Today my @wordpress.org contribution journey became a teenager. It's hard to believe that it's been 13 years since I first received "props" for contributing to the project.

13 Years Contributing to WordPress

Join me as I reflect on reaching a new milestone in my journey as an Open Source maintainer: 13 years since first contributing to the WordPress project.

jonathandesrosiers.com

Have you ever stopped to consider what makes something a part of the web? What even IS the web? The web was intentionally built on patent-free standards and decentralized architecture with the ultimate goal of equal and universal access. Where does the open web begin and end?

Which is all to say: if you’re in Cambridge this coming Monday (27 April), I hope you’ll swing by the Boston WordPress meetup! It’s a wonderful community, and I’m looking forward to meeting folks. And maybe you! More info, and an RSVP link: bostonwp.org/2026/04/apri...

🦊 Giving an in-person talk for the first time in SEVEN YEARS. A thing I used to do *all the time*, and now it feels novel. New, even. An almost-decade can bring a few changes. Apparently. ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/retour/

Retour. — ethanmarcotte.com

Doing a thing I used to do all the time, and having some feelings about it.

ethanmarcotte.com

I was recently a guest on the WP Tavern Jukebox Podcast with @nathanwrigley.com for my fourth appearance on the show. We covered WordPress release strategies, the state of the contributor community, and why the resurgence of open technologies has me feeling good about what's ahead for the project.

Every time a version of WordPress is released, there are dozens of contributors who perform final testing on the built packages before it's pushed out to the world. If you've ever participated in a "release party" you know it can feel a bit chaotic or intimidating.

While I was writing this post, @jonathanwold.com actually reached out to see if I would be a guest on the Crossword podcast. We discussed this concept in depth, the importance of being prepared when new contributors show up, the nuance between a do-ocracy and a meritocracy, and more!

Jonathan Desrosiers@jonathandesrosiers.com · 6mo ago

Criticism IS a form of contribution. But the nuance of how you offer it matters just as much as the what. When should you speak up? How can you frame concerns? I wrote about offering constructive criticism in open source and why your voice matters.

If you're a Massachusetts resident, pay attention! There's a new program that officially launched at the end of February that everyone should take advantage of. While "AI" may be the latest annoying buzz word of the tech industry the last 24 months, it's not going anywhere.

At @fosdem.org this past weekend, I had one of those moments that makes you reflect on what good open source collaboration really looks like. Fellow @wordpress.org Core Committer Dennis Snell gave a talk about how the story behind the HTML API.

Is it fair to criticize an open source project when you don't have all the information? A recent Crossword podcast discussion with Jonathan Wold and Luke Carbis about WordPress 6.9's Notes feature got me thinking about this tension many contributors feel.

Opening remarks at @fosdem.org 2026. If you’re here, let me know so we can find each other! #fosdem

I'm really looking forward to attending @fosdem.org this weekend. Who else will be there? And if you've attended before, hit me with your best tips (the schedule is massive)! #fosdem #opensource

I always struggle choosing images to accompany my writing. I’m curious what strategies others use, especially when there’s imagery would be more metaphoric. As much as possible, I try to use photos from the @wordpress.org photo directory, but I occasionally use AI.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Drupal 1.0.0 release. While @wordpress.org and Drupal try to solve many of the same problems, both are thriving projects in the battle of open vs. closed source.

There's a few days left to submit @wordpress.org 6.9 release cycle feedback. All are welcome to share feedback (even those who did not contribute directly to the release). Understanding what did/did not go well is the only way processes can be improved! So take a moment to fill out this short form 🙏

WordPress 6.9 "Gene" Release Retrospective

Let's reflect on the experience of the WordPress 6.9 release process and use what you learned to improve future releases. This form is for everyone who participates in the WordPress community, not jus...

forms.gle

I’ve been listening to @adamwathan.com’s podcast since he began last November, so this week’s news was not a complete surprise. But it’s always disappointing when it actually gets to the point of layoffs. I couldn’t help the feeling of déjà vu.

If you've ever wanted to lead a @WordPress release, the call for volunteers to help with 7.0 is out! Give it a read and volunteer in the comments if you are interested in serving on the release squad.

WordPress 7.0 Call for Volunteers

Planning for WordPress 7.0 is underway with a proposed release date of April 9, 2026. This post outlines the key milestone dates and includes a call for volunteers to help lead the release. Whether…

make.wordpress.org

The proposed 2026 @wordpress.org release schedule is out! Take a look, chime in with thoughts, and mark your calendars. make.wordpress.org/project/2025...

Proposal: 2026 Major Release Schedule

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect and start thinking about what the major release schedule for the 2026 calendar year will be. This year, the community came together and published two …

make.wordpress.org

Curious about your (or another's) contribution history for WordPress? My contribution history tool now includes WordPress 6.9 in the results. peterwilson.cc/wordpress-co...

WordPress Core Contribution History - Peter Wilson

Review an individual contributor's history of props to WordPress Core and the credit they received in each release.

peterwilson.cc

A HUGE thank you goes out to every single one of the 920+ contributors who helped to make this release possible! Following the theme of luck from my 7 year First Commit-iversary post, I am truly lucky to "hit the button" on stage at State of the Word pushing this release to the world!

WordPress@wordpress.org · 8mo ago

Meet WordPress 6.9 “Gene”. This release delivers collaboration with soul. Notes in the editor, smooth drag and drop, new creative blocks, and faster performance across your site. Discover what is new and upgrade today: wordpress.org/download/releas... #WordPress

I'm just over an hour late sharing on social media because of plane WiFi, but yesterday (November 30th) marked the 7 year anniversary of making my first commit to the code base of the @wordpress.org open source project.

WordPress Core Committer Check-in: November 2025

Core Committers Check-in – November 2025

This post summarizes key discussions from the Core Committer meeting held on November 25, 2025 with project leadership. As with previous check-ins, the goal is to align on key initiatives, gather f…

make.wordpress.org

I'm really excited for the @wordpress.org 6.9 release! There's. A. Ton. The field guide is now live, and it proves my point (it's a doozy). I'm looking forward to seeing the community build on top of the new Notes feature, which unlocks new ways to collaborate!

WordPress 6.9 Field Guide

This guide outlines major developer features and breaking changes in 6.9 and is published in the Release Candidate phase to help inform WordPress extending developers, Core developers, and others. …

make.wordpress.org

All known PHP 8.5 incompatibilities in WordPress Core have been fixed for the @wordpress.org 6.9 release scheduled for December 2. This release will have "beta support" for PHP 8.5, which is just the label applied to PHP versions with less than 10% adoptions across all WP sites.

PHP 8.5 support in WordPress 6.9

PHP 8.5 was released on November 20th. Contributors to WordPress have been busy in recent months preparing for this version and we’re happy to report that all issues reported against PHP 8.5 …

make.wordpress.org

Just boarded my train to NYC for the #EvolveDigital Summit this Thursday & Friday. I'm looking forward to talking to attendees to hear what everyone is working on! Who will I see there?

Version 6.9 of @wordpress.org is due out on December 2nd. There is a handful of developer-focused changes that are worth sharing, so here they are! make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11...

Miscellaneous Developer-focused Changes in 6.9

In WordPress 6.9, a handful of small, developer-focused changes were made that deserve to be called out. Let’s take a look! PHP 8.5 New Function Polyfills The upcoming 8.5 release of PHP includes 2…

make.wordpress.org

On November 20-21 2025, I'll be speaking at the EvolveDigital Summit in NYC. Too often, security is treated as an afterthought or a one-time task to check off a list. But that approach often leaves sites vulnerable and owners frustrated.

Happy Sports Equinox! The "sports equinox" is when all four major North American sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) play on the same day. While initially rare, they have become more and more common in recent years. Today is the first and only scheduled equinox for 2025.

Today is my birthday! I decided to write my first birthday blog post to set a few goals for myself over the course of the next 365 days.

Thirty-Eight

Today is my 13,881st day in existence and the first day of being 38. I have a lot to be thankful for, but also a lot to work on. I’ve never written one of these birthday posts before, but I’ve been tr...

jonathandesrosiers.com

As I was waiting to head to the @wordcampcanada.bsky.social after party to meet more people and have more conversations, I wrote up some reflections on the event. jonathandesrosiers.com/2025/10/revi...

Revitalizing the Stagnant Web: Reflections from WordCamp Canada

The WordPress community can be so strange sometimes. But I mean that in a really good way! The last few days at WordCamp Canada were a great reminder of that. I always walk away from a WordCamp feelin...

jonathandesrosiers.com