Apple Journals & Day One | Matt Mullenweg
Important Takeaways:
- Apple announced its own Journal app at WWDC, which competes with Automattic’s product, Day One.
- Day One has a few advantages over Apple’s Journal app. One of them is the upcoming feature of Shared Journals, which allows fully end-to-end encrypted shared private journals with friends and family.
- Another advantage of Day One is its cross-platform availability. Unlike Apple’s Journal app, which is limited to Apple devices, Day One works on all Apple devices, Android devices, and the web.
A Place of One’s Own, in Noho – Automattic Design
Important Takeaways:
- Automattic has a unique office space in Noho, New York, which is described as a “magic space” with unobstructed views of lower Manhattan.
- The office design is inspired by the aesthetics of jazz clubs and features collections of mid-century vintage furniture, art and design books, and original art pieces.
- The office is designed to be a practical and elastic canvas for diverse uses, and it reflects the rich aesthetics of Automattic’s multiple creative tools.
- The office space is not just for work; it also serves as a socializing and connecting space for Automattic employees.
Linking to Supporting Orgs – Make WordPress.org
Important Takeaways:
- The post discusses the need for a dedicated page on WordPress.org to link to independent organizations that support WordPress’s mission of democratizing publishing.
- These organizations are not officially part of WordPress but offer valuable resources and opportunities to get involved.
- The proposed structure for such a page includes an introduction, organization categories, organization listings, updates and announcements, and contact information.
- The organizations should align with the mission of WordPress, adhere to a code of conduct, and actively contribute to the WordPress community or the broader mission of democratizing publishing.
- A vetting process is suggested for adding organizations to this page, including initial screening, detailed review, contacting the organization, decision to list, and periodic review.
WordPress Accessibility Day Gains Nonprofit Status Through Partnership with Knowbility – WordPress Accessibility Day
Important Takeaways:
- WordPress Accessibility Day, a virtual 24-hour conference focused on accessibility best practices for WordPress websites, has gained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status through a partnership with Knowbility.
- The event was initially started in 2020 by the WordPress core Accessibility Team and was revived in 2022 by Amber Hinds and Joe Dolson as an independent event.
- The 2022 event was a success, with 11 organizers, 1604 attendees, and 20 volunteers from 52 countries. After all event expenses were paid, WordPress Accessibility Day donated $2,000 to Knowbility.
- The partnership with Knowbility allows WordPress Accessibility Day to gain nonprofit status, making donations tax-deductible in the United States. It also provides access to Knowbility’s accessible online event planning resources.
- The 2023 event will be held from 10:00 AM CDT (3:00 PM UTC) on Wednesday, September 27th, until 10:00 AM CDT (3:00 PM UTC) on Thursday, September 28th. The event will be live captioned and have sign language interpreters.
One Equity Partners acquires cloud services provider Liquid Web and forms new holding company, CloudOne Digital
Important Takeaways:
- One Equity Partners (OEP) has completed the acquisition of Liquid Web, a provider of managed cloud services, forming a new platform known as CloudOne Digital.
- The senior leadership team of Liquid Web will transition to expanded roles in the new, larger CloudOne platform with Jim Geiger as CEO, Carrie Wheeler as COO, and Joe Oesterling as CTO.
- Liquid Web, founded in 1997, operates 10 global data centers with more than 500,000 sites under management. With its brand acquisitions, CloudOne Digital will serve over 187,000 clients worldwide.
- CloudOne Digital will offer a broad portfolio of cloud products that meet the needs of web-dependent small and mid-sized businesses, cloud servers for developers and businesses with highly persistent, compute-intensive workloads, and managed private cloud for mid-market businesses that require enterprise-grade infrastructure and solutions.
- OEP plans an aggressive expansion strategy for CloudOne Digital, aiming to combine and integrate complementary businesses in the multi-cloud infrastructure segment.
WordCampers Demand Changes to Q&A Format – WP Tavern
Important Takeaways:
- WordCamp attendees are calling for changes to the Q&A format at live events, citing issues with attendees abusing the format for self-promotion or not asking relevant questions.
- WordPress Core Committer Felix Arntz suggested that questions taking longer than a minute should be asked informally at a later opportunity.
- Arntz proposed several ideas to improve the Q&A format, including submitting questions to a central platform for upvoting, discarding lengthy questions, and providing mandatory training for emcees on handling problematic Q&A situations.
- He also suggested making Q&A optional, depending on the speaker’s preference, to create a more inclusive environment for speakers.
- The feedback received on Arntz’s Twitter thread was largely positive, with other attendees offering their own suggestions for improving the Q&A format.
New Filter Controls: Discover “Commercial” and “Community” in the Theme and Plugin Directory – Make WordPress.org
Important Takeaways:
- New categorizations were introduced in the Theme and Plugin Directory in late 2022 to enhance the browsing experience. These filters categorize plugins/themes as “Commercial” and “Community.”
- The “Commercial” filter allows users to discover themes and plugins developed by professional companies and individuals who offer their products for a fee. These premium options often come with dedicated support, advanced features, and customization options.
- The “Community” filter showcases themes and plugins created by the WordPress community. These products are often developed by passionate individuals who share their work for free or follow an open-source philosophy.
- The introduction of these filter controls is part of an ongoing effort to improve the browsing experience and refine the visual aspects of the Theme and Plugin Directory as part of the site redesign.
- Users are encouraged to provide feedback on these updates and try out the new filter controls.
The Power of Community: A WordCamp Europe Sponsorship Story
Important Takeaways:
- Barn2 Plugins sponsored WordCamp Europe (WCEU) for the first time in June 2023. The experience was described as a great opportunity for networking, brand exposure, and team bonding.
- The company spent a total of €13,256 on the event, including sponsorship costs, travel and accommodation, team t-shirts, WordCamp tickets, and other related expenses.
- The sponsorship booth was a key part of their presence at the event. They created a quiz for attendees, with winners receiving premium swag items. The quiz was a success, with 145 participants.
- The team also produced a video showcasing some of their most popular plugins, which was displayed at their booth.
- The author, Katie Keith, highlighted the difficulty in calculating the return on investment (ROI) for sponsoring a WordCamp. However, she emphasized the intangible benefits, such as increased brand awareness, networking opportunities, and team building.
Sustainability Team • Supporting Organizations • Commercial & Community Themes & Plugins • Pattern Curation – Post Status
Important Takeaways:
- The WordPress Sustainability Team has been established with the main objective of embedding sustainable practices into the WordPress community and its processes, focusing on ensuring longevity socially, economically, and environmentally.
- Several organizations exist to support the work of WordPress, such as The WP Community Collective and HeroPress. A proposal has been made to display such supporting organizations.
- Filters have been introduced for Themes and Plugins to distinguish between Commercial and Community efforts. The Patterns Directory is considering using filters for displaying all patterns associated with a theme.
- The post also includes a roundup of other WordPress news, including updates on WordPress 6.3 and 6.4, WP-CLI releases, community events, core updates, design updates, and more.
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