Updates From Automattic and Other Tools

The redesigning is going on multiple core WordPress projects while there were new updates from Gutenberg and other plugins. TutorLMS and SEOPress have brought the newly designed look.

The Five for the Future Site Gets a New Look

After redesigning other parts of the WordPress directory including the homepage, theme, and plugin directory, the Five for The Future site has also got a reshape with a block-based theme. This was a collaborative task made by Meta, Design, and Community teams.

Gutenberg 19.2 Was Released with New Features

Here’s another Gutenberg update with some exciting features and bug fixes. The block Bindings UI, enhanced Zoom Out mode, Preview Options extensibility, and additional improvements are included in this release.

Let’s start with the Block Bindings UI. It was experimental up to this release but is now integrated into the editor, allowing users to link block attributes with external data sources. By default, only admin users can create and modify these block bindings, to add an extra layer of control and security. 

The extensibility of the Preview Options will allow developers to show custom previews alongside the default ones. Another update of this new release is enhanced Zoom Out Mode. With the newly introduced “Edit” button, users can switch between modes and exit by double-clicking on blocks.

Other notable inclusions:

• With the Content Only Mode, users can enjoy block styles for top-level content-only locked blocks while getting block icons in the toolbar. 

• Reorder control at the field level is added for the new view configuration UI. 
• Create Block is needed minimum WordPress version of 6.6. 

Automattic is Introducing WordPress to Tumblr

A few years ago, Automattic acquired Tumblr and it was the biggest acquisition the company made. However, there were many turmoils after the exchange happened. However, Matt Mulenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, recently announced that they’re turning the backend of Tumblr into WordPress.

In their words, “We’re talking about one of the largest technical migrations in internet history.” And they think the change will be beneficial for both platforms. “Tumblr will benefit from the collective effort that goes into the open source WordPress project.”

“We’re not talking about changing Tumblr. We’re not turning Tumblr into WordPress. That would defeat the purpose. We acquired Tumblr to benefit from its differences and strengths, not to water it down. We love Tumblr’s streamlined posting experience and its current product direction. We’re not changing that. We’re talking about running Tumblr’s backend on WordPress. You won’t even notice a difference from the outside.” That was the statement made by Automattic.

TutorLMS 3.0 Is Here With So Many Exciting Features

TutorLMS 3.0 successfully made the hype with its recent release. The most significant part is they brought their own eCommerce engine, saying goodbye to WooCommerce. Let’s have a quick look at the highlighted areas:

• Payment, order management, everything is now integrated into one place to maintain easily.
• With the native eCommerce engine, you can sell courses directly without requiring any external apps.
• They integrated more payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.Net, Paddle, Amazon Pay, and lots more.
• With simplified taxation, users can manage taxes effortlessly while maintaining compliance with local regulations.

New WordPress Plugins

Eduardo Capella built SnapSection, an interesting plugin to use for promotional purposes for your articles. With this tool, you can allow users to share a particular portion of your blog post. When users click on the link you shared, they will directly land on the specific section you’ve selected. It can recognize headings and look for an id, then create a link with that id.

Progress Planner is a task management plugin made by Yoast co-founders. Imagine this as a project manager who reminds you to complete all your tasks related to maintaining a website. Track activities on your website, such as publishing posts, updating plugins, resolving errors, etc. 

Quick Bites

• FundWP is a project introduced by Dave Grey and Andrew Plamer with a view to make funding easier for WordPress projects. And they wanted to start this because they’re believers in the integrity, innovation, and growth of WordPress.
• In a recent survey made by Melapress, many security insights have come to light. The most used security measure is 2FA, plugins are the preferred method for WordPress users, and people tend to adopt no security measure until they experience a breach are some interesting results of that survey.
• LearnDash LMS got some refurbishment on the Registration and Checkout Page. Now it looks more refreshing, plus it boosts user experience on a new level. New users who are going to sign up for courses and visit the checkout page will have a great feel.
• SEOPress 8.1 comes with an improved dashboard to simplify the use of the tool. The new dashboard is customizable and mobile-friendly. Moreover, this update also makes the onboarding smoother for new users. Upon activation, users will be redirected to the installation wizard.