Thankful for Great Plugins for WordPress
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Thankful for Great Plugins for WordPress
It's Episode 538 and we have plugins for: Country Addons, Applying for Jobs, XMas says Hello!, Dokan Vendoring, Seed Tracing, QRing… and ClassicPress Options. It's all coming up on WordPress Plugins A-Z!
Country and State Selection Addons for Gravity Forms, Job Application Form, Christmas Greetings, Dokan – Best WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace Solution – Build Your Own Amazon, eBay, Etsy, seedtrace, Simple Qr……. and ClassicPress options on Episode 538.
John's Intro:
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American listeners. Hope it is a great day for you in these times…..
This is a value for value show and I look forward to everyone providing some value back.
Before I get started, you will want to hang around to the end of the show for our Q & A segment with Amber…. and to those listening on the podcast, you may want to check out the YouTube version which has some great discussions before the show starts…
Producer Credits:
Executive producer:
Nobody this week. Maybe next week!
Show Art:
Greg's Graphics (Greg Holdsworth) — https://gregsgraphics.com
All the show notes can be found at: WPPluginsAtoZ.com
Check out all the art work at https://wppluginsatoz.com/show-art-submitted/
To Submit Artwork go here https://wppluginsatoz.com/artwork/
Amber's Rant:
This is #45 of 52 episodes for 2021!
Our little piece of the Wet Coast is slowly heading towards normality again after that crazy storm we weathered, with the roads being fixed and the supply trains getting back to schedule! Tis a bit of a relief I gotta say!
I hope that everyone out there is doing well and keeping warm as Jack Frost has started coming round at night to dance across the lawns! I remember pretending to be a dragon walking through mountains and crushing them when I was walking to school as a kid in this weather – I would pretend my breath was fire. I wonder if that helped keep me warm without me knowing it?
Remember to take that time for yourself, we are about to get super hectic with the X-mas month coming up, and you will need all the peace of mind you can find! Also for those adults out there, dark spiced rum tastes excellent in hot chocolate – just saying.
Rinse and repeat as often as needed.
We have some news from the world of WordPress for you today as well as some great plugins.
News this week:
GoDaddy Data Breach exposes 1.2 Million active and inactive managed WordPress Hosting Accounts – GoDaddy announced on November 22 that there was a data security breach; they discovered that unauthorized third-party access to its hosting environment on November 17 gained access through an exploited vulnerability. They gained access using a compromised password beginning on September 6, 2021; nearly every sensitive data point associated with hosting a WordPress website was compromised, including customer email addresses, admin passwords, sFTP and database credentials, and SSL private keys. GoDaddy states they have already taken steps to further secure its provisioning system and is continuing its investigation, though as their stock took a large hit, it may already be too late for them. We may be witnessing a mighty giant tumbling – we shall see what happens!
WordPress 5.9 revised release date confirmed for January 25, 2022 – Beta 1 is planned for November 30, 2021, RC 1 is scheduled for January 4, 2022, and the official release is anticipated on January 25. This seems to be a unique experience for WordPress, as generally their releases tend to follow the actual date set forth, hopefully it will follow through on this date!
BuddyPress 10.0.0 Beta 1 delayed, stable release rescheduled for December 24, 2021 – it seems that release dates are being rescheduled everywhere right now! Version 10 is coming though, they have not forgotten!
Google Chrome and Safari warning to change settings immediately if you want to protect your privacy – If you like your privacy, this is worth looking at, because it appears you may have to get an extension in order to keep said privacy in chrome.
Windows on Arm gains x64 emulation – but requires Windows 11 – For those who use Windows 10 Arm-based PC's, Microsoft will no longer be supporting it for Windows 10, though they have added it to Windows 11.
High security BIOS flaws affect numerous Intel processors – Intel has disclosed two high-severity vulnerabilities that affect a wide range of Intel processor families, allowing threat actors and malware to gain higher privilege levels on the device. This article goes on to explain how they were found, disclosed, and what products specifically are affected.
Hackers deploy Linux malware, web skimmer on e-commerce servers – This is an important thing to be aware of if you have an e-commerce site – these guys are creating malware that starts with fake payment forms on checkout pages displayed to customers. This one starts out by camouflaging itself as a “ps -ef” process, and runs in the background, creating a back-door – read the article to get the details and learn how you can spot and fight against this.
Most common passwords of 2021 – is yours on the list? – Well, I didn't see any password that looked anything like my own passwords, but this list really gets you thinking! And right beside the password listed, it has the amount of time to crack it, and the count for how often it has been found to be used in 2021. Take a look, and if yours is on the list, you might want to think about changing it…
The extras – for even more extra news, check out our Facebook, or Twitter page!
This is the extra news stuff that someone out there might find interesting. To read more, you can head on over to the show notes or newsletter and check it out! If you find something to add for next show, send me a link at amber@wppro.ca
Automattic theme team releases a plugin to build blockbase Child Themes – This is great news for those who have been waiting patiently on the sidelines for just such a thing!
How to enable wake-on-LAN in Windows 10 and 11 – This is an age old trick that admin's have used to remotely turn on PC's that are on the same network without having to go to the computer itself. This is a useful how-to that you can use at home!
Windows 11 has change for Right Click Menu – There are a few different changes, such as a new version of Paint and Snipping Tool, a new Focus Feature, and a bluer highlighting. The additions to the right click menu doesn't seem to be specifically stated here, just that there is going to be additions and changes.
You can use Android Apps on Windows 11 – And this article tells you many reasons why this would be a great idea! Read on to find out more!
Microsoft now has one of the world's fastest supercomputers (and no, it doesn't run on Windows) – Great article going through and giving you alllll the juicy details on how Microsoft became part of the world's 10 fastest machines list!
Nasty new Android malware cleaning out bank and crypto accounts – SharkBot banking Trojan targesting US, UK, and Italy. UK and Italy are getting their banks attacked, US is mainly getting their BitCoin attacked. Beware, and check out the article for more information!
Dark web crooks are now teaching courses on how to build botnets – Security researchers warn that botnet threat could increase with these courses going around on the dark web.
New Memento ransomware switches to WinRar after failing at encryption – New ransomware group called Memento takes the unusual approach of locking files inside password-protected archives after their encryption method kept being detected by security software. Read on to find out more!
Apple suing ‘hacker-for-hire' firm NSO that Canadian cyber watchdog Citizen Lab warned them about – This should be an interesting thing to follow! Pegasus spyware has been used to target Apple products, and Apple is NOT happy about it!
The hall of shame via Automattic:
transparency.automattic.com/tag/hall-of-shame/
Matt's Famous Quotes
https://www.idrlabs.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg.php
Support the show
This Show will not work without you, the producers, as it is a Value for Value model, meaning if you're getting any value out of it then give some value back and help the show out.
Start by subscribing to the newsletter for additional information and get out there round them up and rope them all in, belly up to the bar and enjoy. Spread the word about WP Plugins A to Z and catch it live every Thursday at noon PST on our YouTube Channel.
Show Producers
We'd like to acknowledge all the producers who have supported the show in the various ways over the last week.
This weeks show Art Work comes from:
Greg's Graphics (Greg Holdsworth) — https://gregsgraphics.com
To Submit Artwork go here https://wppluginsatoz.com/artwork/
Check out all the art work at https://wppluginsatoz.com/show-art-submitted/
This week's Executive Producer/'s are:
Nobody this week. Maybe next week!
A big thank you to all the Producers who came in under $50 and to those who have set up weekly subscriptions they will remain anonymous and I thank you very much.
All these small subscriptions really help the show out.
A big thank you to those who have hired me because of the Podcast, thank you that is as good as donating to the show.
You can Support the Show by:
Donating money to help the show Donations of $50 and over are credited with an Executive Producer Credit in the Show Notes, and their note is read out on the show.
Submitting art work at the WP Plugins Art generator,
To Submit Artwork go here https://wppluginsatoz.com/artwork/
Submit articles news and information
Submit plugin suggestions for reviews
You can also create a monthly donation at Patreon
Or something I may not have thought of.
If you would like to send something to WP Plugins A to Z you can send to the following address:
WP Plugins A to Z
C/O John Overall
20-754 E Fairview Rd.
Victoria, BC V9A 5T9
Canada
Off we go into the meat and potatoes, Into the depths of plugin depravity…..
ClassicPress Options
ClassicPress is growing really well, but I just don't have the time to add reviews on ClassicPress myself. I am always open to reviews sent in by listeners; though unless there is a review sent into me on ClassicPress, I am not going to do more than mention that ClassicPress is a thing, and here are some resources. I hope some listeners out there find this information useful!
One thing I am looking forward to in the ClassicPress World is the expansion of the number of ClassicPress specific plugins and their own repository. There are a few plugins specifically for ClassicPress and all plugins for WordPress 4.9.9 work well on it. I do believe it has a future, I just have not time to help them in getting it out there.
ClassicPress News:
No updates for ClassicPress this week!
For some up to date news on ClassicPress check out the ClassicPress Blog.
ClassicPress Resources:
“Must Have” Plugins List
https://forums.classicpress.net/t/must-have-plugins-list/1163
It seems ClassicPress now has it own repository you can check it here https://directory.classicpress.net/plugins they now have 83 plugins available.
CodePotent's plugin directory
https://codepotent.com/classicpress/plugins/
WordPress Plugins
Are you looking for some great newly released plugins check this link
https://wordpress.org/plugins/browse/new/
——————————–
John's Plugin
Country and State Selection Addon for Gravity Forms
https://wordpress.org/plugins/gforms-addon-for-country-and-state-selection/
The lowdown:
This is a great little add-on to your Gravity forms that will let you setup an easy drop down for states and countries.
Rating 5 Dragons.
——————————–
Amber's Plugin
Dokan – Best WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace Solution – Build Your Own Amazon, eBay, Etsy
https://wordpress.org/plugins/dokan-lite/
The Lowdown:
I really liked the way this started out, easy and simple download and activation. They take you through the set up via your own time when you have time, and they offer a very helpful little blurb underneath just about everything explaining what you are setting up. They also offer ‘per vendor' commission and taxing and what not.
It took me a little bit to understand that they had created pages for me with the information I wanted to put up that I will be able to link, and you are able to fix up each of these pages yourself, in Elementor as well if so desired. You also now have widgets if you use Elementor for Dokan.
You also have the option of turning off all information gathering in each plugin connected – which I very much like.
There is a lot you can do with this, I didn't feel like anything was being pushed on me, nor did I feel totally lost or frustrated at any time. It's very friendly not just with other plugins but for users.
Rating 4 Dragons
——————————–
John's Plugin
Job Application Form
https://wordpress.org/plugins/job-application-form/
The Lowdown:
A simple job application form to place on your website when you're looking to hire people.
Rating 4 Dragons
——————————–
Amber's Plugin
seedtrace
https://wordpress.org/plugins/seedtrace-transparency/
The Lowdown:
This is a pretty cool new plugin to check out if you are one who sells seeds on your site! This is designed to work with WooCommerce; the way it works, is once it is activated, it will ask for a list of your published products in seedtrace, and it will connect that list with your WooCommerce products.
This uses third party via seedtrace, though I think it might be one that I would use if I were importing seeds! The service seems to find the origin of the seeds, than taps into the journey those seeds took from the beginning to your dashboard.
Worth checking out!
Rating 4 Dragons
——————————–
John's Plugin
Christmas Greetings
https://wordpress.org/plugins/christmas-greetings/
The Lowdown:
This is an interesting Holiday Cheer plugin that you can use to have an overlay that you can offer a coupon for your products or just a welcoming message for the holiday. It is a Freemium Plugin
Rating 4 Dragons
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Amber's Plugin
Simple Qr
https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-qr/
The Lowdown:
I have noticed that there are a lot more QR codes everywhere these days – you have to use these in restaurants instead of getting the usual menu's often, to use one of these rather than receiving information brochures for this or that – these QR codes are kind of taking over. Great way to save trees is a bonus to it!
And here we have a plugin that helps you to create your own QR code! Seems to work pretty well, just throw in a short code and viola! Your very own QR code!
Totally free, worth checking out!
Rating 4 Dragons
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Random links for plugins
WordPress plugins crafted from love and experience
https://codeat.co/
Listener Feedback / Audio Clips
Feel free to send in your thoughts to us – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly – we'll take them all!
Listener Questions
This comes in from one of our listeners:
How do you decide which plugins you are going to review and what elements do you use to decide their rating?
An Avid Listener
Catch our podcast or youtube show to catch the answer to this question!
Remember: If you have any questions you would like to have asked, please feel free to send them in! Remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question!
Enter The Contest to Win!!
Contests Powered by Simple Giveaways who kindly provides us with the premium version for our contests.
Steve Goodtime & Brant Matthews created a new jingle for us for contests.
I do want to thank Charlie for coming to the aid of the show and getting our contests all organized. I also want to thank all the developers again for supporting our show with their plugin donations! Please check them out.
Short note about participating in the contests folks. Remember we go to great efforts to get these licenses and look for more participation from you the producers.
Our contest is for:
We have a new Contest sponsored by JohnOverall.com Web hosting services.
We're giving away a ONE YEAR Hosting Package…. Valued at $350.00
When it comes to running your website, who you are hosting with is one of the top considerations you need to make. You want a reputable hosting company that is reliable, has great service and offers a package that meets your needs. Hosting with JohnOverall.com is for the discerning user and most of our clients have been with us for more than 15 years. The reason is because the number of clients allowed per server are limited to obtain maximum performance for everyone.
Enter Contest Here
The plugins we covered were:
John’s Plugins: Country and State Selection Addon for Gravity Forms – 5, Job Application Form – 4, Christmas Greetings – 4
Amber's Plugins: Dokan – Best WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace Solution – Build Your Own Amazon, eBay, Etsy – 4, seedtrace – 4, Simple Qr – 4
Matt's Famous Quotes
https://www.idrlabs.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg.php
Reminders / Commercial / Promotions:
Next Week:
No meetup planned at the moment but you can keep tabs on this at https://wppluginsatoz.com/meetup
Would you like to be on an interview show? Simply connect at https://wppluginsatoz.com/interview
If you have suggestions on plugins you would like to have reviewed please submit them on the website at https://wppluginsatoz.com/submit-plugin-review/
Q & A Time with Amber ——– Catch this info on our YouTube Channel
If you have questions you would like to have asked on the show, send them in to me at Amber@WPPro.ca and we will answer to the best of our ability!
- What are key phrases when referring to compromised sites?
- If a hacker manages to get into a work place network, does that mean that they will have access to every personal computer that links to that network from home?
- Can you define a zero-day ….?
Closing out this Episode
Just some reminders:
Be sure and subscribe to our Newsletter.
You can support the show at wppluginsatoz.com/donate
All the show notes can be found at: WPPluginsAtoZ.com
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Follow the show on Twitter @wppluginsatoz
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How to Contact Us:
John can be contacted at:
- on my website @ http://www.johnoverall.com/
- WordPress Emergency Support http://wppro.ca/wpemergency
- email: john@wppro.ca
Amber can be contacted at:
- email: amber@wppro.ca
