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Should WordPress move away from Slack and towards the fediverse for project communication? Automattic-sponsored Meta team contributor Alex Kirk thinks so. Kirk has proposed a project to explore switching to the free Matrix open-source federated chat system.

The potential benefits are compelling. For one, there’s something to be said for open-source projects supporting each other. Beyond that, easier onboarding and a variety of available chat clients were also touted.

 https://youtu.be/dq23lJBYtpM 

Sarah Gooding of WP Tavern demonstrated some of these advantages in a recent article. And Kirk’s team has also created a Gutenberg block, Chatrix, that embeds a Matrix chat client directly into any WordPress website.

Slack, meanwhile, has long been the chosen platform for project communication. A move to Matrix will certainly face both technical and philosophical hurdles. We’ll keep you updated as the discussion progresses.

Introducing The WP Minute +

The WP Minute’s goal is to bring you the latest WordPress news in just 5 minutes a week. But we also see the value in going in-depth with newsmakers and discussing important issues.

With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to The WP Minute +. It’s our new podcast dedicated to longform content. You’ll find exclusive interviews and conversations, bringing you even closer to what’s going on with WordPress.

To kick things off, we spoke with Awesome Motive’s Syed Balkhi regarding the recent acquisition of Thrive Themes.

Be sure to add The WP Minute+ to your podcast apps to get 3 additional episodes featuring Miriam Schwab, Chris Badgett, and Chris Lubkert.

Links You Shouldn’t Miss

WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy recently outlined the project’s goals for 2023. The list included finishing up Phase 2 of the Gutenberg project, which focuses on customization. But what does “concluding” a phase really mean? Haden Chomphosy provided details on the WordPress Briefing podcast.

Not every WordPress bug gets resolved in a timely fashion. In fact, there are currently 19 Trac tickets that are over 15 years old. But as WP Tavern reports, a new monthly triage session aims to take on these long standing issues. More insight on the project’s goals are available on the Make WordPress blog.

WordPress turns 20 this year. As part of the celebration, a collection of commemorative 20th anniversary logos are available to download. Also look for them to appear on special swag that is scheduled for release in February.

From the Grab Bag

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

• WooCommerce is looking for developer feedback. On February 13, 2023, they’ll hold the first of three monthly chats on Slack regarding WooCommerce Blocks Extensibility.
• On a similar note, the team behind Advanced Custom Fields will hold their first “ACF Chat Friday” session on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 3pm UTC. It’s a chance to ask questions and provide feedback regarding the plugin.
• WordPress developers Aurooba Ahmed and Brian Coords have released the first episode of their viewSource podcast. The episode looks at their experiences with GitHub Copilot.
• As artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent, its shortcomings are also becoming apparent. A look at how OpenAI’s Whisper tool is struggling with an indigenous language is but one example.
• If you’re looking for a job in the WordPress space, Michelle Frechette hosts a weekly Twitter thread of open positions every Wednesday. Check it out and you may find a great opportunity.

New Members This Week

• Carl Hancock, follow @carlhancock and @GravityForms

If you’re not a member yet, go to thewpminute.com/support/ to join.

Video of the week

Subscribe at youtube.com/@wpminute

The WP Minute takes a look at the current state content marketing strategy for WordPress products.

 https://youtu.be/zyutM-DLUv4 

Thanks to all of the members who shared these links today:

• Michelle Frechette
• John Locke
• Abha Thakor

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