The second version of the Contributor Handbook is now available with a focus on broadening the diversity of the community.
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Program transcript
Hello, I’m Javier Casares, and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.
In this program, you’ll find the information from May 27th to June 2nd, 2024.
Contributing to the WordPress Community is always the main goal for everyone involved, which is why it’s important to highlight the WordPress Contributor Handbook second edition, a testament to the work and dedication of countless individuals who have invested their time to improve the documentation.
The handbook not only facilitates the integration of new contributors but also emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the ecosystem, recognizing that the strength of WordPress lies in the diversity of its participants.
This update to the handbook promotes an environment where everyone, regardless of their background or experience level, feels welcome and empowered to contribute. Thus, the WordPress community strengthens not only technically but also culturally, reflecting the richness and variety of its global users.
On Wednesday, June 5th, *WordPress 6.5.4 is set for release, addressing issues related to plugin dependencies.
Essentially, it will fix three tickets ensuring that when a plugin is installed, its dependencies are also checked, it maintains functionality with AJAX activation, allowing for subsequent redirections, and reverts the patch applied in WordPress 6.5.3.
The Themes team has started the discussion about the future Twenty Twenty-Five, which is expected to accompany WordPress 6.7 around November.
The plan involves a more transparent and broader process, with the first step being to find designers who will propose the idea, story, and create a roadmap based on past experiences.
In the inaugural meeting of the Media Corps team, the objectives, project scope, and criteria for selecting media partners were discussed. The initial phase of the project focuses on research and outreach and will be completed by the end of June, with a dedicated Slack channel and documentation of the media identification process.
Regarding selection, it was noted that a small group will be chosen in this first phase, meeting minimum quality standards defined as accurate, clear, and relevant content without grammatical or branding errors. Other general standards include accuracy and fact-checking, objectivity, respect in conduct and interactions with sources, and public responsibility, such as issuing corrections.
The Polyglots team is expanding Translation Events, specific or general events like a Contributor Day, focused on translating content, and now they are open for GTEs of each local WordPress edition to create them.
The proposal for the Learn WordPress content maintenance process suggests removing irrelevant content and focusing on the most recent versions.
The plan proposes a semi-annual review process, setting a 5% threshold for content support, meaning primarily focusing on the two most recent versions of WordPress. The proposal also includes a content review and triage in GitHub to ensure relevance and constant updates.
The Community team held its Mentorship Project meeting, already planning the third edition of the program. It was agreed to maintain the six-week duration but add an extra week for introductions and orientation. Additionally, the need for clear documentation for mentors was highlighted, and it was proposed to integrate participants into multiple teams to foster collaboration.
The idea of on-demand mentorship was explored, creating a group of mentors available to support new contributors at any time. The goal is to provide continuous support to new contributors, ensuring smooth integration into the WordPress community.
Regarding WordPress events, an analysis of data since 2016 highlights a decrease in new user attendance despite the increase in the number of events.
Factors such as the uniform event format, organizer burnout, and difficulty in securing sponsors are the most significant issues. Additionally, it has been observed that attendee expectations have changed, seeking clear purposes and more diverse event formats.
Statistics show a decline in participation since 2019, especially during and after the pandemic. Despite efforts to innovate with new types of events, returning to previous participation levels has been slow. Changes to attract new users are suggested, such as diversifying events and improving support for organizers.
Next week, WordCamp Europe 2024 will be held, concluding with Matt Mullenweg’s presentation on the state of WordPress so far in 2024 and a Q&A session.
Another update is that we now know the process followed to select the host city for WordCamp Europe 2025. Four cities from three different countries, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland, have been proposed, so June 2025 will see the event in one of these countries.
And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information at WordPress Podcast .org.
You can follow the content in Catalan, German, Esperanto, Spanish, and French.
Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!
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