Hi,
Awesome Motive acquired Thrive Themes and we were surprised to find another large acquisition quickly! What do you think about these acquisitions? Are they good for the community? Do let us know.
Bye!
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📰 WordPress & Around
- Gutenberg 15.0 is out: This release marks the end of the block inspector tabs experiment, which is now stabilized in the plugin and introduced “Sticky” Position Block Support, and has the “Paste Styles” option.
- Summary of WordPress’s “big picture” goals for 2023: It aims to complete the customization phase and begin exploring collaboration in 2023. Releases during Phase 3 will focus on the main elements of collaborative user workflows.
- WordPress Community Team proposes adopting GitHub: The benefits include improved collaboration and communication using the platform’s commenting system and the ability to track progress and assign tasks. Discussion is still open on the proposal and Leo Gopal has published a Proposal Poll for Community Team members to give feedback on standardizing communications on GitHub.
- Community Team goals for 2023: You can add your voice to what you’d like to see the Community Team accomplish as a group for 2023. You can comment your suggestions before February 1
- Proposal: Dedicated communication place for WordCamp mentors: Isotta proposed creating a new channel for active mentors. Please leave your feedback on the topic before February 1st, 2023.
- WordPress Theme Directory to get a new look: As part of a broader project to reimagine the visual appearance, functionality, and other elements of the WordPress.org website, WordPress Theme Directory will soon receive a refresh similar to other pages of the WordPress.org website.
- Google’s founders return: Google’s founders re-engage with the company following the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which could threaten Google’s search business. Now, Google plans to launch over 20 new AI products and showcase a version of its search engine with chatbot capabilities this year.
- Twitter cuts off access to third-party apps: Twitter appears to have blocked access to third-party apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot, a decision that has sparked criticism across the tech and developer communities. Twitter’s advertising revenue is down 40%, and over 500 top advertisers have stopped spending since CEO Elon Musk took over.
- YouTube launches new analytics & custom shorts thumbnails: YouTube is launching new analytics data for video creators and enabling the ability to customize Shorts thumbnails.
- WhatsApp fined €5.5 million by Irish DPC for GDPR violation: The authority has ordered WhatsApp to bring its data processing operations into compliance within six months, or it faces a new fine.
🚨Web Security & Vulnerabilities
- Multiple vulnerabilities affecting multiple MainWP Extensions: These vulnerabilities range from SQL injection to authenticated post/page deletion to arbitrary file deletion.
- Recent Mailchimp security incident: The Mailchimp Security team identified an unauthorized actor accessing one of the tools used by Mailchimp customer-facing teams for customer support and account administration. There is no evidence that this compromise affected Intuit systems or customer data beyond these Mailchimp accounts.
- An emerging extortion campaign where emails are sent to site owners through contact forms: Wordfence reports a scam where hackers sent emails claiming they have hacked the website and demanding about $3,000 worth of Bitcoin. This is only a scare tactic and not a true cause for concern.
- Vulnerable WordPress sites compromised with different database infections: Sucuri reports that they came across a database injection that has two different pieces of malware accomplishing two unrelated goals.
- PayPal accounts breached in large-scale credential stuffing attack: PayPal is sending out data breach notifications to thousands of users who had their accounts accessed through credential stuffing attacks that exposed some personal data.
🔌 New Plugins & Themes
- Gutena Tabs plugin: It allows you to create beautiful tabs in your posts and pages.
- Delivery and Pickup Scheduling for WooCommerce plugin: It lets the customers choose their desired date and time of receiving an order.
- Master PDF Viewer plugin: Upload PDF files and then immediately embed them into the posts and pages on your website.
- Default Image Addon for ACF plugin: This plugin provides an option to add a default image in the backend option for the ACF field type image.
- error_log File Viewer plugin: View the error_log file from admin dashboard.
- Admin Help Docs plugin: Create help documentation for the WordPress admin area.
💵Investments, Acquisitions & Partnerships
- Awesome Motive acquires Thrive Themes: Awesome Motive has acquired Thrive Themes, its second acquisition of 2023 following the Duplicator plugin deal that was announced earlier this month.
- LifterLMS strengthens leadership with investment from Paid Memberships Pro: LifterLMS recently gained new investors with Jason and Kim Coleman, co-founders of the software company Paid Memberships Pro. In addition to providing financial investment, Jason and Kim are taking active roles in the company.
- Microsoft & OpenAI bring AI Models to developers worldwide: The partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft enables developers to utilize AI models like ChatGPT to build more intelligent and human-like conversational interfaces.
- Duda announced WooRank integration: Duda announced the integration of WooRank SEO auditing and website optimization tool, providing agencies that build sites on the platform an easy way to create optimized websites.
👥 Community News
- WP Migrate 2.6 released: It introduces full-site exports and a new integration for seamlessly importing to Local.
- WooCommerce Blocks 9.4.0 released: It adds support for a new block-powered Local Pickup option under shipping settings. Local Pickups introduces two new blocks: a shipping method toggle block and a pickup location block. WooCommerce Blocks maintainers also asked the developer community to share feedback on any performance issues they are experiencing with the Cart and Checkout blocks.
- Introducing Elementor 3.10: This version includes the first Nested Element – Tabs, custom unit options, and new container library.
- Jetpack revamps mobile app: WordPress.com users and Jetpack users on the free plan who previously relied on Stats, Reader, and Notifications features will need to switch to the free Jetpack mobile app.
- OpenAI releases paid ChatGPT Professional: Microsoft-backed OpenAI has released a paid version known as ‘ChatGPT Professional’ available at $42 per month. It is not publicly accessible as it is based on selection, and the company posted a waitlist link on its Discord server.
- WordPress historical timeline: Post Status is noting meaningful events to build a timeline for the whole community. You can add your plugin or business too. You can also share your WordPress story.
- WPMU DEV agency partners directory announced: WPMU DEV’s comprehensive new agency directory allows members to showcase their services and helps users find trusted experts to hire for their projects.
- WebPerformance Report: WebPerformance Report is a free Web application to monitor the Web Performance of web pages in an automated way through the delivery of a weekly report (Core Web Vitals metrics included) to its Subscribers.
- Derek Herman is the new Yoast CTO: Joost de Valk will be stepping down and focus on being the Head of WordPress Strategy for NewfoldDigital
🔖Interesting Reads & Podcasts
- Letter from WordPress’ Executive Director, 2022: From Josepha Haden Chomphosy
- WordPress has evolved — It’s time we solve the user experience: From Jak.dev
- 10 Types of terrifying clients for your WordPress development services: From WPMU DEV
- Cloud computing trends (What’s hot for 2023): From Kinsta
- 8 Common WordPress issues and vulnerabilities: From Envato Tuts+
- The CSS practices that can hurt accessibility: From Speckyboy
- Is Character.AI the guilt free AI that we’ve been looking for?: From MaterWP
- Deep dive into the evolution of frontend build tools and techniques: From Frontend Mastery
- Interview with Product Lead Tiffany Bridge of Nexcess: From Post Status
- Unlocking the power of WordPress blocks: From Delicious Brains
- Corey Maass on how to use WordPress to kickstart your SaaS App: From WPTavern
🛠 Guide Zone – Howto’s and More
- How to import and export WooCommerce customers: From Oxygen
- How to add meta boxes and custom fields to posts in Gutenberg: From Kinsta
- How to use the WordPress site logo block: From Elegant Themes
- How to generate critical CSS in WordPress: From Jetpack
- How to recover and restore your WordPress Site after a crash: From Jetpack
- Git Commands you probably do not need: From myme.no
📆 Save The Dates
- WP Wealthbuilder Summit on February 03: Learn how to grow your business profits and build your wealth and secure your retirement from this online event.
- WordCamp Birmingham 2023 on February 4-5, 2023: The schedule and list of speakers are out.
- WordCamp Cebu 2023 on February 11, 2023 in Mandarin: Grab your tickets.
- WordCamp Asia 2023 on February 17-19 at IconSiam, Bangkok Thailand: Organizers have announced the first round of speakers, and also unveiled its wapuu mascot.
- WordCamp Entebbe on March 10-11, 2023: It is the first in-person WordCamp scheduled in Africa.
- WordCamp Phoenix on March 24 & 25, 2023: About 400 attendees are expected for a weekend of reconnecting, making new connections and learning about WordPress.
- WordCamp Kerala 2023 on March 25: It is the first regional WordCamp in Kerala, India.
- WordCamp Switzerland 2023 on March 31st to April 1st 2023: Call for Sponsors is out.
- YoastCon 2023 on May 10 & 11: It’s a two-day interactive conference focused on search engine optimization and online marketing.
- php[tek] 2023 on May 16-18, 2023: It is the longest-running web developer conference in the United States that focuses on the PHP programming language.
- WordCamp Lisboa on May 19 & 20: It is one of the largest WordPress conferences in Portugal.
- WordCamp Europe 2023 on June 8-10, 2023: Call for speakers is out. Organizers call for more interactive sessions.
- The WordPress Community Summit on August 22-23, 2023: In the early planning stages, the Community Summit is an “unconference,” without slides, selected speakers, or planned presentations.
🎁 WordPress Deals Of The Week
EXCLUSIVE DEALS
- 3 Months free offer on hosting plans of WP Engine (Coupon Code- WPE3FREE)
- 15% off yearly plans at Videvo (Coupon Code – WPV15)
OTHER DEALS
- Upto 40% off on Astra theme
- Upto 50% off for CartFlows
- Up to 50% off for RankMath
- Two months free hosting for Kinsta’s annual plans
- Up to 75% off on plugins, themes and hosting at WP Hive
- 50% off Web Hosting Packages at StableHost (Coupon Code – 50OFFYEAR1)
- 81% off for plugins at WPPool
- 20% off at OceanWP
- Up to 67% off hosting plans at HostPapa
- 50% off for Advanced Giftcards for WooCommerce plugin
- 33% off for Annual Hosting plans at Nexcess
- 81% off at AtlasVPN
- 20% off for Fluent Forms plugin
- 50% off at Formidable Forms
- 20% off for FluentCRM plugin
- 20% off for WP Social Ninja plugin
- 95% off for PitchGround products
- 90% off WordPress Hosting plans at InMotion Hosting
- 73% off hosting plans at SiteGround
- 60% off at Hostgator India
- 75% off VPS Monthly Plans at Liquid Web
- 50% off on Managed Dedicated Server Hosting at Liquid Web
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