Jetpack 5.5 Removes Syntax Highlighting and Gallery Widget for Compatibility with Upcoming WordPress 4.9 Release

Jetpack 5.5 was released yesterday with several important changes that ensure the plugin is compatible with the upcoming WordPress 4.9 release scheduled for November 14. The plugin will be able to shed some weight, as core improvements will make Jetpack’s syntax highlighting and gallery widget obsolete. WordPress 4.9 incorporates CodeMirror, which brings syntax highlighting, linting, and auto-completion to the built-in …

How to Whitelist Comments in WordPress

Out-of-the-box, WordPress provides the ability to blacklist comments or configure a set of options to send comments to moderation. If all comments are moderated, there are no options to whitelist comments. Searching the plugin directory for comment whitelisting provides few, if any, solutions. However, a cursory search of Google led me to the Comment Whitelist plugin by Alejandro Carravedo. Comment …

Gutenberg Contributors Discuss the Drawbacks of Using iframes for Meta Boxes

photo credit: Closed square box, variation – (license) A lively and productive discussion regarding Gutenberg’s use of iframes for meta boxes is happening on GitHub. Yesterday, WordPress developer Kevin Hoffman created an issue titled “Are iframes a viable long-term solution for meta boxes?” Gutenberg 1.5 introduced initial support for meta boxes. Hoffman identified several issues with iframes that have been …

Bianca Welds Awarded Kim Parsell Travel Scholarship

The WordPress Foundation has awarded Bianca Welds with the Kim Parsell travel scholarship to attend WordCamp US 2017. Welds lives in Jamaica and has been using WordPress since 2005. We featured her on the Tavern in 2015 when she provided insight into the Jamaican WordPress community. Welds will be presenting at WordCamp US on how a couple is using WordPress to …

Gutenberg 1.6 Improves Writing Experience, Moves Block Toolbar to the Top of the Editor

The Gutenberg plugin’s Halloween release (version 1.6) includes major updates to the writing experience and many performance improvements. The block toolbar has been relocated to the top of the editor, a suggestion that was mocked up and described in detail in a post on the Yoast SEO blog proposing an alternative approach for Gutenberg. Prior to version 1.6, users could …

GDPR for WordPress Project Seeks to Provide a Standard for Plugin Compliance

WordCamp Denmark organizer Kåre Mulvad Steffensen and WP Pusher creator Peter Suhm are working on a GDPR for WordPress project that aims to provide an industry standard for getting plugins compliant with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation. The deadline for compliance is May 28, 2018, approximately 200 days from now. The Danish duo met at WordCamp Europe a …

New Dispensary Details Plugin for WooCommerce Adds Cannabis Details to Products

photo credit: Blueberry Kush, Indica-3 – (license) Two years ago, WordPress developer Robert DeVore launched WP Dispensary, a free marijuana dispensary menu plugin for WordPress, and has since built an accompanying theme, additional free add-ons, and six commercial extensions. DeVore is aiming to make WP Dispensary a complete online menu software solution for dispensaries and delivery services. The business has …

Patreon Launches App Directory and Free WordPress Plugin for Membership Sites

Patreon was founded in May 2013 as a service with business tools that allow content creators to crowdfund their work through donations and subscriptions. The service is now expanding to help users connect their accounts to more third-party tools that make patron management easier. Patreon launched its new App Directory and Developer Portal today, featuring a free WordPress plugin that …

WordPress 4.9 Will Support Shortcodes and Embedded Media in the Text Widget

WordPress 4.8 brought TinyMCE to the core Text widget, along with brand new Image, Video, and Audio media widgets. The upcoming 4.9 release builds on this progress and will introduce some long-awaited improvements to Text widget. Users will finally be able to use shortcodes in the Text widget without the help of additional code from plugins or themes. This new …