May has been a month of celebrating WordPress and the open source community that makes it possible. In honor of the project’s 20th anniversary, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy reflected on this journey and the opportunity to build a better future for those who come after:
The more our community invests in itself and supports one another, the stronger WordPress and the open source software movement become.
Josepha Haden Chomphosy in Celebrating 20 Years of WordPress.
Read on for highlights of this milestone and the latest updates in the WordPress space.
WordPress at 20
May 27, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of WordPress’ first release. Since its inception by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little in 2003, the project has transformed the digital publishing landscape and enabled millions of people to craft their stories.
WordPress enthusiasts from all over the world gathered at more than 130 events to celebrate this important milestone. WP20’s commemorative book, Building Blocks: The Evolution of WordPress, was published in tandem and documents some of the most significant moments and changes of the last decade of the project.
The anniversary date may have passed, but the festivities and fun aren’t over. You can still join a meetup, sign the #WP20 From Blogs to Blocks campaign birthday card, or participate in #WP20 social celebrations.
WordPress 6.3 is expected on August 8
Work on WordPress 6.3 officially kicked off with the announcement of its development cycle and release squad. Set for release on August 8, 2023, this version will be the second major update of WordPress in 2023 and will mark the end of Phase 2 of the project’s development roadmap.
WordPress 6.3 aims to bring a cohesive site editing experience by introducing expanded functionality, richer interfaces, and a dedicated focus on refinement.
WordPress 6.2.2 security release
WordPress 6.2.2 became available for download on May 20, 2023. This release was a quick response to resolve a regression introduced in 6.2.1, specifically with shortcode support in block templates, and to further patch a vulnerability already addressed in the previous version.
New in the Gutenberg plugin
Three new versions of Gutenberg have shipped in the last month:
- Gutenberg 15.7, released on May 3, 2023, brings a new direct option to upload and replace a site’s logo from the block settings sidebar. Other enhancements include easier access to duotone filter controls via the style settings sidebar and an update to fluid typography to refine responsiveness.
- Gutenberg 15.8 shipped on May 17, 2023, and includes a new “Pages” item in the Site Editor sidebar to edit pages without leaving the interface. Moreover, this version brings the ability to navigate through revisions in the global styles interface and to preview block themes inside the Site Editor.
- Gutenberg 15.9 is ready for download as of May 31, 2023. The latest Gutenberg release comes with a new command tool and several enhancements to the Site Editor experience, including a more intuitive drag-and-drop function for moving blocks.
Team updates: Next-generation WordCamps, proposal for a Sustainability Team, and more
Feedback & testing requests
WordPress events updates
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The following folks contributed to this Month in WordPress: @rmartinezduque, @nahidsharifkomol, @chaion07, @devinmaeztri, @bsanevans, @ninianepress.