WPwatercooler: Dev Branch - Monthly WordPress Web Development Talk Show

This month on Dev Branch we will be discussing our approach to spring cleaning, digitally. We explore the world of digital spring cleaning to consolidate and secure digital assets for improved WordPress site management. Dive into the benefits of domain and hosting consolidation, SSL certificate management tools, and the efficient monitoring capabilities of Uptime Kuma. Learn how centralizing website updates and streamlining monitoring can enhance security, manageability, and cost-effectiveness. Uptime Kuma (Pikapods) (Yunohost) Pikapods Uptime Robot Simply Static Plugin WP2Static Panel: Jason Tucker Jason Cosper Sites: https://www.facebook.com/events/1888308011615987 https://www.linkedin.com/events/7181856349545193472/comments/ https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep36-digital-spring-cleaning/ Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to DevBranch Digital Spring Cleaning! 00:52 The Fun of Discord Communities 01:47 Domain Dilemmas and Spring Cleaning Strategies 02:40 The SSL Certificate Juggle 03:40 Finding the Right Tools for Digital Management 05:41 The Journey to Static Sites 10:44 Consolidating Digital Assets and Web Hosts 13:59 Domain Name Consolidation: A Necessity? 21:36 The Shared Hosting Experience 24:52 The Perils of Neglected Shared Hosting 26:23 Discovering a Hacked Account 26:45 The Journey of Account Cleanup 27:53 Spring Cleaning Turns into Mitigation 28:42 Exploring Old Installs and Security Measures 31:44 The Power of WordPress for Content Management 36:02 Leveraging Uptime Kuma for SSL and Domain Monitoring 41:01 Consolidation and Management of Digital Assets 43:38 The Importance of Regular Maintenance and Updates 45:24 Utilizing Tools for Efficient Site Management 52:40 Wrapping Up: The Value of Community and Engagement What is WPwatercooler? WPwatercooler is streamed live and recorded as the self-titled show on the WPwatercooler Network. Our objective with the show since the beginning has been to help people in this industry have a place to hear people, much like themselves, talk about the technologies and methods we all use on a daily basis. We named WPwatercooler to be that, the watercooler that WordPress folks can gather around and participate in the conversation, or just sit back and learn from the discussion. Our listeners and contributors come from all walks of life and all backgrounds. We strive to make this place as welcoming and accessible as we can. Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler What is Dev Branch? Dev Branch is streamed live and recorded monthly on the first friday of the month as the developer-focused discussions of the WPwatercooler Network. Dev Branch is released on its own podcast feed and made available live and on-demand in video format on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitch.  Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/devbranch

This week on WPwatercooler’s Dev Branch, we’re diving into a hot topic that’s buzzing in the WordPress community: GPTs and their role in programming for WordPress. It’s not just about what these powerful tools can do; it’s about how we, as developers and creators, use them. Should we lean on GPTs to craft code for our plugins and themes? And when things get tricky, is it fair to ask for a helping hand in forums for code that a machine helped write? Plus, we’re curious – how’s everyone finding debugging when GPT’s involved? Has it been smooth sailing, or are we navigating through a storm? Join us as we explore these questions and share stories from the trenches of WordPress development. It’s all about learning from each other and figuring out the best path forward in this rapidly evolving landscape.   Show Notes can be found: https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep35-gpts-gone-wild/ Panel: Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, Jason Cosper Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction with Jason Tucker 00:27 - Welcoming Sé Reed and Jason Cosper 01:04 - Discussion on Spotify and data monetization 02:20 - The theme of the episode: AI in the machine 03:24 - The post that sparked the episode discussion 06:12 - The challenge of debugging code written with ChatGPT 07:19 - Discussing the implications of AI-generated code and its impact on forums and debugging 10:01 - The potential misuse of AI in generating code and the role of developers 14:26 - PHP version support and security implications 18:10 - Exploring the practical uses of GPT and AI in development and systems administration 22:14 - The idea of integrating AI with WPCLI for WordPress administration 26:05 - Reflecting on the evolution of GPT's capabilities and the concept of "poison data" 33:37 - The potential for AI to impact the WordPress community and plugin ecosystem 37:50 - Ethical considerations and the potential for misuse of AI in development 41:39 - Closing thoughts on AI's role in technology and community engagement 43:44 - Wrap-up and invitation to join the Discord community   What is WPwatercooler? WPwatercooler is streamed live and recorded as the self-titled show on the WPwatercooler Network. Our objective with the show since the beginning has been to help people in this industry have a place to hear people, much like themselves, talk about the technologies and methods we all use on a daily basis. We named WPwatercooler to be that, the watercooler that WordPress folks can gather around and participate in the conversation, or just sit back and learn from the discussion. Our listeners and contributors come from all walks of life and all backgrounds. We strive to make this place as welcoming and accessible as we can. Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler What is Dev Branch? Dev Branch is streamed live and recorded monthly on the first Friday of the month as the developer-focused discussions of the WPwatercooler Network. Dev Branch is released on its own podcast feed and made available live and on-demand in video format on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitch. Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/devbranch Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5756954563575808 #wordpress #webdev #wordpressdeveloper

On this episode of WPwatercooler Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, Jason Cosper, and guest Mika Epstein delve into the complex world of software piracy within the WordPress ecosystem. The discussion begins with an introduction of the hosts and quickly moves into the nuances of what constitutes software piracy, how it impacts the WordPress community, and the moral and legal implications of using pirated software. The hosts share personal anecdotes and insights on the prevalence of pirated plugins and themes, the risks associated with their use, including security vulnerabilities and legal repercussions, and the broader conversation about open-source ethics and the value of supporting developers and creators within the ecosystem. The episode offers a balanced perspective, highlighting both the temptations and pitfalls of piracy and encourages listeners to consider the long-term health of the WordPress community by supporting legitimate sources and practices.  Panel: Jason Tucker Sé Reed Jason Cosper Mika Epstein Show Notes can be found: https://wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler/ep476-free-as-in-piracy/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:17 Meet the Hosts 01:00 The Definition of Software Piracy 05:30 Impacts of Piracy on WordPress 10:45 Personal Insights on Piracy 15:00 The Risks of Using Pirated Software 20:30 Legal and Ethical Considerations 25:45 Supporting the WordPress Community 30:00 Conclusion Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5756954563575808    

On this episode of Dev Branch, titled "Zip It: How Devs Gatekeep the Internet," Jason Tucker, Jason Cosper, and Sé Reed delve into the complex issues surrounding development practices, including the unintended consequences of updates and the broader implications of developer decisions on the WordPress community. They discuss a recent bug in WordPress 6.4.3 related to how macOS and some Linux distributions' zip files are handled, highlighting the challenges of maintaining compatibility and the debates within the developer community about standards, practices, and the ethos of the WordPress project. The episode also touches on the broader tech industry's layoffs and the societal impacts of technological advancements, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive approach towards both development and community engagement. Links https://bakoburrito.org/#donate https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60398   Show Notes can be found: https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep34-zip-it-how-devs-gatekeep-the-internet/ Panel: Jason Tucker, Jason Cosper, Sé Reed Related Episodes: Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Celebrating Jason Cosper's Birthday 02:16 Supporting Bakersfield Burrito Project 03:58 The Tech Industry's Layoffs and Impact 06:12 Gatekeeping in Development Decisions 08:22 macOS Zip File Bug in WordPress 6.4.3 10:51 Developer Debates on Fixing Bugs vs. Standards 14:32 The Importance of Supporting Community and Inclusivity 22:05 How Gatekeeping Affects WordPress Users 29:19 The Role of Hosting Companies in Supporting WordPress Users 36:03 Workaround Plugins and Technical Debt 39:05 Appreciating Responsive and Respectful Developers 43:11 Closing Thoughts What is WPwatercooler? WPwatercooler is streamed live and recorded as the self-titled show on the WPwatercooler Network. Our objective with the show since the beginning has been to help people in this industry have a place to hear people, much like themselves, talk about the technologies and methods we all use on a daily basis. We named WPwatercooler to be that, the watercooler that WordPress folks can gather around and participate in the conversation, or just sit back and learn from the discussion. Our listeners and contributors come from all walks of life and all backgrounds. We strive to make this place as welcoming and accessible as we can. Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler What is Dev Branch? Dev Branch is streamed live and recorded monthly on the first friday of the month as the developer-focused discussions of the WPwatercooler Network. Dev Branch is released on its own podcast feed and made available live and on-demand in video format on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitch. Learn more at https://www.wpwatercooler.com/devbranch Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5756954563575808  

On this episode of Dev Branch, titled “EP33 – Our 2024 Predictions,” the panel, including Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, and Jason Cosper, delve into their predictions and expectations for WordPress in 2024. The discussion kicks off with a focus on WordPress’s development and the potential improvements and changes anticipated in the upcoming year. They explore topics such as the implementation of automatic update rollbacks in WordPress, the challenges with the current release schedule, and the desire for fewer, more impactful updates. Show Notes: https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep33-our-2024-predictions/ A significant part of the conversation revolves around the Fonts API, particularly the integration of custom fonts in WordPress and the possibility of a WordPress-specific font library. This ties into a broader discussion about WordPress’s evolution towards a more modular and customizable platform, catering to diverse user needs. Another major theme is the user experience within the WordPress admin interface. The panel discusses the complexities of user role management and the need for a more streamlined, intuitive approach to handling different user roles and capabilities, especially as WordPress continues to grow and evolve. Lastly, the episode touches on the rise of AI-generated plugins and the potential impact on the WordPress ecosystem. The team speculates on how this trend could lead to a proliferation of similar plugins, making the case for integrating more fundamental functionalities into the WordPress core. In summary, the episode provides insightful predictions and desires for WordPress in 2024, focusing on development improvements, user experience, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI on the platform. Chapters: 0:00:00 – Introduction 0:01:50 – Discussing WordPress Development and Automatic Update Rollbacks 0:03:10 – The Fonts API and Custom Fonts in WordPress 0:06:59 – User Experience and Admin Interface in WordPress 0:10:03 – AI and Its Impact on WordPress Plugin Ecosystem 0:15:02 – Modularization and Customization of WordPress 0:20:19 – The Complexity of User Role Management in WordPress 0:25:58 – Potential Changes and Improvements in WordPress Core 0:30:07 – Predictions for WordPress Development in 2024 0:35:10 – The Rise of AI-Generated Plugins 0:40:03 – Closing Remarks and Episode Wrap-up Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5756954563575808

This month on Dev Branch, we delve into the intricacies of the WordPress Plugin Directory with a keen focus on its newly rolled out feature, Live Preview. The addition of the Playground feature marks an innovative shift in user experience, granting potential users the capability to test a plugin in a live WordPress environment before integrating it into their own sites. As the conversation unfolds, the panel sheds light on the immediate challenges following its release. Many developers raised concerns after discovering compatibility issues or even outright non-functionality of their plugins with this new feature. The roundtable brings to light the broader theme of communication within the WordPress community, the importance of public dialogue, and the ongoing need for transparency and accountability in decision-making processes. There’s also a palpable sense of urging for more active involvement from plugin authors in the Make community to ensure their voices and concerns are heard. The episode winds down with an optimistic outlook on the open-source nature of the project and a call to uphold the core values that make WordPress unique. Links Trac Ticket #7251 Add a Preview in Playground button to the plugin directory The Frustrating State of the Word InstaWP Launcher – Chrome Extension Latest Posts – Make WordPress Chapters [00:00:00] Introduction & Live Preview Overview Discussing the new Live Preview feature in the WordPress Plugin Directory. [00:05:30] Challenges with Live Preview Developers voice concerns over compatibility issues and plugins not functioning as expected. [00:15:20] Communication in the WordPress Community – The importance of public dialogue, understanding where conversations are happening, and addressing concerns openly. [00:27:45] Holding the Project Accountable Emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and active participation in decision-making processes. [00:37:10] The Role of Plugin & Theme Community Delving into the significant contributions and influence of the plugin and theme community in WordPress. [00:45:20]Open Source and its Implications A reflection on the open-source nature of WordPress and the responsibilities and opportunities it presents. [00:57:15] Moving Forward & Conclusion Closing thoughts on the importance of unity, collaboration, and upholding WordPress’s core values. What is Dev Branch? Dev Branch is streamed live and recorded monthly on the first friday of the month as the developer-focused discussions of the WPwatercooler Network. Dev Branch is released on its own podcast feed and made available live and on-demand in video format on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitch. Learn more how you can watch or listen to both Dev Branch and WPwatercooler by visiting our subscribe page https://wpwatercooler.com/subscribe Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5756954563575808

In this engaging episode of WPwatercooler titled “Playing the Fields API,” hosts Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, and Jason Cosper sit down with returning guest Scott Kingsley Clark. No stranger to the show, Scott previously joined us in February for “EP443 – WordPress Fields API with Scott Kingsley Clark” and even before that in “EP398 – Gutenberg Blocks and Custom Fields.” The panel delves into the intricacies of Custom Fields and the Fields API, exploring their impact on WordPress, the products made with and for it, and the community working to build it.

In the upcoming episode of Dev Branch, titled “Block and Awesome”, Sé Reed, Jason Cosper, and special guest Jos Velasco. Join us as we delve into the transition from traditional themes and shortcodes towards the innovative world of Full Site Editing (FSE) and blocks within WordPress. Discover the challenges, benefits, and key strategies in embracing this change. https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep30-block-and-awesome/

The era of PHP5 support is coming to an end, marking a new phase in WordPress development. We’ll discuss how this shift from PHP5 to a minimum PHP7 support will impact both the end-users and the WordPress ecosystem at large. The episode will include the implications for those still using PHP5, and the benefits of the change, including reduced memory usage and improved security. Additionally, we’ll analyze how different hosting services have already been adapting to this new standard. This is a critical episode for anyone running a WordPress site and will provide key insights on managing this substantial transition. https://ma.ttias.be/php6-missing-version-number/ https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php https://wordpress.org/about/stats/ https://yoast.com/developer-blog/notice-increasing-minimum-php-requirement/ https://wordpress.org/plugins/plu-redux/ https://make.wordpress.org/hosting/ https://make.wordpress.org/hosting/test-results/

This week on WPwatercooler’s Dev Branch the crew will be discussing WordPress Plugin development and the process involved in doing so. Coding, testing, submitting, approval, and ultimately being used on WordPress websites. Jason Cosper recently worked on two WordPress plugins we’ll follow up with the progress he’s done on those.  https://github.com/boogah/plu-redux

In this episode of WPwatercooler’s Dev Branch, we’ll be joined by Robert Rowley, a Security Expert, to discuss a critical aspect of building sites with WordPress — plugins. Specifically, we’ll delve into the topic of abandoned plugins and the risks that they can pose to website security. We will spend some time exploring what happens to WordPress plugins that are no longer maintained by their developers and how they can be leveraged by attackers. We’ll also get into how some of these plugins can be used to add backdoors that can help attackers gain unauthorized access and compromise a site’s integrity. Finally, we’ll go over the options available to site developers when they find themselves face to face with an abandoned plugin on their site. One option is to adopt the plugin and update it to ensure its continued functionality and security. Another is to fork the plugin, update it, and add new features, building of off the original code and making it your own. Join us for this important conversation about orphaned WordPress plugins learn and how to keep your website safe from potential security threats. Links Attackers use abandoned WordPress plugin to backdoor websites – bleepingcomputer Plugin Last Updated Redux Plugin Dependencies – WordPress Plugins EP184 – WordPress Plugins: Adoption or Abandonment – WPwatercooler Chapters: 00:02:46 Abandoned WordPress plugins.  00:06:57 Abandoned plugin exploitation.  00:10:46 Abandoned plugins spike monitoring.  00:12:23 Plugin monitoring for improvements.  00:16:05 Cutting off outdated plugins.  00:19:20 Plugin review team struggles.  00:23:50 Moving towards GitHub.  00:27:33 Open source psycho pumps.  00:29:41 WordPress communication issues.  00:33:19 Plugin dependencies and updates.  00:38:51 Plugin adoption and abandonment.  00:40:24 Plugin security and monitoring.  00:44:10 Old email addresses and AI. Show Notes: https://wpwatercooler.com/devbranch/ep27-wordpressing-with-abandonware/

This week on WPwatercooler we'll be discussing some different ways to WordPress with generating a static website with WordPress and using SQLite database integration. Links https://elementor.com/help/requirements/ https://ipfs.tech https://caniuse.com/?search=marquee https://caniuse.com/?search=blink https://wp2static.com/ https://wordpress.org/plugins/simply-static/ Panel Jason Cosper Jason Tucker Robert Rowley Sé Reed

This week, we will delve into the world of WordPress and explore new ways of approaching problems and maintenance through the lens of the beginner's mind. Discover how embracing a Zen-like approach can help you tackle complex WordPress issues and find innovative solutions. Tune in now to learn how to cultivate a beginner's mindset and approach WordPress with a fresh perspective. EP444 - WordPress and the Beginner's Mind Panel: Jason Tucker Sé Reed Jason Cosper

On this episode, Jason Tucker and Jason Cosper discuss the building blocks of Mastodon and how to connect a WordPress website to Mastodon. Jason Cosper talked about Mastodon at the WPNYC Meetup and discussed running a Mastodon server and the plugins needed to interact with Mastodon and the Fediverse at large with WordPress using ActivityPub and a few supporting plugins to make things work better. https://wordpress.org/plugins/activitypub/ https://wordpress.org/plugins/nodeinfo/ https://wordpress.org/plugins/webfinger/ https://bookwyrm.social/ https://archive.org/details/wpnyc-masto/ Panel Jason Cosper Jason Tucker Sé Reed

This month on Dev Branch we’ll be discussing Test Driven Development with Steve Grunwell Confidently Testing WordPress The Five Types of Test Doubles & How to Create Them in PHPUnit PEST Behat Confidently Testing WordPress Steve Grunwell: Confidently Testing WordPress Panel: Jason Cosper, Jason Tucker, Steve Grunwell

This month on Dev Branch we’ll be discussing the removal of the Active Install Growth Data chart for plugins. There has been much discussion about this data in the plugin details and why was it removed. We’ll be joined by John James Jacoby and Matt Cromwell who have been discussing this at length. https://wptavern.com/wordpress-org-plugin-developers-demand-transparency-regarding-the-removal-of-active-install-growth-data https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6511 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/38418 https://twitter.com/briancoords/status/1577769634723295233 Panel: John James Jacoby – https://jjj.blog Matt Cromwell – https://givewp.com Jason Tucker – https://jasontucker.blog Sé Reed – https://sereedmedia.com Jason Cosper – https://jasoncosper.com

This week on WPwatercooler’s Dev Branch we have Courtney Robertson joining us to talk about the future of Post Formats in the Full Site Editor future of WordPress. Is there room for Post Formats? Jason Cosper is a fan of them, he hopes so! Courtney is a WordPress Training Team/Learn co-representative and a web design and developer advocate with GoDaddy Pro. Courtney was back on the show in September of 2021 – EP14 – Developing WordPress Developers. Post Format Block New features for working with patterns and themes in WordPress 6.0 How to Use Post Formats in Posts How to add Post Formats Support to Your Theme FSE Program Testing Call #15: Category Customization Samurai Wapuu T-Shirt http://anarchaia.org https://indieweb.org/POSSE Panel Courtney Robertson – courtneyr.dev Jason Tucker – jasontucker.blog Sé Reed – sereedmedia.com Jason Cosper – jasoncosper.com

Continuing our series on WordPress Blocks & FSE we have Carolina Nymark of fullsiteediting.com who will be speaking with us on Full Site Editing what developers can do to get into using it on their sites and what changes we should expect in the upcoming release. fullsiteediting.com What is Bikeshedding Gutenberg Times Roadmap to 6.1 WordPress 6.1 to Focus On Refining Full-Site Editing, Next Phase Collaboration and Multilingual Features Anticipated in 2023-2025 Feedback Requested: Proposed Rollback Feature in 6.1, Performance Team Hosting Stats, and Recording Five for the Future Contributions Panel Jason Tucker – jasontucker.blog Sé Reed – sereedmedia.com Jason Cosper – jasoncosper.com Carolina Nymark – fullsiteediting.com

This month on Dev Branch we will be discussing managing media in WordPress. We primarily stuck to WP Offload Media and touched on S3 buckets as well as CDN. https://deliciousbrains.com/wp-offload-media https://deliciousbrains.com/wp-offload-media/doc/how-to-change-storage-provider/ https://wpengine.com/support/configuring-largefs-store-transfer-unlimited-data/ Panel Jason Tucker – jasontucker.blog Sé Reed – sereedmedia.com Jason Cosper – jasoncosper.com Are You Looking For Brand Awareness? You could be a show sponsor. Let people know you’re still in business and supporting your products. Supporting podcasts is a great way to repurpose your in-person conference budget. We have been sponsored by big brands such as Adobe, Kinsta, and Cloudways. Why not get your audience in front of the thousands of people who download this show every month? Yes, WPwatercooler NEtwork has thousands of downloads every month. We’re not just a YouTube show. http://wpwatercooler.com/sponsor

This month on Dev Branch we will be discussing Performance Lab a plugin that is a collection of modules focused on enhancing performance for a WordPress website. Options go where options go. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebP https://wordpress.org/plugins/performance-lab/ Panel Jason Tucker – jasontucker.blog Steve Zehngut – zeek.com Sé Reed – sereedmedia.com Jason Cosper – jasoncosper.com Are You Looking For Brand Awareness? You could be a show sponsor. Let people know you’re still in business and supporting your products. Supporting podcasts is a great way to repurpose your in-person conference budget. We have been sponsored by big brands such as Adobe, Kinsta, and Cloudways. Why not get your audience in front of the thousands of people who download this show every month? Yes, WPwatercooler NEtwork has thousands of downloads every month. We’re not just a YouTube show. http://wpwatercooler.com/sponsor