over, but nobody left.
Read Rae Morey’s full PressConf here at The Repository
More PressConf recap blog —
→ Pressconf reflections (binatethoughts.com)
→ Business is personal (progressplanner.com)
Also Read: The WP Community Collective’s field report on PressConf
The WordPress Price Shock: How Soaring Costs Are Squeezing Millions of Website Owners
Your monthly WordPress expenses just doubled—and you’re not alone. Across the globe, millions of website owners are facing a harsh new reality: the tools that power nearly half the internet are becoming increasingly expensive, and fast.
From WP Rocket’s staggering 162% price jump to Bricks Builder’s eye-watering 302% increase, the WordPress ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented price inflation that’s leaving users scrambling for alternatives. But here’s what makes this crisis particularly brutal—while Silicon Valley startups might shrug off these increases, small business owners in developing nations are getting hit with a devastating double punch: massive price hikes combined with weakening local currencies.
If you’ve been wondering why your favorite WordPress plugins suddenly cost more than your monthly rent, or if you’re a developer watching clients abandon projects due to ballooning costs, this deep dive reveals exactly what’s happening—and more importantly, what we can do about it. The numbers don’t lie, and the impact is bigger than you think.
Read Gaurav Tiwari’s full deep dive on WordPress companies price hike
On other WordPress News
→ Post Status Acquires WP Speakers (poststatus.com) — Michelle Frechette’s long standing community driven project with 500+ WP speakers profiles found a new home.
→ Matt Mullenweg Settles Caregiver Lawsuits Days Before Trial (therepository.email) — Claims of wage theft, discrimination, retaliation, and defamation brought by two former caregivers against WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg have quietly settled after a nearly three-year legal battle.
→ WordPress Market Share, Statistics, and More (wordpress.com) — this article explores the platform’s market share in detail, as well as its versatility, reasons for success, and what keeps it ahead of the curve two decades after it launched.
→ WordPress Sites Cost Up to 44% Less Than Proprietary CMS Platforms, WP Engine Report Finds (therepository.email) — WP Engine’s new report puts a price tag on CMS decisions, claiming WordPress cuts website costs by up to 44%, as business leaders face longer buying cycles.
→ Mary Hubbard Moves to Rebuild Trust After WordPress.org Bans (therepository.email) — In a new Make WordPress post, Executive Director Mary Hubbard suggests moderation reforms, such as an appeals process, clearer Slack guidelines, and rotating roles, following months of community uncertainty over WordPress.org bans.
→ Announcing WordCamp Volunteer Badges on WordPress.org Profiles (make.wordpress.org) — Now, Wordcamp volunteers will get Badges for their contribution in WordPress community.
→ Second Plaintiff to Join Class Action Against Automattic, Mullenweg Over WP Engine Dispute (therepository.email) — Ryan Keller, who is suing over WP Engine’s temporary blocked access to WordPress.org, plans to expand his proposed class action and respond to Automattic’s push to dismiss.
From WordPress Community
→ Not everything needs AI. But WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure (progressplanner.com) — Joost de Valk goes deep talking about why WordPress stand in a good place to build AI-ready infrastructure.
→ Freemius: Growing Beyond WordPress (thewpminute.com) — In this episode of the WP Minute+ Podcast, Matt welcomes Vova Feldman, the founder and CEO of Freemius, to discuss how the company is expanding beyond its roots in the WordPress ecosystem.
→ WordPress.org Plugin Submissions Surge 87% Amid Rise in AI Tools (therepository.email) — With plugin submissions up 87% and AI tools playing a bigger role in development, the WordPress Plugin Review Team is evolving its processes to keep pace — without compromising plugin or review quality.
→ New Social Icons for WordPress (make.wordpress.org) — WordPress.org now covers X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.
→ How to disable and lock Gutenberg blocks (kinsta.com) — Find different ways to block Gutenberg blocks when working on client site.
→ The 3 C’s of Becoming a WordPress Professional (thewpminute.com) — after years of working with WordPress businesses of all sizes, Matt found that real professionalism comes down to three simple but powerful principles
→ Top WordPress technologies to learn in 2025: Trends and expert opinions (gravitykit.com) — WordPress experts share their tech stacks, and thoghts on what skills you should learn now.
→ Seven Tasks to a Custom Block Theme: Anders Norén’s Weekend Workflow (gutenbergtimes.com) — Over a single weekend, Anders Norén built Pulitzer, a new block theme, from the ground up. In this post, you’ll learn about Anders’ process.
→ WP Perspectives Issue 24: 2025 the Year of the Page Builder (webtng.com) — Page builders are seeing a resurgence in 2025, checkout David McCan’s this post to learn more.
→ The unintended consequences of making SEO “for everyone” (joost.blog) — Joost talks about the unintended consequences of making Yoast.
Here’s What I Keep Coming Back To
I keep thinking about something Uros from the WordCamp Europe team said: “We didn’t have big hopes at the start, but now we believe again.”
That sentence has stuck with me for days. Not because it’s particularly profound, but because it’s so damn honest. Most of us didn’t have big hopes at the start of this year either. How could we? Every week brought new drama, new uncertainty, new reasons to wonder if WordPress was worth our continued investment.
But here we are, still building. Still organizing events. Still writing code. Still showing up for each other in Slack channels and GitHub issues and conference hallways. Not because everything is perfect—it’s not—but because something about this community keeps pulling us back.
Maybe it’s the memory of that first WordCamp where strangers became friends. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of solving a tricky problem with custom post types. Maybe it’s just the stubborn belief that the web should be something we can all contribute to, not just consume.
Whatever it is, it’s stronger than the noise. Stronger than the controversies. Stronger than the disappointments.
Chris Reynolds, after months of being inexplicably banned, wrote: “I’m still here, so that’s a start.” That’s not resignation—it’s resolve. And it’s everywhere in these stories.
We’re still here. We’re still building. We’re still WordPress.
That’s not nothing. That’s everything.
Talk soon,
Nishat, WPMore
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May 24, 2025
WordPress Security in 2025, WordCamp Asia 2026 Visa Issue & Matt Mullenweg on Succession | WP More – Issue 26
Plus 70% of New WordPress Themes Still Using Classic Architecture, WordCamp Europe 2025 Diversity Scholarship Winner
Hello WordPress enthusiasts!
Welcome to this month’s WPMore newsletter issue 26, where we bring you the most important developments in the WordPress ecosystem. This issue is packed with insights on WordPress security, community events, and theme development trends.
So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s explore what’s happening in the world of WordPress right now.
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In this Issue:
WordPress Security in 2025: CRA Compliance Now Critical for Developers
WordCamp Asia 2026 Heads to Mumbai, But Visa Issues Create Barriers for Bangladesh & Pakistan
Matt Mullenweg on Succession: “I Don’t Want to Pass It to a Committee”
70% of New WordPress Themes Still Using Classic Architecture
Lua Salazar Receives WordCamp Europe 2025 Diversity Scholarship
WordPress Security in 2025: CRA Compliance Now Critical for Developers
The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is now reshaping WordPress security practices. Having come into force in December 2024, the CRA will begin applying its first requirements in 2026, mandating that plugin and theme developers implement processes to notify authorities and users about vulnerabilities.
This couldn’t be more timely – 2024 saw 7,966 new security vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem, a concerning 34% increase from 2023 reported by PatchStack. Of these, 96% were in plugins and only 4% in themes. Even more alarming, more than half of plugin developers failed to patch reported vulnerabilities before official disclosure.
The current community situation has further complicated matters. The ongoing dispute between Automattic and WP Engine that became public in September 2024 has fractured trust, with some WordPress sites being disconnected from WordPress.org updates. Many see governance and supply chain integrity as pressing security issues for WordPress in 2025.
With AI playing an increasing role in WordPress development, PatchStack is seeing several emerging risks:
AI-generated code introducing new vulnerabilities
Easier vulnerability discovery
Faster exploitation of vulnerabilities
Previously low-priority vulnerabilities becoming easier to exploit
For developers, implementing vulnerability management and virtual patching will be essential to comply with the CRA and protect their users.
Read the full report “State of WordPress Security In 2025” on PatchStack.com
WordCamp Asia 2026 Heads to Mumbai, But Visa Issues Create Barriers
Mumbai has been selected to host WordCamp Asia 2026, highlighting India’s growing WordPress community that has hosted 12 WordCamps this year alone. However, this exciting announcement has been tempered by concerns over diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.
Since late 2024, India has suspended visas for Bangladeshi nationals, potentially preventing many WordPress contributors from attending. WPManageNinja CMO Faizus Saleheen raised this issue on social media, noting that even if visa processing resumes, clearing the backlog could take 3-4 months, making attendance difficult for many Bangladeshis.
Read the full report on The Repository Here.
Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:
WordPress Could See Just One Major Release Per Year Under New Proposal
Newfold Digital Slashes WordPress Contributions to 20 Hours Per Week
Who Leads WordPress Businesses? The Data Confirms It’s (Still) Not Women
Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.
Matt Mullenweg on Succession: “I Don’t Want to Pass It to a Committee”
Amid increasing calls for WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg to step down following his controversial battle with WP Engine, TechCrunch Reports Mullenweg has instead begun thinking about succession planning. In a recent episode of Lenny’s Podcast, he shared that he doesn’t want to pass what he’s built to a “committee,” but rather to another individual CEO who would continue to act as a steward for the WordPress community.
Mullenweg described the role as being “more like a mayor than a CEO,” where the person would ultimately be accountable to users and contributors. He emphasized that checks and balances exist naturally, as “the community could leave, they could fork the software, people could change.”
He also highlighted Automattic’s role in boosting WordPress adoption, noting how the free version of WordPress.com has introduced more than 100 million people to the software. Mullenweg described this collaboration between for-profit Automattic and open source WordPress.org as “a really informed model” that many new startups are now adopting.
70% of New WordPress Themes Still Using Classic Architecture
Despite the push toward Full Site Editing (FSE), classic themes continue to dominate WordPress theme development. According to recent data from WordPress Themes Trac, 70% of themes published in the WordPress directory over the last two years are still using the classic architecture rather than block-based FSE.
The analysis from WPBakery, which looked at 3,486 themes, found only 1,045 block-based FSE themes. However, there’s a clear upward trend in FSE adoption, with the percentage growing steadily. If the trend continues, FSE themes could reach 50% of new submissions by 2026.
Interestingly, the top theme authors are showing resistance to FSE adoption. Among the top 10 independent theme authors, 81% of their submissions are classic themes, with half not submitting any FSE themes at all.
Read the full report here on WP Bakery.
Lua Salazar Receives WordCamp Europe 2025 Diversity Scholarship
WordCamp Europe has announced Lua Salazar as the recipient of this year’s Diversity Scholarship for the 2025 event. Hailing from Nicaragua, Lua is a business administrator with 15 years of experience in business management, consulting, and training, along with a passion for technology and digital marketing.
Lua has been an active WordPress community member since 2019, currently contributing about 10 hours weekly to the Community Team and mentoring local events through the WordPress Latam Community. She works as a Community Manager and Project Manager, roles that align with her passions for technology and community engagement.
On other WordPress News
→ Check WordCamp Asia 2025 in photos – Flickr Album, and Official Google Photos Album Here.
→ Join Alt Ctrl Org WordCamp event Friday Evening from 18:00 till 21:00 on June 6th in Basel to hear alternative talks on WordPress that you probably won’t hear at WordCamp.
→ A Month in Core – February 2025 (Make WordPress)
→ WordPress.org Themes of 2024: Reflections & Stats (ILoveWP) – It’s harder than ever for new WordPress themes to stand out. In this article, Dumitru Brinzan dive into data from over 1,700 themes released on WordPress.org throughout 2024.
From WordPress Community
→ What is a “Website Care Plan” and What’s Included? (TheAdminBar.com)
→ From Founding to Funding, Marieke van de Rakt’s Entrepreneurial Journey (DoTheWoo.io)
→ 16 Years of rtCamp: Expansion, Innovation, and New Frontiers (rtcamp.com)
→ What Kinsta’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday analytics can teach e-commerce websites (Kinsta.com)
→ How we use AI for software development at WP Fusion (drunk.support)
→ Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students (progressplanner.com)
→ WordCamp Asia 2025 Talk you don’t want to miss: Boosting Performance with Optimization Detective (weston.ruter.net)
→ WordCamp Asia 2025 Recap: A New Era for Freemius and Uncertain Times for WordPress (Freemius.com) – Vova Feldman shared in-details of their WordCamp Asia 2025 pros and cons, worth reading.
→ WordCamp Asia 2025: It’s All About The People (wpbakery.com) – Another WordCamp Asia 2025 blog I enjoyed reading.
→ From 2017 to Now: How Influencer Marketing Has Transformed in WordPress space (callmelana.com) – Lana Miro shares her observations on influencer marketing; on where we are today and what the future holds.
→ A New Home for All Things Within WordPress (remkusdevries.com) – Remkus de Vries moved his popular newsletter to a new website.
From the Editor’s Desk
That’s all for this issue of WPMore newsletter! What are your thoughts on these developments?
Are you preparing for CRA compliance?
Planning to attend WordCamp Asia 2026?
Still developing classic themes?
Let us know by replying to this newsletter.
Until next month,
Nishat, WPMore
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March 23, 2025
WordCamp Asia 2025 Highlights, Community Tensions, and What’s Next for WordPress 🚀 WP More #25
From Manila’s record-breaking event to a major lawsuit shaking the ecosystem—plus updates on plugin directory and open-source contribution debates. Don’t miss this issue!
Hi there, WordPress enthusiasts!
Welcome to the latest issue of WPMore. This time, we’re taking you to the heart of Manila for WordCamp Asia 2025, where over 1,400 attendees from around the globe gathered to celebrate, collaborate, and shape the future of WordPress. But that’s not all—we’ve also got the scoop on some pressing community issues, including a high-stakes legal battle and a fresh take on the Five for the Future program. Plus, there’s an important update for plugin developers you’ll want to catch.
Grab a coffee, and let’s get into it!
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WordCamp Asia 2025 Wraps Up in Manila, Sets Sights on Mumbai for 2026
WordCamp Asia 2025 concluded last weekend at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, bringing together over 1,400 attendees from 71 countries, with nearly 15,000 more participating online. This marked the first flagship WordPress event since WordCamp US 2024.
The conference unfolded against the backdrop of Matt Mullenweg’s ongoing legal dispute with WP Engine, but in Manila, conversations focused primarily on innovation, WordPress’s role for entrepreneurs across Asia, and bringing fresh faces into the community—including through the new YouthCamp initiative for attendees aged 8-17.
Reflecting on the event, Mullenweg noted on his blog that it presented an “interesting contrast to US and EU WordCamps as well in that the audience is definitely a lot younger, and there’s very little interest in ‘wpdrama’ du jour.”
Contributor Day: The Heart of Community Collaboration
The three-day conference kicked off with Contributor Day, bringing together nearly 800 people—including 126 first-timers—who collaborated across 19 Make WordPress teams.
Key accomplishments included:
Core Team fixing a critical media bug and progressing on vertical text editing in Gutenberg
Polyglots Team translating over 4,000 strings with 66 contributors
Plugins Team onboarding new contributors and handling queue management
Themes Team clearing all new theme submissions
Documentation and Marketing Teams enhancing WordPress learning resources
The “Human Library” feature was particularly popular, with 16 experts “books” available to share their experiences across 64 sessions.
Here’s a detailed recap of contributor day →
AI, Open Source, and WordPress’s Future
The main conference opened with a keynote from Matías Ventura, Gutenberg’s lead architect, who explored how the Block Editor and Full Site Editing continue to evolve while maintaining WordPress’s core design principles.
Sessions covered diverse topics including:
Open source and GPL fundamentals
Block development and the Interactivity API
Artificial intelligence integration
Multisite for enterprise deployment
Structured content and content modeling
Read Conference Day 1 Recap: A Thrilling Start to WordCamp Asia 2025! →
Mullenweg’s Q&A Addresses Community Concerns
Closing the conference, Matt Mullenweg took the stage for his keynote and Q&A. When asked about the reduced contributions from Automattic to WordPress development, Mullenweg attributed it to the ongoing legal battle with WP Engine:
“Automattic is having to spend millions of dollars—per month, sometimes—to defend against these attacks from WP Engine. And with the court injunction, it’s just hard to stay motivated and to spare the resources to contribute so much. Now, [WP Engine] could end it tomorrow… But we can’t end it. We can only defend… So as soon as they stop that, we’ll get back to it.”

A tense moment came when Taco Verdonschot challenged Mullenweg about how open the project is to change, particularly given recent bans of community members. Mullenweg responded that talking about change “isn’t going to get you banned,” adding that it’s “other behavior” that leads to people being banned from WordPress.
Mumbai to Host WordCamp Asia 2026
As the event concluded, organizers announced that Mumbai, India, will host next year’s flagship event.
India’s selection makes sense given its strong grassroots WordPress community—the country has already hosted three WordCamps this year in Ahmedabad, Kolhapur, and Kolkata. WordPress Meetup events in India lead global engagement, with in-person meetups in Ahmedabad and Mumbai regularly drawing 165+ attendees.
During his Q&A, Mullenweg suggested next year’s event could bring in 3,000–4,000 attendees, potentially making it the largest flagship WordCamp yet.
Automattic Faces Class Action Over WP Engine Dispute
In significant legal news, Automattic is now facing a class action lawsuit related to its ongoing feud with WP Engine. Ryan Keller, who runs Ohio-based cybersecurity business SecureSight, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of WP Engine customers in the United States.
The complaint alleges that Automattic deliberately sabotaged WP Engine’s business by blocking access to critical WordPress.org services, causing disruption, security risks, and financial harm. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit accuses Automattic of multiple counts of tortious interference and violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law.
Read the full report from The Repository →
Five for the Future Program Under Scrutiny
Adding to the ongoing discussion about WordPress governance, Samuel Sidler recently published an article challenging the Five for the Future initiative and how contributions to WordPress are defined and valued.
In “Challenging Five for the Future,” Sidler argues that the program disproportionately benefits Automattic and creates barriers for independent contributors. The former Audrey Capital employee claims that contributors without Automattic’s backing face significant challenges, while Automattic employees dominate leadership roles.
“In my experience, a perpetual problem within the WordPress core community is the ‘backchannels’ that exist, private spaces where contributors align on next steps. This is particularly acute with Automattic employees, which actively communicate in private spaces that do not include the community,” Sidler writes.
Read the full article from Samuel Sidler’s Blog →
Plugin Directory Updates Author Display
In technical news, the WordPress.org Plugin Directory has implemented a change in how plugin author information is displayed. The directory now pulls author names and links directly from WordPress.org profiles, replacing the manually set “Author” and “Author URI” fields in plugin headers.
The update means that instead of plugin authors being able to display any name and link to any website, the attribution is now directly linked to the plugin owner’s WordPress.org profile, showing their display name as set on their profile.
Companies and teams can still maintain branded profiles, but all plugins owned by the same entity must use the same account. The changes apply retroactively to all existing plugins in the directory.
While only the plugin owner’s display name and profile will be shown under the plugin title, multiple contributors can still be listed in the “Contributors & Developers” section through the plugin’s readme file.
On other WordPress News
→ Introducing Preview Sites: Pushing the Limits of Collaboration with Studio – One of Studio’s most-loved features just got a big upgrade: Demo Sites, now named Preview Sites, are enhanced to better support your local development needs and simplify sharing progress with clients and teammates. (WordPress.com)
→ 🌏 Can’t make it to Manila? Experience the energy of WordCamp Asia 2025 from anywhere in the world! – Check out the recorded live WordPress conference day here.(YouTube/WordPress)
From WordPress Community
→ What is a WordPress Contribution? – A complete guide on WordPress contribution, Bookmark it! (remkusdevries.com)
→ 2024 in Review and Transparency Report – Jack Arturo from WP Fusion shared his ongoing year in review of 2024, must read if you are interested in the WordPress plugin business. (wpfusion.com)
→ The Three Big Existential Threats Facing WordPress – Jamie dives into the threats that might end WordPress (X.com)
From the Editor’s Desk
As we wrap up this issue, it’s clear that the WordPress community continues to evolve in both inspiring and challenging ways. WordCamp Asia 2025 demonstrated the vitality and growth of WordPress across Asia, with youth initiatives and a focus on the future that bodes well for the ecosystem.
At the same time, the ongoing legal tensions between key players in the WordPress space remind us that open source doesn’t necessarily mean freedom from conflict. The discussions around contribution models and project governance are important ones that will shape how WordPress develops in the years to come.
I encourage all of you to stay engaged with these conversations, consider ways to contribute that make sense for your skills and resources, and remember that the strength of WordPress has always been its community.
Until next month, keep building and sharing!
Happy WordPressing,
Nishat
Your WPMore Editor
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February 27, 2025
🌟 WordCamp Asia 2025 Side Events, WP Gallery’s Design Inspiration & Why the WordPress Sentiment Stays Strong Despite Drama
Discover the must-see events at WordCamp Asia, explore a new showcase of stunning WordPress sites, and learn why positivity still thrives in the community.
Hey WordPress friends,
✨ Welcome to WPMore! Your Snapshot of What’s Moving WordPress
Happy February, WordPress enthusiasts! Whether you’re gearing up for WordCamp Asia, hunting for design inspiration, or curious about the pulse of the WordPress community, this issue is packed with updates you won’t want to miss.
Let’s dive in!
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🚀 WordCamp Asia 2025: Side Events & Solutions Spotlight
Mark your calendars for February 20–22, 2025! WordCamp Asia is back with a lineup of side events designed to spark connections and supercharge your conference experience. From skill-building workshops to casual networking meetups, there’s something for everyone.
But wait—there’s a new addition this year: Solutions Spotlight! These 10-minute lightning talks from top sponsors like GoDaddy, Elementor, and Yoast will deliver quick, actionable insights during breaks at the Sponsors Hall stage. Highlights include:
GoDaddy: Maximize Your Agency’ Potential
Elementor: Build Sitemaps and Wireframes in Minutes
Hostinger: Simplify WordPress Growth
→ Check the full schedule here: WordCamp Asia 2025 Side Events | Introducing “Solutions Spotlight” – A Brand-New Experience at WordCamp Asia!
🎨 WP Gallery Launches: A Block Editor Design Showcase
Paris-based WP Gallery just debuted wp.gallery, a curated collection of the best WordPress block editor websites. Featured projects include sites from global brands like the Ford Foundation and Boom, proving the block editor’s versatility for any project.
Key features:
Daily updates with fresh, trendsetting designs
Free submissions for agencies and creators to gain visibility
A custom block theme powering the gallery itself (meta, right?)
Co-founder Yann Collet says, “We want to inspire confidence—WordPress isn’t just powerful for big brands. It’s for everyone.”
→ Submit your site or get inspired: Explore WP Gallery
💪 WordPress Sentiment Stays Strong—Despite the X Drama
Last fall, drama on X (formerly Twitter)—like the WP Engine vs. Automattic lawsuit and critiques of Matt Mullenweg’s leadership—made it seem like WordPress was in turmoil. But data tells a different story: 80% of sentiment across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube remains positive.
Nicholas Garofalo, WordPress.org’s Marketing Director, shared insights with the Repository:
X’s negativity peaked at 54% in October 2024 but rebounded to 82% by January.
Events like State of the Word drove 95% positive sentiment globally.
The community’s social following grew to 2.3 million, diversifying beyond X’s male-dominated, U.S.-centric audience.
Garofalo notes that while governance debates rage in niche spaces like Post Status Slack, most users “just happily use the block editor” without worrying about backend politics.
→ Dive deeper: Read the full report on The Repository.
On other WordPress News
→ Rare Case of Privilege Escalation in ASE Plugin Affecting 100k+ Sites: This blog post is about the Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) free and pro plugin vulnerability. If you’re an Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) user, please update the plugin to at least version 7.6.3. (patchstack.com)
→ WPGraphQL v2.0 is Here: What You Need to Know – This is a major update that includes breaking changes, so if you’re using WPGraphQL in production, please review the details below to ensure a smooth upgrade. (www.wpgraphql.com)
→ WordPress 6.7.2 Maintenance Release: This minor release includes 35 bug fixes, addressing issues affecting multiple components including the block editor, HTML API, and Customize. (wordpress.org)
→ Introducing GenerateBlocks 2.0: A New Era for High-Performance Websites (generatepress.com)
→ Report: WordPress in 2025 – Human-made’s report finds its way to the official WordPress.org blog. (wordpress.org)
From WordPress Community
→ I Read the “Official” WordPress in 2025 Report – It’s Just a Piece of Enterprise PR. A strong reaction on WordPress in 2025 report posted on WP.org blog. Worth Reading if you want to find out what happening in Enterprise WordPress. (wpshout.com)
→ Introducing Digg This: A social sharing plugin for WordPress® – Robert DeVore published a new social sharing plugin that simplifies sharing actions. (robertdevore.com)
→ SnapWP is now public! – rtCamp publishes a headless WordPress solution for a more secure, performant, and developer-friendly foundation. (rtcamp.com)
→ Experimenting with Conversational Voice AI – Rich Tabor clones his voices as an experiment. (rich.blog)
→ Making a Career From WordPress – In this episode of the WP Minute+ Podcast, Matt welcomes Laurence Bahiirwa, a WordPress developer at Freemius and the creator of the TechiePress YouTube channel. Laurence shares his journey from being a high school ICT teacher to freelancing and eventually landing a role at Freemius. He discusses how his YouTube channel played a crucial role in securing his current job, acting as both a portfolio and proof of his expertise. (thewpminute.com)
→ How to think about pricing on day 1 – If you’re stressing on how to price your software product on day 1, here are some principles you can use to make the whole exercise less stressful.
🌐 Wrapping Up…
From WordCamp’s buzzing side events to WP Gallery’s visual feast and the community’s unshakable optimism, WordPress continues to thrive. Whether you’re joining the action in Asia or building your next block-editor masterpiece, keep pushing boundaries—and stay positive!
Got a WordPress story to share? Reply to this email or tag us on social!
Cheers,
— Nishat
Curator, WPMore Newsletter
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P.S. Send this to your friends who are into WordPress, they will thank you for sure!
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February 19, 2025
Joost De Valk Banned! Human Library Returns, WordCamp Speaker Diversity Crisis & Sponsorship Rules Changes 📢 | WPMore – February 14, 2025

Joost de Valk banned from WordCamp Asia, trademark crackdown hits sponsors, plus why Asian representation at WordCamps remains a challenge…
Hey WordPress friends,
The WordPress ecosystem is experiencing significant shifts this month, from community tensions to evolving event dynamics and trademark policies. While some changes have sparked heated debates, others remind us why this community remains uniquely collaborative.
Let’s dive into the stories shaping our WordPress world this week.
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De Valk Banned from WordCamp Asia Amid Leadership Tension
The WordPress community was rocked this week when Matt Mullenweg banned Joost de Valk from WordCamp Asia 2025, publicly declaring him “persona non grata.” This dramatic development followed de Valk’s dinner invitation to Mullenweg in Manila, which sparked accusations of betrayal and resulted in de Valk’s WordPress.org access being revoked.
The tension stems from de Valk’s December call to reform WordPress’s governance structure and end Mullenweg’s role as “Benevolent Dictator for Life.” Progress Planner, a product from de Valk’s investment firm, has also been barred from sponsoring major WordCamps.
→ Read the full story from The Repository
WordCamp Asia’s Speaker Diversity Falls Short
Speaking of WordCamp Asia, the event is struggling to meet its local representation targets. Despite aiming for 60% Asian speakers, only 38% of speakers are from the APAC region. Even more telling, when excluding Oceania, Asian representation drops to just 27%.
Automattic’s presence at the event has notably increased, with 30% of speakers being Automatticians – up from 19% last year. This level of representation exceeds even what Salesforce maintains at their own Dreamforce events.
→ Read the full findings from WPbiz.dev
Trademark Crackdown Hits WordCamp Sponsors
The WordPress Foundation is tightening its grip on trademark usage, with Mullenweg and Executive Director Mary Hubbard now personally reviewing all WordCamp sponsorships. Companies must strictly comply with trademark policies, removing terms like “WordPress hosting” from their materials before approval.
This comes as the foundation expands its protected marks to include “Hosted WordPress” and “Managed WordPress,” with trademark applications filed across multiple jurisdictions. While some applications face procedural hurdles, the UK has already registered “Hosted WordPress.”
→ Read the full story at the Repository
Human Library Returns to WordCamp Asia
On a brighter note, WordCamp Asia 2025’s Contributor Day will feature the return of the Human Library, where attendees can have one-on-one conversations with experienced WordPress contributors. These “Human Books” include experts like Milana Cap, Riad Benguella, and Birgit Pauli-Haack, covering topics from documentation to block development.
Last year’s program sparked meaningful connections, with one participant even beginning to contribute to WordPress Core after their conversation. Sessions run throughout February 14th, offering both morning and afternoon slots.
→ Find out from the official WordCamp Asia Blog
Community Reaction of the Week
On other WordPress News
→ Introducing the new Woo: A revitalized brand for a new commerce landscape (woocommerce.com)
→ Tumblr to join the fediverse after WordPress migration completes
(Techcrunch)
→ Your Home for a Century: Our 100-Year Domains and Plans
(WordPress.com)
→ Sé Reed Accuses Matt Mullenweg of Retaliation After WordPress.org Ban (therepository.email)
From WordPress Community
→ Using Real News Skills to Cover What Happens In WordPress, with Rae Morey (publishPress.com)
→ Post Status Cache Up With Mary Hubbard (postStatus.com)
→ Does WordPress need a Radical Rethink in 2025? (YouTube)
→ Have you adopted a WordPress user? (Rich.blog)
→ My January in WordPress (aaron.jorb.in)
→ WordPress Wapuu: History & 145+ Stunning WordCamp Avatars (sitesaga.com)
If you are visiting WordCamp Asia 2025 next week Philipines, must-read these:
→ The Ultimate Guide to Philippine Culture: Travel Etiquette, Customs, and Key Phrases
→ Find the full WordCamp Asia 2025 Schedule
→ Meet Our Contributor Day Table Leads at WordCamp Asia 2025
WordPress Resource
→ 15+ Fastest WordPress Hosting Providers Compared (18,380 Individual Tests Between 2021-2025)(wpshout.com)
→ Easily manage multiple WordPress websites in one location. Backup, staging, migration and more with BlogVault (WPTutz)
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That’s all for this week’s roundup. It’s clear we’re witnessing a pivotal moment in WordPress’s evolution, with questions about governance, representation, and trademark enforcement taking center stage. Yet initiatives like the Human Library remind us of the community’s enduring strength – its people.
These discussions aren’t just about policies or personalities; they’re about shaping WordPress’s future. As these stories develop, we’ll keep bringing you the context and insights you need.
Until next week,
Nishat,
WPMore Curator
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P.S. What are your thoughts on these developments? Hit reply to share your perspective – I read every response.
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February 14, 2025