Read to the end to see the most inconvenient convenience store in the world.
In today’s edition:
- The WordPress Training Team reveal their 2025 goals for world domination (but like, the good kind.)
- FYI: Your flip-flops and short-shorts are NOT invited to WordCamp Asia. #keepitclassy
- A great post from Sunita Rai that includes like, every WordPress Wapuu ever.
Hot Off The Presses: What’s New?
Currently doing this hot new challenge called February, where you just try to make it through every day of February.
So far, so good. 🤞
Quick public service announcement before we get started:
Okay, on with what’s new!
Training Team 2025 Goals: Make WordPress Less of a Mystery
The WordPress Training Team has big plans for 2025, and if you’ve ever Googled “how the heck do I fix this in WordPress?”—this is good news for you.
First up, they’re going global. More languages, more localized content, and better support for people learning WordPress outside the usual English bubble. If you’ve ever had to decipher a half-translated tutorial, you know this is a win.
They’re also getting serious about marketing their learning pathways, so instead of blindly clicking through documentation hoping for the best, you’ll actually find what you need. The ultimate goal? Getting more folks to use Learn WordPress.
A Smarter Approach (With More Spreadsheets, Probably)
The team is doubling down on data to see what’s working and what’s not. Expect fewer outdated guides and more useful, up-to-date resources. In the same vein, they’re tidying up the contributor handbooks so that new volunteers don’t have to go full detective mode just to figure out how to help.
More Community, Less Confusion
Lastly, they want to make contributing to WordPress training feel less like a solo side quest and more like a community-driven effort. More transparency, better communication, more open-source learning opportunities and an all-around more welcoming experience.
They’re also looking for Deputy Team Reps to support their Team Reps, acting as a backup when a Team Rep is unavailable or requires assistance. You can step up for the role here.
Ya’ll Better Find and Replace This Plugin, Quick!
If your site uses the “Better Find and Replace” plugin, stop what you’re doing and go make sure you’re updated to at least version 1.6.8.
Why?
Well, the popular “Better Find and Replace” plugin (with over 50,000 active installations) allows you to quickly find and replace text in your posts, meta and database.
But since it allows search/replace in the database itself, this can be a serious problem.
Patchstack reported that a subscriber user was able to “search and replace” their way to upgrading themselves to an administrator – which is an obvious security nightmare. 💀
Fortunately, the vendor has patched the issue by adding a strict check for sufficient permission – so you can upgrade and rest easy knowing your subscribers aren’t going to be giving themselves promotions to Administrator behind your back!
Privilege escalation can be a real problem with certain plugins – Patchstack reported another one affecting the “View Admin as Role” feature in the “Admin and Site Enhancements” plugin.
For more info on this problem, SolidWP has a helpful guide on How to Secure Your WordPress Site from Privilege Escalation Vulnerabilities.
Wapuu The Heck Are You?
You’ve probably seen the Wapuu – the cute little cat-like (Dog-like? Pikachu-like? What even is it?) creature hugging the WordPress logo.
Sunita Rai from SiteSaga traces the history of the Wapuu in this fascinating and comprehensive blog post – completed with a detailed timeline dating back to 2009.
Did you know that the Wapuu originated in Japan, and that there are over 145 unique versions to celebrate local communities? It’s pretty cool to see how each local culture is celebrated – like the lobster one for WordCamp Halifax, the wine-sipping Wapuu for WordCamp Porto or the one for WordCamp Jakarta that evokes the brightly-colored puppets of traditional Indonesian folk performances.
Do you have a fave? Share it with us in the comments!
Pack Your Bags (and Your Closed-Toed Shoes) For WordCamp Asia 2025
WordCamp Asia 2025 is kicking off in Manila from February 20th-22nd, and it’s expected to bring in over 2000 attendees from 70+ countries. Are you gonna be there?
The festivities will kick off with “Contributor Day”, where you can actually help build the future of WordPress instead of just yelling about it on Twitter (or X, or whatever we’re calling it now). Then, it’s two days of talks, workshops, and networking with some of the biggest names in the game, including StellarWP Director of Community Engagement Michelle Frechette and Gutenberg lead architect Matías Ventura.
This year, the organizers are going all out with side events, including Ctrl+Alt+Run, a fun run for anyone who wants to shake off all those networking cocktails.
But before you start stuffing your suitcase with flip-flops and crop tops, you should know about the dress code. The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) is a government building so it has some pretty strict rules: no open-toe shoes, no shorts, and no “sun’s-out-guns-out” sleeveless shirts. 😎
So, if you were planning to roll up in your finest beach bum attire, maybe rethink that strategy and go for a more dressy vibe unless you want to be turned away at the door. (You can always wear your more casual outfit to the Pinoy Fiesta after party, of course!)
Oh, and speaking of Wapuu, this event’s character is freakin’ adorable. “Tahopuu” is a vendor selling the typical street-food snack taho, made from silken tofu, arnibal (caramelized sugar syrup) and sago pearls. Umm… that sounds delicious?!
Mind Bloggling Facts & Stats
- Putting the Press in WordPress? According to the State of Enterprise WordPress 2024 Survey, 31% of enterprise brands who use WordPress are in the Publishing and Media industry. That’s the highest category, with Technology a close second at 29%. (Source)
- According to the Gender Equality in WordPress Business report, women are nearly twice as likely as men to be mistaken for someone in a more junior position in their workplace, and 20 times more likely to have their judgement questioned due to their gender. 🤦♀️(Source)
- Equalize Digital audited 17 WordPress sites, 5 plugins and 2 JavaScript apps and found a whopping 255 unique accessibility issues! 84% of these wouldn’t have been caught by automated tools, which is why manual testing is still so important. (Source)
Blogs & Resources You Shouldn’t Miss
In her HeroPress essay, Frameworks Marketing founder MK Keefer writes about how WordPress is the “fertile soil” in which she got to grow.
Looking for an open, decentralized and federated version of the billionaire-owned social media app you’re addicted to? Seth Goldstein writes about Fediverse alternatives to the big ones.
Bob Dunn from Do the Woo has teased the launch of a new newsletter after WordCamp Asia in late February that will be packed with actionable short tips – name yet to be revealed!
Founder of The WP Minute podcast, Matt Medeiros, has launched a new podcast called CMS Minute – a limited series that will go beyond WordPress to explore the landscape of other CMS apps building the web.
Eric Karkovack says that to successfully estimate the cost of a WordPress project you must, “think of yourself like a private investigator” and “uncover every project detail.”
Did you know you can sync your WordPress site with Canva to make designing images easier? Check out this cool integration built by DataPocket.
Building a business that allows you the freedom to spend time with your family? Priceless, according to Cheryl Hock.
Coffee Break Distractions
Bet you didn’t know that the history of QR codes began in 1825 with a painter named… Samuel Morse.
Can you believe you can play DOOM in a PDF?
Flip the cards and find the pairs. Accuracy is rewarded, so try not to guess too much!
And finally…
*Straps on climbing harness and shoes* Just heading to the convenience store… anyone want anything?
Found this interesting? Forward it to someone who you think might also love it! 💗
