This week on WPwatercooler we’re discussing WordPress plugin pricing and we asked Scott Kingsley Clark to join us again. In the last episode, we almost talked about this so we thought we’d do an entire show about it for our 399th episode. Next week is our 400th episode AND it’s our 9th year of doing this show, crazy right?! Panel  Jason Tucker – jasontucker.blog Steve Zehngut – zeek.com Jason Cosper – jasoncosper.com Scott Kingsley Clark – scottkclark.com  Show Sponsors Desktop Server – ServerPress https://serverpress.com WPsitesync – https://www.wpsitesync.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 Kinsta and Cloudways. Why not get your audience in front of the thousands of people who download this show every month? Yes, WPwatercooler has thousands of downloads every month. We’re not just a YouTube Show. https://www.wpwatercooler.com/sponsor

EP399 - Free Plugins: The Nice Price - WPwatercooler

WordPress from Install to Publish. WPwatercooler is a live video and audio roundtable discussion from WordPress professionals from around the industry who offer tips, best practices, and lively debate on how to put the content management system to use. WPwatercooler is part of the WPwatercooler Network

Hosted by WordPress developer Jason Tucker, the weekly panel includes the following WP experts as well as over 500 guests since 2012.

∙ Jason Tucker - podcast host, web developer, and IT Director
∙ Sé Reed - web developer, speaker, small business advocate and Internet geek.
∙ Jason Cosper - Sr. Performance Engineer at Liquid Web

Feedback for our shows can be provided here:
https://www.wpwatercooler.com/feedback/

Technology

Tech News

Podcasting

Gadgets

Software How-To

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

On this episode of WPwatercooler titled “Gutenberg It’s Complicated,” the panel discusses the complexities and challenges faced by contributors to the Gutenberg project, focusing on a tweet by Ari, a longtime contributor who expressed his frustration with the increasing complexity of the codebase. Ari’s difficulties, after returning from a break, in understanding the evolved code highlights a broader issue with the accessibility of the project to both new and returning contributors. The discussion touches on the need for better inline documentation, the rapid pace of updates, and the broader implications of these challenges for the WordPress community. Additionally, the episode features insights on how these internal challenges affect the overall usability and developer experience within the WordPress ecosystem. Show Notes:  https://wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler/ep482-gutenberg-its-complicated/ Panel  Courtney Robertson Jason Cosper Jason Tucker Sé Reed  YouTube Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:35 Introducing the Panel and Courtney Robertson 05:00 Ari’s Tweet and Its Impact 10:40 The Challenges of Contributing to Gutenberg 15:20 The Necessity of Inline Documentation 20:55 Community Responses and Suggestions 25:30 The Pace of Development and Its Impact 30:45 How Complexity Affects New Contributors 35:10 Discussion on Codebase Management and Documentation 40:00 Personal Experiences with Gutenberg 45:15 Wrapping up and Final Thoughts 50:00 Q&A; and Audience Interaction 55:00 Closing Remarks

EP482 – Gutenberg It’s Complicated

On this episode of WPwatercooler titled “Lies, Damned Lies, and Analytics,” the discussion revolves around the complexities and alternatives to using web analytics tools for website management. The hosts, Jason Tucker and Jason Cosper, delve into the fallout from changes to Jetpack stats, prompting users to consider paying for previously free services. They explore the importance of understanding web traffic and analytics beyond traditional tools like Google Analytics, emphasizing performance, privacy, and the need for lightweight alternatives. The episode is informative for those looking to navigate the evolving landscape of web analytics with a focus on WordPress platforms. Snow Notes:  https://wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler/ep481-lies-damned-lies-and-analytics/ Links  Koko Analytics Umami Fathom Plausible  Also on:  YouTube LinkedIn  Panel  Jason Cosper  Jason Tucker  

EP481 – Lies, Damned Lies, and Analytics

On this episode of WPwatercooler, the panel dives into the evolving landscape of web hosting, specifically focusing on the shifts and trends in WordPress hosting. The discussion kicks off with anecdotes about showing up to parties on the wrong day, cleverly seguing into the main topic of different types of web hosting environments. They explore the spectrum from shared hosting to dedicated servers, touching upon VPS, managed hosting, and the nuances of each category in the context of WordPress sites. The conversation also covers the implications of major hosting entities absorbing smaller ones and the impact on the industry. The episode is rich with technical insights, personal experiences, and practical advice for navigating the hosting ecosystem as it continues to evolve. Show Notes can be found:   https://wpwatercooler.com/wpwatercooler/ep480-its-giving-server-the-new-era-of-hosting/  Hosts:  Jason Tucker Sé Reed Jason Cosper  Chapters:  00:00 - Introduction to Web Hosting Trends 05:10 - Understanding Shared vs. Dedicated Hosting 10:20 - The Rise of Managed WordPress Hosting  15:35 - Consolidation in the Hosting Industry  20:45 - The Technical Side of Hosting Services  25:50 - Pricing Models and What They Mean for Users  30:55 - The Future of Hosting: Customization and User Experience  35:10 - Challenges and Considerations in Choosing Hosting  40:25 - Personal Anecdotes Related to Hosting Experiences  45:30 - Summary of Key Points and 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

EP480 - It’s Giving Server: The New Era of Hosting - WPwatercooler

In this episode of WPwatercooler, titled “To Bot or Not to Bot,” hosts Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, and Jason Cosper dive into the implications and ethical considerations of utilizing bots, specifically ChatGPT, in the realm of WordPress development. The discussion kicks off with an anecdote from Sé, who experimented with using ChatGPT to solve a coding problem related to grouping WordPress pages in the admin area. This led to a broader conversation about the reliability, safety, and future role of AI-generated code in production environments. The episode touches on themes such as the balance between automation and manual oversight, the evolving landscape of WordPress plugin development, and the importance of adhering to coding standards. Throughout, the hosts share personal experiences, concerns, and the potential they see in integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into their workflows, all while maintaining a critical eye on the implications for developers and the wider WordPress community. Links https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards  https://fedi.simonwillison.net/@simon/112147026040154264  https://labs.perplexity.ai https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers/model_doc/code_llama  https://unmaintained.tech Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:16 Introducing the Hosts and Their Quirky Banter 01:03 Inspiration from Discord: Tackling WordPress Page Chaos 06:18 The Quest for Better Page Organization: A Plugin Solution 08:40 ChatGPT to the Rescue: Crafting a Custom Plugin 10:54 Testing and Tweaking: The Plugin’s Journey to GitHub 12:28 The Ethical Dilemma: Using Bots for Code Generation 14:34 Learning to Code with ChatGPT: A Personal Journey 17:59 Ensuring Code Quality: The Role of Large Language Models 20:44 The Future of Plugin Development: Community Collaboration 22:00 The Open Source Dilemma: Plugins, Patches, and the Power of Collaboration 23:00 Navigating the Free vs. Pro Plugin Conundrum 23:47 The No Maintenance Intended Tag: A New Approach to Open Source 24:37 The Challenges of Community Contributions and Code Reviews 25:06 Harnessing AI for Code Generation: A New Frontier 29:49 The Trust Crisis in Plugin Repositories 35:01 AI vs. Traditional Coding: Navigating the New Landscape 39:06 The Ethical Dilemma of Using AI-Generated Code 43:39 Collaborative Coding with AI: The Future of Development? 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

EP479 – To Bot or Not to Bot

 On this episode of WPwatercooler, the panel, including Jason Tucker, Sé Reed, Jason Cosper, and guest Courtney Robertson, delve into the much-anticipated WordPress 6.5 release. Courtney, serving as the episode’s expert, outlines the significant changes and features coming with the update, emphasizing the introduction of the font library for block themes, improvements in image handling, and enhancements for developers such as block hooks and the interactivity API. The discussion also covers practical tips for WordPress users and developers to prepare for the update, highlighting the importance of compatibility testing and the benefits of the new features in enhancing site design and functionality. Chapters 00:00 Intro and Episode Introduction 00:08 Introduction of Panel and Episode Theme 01:07 Guest Introduction: Courtney Robertson 02:30 Discussion on WordPress 6.5 Features and Updates 04:25 Deep Dive into the Font Library for WordPress 6.5 10:00 Enhancements in Image Handling and New Formats 15:45 Introduction of Block Hooks for Developers 20:30 Overview of the Interactivity API 25:00 Plugin Dependencies and the New Rollback Feature 30:00 Enhancements to Custom Fields and Meta Data 35:00 Preparing for WordPress 6.5: Tips and Best Practices 45:00 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Links https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/03/15/wordpress-6-5-field-guide/  https://nomad.blog/2024/03/13/wordpress-6-5-source-of-truth/  https://openfontlicense.org/ofl-fonts/  https://caniuse.com/avif https://gutenbergtimes.com/block-bindings-and-custom-fields-an-almost-no-code-example/  https://wpmovies.dev  Also on:  YouTube Twitch LinkedIn Facebook  

EP399 - Free Plugins: The Nice Price - WPwatercooler

Download our free app to listen on your phone