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WordPress 6.2 is scheduled for release on March 28, 2023. But it’s never too early to start preparations. Therefore, you may want to check out the first beta release, which is now available for testing.

The first major release of 2023 brings a plethora of enhancements to the Site and Block Editors. Some features, such as color coded template parts within the Site Editor, focus on improved usability. But there are a few big picture changes as well.

For one, the ability to search and download Openverse images will be included in the Block Editor. This allows anyone to grab Creative Commons licensed media from within their website. Also included are a revamped Navigation block, a Style Book feature for creating custom styles, and sticky blocks.

To see what else is new, GoDaddy Pro's Courtney Robertson has published a detailed guide on WordPress 6.2.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

When it comes to WordPress core, newer doesn’t always mean faster. Core committer Adam Silverstein has submitted a proposal to change that. According to a report from WP Tavern, Silverstein’s proposal calls for automated performance monitoring. The goal is to catch potential problems before they reach the average user.

Last December, we reported on the WP Community Collective (WPCC). The not-for-profit organization aims to financially support contributions to the WordPress project. This week it was announced that Alex Stine has been selected as the first WPCC Fellow. Stine is currently a member of the WordPress Accessibility team and will continue in that role. The WPCC is still looking for donations in order to fully fund Stine’s fellowship.

Twitter recently announced that free access to its API will no longer be available as of February 9, 2023. That’s likely to impact both WordPress plugin developers and end users. Core contributor Mika Epstein posted a notice about the change and asked developers to investigate what this new policy means for their products.

From the Grab Bag

Now it’s time to take a look at some other interesting topics shared by our contributors.

• The “freemium” product model is a popular one within the WordPress ecosystem. MasterWP’s Nyasha Green and Rob Howard discussed their experiences with building freemium products on a recent episode of the Press the Issue podcast.
• Applications to attend the 2023 WordPress Community Summit are now being accepted. The invitation-only event for project contributors will take place from August 22-23 in National Harbor, MD, prior to WordCamp US.
• Is there anything ChatGPT can’t do? ZDNet’s David Gewirtz recently wrote about his successful attempt at using the AI tool to build a WordPress plugin.
• Speaking of AI, Microsoft has announced that its Bing search engine and Edge browser will be enhanced by OpenAI technology. A limited preview is underway for Bing, with an expansion due in the coming weeks.
• The WordPress Training team is looking for feedback regarding user learning preferences. Fill out their individual learner survey to let the team know your thoughts.

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