In a remarkable moment, WordPress Co-Founder Matt Mullenweg took the stage in Madrid, Spain, to disclose the State of the Word 2023, marking a historic international delivery of the annual keynote. With the event streamed globally, Mullenweg provided insights into WordPress’s 2024 milestones and a promising outlook for 2024.
Celebrating 20 Years of WordPress Excellence
The WordPress community came together to celebrate the platform’s 20th anniversary. From its humble beginnings as a blogging tool, WordPress has grown into a powerhouse that now powers over a third of all websites worldwide. The community actively participated in this milestone, with a doubling of the previous year’s WordCamps, hosting 70 events in 33 countries. Additionally, 1,339 new contributors joined, laying the foundation for future collaborations and advancements. The upcoming WordCamp Asia is set to take place from March 7th to 9th in Taipei, Taiwan.
Introducing New Features and Collaborative Tools
Mullenweg introduced exciting developments within the WordPress ecosystem. Notably, the “Nearby Events” widget on the WordPress Admin dashboard leverages geolocation to enhance community engagement by showcasing upcoming WordPress events in nearby locations.
The relaunch of the WordPress Showcase emphasized the platform’s scalability and security. During a peak period when Taylor Swift was recognized as Person of the Year, the Showcase impressively handled over 100,000 requests per second, demonstrating its robustness and reliability.
During his presentation, Gutenberg Lead Architect Matías Ventura focused on the progress of Gutenberg and its future plans. He highlighted that Gutenberg’s development is divided into four phases:
Phase 1: Editing
Phase 2: Customization
Phase 3: Collaboration (current)
Phase 4: Multilingual capabilities (upcoming)
Ventura emphasized the current third phase of Gutenberg, which is dedicated to collaboration. He discussed advancements in Gutenberg as both a writing and design tool, highlighting the following areas of improvement:
Writing and Design Functionality: Gutenberg has evolved to offer advanced capabilities in both writing and design. Users can create rich content while also having the flexibility to customize the design of their websites.
Collaborative Editing: The introduction of collaborative editing functionality enables real-time collaboration within the Gutenberg editor. This allows multiple users to work on a project simultaneously, improving teamwork and productivity.
Site Editor and Patterns: Gutenberg’s Site Editor and Patterns have been enhanced to streamline workflows. These improvements provide a comprehensive view of the site structure, empowering designers and developers with more control and efficiency.
Ventura also briefly mentioned the upcoming Phase 4, which will focus on adding multilingual capabilities to Gutenberg. This will make it easier for users to create and manage multilingual websites within the Gutenberg editor.
Overall, Gutenberg’s progress in its four-phase development shows a commitment to improving the editing, customization, collaboration, and multilingual capabilities of the WordPress platform, providing users with a more versatile and efficient web design and content creation experience.
Evolving the WordPress Playground
Updates on the WordPress Playground were shared, a browser-based tool allowing users to experiment with site elements, plugins, and designs without the need for complex infrastructure. Recent enhancements include direct code interaction, in-browser information retention, added PHP extensions, and network access for API interactions. These improvements create a risk-free environment that caters to both newcomers and experienced users, fostering creativity and exploration.
Introducing Twenty Twenty-Four: A Versatile Theme
The new default WordPress theme, Twenty Twenty-Four, showcases the advancements of Gutenberg’s Phase 2. With its collection of over 35 built-in patterns, this theme proves versatile for artists, entrepreneurs, and writers, maximizing the capabilities of Gutenberg.
Advancing Gutenberg for Collaborative Editing
Gutenberg, with its roadmap spanning four phases, entered its third phase, which focuses on collaboration. Ventura, Gutenberg’s Lead Architect, highlighted the introduction of collaborative editing functionality, enabling real-time collaboration within the editor. Improvements in the Site Editor and Patterns provide a streamlined workflow, offering designers and developers enhanced control and a comprehensive view of site structure.
Enhancing Performance for a Seamless Experience
Improving performance for both editors and end-users was a key focus. Ventura emphasized a fast and responsive experience, with a dedicated dashboard monitoring basic operations to ensure optimal performance even with new features. The introduction of moderation frameworks supports users in seamless data migration, reflecting WordPress’s commitment to user empowerment and responsive project management.
Embracing AI in WordPress
Mullenweg highlighted 2023 as a significant year for AI in WordPress and encouraged the exploration of tools like CoPilot. The integration of AI with the WordPress Playground showcased its potential for creating complex websites using natural language processing. WordPress is actively driving the future of AI-driven website development and its impact on the platform.
WordCamp US Finds Its Home in Portland
In a grand announcement, Mullenweg revealed that WordCamp US would take place in Portland, Oregon, for the next two years. Portland’s vibrant creative and tech-savvy culture aligns with WordCamp’s commitment to fostering collaboration and learning in unique settings.
The Power of WordPress Community: A Snapshot of 2023
As evidence of its Community, WordPress had a notable market share in 2023.
- 70 WordCamps in 33 countries across the globe
- 3,300 events, including WordPress School Days and Kids/Youth Camps
- 2,500 organizers dedicated their time to making these events possible
- An annual survey is now available for all Meetup members and organizers – please complete it even if you haven’t been to a Meetup in a while! Annual Meetup Survey
- https://w.org/meet is a new website to see upcoming WordPress events, similar to the events listed in the dashboard widget
- This year, 1,339 new contributions were made to WordPress.org
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for WordPress
The State of the Word 2023 sets the stage for WordPress’s future, focused on innovation, community engagement, and user-centric development. With advancements in collaboration, performance, and AI integration, WordPress is shaping a more intuitive, efficient, and inclusive web experience. The choice of Portland as the host for WordCamp US promises exciting opportunities for learning, networking, and community building. WordPress continues to lead the way, setting new standards and creating a digital landscape where creativity and collaboration thrive. With a promising horizon and its commitment to a connected and empowered online world, WordPress enters its third decade with enthusiasm and confidence.
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