In Case You Missed It – Issue 1

There’s a lot of great WordPress content published in the community but not all of it is featured on the Tavern. Starting today and every Friday, I’ll share an assortment of items related to WordPress that caught my eye but didn’t make it into a full post.

Beyond Imagination by Dustin Filippini

Dustin Filippini, a web developer based in Milwaukee, WI shared his HeroPress story on how he got involved with WordPress. When Filippini was fired after two years of working in a retail management position, he dedicated all of his resources to learning web design and development in the late 90s and early 2000s.

While the firing was a blow to his self-esteem, it provided him with the motivation to follow his passion. Filippini turned a bad situation into one of the best things that’s ever happened to him. Filippini’s story is another example that shows why local WordPress meetups are the cornerstone of the community.

A/B Testing With WordPress

There’s a great discussion on WPChat.com where folks are sharing information on the services and plugins they use to A/B test sites. The thread includes input from Josh Pollock, who develops Ingot, an A/B testing plugin for WordPress.

Freedom, Speech, and Codes of Conduct

Morten Rand-Hendriksen published a great article that dives into the freedom of speech, hate speech, codes of conduct, and the idea of speech as an act. I don’t understand what so many people have against codes of conduct but I agree with Hendriksen when he says:

Codes of Conduct are in place to protect everyone’s rights: They ensure a space in which a civil discourse can take place without anyone resorting to personal attacks and creating an environment that becomes inaccessible or actively hostile to participants or groups. Codes of Conduct ensure open spaces for freedom of expression.

The Story Behind the Wapuu Coins at WordCamp US 2015

For many attendees at WordCamp US, the metal challenge coins distributed by GoDaddy were a hit. Mendel Kurland, Evangelist for GoDaddy, shares the story and meaning behind the coins. Also, make sure you read the rules to a game that’s played at WordCamps that involves the challenge coin.

WordCamp US Challenge Coins

For those who don’t know, the coins were designed by Michelle Schulp of Marktime Media.

Reminder About the WordPress Plugin Directory Tag Policy

If you’re planning to submit your plugin to the WordPress plugin directory, please review the guidelines regarding the use of tags. In general, plugins are limited to 12 or less and tags should relate to the plugin’s features.

Reminder: Policy About Tags In Plugin Readmes

Endless Stream of WordPress Positivity

The WordPress project recently revamped its testimonials page that features testimonials from people sharing their love of WordPress on social media. Browsing the #ilovewp hashtag on Twitter shows that there’s a lot to like about WordPress.

https://twitter.com/andywpdev/status/690592726761508864

A Look Back at the History of WordPress User Interfaces

Although it was published in 2014, this post by WPExplorer that looks at the history of the WordPress user interface is great reference material. It’s difficult to install older versions of WordPress to obtain screenshots which is why the post is a treasure trove of information. The user interface has come a long way since its creation in 2003.

Hot Cocoa/Coffee Wapuu!

In what will be a traditional part of this series, I’m going to end each issue by featuring a Wapuu design. For those who don’t know, Wapuu is the unofficial mascot of the WordPress project. As it’s Winter here in the US, Hot Cocoa/Coffee Wapuu, designed by Michelle Schulp, is one most of us can relate too.

Special #wapuu for the season: Hot Cocoa/Coffee Wapuu! Some of you might see him around :) pic.twitter.com/U6bPpmUyXm

— Michelle Schulp Hunt (@marktimemedia) December 16, 2015

That’s it for issue one. If you recently discovered a cool resource or post related to WordPress, please share it with us in the comments.