Crossword

A spirited take on renewed leadership energy and signs of decisive direction for WordPress. Enthusiastic breakdown of Desktop Mode and how it mimics a desktop workspace. A clear explanation of the Presence API that shows who is online and editing. Conversation about Playground, AI integrations, tech stack critiques, and a rapid-response Janitors channel reshaping community workflows.

Two friends unpack Matt Mullenweg's reemergence and the tense Slack conversation that followed. They trace a connector screen controversy and debate decision-making and leadership for the platform. The conversation pivots to AI: skepticism versus hands-on enthusiasm, and ideas for bridging new AI tools back into the ecosystem. They end with playful takes on podcast formats and video consumption.

A lively on-the-ground report from WordCamp Asia with scenes from Contributor Day and bustling lunchroom culture. Talks about plugin reviews, AI’s growing footprint and proposed disclosure ideas. Notes Contact Form 7 moving to maintenance and debates over page builder showdowns. Mentions Wapu art, Campus Connect internships, and dinner talks about admin design and agency worries.

Luke and Jonathan bring season 10 to a close. Jonathan attempts to reflect on the Crossword decalogy and Luke isn't having it. They end up talking about AI instead which, of course, was much more interesting.

Miriam Schwab, Head of WordPress relations at Elementor who represents the company at WordCamps, talks about Elementor’s ecosystem and how it scaled. She discusses listening to users, community-led growth, and balancing product changes with WordPress compatibility. She also covers monitoring feedback across platforms and Elementor’s moves beyond core plugin features.

A season wrap-up with talk of a new WP Engine product positioned against VIP-style publishing. Conversation about acquisitions, agency partnerships, and how specialized WordPress offerings are marketed. A split Agent Skills repo sparks debate on teaching AI to contribute to WordPress. They also discuss AI agents, resource costs, and practical personal AI workflows.

Jonathan and Luke have a chat with Jonathan Desrosiers, WordPress Core Committer and Principle Software Engineer at Bluehost. They discuss a recent episode of Crossword and a preview of Desrosiers's now published blog post. Wold asks for clarity on do-acracy vs meritocracy and the three discuss the importance of both active and passive contributions. Desrosiers offers his guidance for new contributors.

A lively debate about plugin piracy, GPL redistribution, and how that complicates sustainable business models. A shift to the WordPress project’s bold goals for 2026, including contributor momentum and release planning. A cautious discussion of AI’s role in tooling and whether content-generation belongs in the platform. A provocative idea about evolving WordPress into an operating-system-like platform.

Jeff Paul, VP of Open Source Solutions at Fueled and long-time WordPress contributor, shares his contributor origin story and non-developer ways to help. He explains project-management roles in Core and why text-based meetings boost accessibility. They discuss release cadence, volunteer management, hosting differences, and what roles are most needed now.

Luke kicks off Crossword with a surprise and Jonathan rolls with it. They discuss fresh WordPress drama, the plugin review team’s use (or non-use) of AI, and Luke shares his take on AI in WordPress plugins.