The Month in WordPress – May 2023
May has been a month of celebrating WordPress and the open source community that makes it possible. In honor of the project’s 20th anniversary, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy reflected on this journey and the opportunity to build a better future for those who come after:
The more our community invests in itself and supports one another, the stronger WordPress and the open source software movement become.
Josepha Haden Chomphosy in Celebrating 20 Years of WordPress.
Read on for highlights of this milestone and the latest updates in the WordPress space.
WordPress at 20
May 27, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of WordPress’ first release. Since its inception by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little in 2003, the project has transformed the digital publishing landscape and enabled millions of people to craft their stories.
WordPress enthusiasts from all over the world gathered at more than 130 events to celebrate this important milestone. WP20’s commemorative book, Building Blocks: The Evolution of WordPress, was published in tandem and documents some of the most significant moments and changes of the last decade of the project.
The anniversary date may have passed, but the festivities and fun aren’t over. You can still join a meetup, sign the #WP20 From Blogs to Blocks campaign birthday card, or participate in #WP20 social celebrations.
Join Josepha Haden Chomphosy in Episode 55 of WP Briefing as she looks back at the 20 years of WordPress and how the community made WordPress what it is today.
WordPress 6.3 is expected on August 8
Work on WordPress 6.3 officially kicked off with the announcement of its development cycle and release squad. Set for release on August 8, 2023, this version will be the second major update of WordPress in 2023 and will mark the end of Phase 2 of the project’s development roadmap.
WordPress 6.3 aims to bring a cohesive site editing experience by introducing expanded functionality, richer interfaces, and a dedicated focus on refinement.
Check out the 6.3 roadmap post for a tentative preview of anticipated features.
WordPress 6.2.2 security release
WordPress 6.2.2 became available for download on May 20, 2023. This release was a quick response to resolve a regression introduced in 6.2.1, specifically with shortcode support in block templates, and to further patch a vulnerability already addressed in the previous version.
New in the Gutenberg plugin
Three new versions of Gutenberg have shipped in the last month:
- Gutenberg 15.7, released on May 3, 2023, brings a new direct option to upload and replace a site’s logo from the block settings sidebar. Other enhancements include easier access to duotone filter controls via the style settings sidebar and an update to fluid typography to refine responsiveness.
- Gutenberg 15.8 shipped on May 17, 2023, and includes a new “Pages” item in the Site Editor sidebar to edit pages without leaving the interface. Moreover, this version brings the ability to navigate through revisions in the global styles interface and to preview block themes inside the Site Editor.
- Gutenberg 15.9 is ready for download as of May 31, 2023. The latest Gutenberg release comes with a new command tool and several enhancements to the Site Editor experience, including a more intuitive drag-and-drop function for moving blocks.
The latest Core Editor Improvement post highlights features such as revisions and the ability to preview block themes, and how they enable a smoother site editing experience.
Team updates: Next-generation WordCamps, proposal for a Sustainability Team, and more
- The Community Team proposed broadening the purpose of WordPress events to “spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking.” This opens the door to organizing a more diverse range of formats focused on specific topics and audiences.
- WordPress contributors suggested creating an official Sustainability Team.
- The Polyglots Team rebranded the WP Translation Playground tool as Translate Live and announced improvements that make translating plugins and themes easier.
- The new WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program pilot aims to provide cohort-based and 1:1 mentorship to prepare new and aspiring contributors for success.
- Results of the 2022 WordPress Annual Survey were announced last month.
- The Training Team published a new course on Creating a 4-page business website. See What’s new on Learn WordPress in May 2023 for the latest learning resources.
- Meet Stacks—the first community theme born from the Community Themes initiative. This theme is designed for creating slide decks that can be used for a presentation.
- This Core proposal explores ways to reduce the maintenance of older default WordPress themes and retire them.
- The May 2023 issues of What’s New for Developers?, the Polyglots monthly newsletter, and the Meetup Organizer newsletter are available for reading.
- Find out how WordPress and its global community of contributors made a difference in Stefano Cassone’s life in the latest edition of People of WordPress.
What is WordPress Playground, and why it matters? WP Briefing Episode 56 discusses the benefits and potential of this tool with special guests Rich Tabor and Adam Zielinski.
Feedback & testing requests
- Core Team members seek feedback on the new command tool introduced in the Gutenberg plugin and its API.
- The latest call of the Full Site Editing (FSE) Outreach Program invites you to test some features being worked on to upgrade and polish the experience of using the Site Editor. Share your thoughts by June 8, 2023.
- Version 22.5 of the WordPress mobile app for iOS and Android is ready for testing.
Which next generation of WordPress events would you like to see? Share your ideas and start exploring new event formats this year.
WordPress events updates
- Get ready for WordCamp Europe 2023 from June 8-10 in Athens, Greece! The event will start with Contributor Day on June 8, followed by two days of presentations and workshops. Attendees can join a wellness track and a dedicated space to connect, among many other initiatives.
- The WordCamp US organizing team is calling for volunteers.
- For another year, the WordPress Foundation’s Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship will award funding for a woman-identifying contributor to attend WordCamp US 2023. Applications are open through June 12, 2023.
- WordCamp Sylhet 2023, the second ever WordCamp in Bangladesh, was successfully held on May 19-20 with its first Contributor Day.
- Join #WPDiversity with a free online workshop on How to Own Your Expertise & Start Speaking at WordPress Events APAC. The event will take place on July 2, 2023.
- Don’t miss these other upcoming WordCamps:
WordCamp Cartagena, Spain on June 10-11, 2023
WordCamp Montclair, NJ, USA on June 24, 2023
Join WordPress project leadership on June 10 at WordCamp Europe 2023 to hear about the latest developments and what’s next for WordPress. Check out the schedule for details.
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The following folks contributed to this Month in WordPress: @rmartinezduque, @nahidsharifkomol, @chaion07, @devinmaeztri, @bsanevans, @ninianepress.
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