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The conversation focused on the rebranding of the WP Community Collective to the WP Open Community Collective (WPOCC) to avoid trademark conflicts and better reflect its broader open source focus. We chat about the current holding pattern in the WordPress community amid ongoing legal and industry uncertainty. We also explore the results of the recent State of the Community survey, highlighting both demographic insights and persistent community concerns. Sé raised points, including the need for unity, support for global contributors, and maintaining WordPress as a meaningful, empowering platform in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
The conversation focused on Livid, a newly launched video hosting platform positioned as a strong alternative to Vimeo, especially for users facing steep price increases following Vimeo's acquisition by Bending Spoons. A key theme that emerged was Livid's streamlined migration tools, including a free exporter and a robust WordPress plugin, making it easy to transfer and replace Vimeo content. The discussion explored customisable player options, flexible privacy controls, showcases for grouping content, and competitive bandwidth and storage pricing. Assurance of stable backing and infrastructure rounded out the deep dive into Livid's value for the WordPress and wider web community.
The conversation focused on WordPress's recent market share decline, with data showing a dip from a 36% peak in 2022 to 33% in 2026. Casey and I discussed the rise of alternative platforms like Shopify and Webflow, the impact of AI-driven site building, and WordPress' marketing challenges compared to competitors. We got into how plugin developers and agencies must reassess products and business models to stay relevant, and explored WordPress' open source advantage and questioned whether renewed emphasis on data ownership could help counter trends threatening community engagement and growth.
MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh has been struck off the rolls of Singapore lawyers after the Court of Three Judges ruled that his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee warranted his removal from the profession. Singh was convicted in February 2025 on two counts of lying under oath to the Committee of Privileges, in connection with former WP MP Raeesah Khan’s false account in Parliament in 2021. But what does being struck off actually mean for Singh and could the ruling have wider implications for his future as WP chief and an MP? We break down the legal and political implications with Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Nathan Wrigley, Rhys Wynne, Marc Benzakein, Bud Kraus. The conversation focused on recent WordPress news, including a surge in security vulnerability reports, new AI-related regulations in the EU, and the latest WordPress 7.0.3 and 7.1 releases. A key theme that emerged was plugin and site security, especially in response to AI and evolving threats. The discussion explored community initiatives like the WordPress Credit Program and improvements in accessibility documentation. Several points were raised, including new Playground UI features, the WordPress event calendar, and transparent handling of recent plugin security issues. Some lighthearted banter and personal reflections rounded out the episode.
AI Patch Development Fails, WordPress Login XSS Hits All Versions, and DEF CON's Biggest Security Lessons David Shipley covers new research from 1Password's Off By One Labs showing AI-generated vulnerability patches often fail: across 6,080 scored patches for six CVEs, only 26% fixed issues without changing behavior, 20% fixed while changing behavior, and 53.9% failed or introduced new flaws, with many "successful" patches deemed fragile. A critical WordPress login-page XSS (CVE-2026-64638, CVSS 8.9) affects every version ever shipped; fixes landed in 7.0.3 and were backported to 4.7, leaving older versions vulnerable, as CISA tracks active exploitation alongside the recent "WP to Shell" RCE. T he episode also details warnings about destructive OT attacks, a cyber incident forcing North Carolina ports into manual operations, and DEF CON talks on hacking 36M GPS trackers, misdirected "noreply" domains, and AI-driven HTTP desync research. 00:00 NordLayer Sponsor Message 00:37 Headlines And Intro 01:08 AI Patches Fail Often 03:19 WordPress Login XSS 05:40 Wipers Target Infrastructure 08:02 North Carolina Ports Hit 09:49 DEF CON Favorite Talks 10:15 GPS Trackers Takeover 11:28 Noreply Domain Email Leak 12:37 AI Finds HTTP Desyncs 13:47 Cliff Stoll Keynote 15:09 Wrap Up And Thanks 15:31 NordLayer Sponsor Close
For review:1. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the administration of President Donald Trump is escalating economic pressure on Cuba with an unprecedented sanctions campaign and warned that "there are no escape valves."2. Yemen's Houthis said they attacked an oil facility Sunday in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the latest attack by the Iranian-backed rebels on the kingdom.3. Nickolay Mladenov, the Gaza envoy of the US-backed Board of Peace, sought to dispel skepticism in Israel about the board's roadmap for the disarmament of Hamas in the Strip, arguing that the plan's full implementation is Israel's only “guarantee” of preventing a repeat of the October 7, 2023, massacre, and that it will be based on verifiable steps, rather than trust of the terror group.4. Iran on Monday said that it has no reason to be concerned about the new security pact between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, arguing that it is “a sign of a change in the perception” of countries in the region toward the United States, and not a threat to Iran.5. US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington was “low-keying” its approach to Iran and only “semi-negotiating” with the Islamic Republic, as it suffers in dire economic straits.6. Russia's Foreign Ministry has denied that Russian and German officials held talks in Azerbaijan last month to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.“There have been no official contacts with Germany regarding a settlement in Ukraine, nor are there any now.” 7. The US Defense Department has requested that American defense companies quickly boost their production and delivery of weapons amid an acute shortage of arms due to the Iran war, according to a memo reported on by the WP on Saturday.8. The Army has officially opened up four of its domestic testing ranges and one international range where private industry can blast off interceptor missiles they have developed with their own funds, in hopes of getting promising candidates into the acquisition pipeline faster.
The conversation focused on Niels Arts and his work on Clonable, a SaaS solution for managing multilingual websites. One concept discussed was how Clonable allows site owners to create separate versions of their websites in different languages, keeping them synchronised while permitting specific local changes. We also chatted about the technical method of scraping and translating site content automatically, rather than relying solely on plugins. The discussion explored translation quality, handling of updates, plugin integrations, pricing tiers, and the practical realities of running international websites.
Join Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Cami MacNamara, Alex Standiford. The conversation focused on recent developments in the WordPress ecosystem, including highlights from version 7.1, a new accessibility community initiative, and a modern revamp of the WordPress admin using AI. The discussion explored WordCamp events, educational initiatives, and marketing strategies for agencies and freelancers, emphasizing community engagement and business resilience. Several points were raised, including client feedback tools, plugin analytics, and innovative approaches in AI and content management. Insights into imposter syndrome, contributor retention, and the impact of large-scale email campaigns rounded out the key themes for web professionals working with WordPress.
Birgit Pauli-Haack and Anne McCarthy joined this “At The Core” episode to highlight what's ahead in WordPress 7.1. Anne, as release lead, outlined major features like responsive styling, persistent admin bar, and improved inline notes. Birgit emphasised practical upgrades such as the new image crop modal and customisable viewports. Both guests celebrated the retention of the Classic Block after strong community feedback. Anne also covered the collaborative editing outreach effort, while Birgit explained developer-focused changes and the importance of testing. Together, Birgit and Anne championed community transparency, robust security, and a smoother WordPress core experience. All very cool!
Join Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Marc Benzakein, Zach Stepek. The conversation focused on major WordPress developments, including the release of WordPress 7.0.2 and its AI-discovered vulnerability, updates in WordPress 7.1 beta 3, and the introduction of new Gutenberg features like playlist and tabs blocks. A key theme that emerged was the growing impact, both positive and challenging, of AI in web development and security. The discussion explored WordPress market share trends, accessibility requirements for themes, community initiatives and events, and the launch of experimental tools like a Canva-like page builder and a WordPress browser extension. Several points were raised, including plugin performance and strategies for community engagement.
Naszym gościem jest Grzegorz WątrobaKanał Okiem Devahttps://www.youtube.com/@OkiemDevaFoxy Dumplings na Steamhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/4184130/Foxy_Dumplings/Biblia optymalizacyjnahttps://github.com/GameDevGrzesiek/OptimizationBible INWESTORZY / WYDAWCY / JAK PITCHOWAĆ: https://github.com/GameDevGrzesiek/GameFunds/Podcast nagrywaliśmy w środę 22 lipca.(00:00) Foxy Dumplings I problemy indyków(18:08) Biblia optymalizacyjna i poszukiwanie inwestorów(26:10) Zwolnienia w Xbox(47:23) Czy konsola Xbox ma jakieś szanse?(50:35) Playstation, nowa generacja i koniec płyt(01:04:34) Wpływ GTA 6(01:16:20) Kryzys w branżyFoxy Dumplings - First Trailer 2026!https://youtu.be/ciY7bdpUcvc?si=fL9XxfsS8rsqVcKBGrupa Rock i Borys na FB - https://www.facebook.com/groups/805231679816756/Podcast Remigiusz "Pojęcia Nie Mam" Maciaszekhttps://tinyurl.com/yfx4s5zzShorty Rock i Boryshttps://www.facebook.com/rockiboryshttps://www.tiktok.com/@borysniespielakSerwer Discord podcastu Rock i Borys!https://discord.com/invite/AMUHt4JEvdSłuchaj nas na Lectonie: https://lectonapp.com/p/rckbrsSłuchaj nas na Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2WxzUqjSłuchaj nas na iTunes: https://apple.co/2Jz7MPSProgram LIVE w niedzielę od osiemnastej - https://jarock.pl/live/rockRock i Borys to program o grach, technologii i życiu
Chris Badgett and Steve Woody from WP Fusion have an uplifting discussion about entrepreneurship, the strength of the WordPress community, artificial intelligence, personal growth, and creating a meaningful online company in this episode of LMScast. Steve talks about his amazing path from web developer and agency owner to bestselling book, business adviser, and first WP […] The post Escape The Downward Spiral With Community And More With Steve Woody From WP Fusion appeared first on LMScast.
Today were talking about the creation and evolution of the Slidy Panel WordPress plugin, designed to offer customisable slide-in panels for block-based sites. We discussed the challenge of plugin naming and adapting to block directory requirements, and the impact of AI on the web development industry. We also got into the need for human expertise in bespoke website creation. Towards the end, we explored agency life, plugin marketing, and the necessity of adaptability in a changing digital landscape. As always, there's some humour thrown in, this time around careers, collectibles, and the unpredictable future of WordPress professionals.
Part 1: Christian talks to Dr Phil Armstrong about his many interactions with key economic thinkers, compiled in his book "Can Heterodox Economics Make A Difference?" Full conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast/posts/patron-only-what-163877515?pr=true Please help sustain this podcast! Patrons get early access to all episodes and patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast Relevant to this episode: "Can Heterodox Economics Make A Difference?" by Phil Armstrong: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/can-heterodox-economics-make-a-difference-9781800370883.html "Tax-Driven Money: Additional Evidence from the History of Thought, Economic History, and Economic Policy" by Mathew Forstater: https://tools.bard.edu/wwwmedia/resources/files/1238/WP%2035%20-%20Tax-Driven%20Money%20-%20Forstater.pdf "A Modern Monetary Theorist's Response to 'Weaknesses of MMT as a guide to development policy', Aboobaker and Ugurlu (2023)" by Phil Armstrong: https://gimms.org.uk/2025/09/17/a-mmt-response-to-aboobaker-and-ugurlu-2023/ "A modern monetary theory advocate's response to 'modern monetary theory on money, sovereignty, and policy: A marxist critique with reference to the Eurozone and Greece' by Costas Lapavitsas and Nicolás Aguila (2020)" by Phil Armstrong: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2329194X.2022.2051720 Our episode 132 - "Phil Armstrong: Greece, The Euro & Getting The Money Story Right" on the above paper: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast/posts/episode-132-phil-66829431 Episode 30 - Steven Hail: Understanding Government Bonds (Part 1) :https://www.patreon.com/posts/29621245 Episode 31 - Steven Hail: Understanding Government Bonds (Part 2): https://www.patreon.com/posts/29829500 "Federal Debt and Modern Money" by Steven Hail & David Joy: https://www.global-isp.org/wp-content/uploads/PN-121.pdf "There is no need to issue public debt" by Bill Mitchell: https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=31715 "How to Fight Back Against the False Idea that the Government is at the Mercy of Financial Markets" by Sheridan Kates: https://thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative/2025/3/10/scotonomics-monetary-autonomy For more on the (Liz) Trussageddon, listen to Episode 147 - Dirk Ehnts: Do Markets Control Our Politics?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-147-dirk-72906421 Join the MMT UK discord server to connect with others looking to promote MMT and ecological economics in the UK!: https://discord.gg/S3UbxFe4FR All our episodes in chronological order: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43111643 All our patron-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57542767 JOIN PATRICIA'S MMT ACTIVIST NETWORK (MMT UK): https://actionnetwork.org/forms/activist-registration-form Join the MMT UK Discord server to connect with others looking to promote MMT and ecological economics in the UK!: https://discord.gg/S3UbxFe4FR MMT: THE MOVIE! "Finding The Money", a documentary by Maren Poitras featuring Stephanie Kelton is now available worldwide to rent or buy: https://findingthemoney.vhx.tv/products/finding-the-money Updates on worldwide screenings of "Finding The Money" can be found here: https://findingmoneyfilm.com/where-to-watch/ To arrange a screening of "Finding The Money", apply here: https://findingmoneyfilm.com/host-a-screening/ STUDY THE ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABILITY! Details of Modern Money Lab's online graduate, postgraduate and standalone courses in economics are here: https://modernmoneylab.org.au/ For an intro to MMT: Our first three episodes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742417 Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318 Quick MMT reads: Warren's Mosler's MMT white paper: http://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/ Steven Hail's quick MMT explainer: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-modern-monetary-theory-72095 Quick explanation of government debt and deficit: "Some Numbers Are Big. Let Me Help You Get Over It": https://christreilly.com/2020/02/17/some-numbers-are-big-let-me-help-you-get-over-it/ For a short, non-technical, free ebook explaining MMT, download Warren Mosler's "7 Deadly Innocent Frauds Of Economic Policy" here: http://moslereconomics.com/wp-content/powerpoints/7DIF.pdf Episodes on monetary operations: Episode 20 - Warren Mosler: The MMT Money Story (part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/28004824 Episode 126 - Dirk Ehnts: How Banks Create Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62603318 Episode 13 - Steven Hail: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Banking, But Were Afraid To Ask: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41790887 Episode 43 - Sam Levey: Understanding Endogenous Money: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35073683 Episode 84 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 1): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46352183 Episode 86 - Andrew Berkeley, Richard Tye & Neil Wilson: An Accounting Model Of The UK Exchequer (Part 2): https://www.patreon.com/posts/46865929 For more on Quantitative Easing: Episode 59 - Warren Mosler: What Do Central Banks Do?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39070023 Episode 143 - Paul Sheard: What Is Quantitative Easing?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71589989?pr=true Episodes on inflation: Episode 7: Steven Hail: Inflation, Price Shocks and Other Misunderstandings: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41780508 Episode 65 - Phil Armstrong: Understanding Inflation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40672678 Episode 104 - John T Harvey: Inflation, Stagflation & Healing The Nation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52207835 Episode 123 - Warren Mosler: Understanding The Price Level And Inflation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59856379 Episode 128 - L. Randall Wray & Yeva Nersisyan: What's Causing Accelerating Inflation? Pandemic Or Policy Response?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/63776558 Our Job Guarantee episodes: Episode 4 - Fadhel Kaboub: What is the Job Guarantee?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41742701 Episode 47 - Pavlina Tcherneva: Building Resilience - The Case For A Job Guarantee: https://www.patreon.com/posts/36034543 Episode 148 - Pavlina Tcherneva: Why The Job Guarantee Is Core To Modern Monetary Theory: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-148-why-73211346 Quick read: Pavlina Tcherneva's Job Guarantee FAQ page: https://pavlina-tcherneva.net/job-guarantee-faq/ More on government bonds (and "vigilantes"): Episode 30 - Steven Hail: Understanding Government Bonds (Part 1):https://www.patreon.com/posts/29621245 Episode 31 - Steven Hail: Understanding Government Bonds (Part 2): https://www.patreon.com/posts/29829500 Episode 143 - Paul Sheard: What Is Quantitative Easing?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71589989?pr=true Episode 147 - Dirk Ehnts: Do Markets Control Our Politics?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-147-dirk-72906421 Episode 144 - Warren Mosler: The Natural Rate Of Interest Is Zero: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71966513 Episode 145 - John T Harvey: What Determines Currency Prices?: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72283811?pr=true More on bank runs banking regulation: Episode 162 - Warren Mosler: Anatomy Of A Bank Run: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80157783?pr=true Episode 163 - L. Randall Wray: Breaking Banks - The Fed's Magical Monetarist Thinking Strikes Again: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80479169?pr=true Episode 165 - Robert Hockett: Sparking An Industrial Renewal By Building Banks Better: https://www.patreon.com/posts/81084983?pr=true MMT founder Warren Mosler's Proposals for the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the Banking System: https://neweconomicperspectives.org/2010/02/warren-moslers-proposals-for-treasury.html MMT Events And Courses: More information about Professor Bill Mitchell's MMTed project (free public online courses in MMT) here: http://www.mmted.org/ Details of Modern Money Lab's online graduate and postgraduate courses in MMT and real-world economics are here: https://modernmoneylab.org.au/ Order the Gower Initiative's "Modern Monetary Theory - Key Insights, Leading Thinkers": https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/modern-monetary-theory-9781802208085.html MMT Academic Resources compiled by The Gower Initiative for Modern Money Studies: https://www.zotero.org/groups/2251544/mmt_academic_resources_-_compiled_by_the_gower_initiative_for_modern_money_studies MMT scholarship compiled by New Economic Perspectives: http://neweconomicperspectives.org/mmt-scholarship A list of MMT-informed campaigns and organisations worldwide: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47900757 We are working towards full transcripts, but in the meantime, closed captions for all episodes are available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp_nGVTuMfBun2wiG-c0Ew/videos Show notes: https://www.patreon.com/MMTpodcast/posts/episode-216-what-164455931?pr=true
The conversation focused on Amber Hinds' personal journey restoring faith in the WordPress community during challenging times. A key theme was how Amber's Accessibility Checker plugin has succeeded thanks to her relentless long-term effort, deep expertise in accessibility, and a strategic focus on higher-budget clients like agencies and enterprises. The discussion explored Amber's commitment to intentional marketing, collaborative teamwork, and showing up consistently rather than looking for quick fixes. Amber shared what marketing tactics worked for her, what she chose to leave behind, and the importance of playing the long game to build lasting WordPress product success.
Lato to świetny moment, żeby znaleźć sobie nowe hobby, na przykład grzyboznawstwo. Zostawmy innym rydze i podgrzybki, zajmijmy się mniej znanymi gatunkami. Zerknijmy na przykład na okratka australijskiego. – Wyrasta z jaja, nagle to jajo pęka i wychodzi z niego pięć czy sześć ramion czerwonych, elastycznych, które na początku są jakby zlepione ze sobą, a potem się rozchylają na boki, ukazując od strony wewnętrznej mazistą, taką zielonkawą, śmierdzącą ciecz – opisuje prof. Marta Wrzosek z Ogrodu Botanicznego i Wydziału Biologii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Nic dziwnego, że taki grzyb zwyczajowo nazywa się palcami diabła! A czerwony kolor i smrodek mają swoją funkcję: przyciągają owady, które rozniosą zarodniki grzyba dalej. Rozmawiamy dziś z o zaskakujących polskich gatunkach grzybów i miejscach, w których możemy je spotkać.
Join Nathan Wrigley, Sé Reed, Marc Benzakein, Alex Standiford. The conversation focused on current trends in the WordPress ecosystem, including the decision to retain the classic block, the release of an open source documentary, and concerns over declining plugin sales and community participation. A key theme that emerged was the shifting landscape caused by AI and changing community dynamics, with discussions on WordCamp US attendance, regional events, and plugin market challenges. The discussion explored alternatives to Meetup.com, highlighted the Yoast Community Fund recipient, and mentioned new tools like GatherPress and Fluent Player. Several points were raised, including the importance of open source, discoverability, and adapting to changing user needs.
What will be the impact of the latest WP 29 regulations on driverless mobility? Consultant and author Michael Sena joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 416 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus the path forward in NJ for driverless, Waymo, Tesla and more. Tune in and subscribe!
Well this is a different episode from the normal things we get into on WP Builds. It's about the intersection of human creativity and AI, sparked by a handmade zine (I did not know what that was) titled "Human Creativity in the Age of AI." Tess talks about the emotional and practical significance of creative processes versus AI-generated output. We explore how AI is 'democratising' access to creative tools, the shifting definition of art, and the ethical concerns around replacing human skills. Then there's the whole thing about the value of human ideas, imperfection, and individuality, even as AI capabilities rapidly advance and reshape artistic expression. Like I say, not your typical WP Builds podcast episode, but fun nonetheless!
The conversation focused on current trends and challenges in the WordPress ecosystem, with a key theme being the pervasive influence of AI, public perceptions across age groups, and ethical considerations. The discussion explored WordPress developments such as accessibility resources, core testing needs, and analysis of market share decline. Several points were raised, including major migrations like CERN's adoption of WordPress, job cuts at Elementor, the shifting visibility of WPBeginner in search, WordPress education initiatives, and sustainability in web development. Join Nathan Wrigley, Simon Pollard, and Mike Johnston!
Jacob Thompson of WinePress News discusses the emergence of centralized world government. He critiques multipolarity, arguing that both Western powers and the BRICS nations are ultimately working toward the same technocratic agenda overseen by the UN. He analyzes how digital IDs, CBDCs, and tokenization are being implemented globally to create a surveillance state that mirrors a “digital concentration camp.” The discussion also warns of controlled opposition within alternative media, suggesting that many influencers are disinformation agents tasked with lulling the public into accepting globalism. Finally, he reflects on the biblical implications of these events, viewing modern technological control as a contemporary iteration of the Tower of Babel. Escape the Technocracy Live Workshop (w/ Geopolitics & Empire)! https://escapethetechnocracy.com/product-escape-the-technocracy-live-workshop-season-2 Watch on BitChute / Brighteon / Rumble / Substack / YouTube *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Listen Ad-Free for $4.99 a Month or $49.99 a Year! Apple Subscriptions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/geopolitics-empire/id1003465597 Supercast https://geopoliticsandempire.supercast.com ***Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics American Gold Exchange https://www.amergold.com/geopolitics Escape The Technocracy (15% off w/ GEOPOLITICS!) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics Expat Money (FREE “Plan B” Report!) https://expatmoney.com/geopolitics PassVult https://passvult.com Sociatates Civis https://societates-civis.com StartMail https://www.startmail.com/partner/?ref=ngu4nzr Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites The WinePress News https://thewinepress.substack.com Website https://winepressnews.com About WinePress News The WinePress News is a Christian news and ministry website, covering a variety of current world events across various topics; providing additional thoughts and commentary through a biblical perspective. The WP also provides Bible studies and updates on prophetic events. *Podcast intro music used with permission is from the song “The Queens Jig” by the fantastic “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)
The conversation focused on generational attitudes towards AI, with a particular emphasis on skepticism among young people, how younger generations ideologically distrust big tech and perceive AI as "cheating," especially in creative fields like art and music. We also explored concerns about job displacement, changes in workplace efficiency, and the impact of AI on creative industries. Towards the ens we get into the inevitability of adopting AI to remain competitive, the environmental impact, and potential backlash against AI-driven content, alongside reflections on authenticity and the growing influence of major tech companies.
Znacie ten efekt, kiedy pryskacie wodą na gorącą patelnię i woda tworzy małe kuleczki zamiast wyparować? To tak zwany efekt Leidenfrosta. Po zetknięciu z gorącą patelnią część kropelki natychmiast odparowuje, a powstała para wodna tworzy cieniutką poduszkę. – Ta poduszka jest świetnym izolatorem termicznym, więc ona spowalnia przekaz ciepła pomiędzy patelnią a kropelką – wyjaśnia prof. Maciej Lisicki z Wydziału Fizyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
Join Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Marc Benzakein, Robert Jacobi. The conversation focused on the current state and future of the WordPress community, exploring issues such as the aging user base, challenges in attracting younger contributors, industry events, and market share trends. A key theme that emerged was the impact of AI on workflows and plugin development, as well as concerns about declining community engagement and WordCamps. The discussion explored plugin update delays, marketing approaches, the importance of relationships, and various new initiatives and tools in WordPress, including contributor dashboards and AI-powered design features.
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh fobbed off talk that he would face a challenge to his position at the party’s proceedings on June 28. The results from the party’s internal meetings showed that most party members are still very much behind him. What does this mean for the WP, and has the party turned the page on the saga involving Raeesah Khan? In this episode, I chat with Tham Yuen-C, senior political correspondent at The Straits Times who has covered WP for about a decade, and Dr Teo Kay Key, a senior research fellow at IPS Social Lab at the Institute of Policy Studies, who studies public opinion, and political and social attitudes. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:54 Is Pritam Singh invincible? 5:50 Who are the unhappy cadres? 8:27 What the “supermajority” vote says 10:46 Cult of personality around Pritam Singh? 16:10 Party stability comes first 20:15 “Pretty much business as usual.” 23:57 End of Raeesah-gate? Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg) Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN Filmed by: Studio+65 Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew Executive producer: Danson Cheong Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday: Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX -- #tup #tuptrfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The podcast today is all about the Shorthand plugin, a visual storytelling platform that helps create immersive, interactive content for WordPress. We find out how Shorthand enables news organisations, brands, nonprofits, and agencies to craft stories, reports, and proposals without extensive technical knowledge. The new WordPress plugin streamlines the editorial process, allowing real-time collaboration, and keeps content within WordPress. We also get into Shorthand's adaptability for alternative use cases, such as podcasts and annual reports, and also touch on its pricing model. The episode highlighted the growing demand for richer, more engaging digital storytelling. Go listen.
W czasie II wojny światowej Śląsk to ta część dzisiejszej Polski, w której sytuacja jest jedną z najbardziej skomplikowanych. Większość regionu przed wrześniem 1939 roku należała do Niemiec (potem zostaje wcielony cały Śląsk), więc jego mieszkańcy to obywatele Niemiec. Następuje pobór i muszą iść do wojska i walczyć w Wehrmachcie. Część z nich wchodzi jako armia okupacyjna do rejencji katowickiej. – To jest syndrom tego regionu, że ci, którzy wkraczali jako okupanci, byli jednocześnie tymi, którzy jeszcze 17 lat temu czy wcześniej mieszkali razem, jeżeli już nie w tych samych rodzinach, to w tych samych miejscowościach – opowiada prof. Ryszard Kaczmarek z Instytutu Historii Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. Z prawie pół miliona wcielonych do Wehrmachtu Górnoślązaków i Pomorzan 90 000 zdezerterowało i dołączało do polskich sił zbrojnych na Zachodzie.
Brian Winum returns to the Niche Pursuits Podcast to share his advanced SEO system for building authority across Google, AI platforms, and affiliate sites. He breaks down his WP multi-site strategy, including how a single domain can support 700 to 800 subdomains and help address indexing challenges. Brian also explains his use of LLMS.txt files, entity silos, tiered link building, EEAT signals, and AI automation. This is a packed interview for anyone interested in scaling content sites, improving AI visibility, and building stronger trust signals online. Sponsor: Quiet LightGet a free, confidential valuation at https://quietlight.com/! Links & Resources Learn more about Brian: https://brianwinum.com Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links? Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper Get SEO Consulting from the Niche Pursuits Podcast Host, Jared Bauman: https://www.nichepursuits.com/201creative
The conversation focused on the upcoming WordPress 7.1 release, new features, and community developments. A key theme that emerged was the challenge of organising and sustaining local WordPress events, including strategies for attracting speakers and attendees. The discussion explored multilingual support in the Make WordPress Slack, event funding and marketing attribution, and the pros and cons of paid event roles. Security concerns, recent supply chain attacks, and regulatory changes affecting EU site operators were also addressed. The episode concluded with announcements about meetups, resources, and a personal note highlighting a band performance.
Daj chwilę materiałowi na załadowanie z prywatnych serwerów i odśwież stronę.Tę rozmowę polecam Mugolom zapętlonym w Matrixie. Jeśli nie widzisz jeszcze, co może Ci dać Bitcoin - posłuchaj Maćka uważnie a po wszystkim koniecznie idź na BitcoinWalk!Dzięki @Maciek!Jeśli uważasz, że nasza praca ma jakąś wartość - ZAPie*dol nas na NOSTR Cały twardy pieniądz przeznaczamy na dalszą wolnościową edukację w języku polskim. Dołącz do polskiej społeczności Bitcoin na Telegramie. Zapraszamy na coroczny Bitcoin FilmFest w Warszawie!https://bujac.pl ⛓️ bc1q8m269ngu09zt4cg2menjts9vprpf2hf69wddad⚡️sats@bujac.pl------------------ Rezydencja podatkowa w libertariańskiej Prosperze Załóż offshore firmę w raju regulacyjnym, $300/rok, legalnie i niemal bez podatków.(00:00:42) Start nagrania w niedzielnej aurze i przedstawienie gościa Maćka(00:02:06) Jak powstał format i wsparcie community (Toxic Team, Nostr)(00:03:56) Bitcoin jako społeczność, nie szybkie bogacenie się(00:04:34) Droga Maćka: wolnościowe korzenie, etyka i krytyka przymusu(00:09:28) Pierwsze zetknięcie z Bitcoinem i rozczarowanie polityką(00:13:24) Wtręt kawowy i wsparcie projektu Bujać (Endo, community 21)(00:16:19) Hazard vs. edukacja: rozmowa z bratem i narracje o krypto(00:20:26) Od wykresów do idei: ścieżka edukacji, Saylor i niezatapialność Bitcoina(00:22:39) Dlaczego Bitcoin przetrwa? Nody, decentralizacja i brak SPOF(00:27:11) Co robi węzeł? Weryfikacja, zasady i unikalność cyfrowej wartości(00:29:28) Niewyłączalna sieć: TOR, stare laptopy i suwerenność kluczy(00:31:12) Fiat w praktyce: rachunki za prąd, mining domowy i energia(00:34:55) Twoje klucze, twoje monety: banki, giełdy i odpowiedzialność(00:36:21) Podaż Bitcoina vs. inflacja fiata i rola konsensusu(00:38:31) Oszczędzanie w BTC, cold storage i płacenie w równoległej gospodarce(00:40:09) Transakcje poza systemem: prywatność, podatki i wolna wymiana(00:43:20) Deflacja i rosnąca siła nabywcza Bitcoina dziś i jutro(00:45:21) Dlaczego mimo to wydawać BTC? Filantropia i realne użycia(00:47:00) Bitcoin jako narzędzie dla dysydentów i ofiar cenzury finansowej(00:52:30) Nie trzeba pozwolenia: odporność na odcięcie prądu i alternatywne kanały(00:55:02) Cypherpunki, kryptografia i prawo do anonimowości(00:56:39) Prywatność w praktyce: Samourai, gotówka i konsekwencje walki(00:57:51) Wieszaki z platyny i 12 słów: przenoszenie majątku przez granice(01:00:04) Sovereign Individual: mobilność kapitału jako tarcza wobec państwa(01:03:02) Nauka przez działanie: podcast, prowadzenie rozmów i Bitcoin Walk(01:05:01) Po co społeczność? Nauka, wsparcie i projekty w Polsce (BTC Map, 21)(01:08:14) Oddzielić Bitcoin od krypto: hype, scam i lekcje z kasyna(01:12:31) Praca w giełdzie krypto i droga „z gówna do Bitcoina”(01:13:36) Wpływy medialne: McCormack, WBD i zmieniająca się scena(01:15:09) Wolność przez oszczędzanie: co dalej po wyjściu z Matrixa?
Czy wiesz, czym naprawdę kierujesz się jako trener, nauczyciel lub coach sportowy?
The conversation focused on the integration between WooCommerce and YouTube, enabling merchants to showcase and sell products directly through their YouTube channels. We discussed how the Google for WooCommerce plugin simplifies syncing WooCommerce inventory with YouTube, allowing product overlays within videos and store tabs on channels. The discussion explored the importance of authenticity and trust in influencer marketing, YouTube's role as a powerful search and shopping platform, and practical requirements for using these features. A key theme that emerged was making social commerce accessible and streamlined for merchants. Go listen...
The conversation focused on WordPress news and broader tech topics. Key themes included grill brush injuries!!!!, the US government's ban on new AI models, debates around social media harm and age restrictions, and reflections on recent WordPress developments such as the CERN website migration from Drupal, WordPress Mercantile's redesign, and the Five for the Future initiative's new pledge and profile pages. The discussion explored WordPress event formats, plugin security vulnerabilities, and community engagement challenges, highlighting the need for volunteer enjoyment and adaptation as WordPress evolves. Go listen...
The conversation focused on Angie, Elementor's AI-driven tool for WordPress, highlighting its integration, ease of use, and ability to generate custom code snippets and widgets without requiring Elementor's page builder. A key theme that emerged was the evolving role of AI in web development, blending rapid AI-generated first drafts with refinements through traditional interfaces. The discussion got into how Angie facilitates both creativity and efficiency, supports best WordPress practices, and safeguards site changes through sandboxing. Several points were raised, including Angie's token-based access model and its fast-growing adoption with over 30,000 active installs.
The conversation focused on WordPress community updates, recent trends in plugin and security landscapes, and user concerns over AI integration and site management practices. A key theme that emerged was the impact of AI on plugin vulnerabilities and security workflows, with organisations like Wordfence and Patchstack adjusting policies in response to AI-driven threats. The discussion explored declining contributions within the WordPress project, responses to major WordPress events, and controversy surrounding plugin installations and repricing by companies. Several points were raised, including community engagement, transparency, and the importance of user consent in product changes.
Introducing Russell Aaron I didn't learn WordPress at a fancy college or career academy. I graduated from the University of YouTube. My internship was the Las Vegas WordPress Meetup and WordCamp Vegas. The rest I learned building mortgage company platforms, working for casinos, inside managed WordPress hosts, and at some of the best WordPress development and support shops on the planet. Show Notes For more on Russell, check out his website: https://russellenvy.com Transcript: Topher DeRosia: All right. Here we go. Hey folks. Russell Aaron: And three, two, one. Topher DeRosia: Hey folks. Welcome to Hallway Chats. I’m Topher, and I’m here with Russell Aaron. I assume I pronounced that right, because it’s not that hard, but you never know. Russell Aaron: You know, so many people call me Aaron. They’ll tag me and they go, “Thanks, Aaron.” And I’m like, “You know, it’s Russell, but it’s cool.” Topher DeRosia: Yeah, nice. All right. Well, I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day from you talking about podcasts having the same people on episodes all the time. I thought, “Oh, I gotta have that guy on my podcast.” Because then you can’t go on any other ever again, because then you’ll be that guy. Russell Aaron: Maybe. Topher DeRosia: So, I snooped a little. You live much closer to me than I expected. Have we met? Did we meet at a WordCamp? Russell Aaron: I think we met at WordCamp Ann Arbor one year. Topher DeRosia: Oh, okay. I went to a whole bunch of those. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I think I spoke 2018, something like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I was probably there. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. So tell me where you live, what you do, all that kind of stuff. Russell Aaron: I currently reside in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I am just freelancing as of right now. You know, I live in a pretty small town where it’s kind of old school WordPress, if you will. Anyone who is worth their salt keys will remember a day when websites were not responsive or a business has a cousin of a friend of a brother who builds websites and, “Hey, he’s working on it,” and three years later, there’s still no new website. I kind of live in a town where I’m kind of getting back to my grassroots, where I stay up late at night with my insomnia, and I will roll up to a business and I will say, “Your new website can look like this today. If you pay me this much money, I will install it today, and this is your new website.” And it’s got your updated menu, and it’s responsive, and it works on mobile, and we can connect it to AppPresser and make it an app and stuff like that. So I’m kind of reliving the glory days of what I remember WordPress to be. Topher DeRosia: I’m also freelancing right now, sort of by choice, sort of not by choice. Somebody I’m married to would rather I had regular pay and insurance. Russell Aaron: Heard that. Topher DeRosia: Are you in the same boat, or did you do this on purpose? Russell Aaron: I did this on purpose. I was not working for the man, but I was working with some people. I’m over the tiny little granular things that somebody can fire you over. Like they’re watching if your mouse moves or they’re watching if you haven’t logged in. There’s just no more trust, I feel like, in so many cases. And so I know that I can do things better on my own, and I’m going to. Topher DeRosia: I have to admit, I love the freelance life. It is pretty special. Russell Aaron: Right. It’s almost like… what’s that movie? The 40-Year-Old Virgin, where they are making a website and they’re like, “Hey, Spider-Man 3’s on in five minutes. Let’s go watch it.” Like they totally ignore their job and they just go watch this movie now. It’s kind of like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah. For me, it’s doing stuff with my wife. She has a day job, but it has kind of chaotic hours and not specific days of the week. And so I work when she does, which sometimes is Saturday and Sunday, and then I just don’t on Tuesday and Thursday. That’s pretty great. Russell Aaron: I’m kind of in the same boat. My wife has a wonderful job, and she is with a great group, and she does global advocacy. I mean, she just deals with people that are happy with the product, and she keeps them happy. She does lots of stuff like that. I’m kind of the same thing, where their company is now starting to get into AI, and they have so many questions, and I’m over here building things with AI and doing things like that. So I’m not exactly consulting, but my ideas are going into their company through my wife. Topher DeRosia: My wife works at a grocery store, and they have a cash machine they use in the back office that runs Linux. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow Topher DeRosia: And the IT guys had to come in and do some work on it, and she saw the screen and she’s like, “Oh, is that Linux?” And I’m like, “Who are you, and what do you know?” Super nerd. So what’s your company name? Do you have one, or is it just WP Pro Support? Russell Aaron: WP Pro Support. Topher DeRosia: WP Pro Support. Okay. Do you concentrate more on support, or do you build more? Russell Aaron: I have been doing support since 2011. I formed my very first support company, and I launched it the same day that Shane Sanderson launched Maintainn. My buddy, who you might know, John Hawkins, I was at the Vegas WordPress Meetup Group, and I had the idea in Vegas WordPress Meetup Group where there’s 70 people sitting right here behind me and they all want help. And I was like, “How do I do this?” So I built my first thing where I gave everybody free-for-life support, and they were my test group, if you will. And they helped me work out my bugs and tickets, and they helped me work out how I actually operate and do stuff like that. Then when I launched it, literally that day, John goes, “Wait, have you seen this?” And we had no idea about each other, but we literally launched them the same day. Fast forward three years down the road, I ended up working for Maintainn when it was owned by WebDevStudios. But everything I’ve done in WordPress has been support, whether I’ve worked for a mortgage company, a casino in Vegas, hosting with Liquid Web, doing stuff with NerdPress or AppPresser. Everything I’ve done is support. That’s really where my passion is because I remember what it’s like being a first timer. I think that there is a huge market potential here of people are always going to be new. I don’t care who you are. There’s always somebody new walking in the door, and there has to be a person who will sit down and say, “Come here, I’ll hold your hand.” And I am that person. I always try to look at WordPress from that lens is if a new person is looking at this today, are they going to be happy? Are they going to be confused? And I go from there. So currently today I’m transitioning away from support as we know it, where you write a ticket and then somebody on the other end is like, “Hey, I fixed your site,” or whatever. And I’m transitioning to a new product that I’m working on. So I’m going to be getting away from traditional support, but I’m still going to be doing things in the support space, if that makes sense. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that makes sense. When I first got into WordPress, it was 2010, and custom post types were brand new. Russell Aaron: Right? Topher DeRosia: And I was out of my element with WordPress. I did not know what I was doing, but I did know PHP, and no one else knew post types yet. So when it comes to that, I was on an equal footing, and that was my way in. That was my leverage. I made a lot of money in the early days just building custom post types. Russell Aaron: Custom post types and single-posttype.php or whatever. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So I was a competent PHP guy who didn’t know WordPress. And I feel like we’re in kind of the same transition space right now with AI, where we have tons of competent WordPressers who don’t really know AI yet. I think there’s a great space for that, teaching our friends, teaching everybody we’ve known for 10 years in WordPress. You know what I mean? Russell Aaron: I do. That’s one of the things that I really love about WordPress is that… let’s take the new 7.0 that just came out, I think it re-leveled the playing field. Before this came out, there were people that were ahead of others when it comes to patterns or blocks or the command palette and stuff like that. But now I think with this, we’re back to an even playing field because every… I mean, not exactly. There’s still some people who know AI a lot better than others, but you’re always five minutes ahead of somebody and five minutes behind somebody else. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. Russell Aaron: But I do think that with 7.0, a new level playing field has come out. And now is the time to start learning, or you got to wait until 7.1 comes out where that new level playing field comes out. But that’s what I love about WordPress is that it continues to happen. Like you said, CPTs. I still love CPTs. I think they’re one of my favorite things. I look at all of these features, you know, page builders, another time when the playing field was leveled again. Now you learn page builders and then shortcodes and then this and then that. I think that’s the one gift that WordPress keeps giving is that you might be out of date six months from now, but then 7.1 comes out and you’re caught right back up. Topher DeRosia: Right. Yeah. And while you’re five minutes ahead, you quick do a WordCamp talk. Russell Aaron: Yes. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: For that long, you know more than other people, right? Russell Aaron: At least it’s on video, right? Topher DeRosia: Right. I was an expert for a minute and a half. Russell Aaron: That was my 15 minutes of fame. Topher DeRosia: What is your WordCamp life like these days? When was the last one you went to? Russell Aaron: The last one I went to was in Vegas, 2018. It was at the Plaza Hotel, which I worked at. When John was putting that together, in Vegas we had a wonderful space, and it was called The Innevation Center, and it was at a data facility called Switch. And they donated so much to us, and we are so grateful to them. And then they kind of had a change in their policy where they weren’t doing things, and then they overpriced how much it would cost to hold events and stuff like that. I was working at a hotel, and so we had this giant convention space, if you will. And so because I was able to pull some strings, we got a great, great discount, all food paid for. I mean, all of it. So that was my last WordCamp. The after party was on top of a pool deck, and there was pickleball courts, and there was a pool, and there was an open bar. I mean, it was rad. That was my last one. I have kids now. My kids are seven and eight and so my WordPress travels have slowed. No, I’m sorry. I take it back. WordCamp US last year was my last one, where we went scorched earth. That’s what I call it. I call it WordCamp scorched earth. Topher DeRosia: I was there for that one. I used to go to a lot every year. Go to- Russell Aaron: Five, six? Topher DeRosia: Five and 10. But since COVID, I think maybe just US every year. It’s weird to just go to one. Russell Aaron: It is. And just US, it’s almost like we used to have what I used to call regional events, where I lived in Vegas, I would hit up WordCamp Orange County, then I’d hit up San Diego, then we’d hit up LA, and then we’d make our way up to Portland, and then maybe if San Francisco did one, and then Phoenix. I did all my regional stuff. And then every once in a while I would venture… I mean, I love WordCamp Minneapolis. Love the people up there. Love so much about that event. Used to do that a lot. What’s the one in Ohio that I used to go to? Topher DeRosia: In the teens, there were five in Ohio. And being in Michigan, I used to just cruise down there. Russell Aaron: It’s a three-hour, three-and-a-half-hour drive, huh? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: About that. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: At the time, I was working for a company that was paying me to go to WordCamps. I had to make the case for each one, but it was a really simple case for all the Ohio ones because I didn’t need a plane ticket. I just drive over there. It’s like five in Ohio. There was Ann Arbor, there was Detroit, there was Grand Rapids, there was Chicago. I mean, there was almost 10 WordCamps within a three-hour drive of me. Russell Aaron: That’s beautiful. Topher DeRosia: It’s just not there anymore. Russell Aaron: I was very fortunate to work for companies like WebDevStudios, where I could tell them, “Hey, I got into WordCamp Minneapolis. I’m going to speak there.” And because I’m speaking there, they would reimburse me X amount of dollars for something, and then they would sponsor the WordCamp, and then they would make a thing out of it. I mean, I was very fortunate in being able to do that. Then I worked with a really great company called NerdPress, and they are a fantastic group of people that do the same thing. And then I ventured out into different straits, and it was very much different. I’ll say that much. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Those are good times. Russell Aaron: It’s almost like… the way that I put it is it’s like we all graduated. We all did our four years of college, we all graduated, and now we went to our temp jobs or we went to our internships. Like the band broke up. Topher DeRosia: Yep. Yeah, it is a lot like that. I have seen generations of WordPressers. There was all the crew before 2010 that were downloading zip files and hacking themes to even get them to run. Then there was after 2010, and custom post types were new and stuff. And then there’s the whole Gutenberg generation that never experienced all that crazy theme stuff. Russell Aaron: I mean, you tell people that child themes were so new that people didn’t even grasp the concept of a child theme, and today it’s so baked in. It’s not even something that people think about. It’s just you install this and the child theme, and it’s a thing. But I remember writing those by hand. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. No kidding. Then to a certain extent, not even having child themes anymore because nothing is stored on the file system. Russell Aaron: I love it. I love it. In my very first WordCamp talk in Vegas 2012, I made a prediction that everything was powered by the theme. Everything used to… I mean, that’s as far as I go back is every template was the same. It was left column, right sidebar, header, and every page, whether you liked it or not, looked like a blog post. And it wasn’t full-width, responsive. I remember a lot of that. And then corporate themes came out, and then cupcake themes came out, then lawn company themes came out, and then the rise of Envato and stuff like that. That’s a good name for a band, The Rise of Envato. Topher DeRosia: I’d go see them. Russell Aaron: But all that stuff comes out. And then you look at it now and it’s like, that seems so far away. I still remember the day that I learned about child themes, and I’ve never forgotten that. And I think, coming back full circle, that’s why I stay in this beginner support space because I’m kind of keeping that nostalgia around, I guess. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. There’s a lot of joy in watching people’s eyes light up when they get it. Russell Aaron: That’s the best part is just telling people what’s possible. When they’re frustrated with something and you go, “Oh, hey, Gravity Forms can do that.” And they’re like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And they can also do… And I just start naming stuff. And I show all 50 extensions that they have and they’re just like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” I’m like, “This starts getting radical when you’re into it.” Topher DeRosia: There’s something I miss from old WordPress that I don’t see in modern WordPress. It might not be a thing. And that is dramatic new styling with a theme the instant you install it. My wife is not a computer person and does not care about computers. She loves design stuff. There was a time we used Winamp. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher DeRosia: And she loved getting skins for Winamp. And she would download 30 in a day and try them all out. And then when I set her up for the blog the first time and showed her the theme repo on .org, this is in 2011, she would literally spend a day just downloading theme after theme after theme. Russell Aaron: Same way. Topher DeRosia: And you just install it and poof, your site looks amazingly different. These days, I mean, you install something like Kadence or GeneratePress or Ollie or any of them, really, and it’s kind of a blank canvas. Russell Aaron: It’s very minimalist. It’s very minimalist. Topher DeRosia: I miss the ability to say, “I feel like making a change today,” and two minutes later, your site looks completely different because you’re using… Russell Aaron: Couldn’t agree more. Couldn’t agree more. I mean, I look back at old pictures from when I would host the meetup group in Vegas, and there’s pictures of me talking, and then on the screen behind me is my old site, and it was this old layout. I bought the theme from Envato because I was just fascinated with it. It was everything that I wanted it to look like. But same thing is now when you change your theme from this one to that one, that dark grunge kind of thing is gone, and now you’ve got this bootstrap-looking thing or whatever. I agree with you. I think that comes from my days of being in MySpace. That’s how I got started with all this. So you could change your MySpace template like that, and I think that’s where it comes from, at least for me. Topher DeRosia: I haven’t even looked into it. Can you make a Gutenberg-based blog theme that has a very striking look and just release it? And then, I don’t know, just release a whole bunch of them like in the old days? Theme shops had 35 themes for sale, and they all looked different because they were all totally different themes. Russell Aaron: I remember there was a day on Envato where it was the same theme, it was just rebranded. So it was like theme name 1.0, and it was called Atlas. And then it’s the same theme but in orange, and now it’s 1.2, and it’s called Dungeon or something. And then we have 1.3 again. Same theme, same framework, but each version was named something different. It made that developer look like they had five different products instead of just one over and over. Now you look at something like a page builder, and it’s like, “We’ve got 500 different templates in one thing.” I can’t do that. I think that’s too much for me. Topher DeRosia: It’s like the days of the CSS Zen Garden. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: HTML is the same, CSS changes. Before I used WordPress, I built my own blog system. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: It never got super advanced, but I used it for 10 years. One of the things you can do in your HTML is register alternate stylesheets. It’s the same tag, it’s just an alternate word in there. And then in Firefox, at least, you can go under “view Page Style”, and they would all be listed there, and you can just choose different themes. I figured out the JavaScript, even though I didn’t know JavaScript. I figured out the JavaScript to make a little dropdown box in my sidebar so my visitors could say, “Oh, I want to change my theme here.” I never figured out how to do that in WordPress because everything was so tied to style.css. I didn’t know how to make a different one be the main one. But that’s something else I miss in WordPress is the ability to just so dramatically and dynamically change your design because your content is structured so well. Russell Aaron: You know, not only that, but I really liked the websites where there was a demo, and then it gave you a basic username. The username was demo, the password was demo. But then the one thing I never figured out was how every 24 hours the site would just reset. So somebody can go in there and they could do whatever they wanted to do. They could create their own pages. They could create their own blog posts. And for 24 hours, there was a page called Russell’s Awesome. But then after 24 hours, it would just reset. I always thought that was so cool, but I could never figure out how to do that. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. And everybody was editing all at the same time, within that 24-hour period. Russell Aaron: I have since restructured my website. I use the block theme from WebDevStudios. I kind of feel like that’s where I got my education from. I was somebody who kind of dabbled around in WordPress, and then when I went to go work with them for three years, they had a set of standards that I couldn’t even fathom to begin with. But then as we built things and I saw how their machine works, how their business revolves, I was like, “You know, for me, this is the way that I like to do things, is the way that they like to do things.” And so my new website… I mean, not new website, but it’s my new theme, I actually had AI build it for me. I had Claude. I was using… It’s by ThemeIsle. Neve. I was using Neve, one of my favorite themes. Love them. So I was using that, and then my site was kind of all over the place. It was an “I’ll teach you how to do this”. That’s kind of the main focus of my site is I will jump on a call with you, and whatever questions you have, I’ll sit here for five hours with you if you want. I will teach you and until you get it. But then I also had this section about band names that were just… earlier when we were talking about the rise of Envato, you know, like I would have a section on my blog where you could create a new band name and then I had all these random blog posts. And so my website was kind of like this potluck, if you will, just like this random stuff. And I was like, you know, I want to be doing something else. I think my website needs to change. And I have those old blog posts still, but they’re hidden. So now with my new theme, I had AI look at my old site and say, this is what I think we should do. I picked out some colors and over like five days, I had it build me five different HTML pages, like completely different, you know? And then I started giving AI and I said like, “Okay, I want to look like this.” And then I was like, well, okay, I like this and I like this, but I also like this from this other site.” So I started feeding it information and like when the HTML came out, I had 12 different templates. I had my blog posts, I had my archive, but I had everything built in HTML. And the cool thing about the WDS block theme is that it serves everything as an HTML page. So I literally just took AI and said, “Take these HTML pages, bake them into how this theme does it,” and bam, my site came up. I had it done in maybe two days. Topher DeRosia: Wow. Russell Aaron: And then after that, I had it take all of those HTML pages and create me patterns. So now I can go in, and when I go into my full site editor, I can go to patterns, I have all my homepage patterns, my blog patterns, I sliced everything up, and they’re all WordPress native blocks. So I can literally go in and change the coloring on any page I want instead of having to edit the HTML or anything. And now that I have that, I feel this sense of freedom where I’m not worrying about an update coming tomorrow, if my update is gonna break or I don’t have to read a changelog that is not specific anymore. I can’t stress how much I love not having to read changelogs or the lack of changelogs. I mean, I’m fully happy with how things have come out. And over time, I’m gonna keep fine-tuning it, but I’m pretty much where I’m at right now. With all of this new technology that’s come out, I’ve really kind of found my love again for WordPress. I was kind of in a slump where I just wasn’t really doing anything. Now I take my son and we’ll drive down to Louisville, Kentucky. He rides BMX. So while he’s racing, I will literally have Claude Code open on my computer and I will log into the Claude app on my phone and I can keep sitting there having the same conversation. So this new thing that I’m building, I can still do it while I’m sitting there watching him race or while I’m doing something else. I was just like, this is fantastic. And then my wife will drive home and I’ll just sit there and I talk into my phone, I literally put the microphone on and I’ll be like, “You know, I don’t like that. And here’s my thoughts about this.” And you know, my phone dictates all of that and then I send it to my computer through the app and it just keeps spinning things up. Then by the time I get home, I have a new version that I can demo or I have a new version that I can test. I mean, I am just so fascinated by it. Topher DeRosia: That’s cool. Were we at WebDev at the same time? Russel Aaron: I don’t think so. Topher DeRosia: I was there just over three years ago. Russel Aaron: I was there 2015 through 2018. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. I came much later. I was only there for like two months. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. They were gonna get a big contract that hired a bunch of people and two months later didn’t get the contract and let us all go. Russell Aaron: As much as I hate that, that also taught me that the people that do great work or the people that show up every day and are putting in more than they’re getting out, those are usually the people that stay in companies like that. That really changed my work ethic. I used to be somebody who wanted to be not lazy, but I didn’t wanna be pressed for time or having to go, go, go and having to be on all the time. Now, I’m the opposite. Now, I’m like, now that I’ve done that, I kind of earn for that stretch for a little bit. I mean, you were just saying that how you’ve transitioned to where you are. I was watching a Barstool Sports interview with a guy who runs a pizza shop in… it’s either New Jersey or New York. The guy’s only open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And he’s only open nine to six or something like that. And he built that business… well, it’s been in his family for like 60 years or something. He has one of the last original pizza ovens ever. But anyways, the point is, is that he lives at the pizza place, that’s where his entire life is, but he built the business around his life. I’m doing the same thing where if I wanna literally go jump on my bike right now and go for a two-mile ride, I’m gonna go do that. And I don’t have to feel like, hey, you’re not logged in and we’re not tracking your mouse. Like what’s happening? How come you’re not on Slack? You know what I mean? I’m not tied down to that. And I can’t stress that enough of like, that is where I wanna be. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah, it is a good life. We are at about the time to wrap it up. Okay. So I’m gonna do that. Where do you hang out online? Russel Aaron: Where do I hang out online? Topher DeRosia: Are you in any common WordPress Slacks? Russel Aaron: I’m on the main WordPress Slack sometimes. I tend to watch more than I do involve anymore. A long time ago, I used to be very vocal and I used to be not afraid to walk in to a room guns blazing. With the big cultural shift that happened in WordPress, I tend to just sit back now and be more self-reserved. So I post on my website, russellenvy.com. I’m on LinkedIn. I’ve been utilizing Reddit a lot too. I think for me, Reddit is a place where I kind of disagree with the fact that you can hide behind a pseudonym, but I do like the brutal honesty that people will have because they are hiding behind something and they will say, dude, this flat out sucks. Or they’ll be like, Hey, this is great, but it would be cool if, or somebody can be like, “Hey, that already exists. You’re not doing anything new.” I do like that. Because it kind of not puts me in my place, but it shows me either how connected or disconnected I am to what I think I’m doing. And so Reddit is a very great place. I mean, everything is russellenvy.com except for Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Russel Aaron: Where do you hang out at? Topher DeRosia: I am in probably 40 slacks, but the vast majority of them, I don’t look at. I’m there so that someone can ping me. I’m in a couple of slacks in India. Okay. I’m in the WordPress Italian community Slack. Russel Aaron: That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Post status make, of course there’s a hero press Slack. I have my own company Slack, my local meetup has a Slack. There’s just a lot of them. I wouldn’t say I’m super active on any of them. I just occasionally interact with somebody. I use my own company Slack to invite my clients in when we talk there. Russel Aaron: Right. Do you find yourself reading things more than, you know… from the outsider looking in, I post a lot and it looks like I post a lot… I mean, especially on LinkedIn, but I’m always consuming more than I’m posting. Do you find yourself doing that? Like where you’re… maybe not keeping up with the trades anymore, but like, you know… I used to read maybe 1,500 blog posts a week and then… what was that service where you could like save…? I used to have a service where you could save articles and then that way, late at night, I would just read, you know, maybe 10 or 15 of them a night. But now I look at things like Reddit where I see… I just look at somebody who’s going on there and asking for help. Again, it’s a standard WordPress person that, hey, I’m new to this, I don’t know how, and I’m looking at it and I’m just like, how can we make that better? That’s kind of where I’m at these days. Topher DeRosia: I don’t read a whole lot in Slack. It really is for my convenience. I’m pretty active with my RSS reader. I follow a lot of stuff. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: Because I don’t wanna go chase it all down all over the internet. So, you know, there’s that. I’m on LinkedIn a fair amount, Facebook a little bit. I’m on Mastodon and Blue Sky mostly just to post stuff. It’s funny, I have more followers… No, let me say it this way. Mastodon, I have the fewest followers, but the most engagement from those followers. Russell Aaron: Isn’t that interesting? Topher DeRosia: Yeah, I’ll post something and I’ll get some favorites or reposts or whatever. Blue Sky, I get almost nothing at all, despite the fact that I have like a thousand followers there. Russell Aaron: But Blue Sky is a community that is fast-moving. I almost compare it to anything Meta has, which is you can post today right now and in three minutes you’re 785 posts down. That’s what I really love about Reddit is that I posted something about this AI team that I’m building that I give away for free on GitHub, and so for like five days, I was the number two post on that subreddit. And the volume that I saw from that. I mean, Reddit really loves human writing. If you go in there, you post something that somewhat seemingly might suggest that you had AI do anything with it, they will just downvote it. But if you write original and you write from the heart and stuff, like your stuff skyrockets there. I’ve learned a lot from Reddit because of that. Topher DeRosia: That’s really cool. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. All right, well, thanks for chatting with me. Russell Aaron: Thank you for the time. Topher DeRosia: And now you can’t be on anybody else’s podcast. Russell Aaron: I’m actually starting my own, sir. Topher DeRosia: Are you? All right. Russell Aaron: I have, like you said, the reason why we started this is because you saw something from me that says, “I’m tired of the indie circuit,” if you will. I put out a LinkedIn post, I don’t know, maybe a month ago at this point and I asked people if they wanted to be on a show. So I have WP Roundtable. I got that from Kyle Mahler, a person who I love in WordPress more than I can express. One of the best people on the planet, I feel like. I was thinking about starting that up again, because we don’t have WP Watercooler anymore. We don’t have anything like that. That’s kind of where I got my start from. But again, I also identify that that’s kind of the problem is that every Monday or Friday I was on a show and I was one of the people that you would see constantly. And so I was sitting there thinking and I was like, what doesn’t the space have? What kind of show do I wanna watch? Because I don’t watch shows when they come out, do you? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I always watch them maybe four weeks down the road at like 2:30 in the morning when I have nothing going on. And by that point, the information is almost stale. I mean, the way that anything works these days. And there’s a few that I might watch maybe within 48 hours of coming out, but at this point, there is something… a new idea that myself and… the guy’s actually an automatician. And so it’s actually kind of interesting because we don’t wanna say anything that would put him in a position to where he’s saying something bad about the company he works for, but I’m also the person where I get to say something to the person who works at Automattic to maybe incite some change. So we are working on something like that, but it’s not going to be an interview show. It is not going to be something where you tune it out or you put it on a 2.5 playback speed just to get through it. You know what I mean? And that’s really what the emphasis of my post was about is that so many of the interviews go that way. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Are you familiar with wppodcasts.com? Russell Aaron: Yes. Topher DeRosia: Okay, good. So when you get it started up, submit it there. Russell Aaron: That’s a place. I’m very fascinated by Gary Vaynerchuk. Are you familiar with Gary V? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I watch something Gary V every day. That guy makes me feel like I’m lazy every single day, but he is also one of the people that says like, “Hey, you’re 40, you’re still just a baby.” A lot of people feel like I should be two kids, a house, marriage, this, that, and because I’m not, I’m behind the ball. And he’s one person that’s like, “Listen, you’re still a kid.” And he’s like, “You’re 40, I’m 40, and you have 10 years until you’re 50.” And even then you’re still so young to where you can generate something again and from 50 to 60, you can now do. That kind of mentality really moved me around. Why I bring that up is, I’m trying not to post on the same places that everybody else is. I wanna find that new venture. Substack is a great one. And they also have a way to release podcast episodes through them. So they can actually be your entire engine. So like you don’t have to host them on different places and stuff like that. So I’m looking for different plays like that. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Well, I look forward to hearing about it when it comes out. I’m sure you’ll post on LinkedIn. Russell Aaron: Yes, yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. All right then, well, I will maybe find you on Slack or Reddit or someplace. Russell Aaron: Slack, Reddit, LinkedIn. Either way, please keep in touch. First of all, it’s great to see somebody familiar in the space. It’s great. I mean, just talking about the old days, I could sit here and do it forever. Topher DeRosia: All right, I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right, so that was the end of the podcast. If you could send me a headshot. And yep, that’s the one. Cool. And any links you want in the liner notes. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: And two or three sentences about you and what you do and whatnot. Russell Aaron: Cool. I noticed that you… are you trying to revive Hallway Chats? Or is it something that when you just find something interesting, you’re like, hey, I’ll go do that. Topher DeRosia: That’s it right there. Russell Aaron: Okay. Sure, sure. Topher DeRosia: There was a time when it was a weekly podcast and now it’s a whenever I feel like it podcast. Russell Aaron: I love it. I think that’s the biggest reason why I’m trying to do something different is I really dislike watching a podcast. The first thing they do is they come on and they go, “Hey, welcome to WP whatever. Hey, sorry we didn’t post this week. I was bit…” If you are gonna say you’re gonna post every Wednesday at one, that’s on you. But I do not like when things start off with an apology. Like just get to it. Because I’m not watching it Wednesday at one. I mean, unless you’re Joe Rogan, or unless you are somebody who has a huge following that people will watch you live because it’s important. Otherwise, it’s just consumable stuff, you know? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. For years, I posted it Heropress weekly on Wednesday without fail. I would ignore my family to go get it done. Then I was talking to Morton Rand Hendrickson. You know him? Russell Aaron: Uh-huh. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, he’s a huge fan of Heropress. And I said to him, “Do you read every week?” He’s like, “Oh no, not at all.” He’s like, “Oh, I thought you really liked it.” And he said, “Oh, I love it. But I don’t have time to read every week.” Every few months I’ll get depressed about the WordPress community and I’ll go read 10 essays. And then one time I was at WordCamp Ann Arbor, probably the same one you were at and Josepha came to me and said that… she was kind of a sounding board for employees that come to her and said, “Listen, I’ve been working support all day and people suck and I’m depressed and I hate life.” And she would just listen for a while and then at the end they would say, “Okay, I’m gonna go read a bunch of Heropress and I’ll feel better.” And it really changed my perspective of what I was making. I wasn’t making a weekly publication. I was making an archive, a collection to be used as a tool, a library. Russell Aaron: I’m gonna say this poorly, but it’s almost like you are creating a support help hotline where it’s like, if you’re on the verge of blowing up your website, please call this number. We’ll talk you down from it. It’s almost like you’re building that. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. And then now you’re just selective about it or you’re so far- Topher DeRosia: I’m less aggressive about finding essayists and less insistent that they get it to me by a certain time. Like I would find somebody and say, listen, I need it by Sunday on this date. And they were like, “Okay.” And that worked for a while. Russell Aaron: Oh, before, before. Okay. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. But now I’ll find somebody… No, I don’t go looking as often. Russell Aaron: You’ll maybe find something that somebody wrote and you’ll be like, “Hey, are you interested in doing this?” Topher DeRosia: Yes. And I don’t find people as often. I used to find my people on Twitter and I’m not on there anymore. Russell Aaron: Like by personal choice? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I just left Twitter. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. You feel like your life improved? Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I feel the loss of what Twitter was. And it’s not there anymore. It’s just gone. Russell Aaron: Especially around WordCamp and stuff like that. That used to have to be the place that you’d be on, you know? Topher DeRosia: The Twitter I loved doesn’t exist anymore. And so, yeah, I feel that loss. Russell Aaron: I need a t-shirt that says that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Wow. I’m in the process of making a printable store. Printable? Printful. Printful store. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: With Woo, to make a video with. I need to make a bunch of products. Maybe I’ll make one of those. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Wow. You just flat-out left X. Do you feel like with Heropress, it was… and again, this is why I made that post, is that people almost see it like they can make the rounds. And it’s like, well, I haven’t gone there yet. And so they’re gonna submit something to you because they’re gonna get some press out of it. And it’s not so much what’s best for your brand or it’s not best for your website. They just see it as, well, I’m gonna get some exposure there. Do you feel like it used to be that? Topher DeRosia: No. I’ve gotten maybe two or three submissions ever like that. And a couple of them, I was able to say, “No, that’s not what we’re about. It’s this other thing, what Heropress is actually about.” And they’re like, “Oh, well, okay, that’d be great.” And they do that. And maybe one or two people have said, “I built this great company and everyone should come use my company.” Like, no, not so much. Russell Aaron: Interesting. Topher DeRosia: And that’s the end of it. Russell Aaron: I remember back in, I wanna say like 2013, people used to call each other out and be like, why are you giving the same speech at WordCamp Miami, WordCamp Minneapolis, WordCamp San Diego. And that’s kind of where I was at with that same LinkedIn post. It’s like, I really, really enjoy watching Matt Cromwell’s show, but the guy that he just had on also was on Jonathan Denwood and was also on this one. It was also on, I was like, I’ve already seen this. Maybe I get three more percent information that wasn’t in that last, or because Matt knows a little bit more about personal stuff in WordPress or building a business, he might have some more insight there, but it’s like, I’ve already heard this and I’m kind of already over it. And that’s kind of where I was at is you don’t have to just say, I’m gonna do this one and that’s it. But it’s almost like, you’re making yourself not… what’s the word. Not credible because you’re going around and saying the same thing and it’s just, you’re not doing anything different than a blog post could have done. Topher DeRosia: You know what I mean? I don’t feel too bad about repeating WordCamp talks because, especially at small camps, because a lot of people are just gonna go to their local camp and never go to another one. And unless they cruise.tv, they’re not gonna see it. I struggle a little bit with podcasts because I’ve been asked a lot over the last 10 years to come on a podcast and talk about the story of WordPress. And it’s the same story every time, you know? And so, I’ll try to mix it up a little bit, give different information that I’ve never given before, that sort of thing. But it is something I think about and struggle with a little bit. Russell Aaron: What do you struggle with about it? Topher DeRosia: I don’t wanna just say the same thing over and over again. You know, I don’t want people to go, oh, Topher’s on another podcast episode. Oh, I’ve heard this story. I don’t need to be on this episode. Fortunately, it’s been around long enough that I can give a brief synopsis of the beginning and talk about stuff that’s happened in the last couple of years. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: Which is gonna be really different from the podcast episode I was on in 2020. Russell Aaron: You know? Right. Topher DeRosia: It’s an interesting dilemma when you have one story to tell and everybody wants you to tell it. How do you deal with that? Russell Aaron: Well, I’ve noticed that too. It is like, you know, I’ll watch [Insert Famous Name Here], and they have a podcast, and they’re interviewing, again, [Insert Famous Name Here], and that person was also just on That Famous Name and That Famous Name. I actually saw somebody, it’s like almost a year ago, and they were just like, “Do you want me just to say this so your show has this speech in it or are you genuinely asking me?” Because, you know, like you want this story so you can post it on your social media. But I’ve already given that story 15 different times because they wanted it for their own, you know? And it’s almost going that way where I kind of respect it in a way because you don’t want to post other people’s content. But I also feel like I’m tired of saying the same shit over and over again. It’s interesting, man. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that’s a dilemma. Russell Aaron: So you’re just like kicking back and… are you building something for you that you think is gonna scale or are you trying to get away from WordPress? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. I have always wanted to… I’ve always been better with people than code. I’m a life coach. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I did not know that about you. Topher DeRosia: I love talking to the client more than coding. I love helping people learn things. And so those skills could be anywhere in WordPress, but also could be anywhere outside of WordPress. So I’m looking for those jobs and they are not out there. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: So here we are. Russell Aaron: I’m to the point now where my son, he’s eight, but he races BMX, like actual bikes and stuff. And so there’s a college here in Indianapolis and it’s one of the best cycling schools in the country. And there’s like five Olympians that practice every Tuesday and Thursday and they’re right in our back door. These are people that have a great social following, but they don’t post very well. They have a brand name, but they don’t have a website. So I’m noticing that every new space that I go into, it’s kind of like I get to jump back into WordPress again, where it’s like, hey, I just built a website for this BMX track in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s one of the best tracks in the country by everybody that has ever raced in a sport, they all vote that it’s one of the best, but they don’t have a website period. I just went through this where they have a guy, he’s their treasurer and he’s like, “Well, I’m an AI software guy.” And I’m like, “Well, how come you don’t have a website?” And he’s like, “Well…” And I’m like, “Listen, I submitted a new version of a we… literally, I uploaded it to my Russell website or to my Russell Envy site and I just put it in a sub-folder and I was like, “Your website could look like this today.” I was like, “For free. I don’t want anything from you. No free anything.” I was like, “I want to donate this to you because I want to grow the sport.” And the guy’s like, “I wanted to build it and React.” And I’m like, “Well, why didn’t you?” And the guy’s like, “Uh.” And I’m like, “I have free hosting for life from WPEngine.” And I was like, “I won’t charge you guys ever. I will host a site. I have free with AppPresser. I’ll build you guys an app where you guys can send push notifications.” And the guy’s like, “Well, I want to have a lot of control and say over it.” And I was just like, “All right, you know what?” And then I built my own. Now I own a domain all about their BMX track and now they’re calling me going, “We should have went with you.” I’m to the point now where I’m nice. And then it’s just like, “Dude, I’m 10,000 miles over you and I’m going to go this way.” Liquid Web did that to me. Liquid Web brought me in and they were like, “We’re going to…” I was supposed to be the OG stellar WP. They brought me in, I was hiring all my friends and I was bringing in people and we were building something. And then they called me and they were like, “Well, you can either be a level two support person or you could just not work here.” And I was like, “Well, I don’t work here anymore.” And they were like, “Well, wait, hang on.” And I literally hit “click” and I have never logged on since. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: I’m in that same boat where, you know, I don’t have to work for you. You know what I mean? Like, fuck, I’m 40. I should be doing something on my own anyway. I kind of wish I had… what was WP 101? Sean did that for all those years. I wish I would have done that. Or every week, I should have had some YouTube about talking about something and maybe I could have monetized that, but I’m not behind the ball. I let the ball slip is what I feel like. Topher DeRosia: It’s not too late to start. I picked that up when Sean, quit and I’ve got a YouTube channel with a bunch of stuff on it. I published one today. Russell Aaron: Oh wow. It’s just interesting things that you think about, or is it like educational, like tutorials? Topher DeRosia: It’s educational tutorials, but stuff that I find interesting. Like today I made a desktop wallpaper for WordCamp Europe. Russell Aaron: Nice. Topher DeRosia: And I did it by going to their webpage in my browser and using the console to hack the HTML and CSS until it looked like a screen, a wallpaper. Russell Aaron: That’s fucking cool. Topher DeRosia: So I published it right before I’d started talking to you, like minutes before that. And it has three views. Russell Aaron: Woohoo. Topher DeRosia: But a couple of weeks ago I did one called fun and games in the terminal. And it’s how to play Tetris in the terminal and how to make a choo-choo train go across your screen when you type LS wrong. And it has 784 views right now. Russell Aaron: That’s awesome. Topher DeRosia: I did one on how to brighten a photo. I did a series. I’m working on a series called Topher learns how, or I talk to people who know how to do things that I really should know how to do, but don’t. I talked to Scott Kingsley Clark about pods, which has been around forever, but I’ve never used. I talked to Donata about Termageddon, because I know it’s important, but I have stayed away because I don’t understand and it’s scary. Russell Aaron: Termageddon. I’ve never heard that. Topher DeRosia: Oh. You know the little cookie consent things, privacy policies and whatnot? Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So when you sign up with term again, you pay a surprisingly low monthly fee and they have a human get on the phone with you and talk through your requirements of where you live, your legal stuff. Like, are you in Europe? Are you in California? Where are you? Where are your customers, your viewers? Then you drop in a short code for your privacy code and for the cookies and they keep them up to date based on how the laws change. So you don’t have to pay attention to, Oh, did California make some crazy new law about cookies? What do I need to do to update my site? It’s really, really great. So I did an interview with her. Russell Aaron: $12 a month or $119 a year. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: What is the point of having a privacy policy if you don’t pay extra for limiting your liability? Wow. That’s amazing. Topher DeRosia: It is. Russell Aaron: That’s someone just thinking outside the box. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I have a couple of videos where I was given an account at a hosting company that I’ve never used and videoed logging in for the first time and getting to a website. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Just from first login to setting everything up to now you have something production. Wow. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Specifically not reading the docs. Russell Aaron: Oh, just trying to brute force your way through it. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: That’s smart, dude. Topher DeRosia: It’s partly about… well, they may have wonderful docs. It may be super easy to do if you read all the docs. I don’t want to read the docs. Russell Aaron: Me neither. Topher DeRosia: Clickety clickety click, I have a website. So I did GreenGeeks. I did honesthosting.io. I did X cloud. So that’s the kind of stuff I’m doing. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. That is something that, that Gary V talks about a lot is that it used to have to be where you are this WordPress brand and you do just this and all your videos could only be about that. Anytime you stepped outside the box, people were like, “Why am I watching this?” And today now we’re to finally to where my website would probably actually thrive is it’s so random. It’s just something out of my head and one thing can skyrocket and it’s like hitting the jackpot, you know? That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Another thing I did is I made a site called topher.how and because I realized I had never really made stuff in my own channel. I’ve been blogging for decades, making videos, WinningWP. I have over a hundred videos on WinningWP. Russell Aaron: WinningWP? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Did you start that when Charlie Sheen started doing Winning? Topher DeRosia: No, no, no, no. But I was thinking, boy, I’d love to have all this stuff on my own website, but I don’t want to go find it all and copy paste posts. And then I realized nearly every place I’ve ever made content has RSS for their authors. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: And so I found the sites, found my author RSS feed and started piping them into WP all import. And now topher.how has all my content from the last 15 years on a dozen different sites, doesn’t more than a dozen different sites, all my videos, all my posts, everything on wordpress.tv, all that stuff. So it’s kind of a portfolio. Yeah, so you can go to topher.how and see all my stuff. Russell Aaron: That was actually one thing that I was really proud of was that my entire WordPress journey is documented on somebody else’s project. So, like you go to WPwatercooler and my resume, what is great about it is that it is not me who can edit those videos, it is not me who can master them. Those words are there. Those words are me. You want to know my qualifications in WordPress, there’s all my shit. For me, I was like, “That’s actually pretty sick. You know what I mean?” Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher.how. Oh, dude, do you know who Jeffrey Zinn is? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: Oh God. Him and Brandon Dove they have Pixel Jar. Have you ever heard of Pixel Jar? Topher DeRosia: Maybe. Russell Aaron: They’re big West coasters. I’ll tell you that much. He just wrote me, “He literally just said, dude, how do you find the time to write so much on LinkedIn? I enjoy all your stuff, but mostly I’m blown away by the volume.” Topher DeRosia: Nice. Russell Aaron: I’m going to write him back and just tell him the truth. But you know, it’s all thought man. Interesting. Topher, I’ve had a lot of fun. Am I taking up your time? Topher DeRosia: I should get back to work. Russell Aaron: All right, sir. Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right. I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Bye. Topher DeRosia: Bye.
Today, the podcast is focused on the practical and personal impact of AI in daily workflows and business operations. One theme that emerged was the creation of a custom AI-powered journaling and knowledge management system, Navigator, used for personal insights, team collaboration, and onboarding. The discussion explored how AI provides a “second brain,” enhances memory, and enables more intentional business strategies. Several points were raised, including privacy concerns, the evolution of AI in work life, and its transformative effect on team communication and productivity. The episode highlighted both the opportunities and challenges posed by integrating AI deeply into business processes.
The conversation focused on WordPress 7.0's release, highlighting major features such as the new WP AI client, a modernised dashboard, improved revision tracking, enhanced gallery blocks with lightbox effects, and refined responsive controls. We also get into the delay and removal of collaborative editing due to technical challenges, discussion on performance, host involvement, and future release cycles. The discussion explored Automattic's “radical speed month,” new browser extensions, plugin updates, and ongoing relevance of classic themes. Several points were raised, including community engagement in testing, leadership changes in the AI team, upcoming events, and the ever-present topic of the weather!
Nathan Wrigley interviews Lovekesh Kumar, a WordPress engineer at rtCamp, about WPM, a new, secure, Go-based package manager for WordPress plugins and themes. Lovekesh explains the pain points of managing plugins in enterprise environments, especially regarding premium plugins and security. WPM centralises package management, resolves dependencies, handles private and public plugins, and verifies packages with cryptographic signatures. The episode covers the motivation behind WPM, its features, adoption process, and its focus on improving supply chain security and workflow efficiency for WordPress developers and agencies.
Nathan Wrigley interviews Marcus Burnette, about his new project, wellplayedwp.com, a membership platform offering a growing library of eclectic WordPress, Elementor, and WooCommerce plugins under a single license. They discuss Marcus' background in the WordPress community, the inspiration behind the project, pricing strategies, and the types of plugins available. Marcus also touches on his educational tech projects, including a classroom library tool and the relaunch of Flip Quiz, a Jeopardy-style classroom game platform. Also check out his work The WP World! Go listen...
This episode covers the delay of WordPress 7.0 and the removal of real-time collaborative editing from its release, citing technical and performance challenges. The discussion explores newly emerging features in WordPress, including the rapid development of custom post type and custom field management in Gutenberg, AI's growing influence in the ecosystem, supply chain security efforts, and innovations like WordPress Desktop Mode. The hosts also touch on recent community events, challenges facing large WordPress gatherings, industry layoffs influenced by AI, and ongoing efforts to improve plugin and site security.
In this episode, Ania and Roy tackle one of the hottest debates of the digital age — is being an influencer a real job? They discuss what influencers actually do, the role of creativity vs controversy, platform censorship, and whether influencers are celebrities or salespeople. Packed with modern, relevant Polish vocabulary around social media, work, and digital life.
Nathan Wrigley interviews Giles Beckley, creator of WP Goose (Goose Commerce), a new WordPress e-commerce plugin designed natively for Elementor with a unique desktop app and built-in AI functionality. Giles explains the platform's benefits: custom database structure (not custom post types), streamlined management via the desktop app, security features, and granular styling through Elementor widgets. The episode covers feature highlights, flexibility, and current early-access pricing. There's an invite for early adopters to give feedback and an announcement of plans for a full launch at WordCamp Europe, positioning Goose Commerce as a modern WooCommerce alternative for Elementor users.
This episode covers key developments in the WordPress ecosystem, including recent security issues with plugins, upcoming features in WordPress 7, and experiments from Automattic developers such as reimagining WP Admin as a desktop OS. The panel discusses the importance of AI governance, new community initiatives like WordPress Student Clubs, and notable product launches, including a suite of utility plugins and a professional development platform. The episode also highlights practical tools for productivity and shares insights on the evolving landscape for WordPress professionals and users.
Nathan Wrigley interviews James Welbes, about his journey in the WordPress space, his early frustrations and eventual embrace of WordPress, and the transformative impact of AI on web development. They discuss the rapid evolution of AI, its effect on productivity, and the culture shifts occurring as people interact more with AI tools. James shares his experiences building apps with AI, the changing value of WordPress, and trends of developers moving away from traditional platforms. The episode explores the societal and psychological aspects of AI while reflecting on the fast-changing tech landscape.
This episode covers the delay of WordPress 7.0 due to performance concerns with collaborative editing, the introduction of a new contributor tool for WordCamp events, insights from the latest State of WordPress Agency report highlighting increasing challenges and agency burnout, and a new initiative at Automattic allowing selected staff a month to pursue independent projects. Additional topics include recent community events, a new theme launch, and issues with WooCommerce subscriptions auto-renewals impacting revenue. The discussion get into the need for specialisation, adaptability, and proactive evolution within the WordPress ecosystem.
In the fourth and final episode on Parasitology with Terrie Porras, the discussion shifts to tapeworms. Understanding what parasites do to our bodies, how we can contract them and how we can mitigate them is an essential part of any whole body health education. Keeping your body fully nutrified creates a PH environment that is hostile to parasites. Additionally using an anti-Parasitic like WP (offered at BardsNationHealth.com) twice a year helps kill off parasite development. #BardsFM_HealthAndWellness #Parasitology #TerriePorras Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com MYPillow promo code: BARDS >> Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939. EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS26: TreadliteBroadforks.com EnviroKlenz Air Purification, promo code BARDS to save 10%: www.enviroklenz.com Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here If you wish to support this podcast directly you can donate here... DONATE: Click here Mailing Address: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740 Sutherlin, OR 97479
John Gaspar welcomes Dr. Ronald Tang to the show this week. Dr. Tang is a 5x NHC qualifier with 2 cashes in those 5 events. He is one of the best $2 WP players in the country.