This Week in WordPress #155

Welcome

Issue #155

Another week, and we're bringing you the latest WordPress news from the last seven days, including...

Full Site Editing (FSE) has had some updates this week
Gutenberg 10.2 is reviewed by WP Tavern with some mixed results
Elementor has added PayPal buttons and form submissions to their plugin
There's a lovely story from the WordPress community about Ronald Gijsel on HeroPress
Lee Jackson wonders if WordPress is always going to be the default option in the future
and finally there's a new paid for search engine in the offing - is it any good?

There's a whole lot more than this, as there is each and every week, and you can find all that by scrolling down and clicking on the links!

This Week in WordPress

This Week in WordPress #155 - "Where's Paul Lacey?"

Recorded on Monday 22nd March 2021. With Nathan Wrigley, Paul Lacey, Christina Hawkins, Iain Poulson and Ronald Gijsel.

Each week we discuss some of the the stories (from below) which captured our attention. It's like this newsletter but with real people!

If you ever want to join us live you can do that every Monday at 2pm UK time on the WP Builds LIVE page.

WordPress Core

High level feedback from the FSE Program (March 2021)

"After a few months and a few rounds of testing for the Full Site Editing Outreach Program, this post summarizes the top pieces of feedback of the current experience to help inform ongoing efforts for an MVP. Keep in mind that this post is simply a snapshot in time and is inherently going to leave out aspects of the experience that haven’t been the subject of calls for testing yet, for example, Global Styles..."

Gutenberg 10.2 Adds Spacers To Navigation Lists, Lets Users Categorize Template Parts, and Introduces Scoped Patterns

"Yesterday, version 10.2 of the Gutenberg WordPress plugin landed. Users can now add a Spacer block between Navigation items, categorize custom template parts, and pick between patterns when inserting the Query block..."

Community

Why we are moving beyond WordPress

"After years implementing awesome WordPress solutions we are breaking up. It’s not just us… it’s WordPress too! We will stay friends, we love the community and will continue to work with it where it meets relevant needs. But since we started dating, we feel WordPress has changed and not for the better..."

Empowered To Make A Change

A lovely story about turning adversity around with the help of WordPress and the WordPress community.

18 things we’ve learned from building WordPress plugins (good + bad)

"My brother and I just finished launching our third premium WordPress plugin. We both live and breathe WordPress on a daily basis and are excited to now be working on our plugins full time. However, a lot has changed over the past four years, and we have learned a lot. Let’s just say, we encountered a lot of new obstacles along the way with each plugin release..."

Plugins / Themes / Blocks

Introducing Form Submissions, PayPal Button Widgets, and Feature Improvements!

"In the newest version of Elementor Pro 3.2, we’ve continued to invest in awesome new features like Form Submissions and a new PayPal Button Widget while adding new functionality you’ll love to an existing widget. Ready to find out more? Check out our latest updates..."

A Guide to Gravity Forms 2.5: Everything You Need to Know!

"With the imminent release of Gravity Forms 2.5, we want to be sure everyone in our community is ready for the exciting new changes that this update brings. Gravity Forms 2.5 is one of our most important releases (ever!), incorporating a number of impressive improvements and additions that we know you’re going to love...!"

Work on the Twenty Twenty-Two Default WordPress Theme Should Already Be Underway

"I may have already said it thousand times, so once more will not hurt. Themes are the face of WordPress. They are often a new user’s first introduction to our beloved platform and blogging in general. And, the default themes are the first they see..."

Compatibility Is Not Enough: The Eksell WordPress Theme Creates Art With Blocks

"It is easy to become jaded after reading the same old keyword-stuffed theme descriptions. After viewing the same hero-plus-three-boxes theme designs. After seeing another theme with “block editor styles” that utterly fails to deliver on its promise..."

Gutenberg Block Manager Plugin Enables Global Block Removal and Recategorization

"The world of Gutenberg blocks is expanding. WordPress’ official block directory launched in June 2020 with just 60 single-block plugins. Today, it has grown to more than 480 blocks. As users incorporate more blocks into their websites, the block inserter can become a very long list to scroll when browsing..."

Deals

30% off Gridbuilder WP - Create Advanced Filterable & Faceted Grids WordPress

Get 30% off GridBuilder WP from 22nd - 28th March. It’s great for searching, filtering & faceted searches. Click on the link and use code SAVE30

Security

Elementor Patches XSS Vulnerabilities Affecting 7 Million WordPress Sites

"Elementor users who haven’t updated recently will want to get on the latest version 3.1.4 as soon as possible. Researchers at Wordfence disclosed a set of stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the plugin to its authors in February, which was partially patched at that time and additional fixes were released the second week of March..."

WordPress Vulnerability Database

New name and branding for WebARX... "Hand curated, verified and enriched WordPress vulnerability information..."

WP Super Cache Vulnerability Affects Over 2 Million Sites

"Authenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Discovered in WP Super Cache. Although low severity it's recommended all users update now..."

Attackers Continue to Exploit Vulnerabilities in The Plus Addons for Elementor Plugin

"Last week, security researchers at Seravo and WP Charged reported a critical zero-day vulnerability in The Plus Addons for Elementor on March 8, 2021. WPScan categorized it as an authentication bypass vulnerability..."

WP Builds

Stream Live with WordPress and WP Livestream - WP Builds Weekly WordPress Podcast #221

So it might have passed you by, but now we can (and apparently do) all create our own T.V. channels! Services like YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Vimeo make this process pretty much painless, but pretty much painless is not completely painless; and that's the subject of the podcast today. A WordPress plugin called WP Livestream which makes this as simple as possible to get your livestream on your WordPress website. Set it up once and forget about it. Find out more from the developer of the plugin, Nathan Parikh, on the WP Builds podcast today...

Web Agency Summit 2021 Preview with Vito Peleg

Come and see what's in store for the 'Web Agency Summit 2021' with lead organiser, Vito Peleg from Atarim (formerly WP Feedback). Find out the what, who and when of this online event starting in just a few days.

Not WordPress, but useful anyway…

Google Accuses Microsoft of “Breaking the Open Web”

"Just before the weekend, Google published a caustic statement on Microsoft’s public support of Australia’s new law that forces Google and Facebook to pay publishers for their content. The law requires the companies to negotiate licensing agreements with publishers in order to include news articles in both search and news feeds, including snippets..."

10 New CSS Features You Might Not Know About (2021 Edition)

"The modern web would not be possible without CSS. The markup language is responsible for the fact that websites look good, have a pleasant layout, and that every element stays where it belongs. Yet, did you know that new CSS features come out all the time...?"

Ex-Google Employees Build New Search Engine

"A new search platform gains $40 million Series B funding. Founded by ex-Google employees with headquarters down the road from the tech giant..."

Australia Strikes Again

"The report revealed that Google has ‘substantial market power’ regarding the supply of general search services. Google has held between 93-95% of the general search market share for the last twelve years. In comparison, Bing holds 4% of the general search market share, whereas DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Startpage have less than 1%..."