I have been on the hunt for a decent progress bar solution for a while now. Most of them are bundled in large block libraries, requiring me to install another 20 or 30 blocks in which I have no need. Others seem to miss the mark entirely with odd configurations and block options. Some of the remaining plugins still use …
WordPress 5.8 Introduces Support for WebP Images
WebP support is coming to WordPress 5.8. This modern image file format was created by Google in September 2010, and is now supported by 95% of the web browsers in use worldwide. It has distinct advantages over more commonly used formats, providing both lossless and lossy compression that is 26% smaller in size compared to PNGs and 25-34% smaller than comparable JPEG images. …
Open Invitation To Contribute to the WordPress Block Pattern Directory
The upcoming block pattern directory is launching alongside WordPress 5.8 in July. The goal is to make several high-quality designs available for users right off the bat. However, the official submission process will not open until the directory launches. In this chicken-and-egg scenario, the Design team is asking for early contributors to submit their pattern candidates via GitHub. “The project …
Review Signal Publishes 2021 Hosting Performance Benchmarks on New WordPress-Powered Site
Kevin Ohashi has published his 2021 WordPress Hosting Performance Benchmarks report. The annual report is broken down into six different hosting tiers, from the most economical <$25/month, to the $500+ enterprise level. This is the second year the stats include WooCommerce-specific hosts as a separate category. After eight years of measuring peak performance and consistency for WordPress hosts, Review Signal …
The 2021 WPMU DEV Survey
Last year you provided us with 998 responses to our annual survey and they were amazing. This year, again, I will personally read every single one and if we can crack 1,000 responses we’ll DOUBLE the prize pool. Read on for more info on why you should participate (basically me demonstrating to you that we really do listen and act), …
Jetpack 9.8 Introduces WordPress Stories Block Alongside Forced Security Update
Jetpack 9.8 was released this week, introducing WordPress Stories as the headline feature. The Story block, which allows users to create interactive stories, was previously only available on mobile. It can now be used in the web editor. Stories went into public beta on the Android app in January 2021, and were officially released on the mobile apps in March. Version …
Building Featured Boxes With the WordPress Block Editor
It is a new day with another chase for that elusive block plugin that will bring a little joy into my life. Today’s experiment comes courtesy of the Feature Box plugin by Sumaiya Siddika. It is a simple block that allows end-users to upload an image and add some content to an offset box. The plugin’s output is a typical …
Forks and Alternatives: Custom User Avatar Plugins for WordPress
You know what one of the great things about open source is? Others can use a project’s code, share it wholesale, modify it, and/or distribute their changes. These are the pillars upon which WordPress stands. It is a beautiful thing to watch in practice. Most often, it means we can build off the shoulders of those giants who came before …
Your Hosting Backups Are Automatically Safe With WPMU DEV…100% Guaranteed!
Fire, flood, rain, or shine, WPMU DEV’s managed WordPress hosting keeps your backups safe and fine. If you follow IT-related news, you may recall the March 2021 fire that destroyed one of Europe’s largest hosting provider’s data centres in Strasbourg, France, knocking out major websites around the world. Does your website disaster recovery plan include total hosting backup redundancy? Source: …
Chrome Canary Adds Flag for Disabling FLoC Testing
Google’s controversial Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) experiment now has a feature flag within Chrome Canary (the nightly build of Chrome for developers) that allows users to opt out. In January 2020, Google announced its plans to discontinue support for third-party cookies in Chrome within two years. The first bits and pieces of the company’s Privacy Sandbox initiative started landing …







