A WordPress publication · Launched May 2026
WordPress, without the developer-speak.
A smart, opinionated publication about what's actually happening in WordPress, written for WordPress site owners and for the developers and consultants who advise them.
This week's roundup
Read in full Issue 07 / Weekend Within · June 26
Issue 7: Security patches, a classic exit, and a community loss
Update Ultimate Member now or attackers can reset admin passwords. Avada Builder also needs a patch. A 13-year backdoor hit 44 WordPress plugins.
Inside this issue
01
Security Two urgent patches and a 13-year backdoor operation hitting 44 plugins.
02
Block Editor WordPress 7.1 hides the Classic block and begins a full phaseout.
03
AI A merge proposal would bring a native knowledge layer to WordPress 7.1.
04
Commerce & Performance WooCommerce 10.9 and WP Rocket 3.22 bring improvements for store owners.
05
Business Plugin developers push back on the 24-hour update delay.
06
Community Om Malik, who shaped WordPress's earliest years, has died at 59.
Recently
All articles July 01
New Free Plugin Lets Claude or ChatGPT Run Your WordPress Site by Chat
SeedProd's free Vibe AI plugin lets Claude or ChatGPT edit posts and fix SEO on your WordPress site by chat. Destructive actions need your approval first.
WordPress + AI
3 min
June 30
EU Drops Its €150 Customs Exemption July 1: What UK Sellers Must Fix Now
The EU's low-value customs exemption ends July 1. UK WooCommerce sellers need clean HS codes, matching invoices, and an EORI number to avoid rejections.
commerce
3 min
June 30
WordPress's First AI Leaders Cohort Just Graduated
40 students earned a new AI literacy credential by building real WordPress projects. The program shows what skilled, AI-fluent contributors look like.
WordPress Updates
2 min
June 26
Om Malik, an Early WordPress Adopter Who Helped Build Automattic, Has Died
Om Malik, one of WordPress's first users and the person who connected Matt Mullenweg to Automattic's founding team, died Wednesday at 59.
WordPress Updates
2 min
June 26
Issue 7: Security patches, a classic exit, and a community loss
Update Ultimate Member now or attackers can reset admin passwords. Avada Builder also needs a patch. A 13-year backdoor hit 44 WordPress plugins.
Weekend Within roundup
5 min
June 25
WP Rocket 3.22 Adds a Built-In Free CDN for Your Most Important Pages
WP Rocket 3.22 adds a free built-in CDN covering up to three pages. Point it at high-traffic pages to serve them faster for visitors far from your server.
Performance
2 min