Jonathan and Luke discuss the copying of plugins and the history of doing so in the WordPress ecosystem. Jonathan realizes what’s been bothering him about it all and Luke points out the difference between stated and practiced values. They also start to talk AI browsers.

Luke and Jonathan discuss WooCommerce and the opportunities (and challenges) for newcomers like FluentCart. Luke shares the four things he thinks an ecommerce product needs and Jonathan enjoys Luke’s unexpected breakthrough.

FAIR 1.0 has been released! Jonathan and Luke discuss the implications of the project, modifying the WordPress admin’s “featured plugins”, and the impact of a federated ecosystem. Luke thinks Jonathan failed the challenge.

Jonathan and Luke speak with Matt. Yep, that Matt. They talk about jazz, blogging, photography, and the infuriating, heartbreaking, grey-hair-making drama that’s engulfed the WordPress community over the last year.

Jonathan and Luke discuss their nervousness going in to their recording with Matt Mullenweg. They share the preparation process, the questions they wrestled with, the approach they decided to take, and how the experience went.

Luke and Jonathan are back for Season 10 of Crossword. They open with a recap of WordCamp US and Matt’s “State of the Word” address. They discuss their approach to guests for the upcoming season, introduce this season’s sponsors, and look ahead to the upcoming WordPress 6.9 release.

Shownotes:

Luke and Jonathan recap Season 9 of Crossword, preview Season 10, and share their thoughts on what they’re looking forward to over the next 6 months of WordPress. No cricket is discussed, but a recurring pun does make an appearance.

Mary Hubbard is the Executive Director of the WordPress Project and brings a rich background in ecommerce and social media to her self-described work as a product-focused “connector”. Mary joins Luke and Jonathan to discuss the open versus closed web, what the WordPress ecosystem can learn from platforms like TikTok, and the importance of digital literacy in a world of AI. Mary helps Luke make a new connection, Jonathan geeks out about the Art of Gathering, and birds join in from the Australian coast.

Sam Sidler's writing on delta.blog has been a topic of discussion on this season of Crossword. Sam joined Luke and Jonathan to discuss a wide range of topics, from governance and the benevolent dictator model to Five for the Future and the FAIR project, and finally landing on Sam's predictions for the future of WordPress. Multiple puns are worked in, Jonathan and Luke argue about altruism, and Sam reminds everyone that he's not a lawyer.

Luke and Jonathan discuss recent coverage of Crossword and how Luke’s words sound in print. They also discuss the Secure Hosting Alliance and riff on an idea for a new hosting company. Luke expresses his frustration with the complexity of WordPress today and Jonathan wonders if the upcoming 6.9 and 7.0 releases might bring new hope.