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Issue #8
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This week in WordPress

It’s 2020 already

We hope you’ve had a great start to the new year because as Syed Balkhi says, "It’s 2020 already. Time flies by fast when you’re having fun." Syed, the long-time entrepreneur behind OptinMonster, WP Beginner, WPForms and MonsterInsights, is one of a number of folks who’ve published 2019 recaps. In This happened to me in 2019 – Year in Review he writes about what he did personally (reclaimed more of his time),
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professionally (launched three products, acquired stakes in a few more companies, and grew existing products), and the lessons he learned ("Saying NO is the ultimate productivity hack").

"It's a cracking read Syed. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for giving us an insight into what makes you tick, and the work tock. I'm amazed, in a positive way, how you can stick to what can only be assumed is a very busy schedule," tweets developer Mark McWilliams.

Other notable 2019 recaps include Yoast CEO Marieke van de Rakt's Looking back at (almost) a decade of Yoast ("Yoast SEO started out as a hobby. Although we still love it, It is not a hobby anymore," she writes.) and Justin Tadlock's Reflecting on 2019: The Year in Review for WP Tavern.

The WordPress VIP team closed out 2019 with 10 can't-miss moments of 2019 from WordPress VIP. Worth a read if you're interested in how WordPress is being used at enterprise scale.

Pods Framework looking for donors

"Will the beloved Pods framework become another casualty of the #WordPress block editor?" tweets ClassicPress resource site Code Potent, linking to Pods needs your help in 2020. Lead developer Scott Kingsley Clark reveals the project is seeking new donors after primary sponsor Automattic ceased funding the project. The company had been covering around 90% of the project's costs since 2012.

As WP Tavern's Justin Tadlock reports in Pods Framework Loses Primary Sponsorship, Seeks Donors To Fund Project, Automattic pulled its sponsorship after deciding to refocus its funding efforts on native Gutenberg projects. The Pods Framework team has set a goal of enlisting at least 200 sponsors. The average recurring monthly donation is about $17. Coupled with the project's existing 40 regular donors, another 160 are needed to cover costs.

Clark says the funding is crucial to maintaining a premium product for free. However, the team is exploring the potential for premium add-ons. "We're super thankful Automattic supported us over 7 years, we are also excited to see what that funding can do to help projects further innovate Gutenberg itself," tweets Pods Framework.

Building the community we deserve

WP Tavern's goal for 2020 will be shepherding the news site's community, writes Justin Tadlock in Building the Community We Deserve. Justin, who has revamped the site since joining as a staff writer in September says comments on articles veer between well-thought out views, those that venture into conspiracy theory territory (and those that cross over head-first), and comments that make baseless statements of fact.

Justin says he wants to nurture a welcoming environment for everyone, which will involve updating the site’s comment policy and introducing an "Ask the Bartender" advice column. "Some people are timid about commenting publicly. Others feel like they will be attacked or their ideas will be dismissed offhand. Fostering a community they would feel comfortable participating in is the goal," he writes.
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