Up & Away with WordPress
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John's Intro:
It's Episode 579 and we have plugins for Woo Markup, Fencing, Stickers, Crawling Hunter, Confitte, History Today, … and ClassicPress Options. It's all coming up on WordPress Plugins A-Z!
– ‘good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you happen to be hiding out there on the globe today! Coming to you LIVE from …'
Amber's Rant:
Welcome to Episode 579 – Up & Away with WordPress – This is episode 39 for 2022, Winter has arrived here on parts of the Island, we woke up to a small dusting of snow while other parts are having rain. All this in time for Remembrance Day on Friday, where we think of all those who have served or are currently serving their country (by choice and some without choice) to try and make this a better world for us all. Please take a moment to remember all those affected by these actions.
A Message from your AtoZ Plugin Worker Bee's – This is a Value for Value show, meaning any value you find here, offer that same value back! We accept all currencies including time and talent currency! Chocolate is always good too…
Remember, don't skip the end of the show – you never know what kind of amazing life altering advice you might catch! Like how to fill your site as full of spam as possible…
A special note to our New Listeners: Don't be shy to ask your questions. No such thing as a dumb question, Dumbo the elephant agrees!
…When you see this in the notes, this means we didn't read this onto the show, and that the only way to find this information out is to read our Show Notes!
…You can send any questions/suggestions or notes saying hi over to me at amber@wppro.ca, or hit up our site wpppluginsatoz.com/contact – Be creative with the title so that the spammer eater doesn't eat your note though!
Let's start the show with this weeks Featured Artist:
Greg's Graphics (Greg Holdsworth) — https://gregsgraphics.com
Feeling Inspired? Hit up our site at https://wppluginsatoz.com/artwork/ and submit some artwork of your own!
…We can NEVER have too much art!
Or check out allll the artwork at: https://wppluginsatoz.com/artwork/
Breaking News in the WordPress World at large!!
…If I missed something, shoot me a link at amber@wppro.ca – it may show up on the next show!
News this week:
– WordPress Vulnerability Report – November 2, 2022 (https://ithemes.com/blog/wordpress-vulnerability-report-november-2-2022/)
– There is one Theme Vulnerability that HAS been patched: Ask Me has been patched in version 6.8.7. If this is something you use, be sure to update!
– There is a small list of plugins to pay attention to this week: Grid Kit Premium, Evaluate, Login Block IPs, and WP Best Quiz.
– New missing menu items plugin adds site building links to WordPress Admin (https://wptavern.com/new-missing-menu-items-plugin-adds-site-building-links-to-wordpress-admin) – If you've been using the new full-site editing (FSE), you might have noticed the lack of menu items via direct access. There is now a workaround to this inconvenience! Cut and paste /wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=wp_block to the end of your website, than bookmark it. This expands the admin menu with links to reusable blocks, navigation, menus, templates, and template parts – making them all one click away.
– WP All Import is moving away from Lifetime Licenses (https://wptavern.com/wp-all-import-is-moving-away-from-lifetime-licenses) – WP All Import has announced that it will soon be changing its licenses to annual licenses. It includes both free and commercial, still though, the unlimited licenses will no longer be sold. They have assured though, that they will be honouring their lifetime licenses already sold.
– WP Rankings helps plugin developers track growth and competitors (https://wptavern.com/wp-rankings-helps-plugin-developers-track-growth-and-competitors) – Last month, the active install growth chart was removed from WordPress.org; this upset a lot of developers. So, in response to this, makers of the GeoDirectory plugin have created a tool to help plugin developers get an idea of how their plugins are ranking.
– AyeCode launched new site for WP Rankings (https://wptavern.com/wp-rankings-helps-plugin-developers-track-growth-and-competitors) – This site https://wp-rankings.com/ was released just one week after the info was pulled; this shows if a plugin is ranking higher or lower than the day before, and how many positions it needs to climb to reach the next milestone. The home page only shows the top 50 ranking plugins, though you can find your own via the filter. All data is refreshed daily.
– WordPress 6.1 retires default site tagline in favour of empty string (https://wptavern.com/wordpress-6-1-retires-default-site-tagline-in-favor-of-empty-string) – The default site tagline ‘just another WordPress site' is now a thing of the past. Instead, what you see now is: ‘the site tagline is empty by default in new sites but can be modified in General Settings'. There are a few reasons for this: not all themes display taglines, not everyone changes the default tagline, and when people don't see the tagline in their theme, they may not realize it is still visible in some places like feeds.
– Here's what work would be like if it were run like a DAO – Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (https://thenextweb.com/news/heres-what-work-would-be-like-if-it-were-run-like-a-dao) – This is an article mainly ‘for' Decentralized Autonoumous Organizations, though honestly it does not sound enticing to me. Never meeting your coworkers, always being ‘on' and never really getting any time off, a more global and asynchronous way of working, no boss and fewer colleagues… I mean, on the surface it seems like a great idea, though I can't help thinking of a future of everyone living alone with a cat in their tiny apartment and working all the time… What do you think?
ClassicPress News:
…Our News Section really isn't complete without ClassicPress News…
There is no new news or fundraising goal update directly from ClassicPress this week.
ClassicPress has projects they are looking to have some support with. They have a page with these projects listed and who the contact is for the project. Check out the following page if you are using ClassicPress and are interested in helping them move forward! https://forums.classicpress.net/t/currently-active-projects/3630
They also have some petitions posted check them out!
…For some up to date news on ClassicPress check out the ClassicPress Blog.
The Extras – check out our Facebook, or Twitter page for even more!
…Here you will find news on tech in general, and some random things I think are pretty nifty! If you come across something you think should be added, send me a link at amber@wppro.ca
– Automakers are going all-in on gaming to keep us in our cars – in-car entertainment is thriving! (https://thenextweb.com/news/automakers-expand-gaming-as-in-car-entertainment-for-future-autonomous-vehicles)
– Microsoft sued for open-source piracy through GitHub Copilot (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-sued-for-open-source-piracy-through-github-copilot/)
– FBI: Hacktivist DDoS attacks had minor impact on critical orgs (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fbi-hacktivist-ddos-attacks-had-minor-impact-on-critical-orgs/)
– ACE seizes 42 soccer and live TV piracy web domains with millions of visitors (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/ace-seizes-42-soccer-and-live-tv-piracy-web-domains-with-millions-of-visitors/)
– British govt is scanning all Internet devices hosted in UK (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/british-govt-is-scanning-all-internet-devices-hosted-in-uk/)
– Z-Library eBook site domains seized by US Dept of Justice (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/z-library-ebook-site-domains-seized-by-us-dept-of-justice/)
– Robin Banks phishing service returns to steal banking accounts (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/robin-banks-phishing-service-returns-to-steal-banking-accounts/)
– Windows 11 22H2 blocked on systems using Xbox Game Bar Capture (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-11-22h2-blocked-on-systems-using-xbox-game-bar-capture/)
– As Twitter brings on $8 fee, phishing emails target verified accounts (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/as-twitter-brings-on-8-fee-phishing-emails-target-verified-accounts/)
…Some random entertainment in the World of WordPress!
…Matt's Famous Quotes
https://www.idrlabs.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg.php
…The hall of shame via Automattic:
transparency.automattic.com/tag/hall-of-shame/
Let's have a peek at our Contests for this week…
Firstly we want to thank Simple Giveawaysfor being totally awesome and providing us with their Premium Version for our contests!
Secondly we want to thank Steve Goodtime & Brant Matthews for creating our amazing jingle we still use!!
Thanks to Charlie, we have both a winner for the Breakdance Plugin License, and a new contest for you to enter into!
If you didn't get a chance to enter into the contest for the Breakdance License, no worries! You will have another 2 chances, be sure to listen and enter into the contest when it rolls around again to Breakdance!
Our winner for Breakdance is: David
And our new contest is for:
Enter for your chance to win a 1-year license good for 10 sites with WP Umbrella valued at $240 each!
WP Umbrella
Manage Multiple WordPress Websites Effortlessly
The all-in-one solution for your WordPress maintenance service.
Click here to visit wp-umbrella.com
To Enter, head on over to wppluginsatoz.com/giveaway and enter for your chance to win!
Remember, this is YOUR show! We are just the Worker Bee's here – Don't be afraid to jump up and down and demand a turn at the wheel to help guide the show to where YOU want it to go!
That goes for all the Developers out there too – this is YOUR show! by supporting us with your Plugin donations you are helping to guide the show to where you want to see it go! A GIANT Thank You is owed to the Developers who have been supporting us this whole time, we honestly could not have even gotten this show started without you!
If any Developers out there listening right now are interested in adding to the show by donating a Premium License for our Contests, you can do so by going to wppluginsatoz.com/giveaway!
Time for the Good Stuff! …
Off we go into the meat and potatoes of plugin depravity…..
WordPress Plugins
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John's Plugin
Markup For WooCommerce
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wc-markup/
The Lowdown:
The easiest way to markup your products in WooCommerce. :shopping_trolley:
Markup for WooCommerce plugin lets you create and apply your own markups on products and variations in WooCommerce. Easily add a price or percentage markup to specific product types, categories, attributes. Native bulk actions is available.
MAIN FEATURES:
- Set your product's price markup.
- Create a fixed value price markup (example: $10)
- Create a percentage value price markup (example: 10%)
- For variable product's markups can be saved for each variation separately or for all variations at once.
- For attributes markups can be saved for each attributes all at once.
- It works with all product types – simple, variable, grouped and other.
- Fast and easy plugin install, prices setup using Markup tool.
- WooCommerce compatible
- Native Design & Native Bulk Actions
- And more…
Rating 4 Dragons
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Amber's Plugin
Crawler-Hunter
https://wordpress.org/plugins/crawler-hunter/
The Lowdown:
This is a plugin designed to sniff out bots and web crawlers coming to your site to check the content of the ‘Full User Agent String', and block the ones other than the white list.
You can manually blacklist an IP address, though if you leave it set to automatic IP blocking, it will block the IP address that makes more than 5 requests within 1 minute for 4 hours.
You will find the settings for this on the left hand side of your menu.
Totally free, and seems to play nice with others!
Rating: 5 Dragons
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John's Plugin
Files Fence
https://wordpress.org/plugins/files-fence/
The Lowdown:
Detect if WordPress core files are changed and if an unwanted file(s) are uploaded or created in WordPress folders different to wp-content.
How works
- Install the plugin
- That’s all
- For review the unknown or modified files go to “Files Fence” in the sidebar menu
- For ignore a file that you known that was modified click on “ignore”
Rating: 4 Dragons
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Amber's Plugin
Confitte Fall Animation
https://wordpress.org/plugins/confetti-fall-animation/
The Lowdown:
This is a pretty cool plugin, you add a shortcode to your page or post and enjoy the animation!
This plugin doesn't play well with others though, so if you find the confetti is not working, check to make sure you don't have any other decoration plugins activated (like the Halloween Panda Plugin mentioned last week…) and try deactivating them.
This plugin is totally free!
Rating: 4 Dragons
We Interrupt the Meat and Potatoes of Plugin Depravity Edition to bring you our Donations Segment and to thank our Producers!
Remember, this is YOUR show! We're just the Worker Bee's here. Don't forget to restock the show's larders with some Time, Treasure, or Talent Donations! Need more info on how to do that? Check out our site wppluginsatoz.com – right up in the menu you will see each one under ‘Donations'!
Special thanks goes to:
Free-Lance Producers popping in and out:
Though always showing up at unexpected times, these Producers are surely part of the reason our name is getting out there! Thank you!
…If you have listened to even 10 minutes of this show, or shown up a single time to one of our live shows on YouTube, you are one of our many Free-Lance Producers! Although you guys are always popping in and out at unexpected times, we appreciate your support and periodic help with one thing or another – thank you!
Back Room Producers hanging-out in the Lounge:
Always about the place consuming all the coffee and donuts, these Producers earn it by helping out with our contests, artwork, site organization, notes, questions, suggestions, licenses, and by hiring us! Your Time and Talent Donations are equal to your Treasure Donations of under $50, and we would not be here without you – thank you!
…Back Room Producers, if you ever notice something that needs some work feel free to reach out to us and let us know – you can offer to take it up yourself, or just let us know and we will add it to our list.
War Room Producers:
With their donations of $50 or more these Producers receive a few extra perks – an official AtoZ Handle of their choice, a spotlight in that weeks show for a short speech, an official Executive Producership Credit, and seeing the ‘Magic' as it happens up in the War Room before we send the show out into the netherworld of the internets! Thank you for sticking by us and helping to keep the Back Room Producers stocked in coffee and donuts!
…**If you prefer to stay anonymous, please let us know at the beginning of your note to us regarding your donation! We are more than happy to keep you anonymous from the world – nobody is ever forced out of the tender embrace of the shadows on this show!**
…To receive your Official AtoZ Handle, think up an original name, and send it into us! Be sure to note down the show number and title of the show so that we know when to log it!
…Your spotlight can be an elevator pitch for your business, a note, or you can just skip it!
…The Producership Credit we offer is REAL! When you send your donation in to us of $50 or more, please be sure to note down the number and title of the show your donation shows up on, and we will back up your right to claim Producership!
…'Seeing the Magic Happen' refers to being part of the show – if you are interested in taking up a larger part in the show, reach out to us and let us know! We will be happy to discuss the options!
…War Room Producers, same as for the Back Room Producers, reach out to us if you notice something that needs work! Whether you are wanting to take up the job yourself or just inform us and leave it, we will add it to our list!
Thank you, now back to the Meat and Potatoes of Plugin Depravity Edition!
John's Plugin
Product Sticker
https://wordpress.org/plugins/product-sticker/
The Lowdown:
Plugin adds various stickers to your products in your WooCommerce. Various stickers are available like stickers for Sale, New, Sold Out, Bestseller Products.
Rating 4 Dragons
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Amber's Plugin
This Day In History
https://wordpress.org/plugins/this-day-in-history/
The Lowdown:
This is a pretty awesome free plugin – it shows things that happened today in history!
To use this you need to add a short code, and there are fourteen optional attributes you can add. In order to find them you need to go to your own settings in your left hand menu. There you will be able to choose which display is used for the date, date marker for last Era, whether or not to exclude search results, and what message is there for when there is just nothing of note that happened that day.
Totally free, plays well with others, and just a nifty little plugin to add a little more knowledge to your site!
Rating: 5 Dragons
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ClassicPress
We have sadly neglected ClassicPress… we are working to remedy this.
…A little about ClassicPress for those who aren't sure: ClassicPress is WordPress frozen at version 4.9. Once WordPress moved to 5, they added in a whole lot of new folders, and the experimental additions to the Core started in earnest. ClassicPress is literally the Classic version of WordPress. A few plugins have been made over the years for just ClassicPress, though all Plugins compatible with WordPress 4.9 should work for ClassicPress.
To any ClassicPress user listening right now: I challenge you – yes YOU – to write a review of your favourite, or least favourite ClassicPress plugin, and send it into us! You can do so by hitting us up at https://wppluginsatoz.com/submit-plugin-review/!
…And feel free to add more to this section by reaching out to me at amber@wppro.ca.
ClassicPress Resource Section:
This information is like Fruit Cake! It doesn't wither away and will still be good years down the road so it's great for learning! Go and check this section out in our Show Notes if you have an interest!
…We have thrown some ClassicPress Resources in here for you – and they appear to have stuck like well cooked pasta! Glad you made it to this part of the notes since we only mention it lightly on the show – If we missed something, let us know!
…Learn more about ClassicPress 1.4.0 RC2:
…https://forums.classicpress.net/t/classicpress-1-4-0-rc2-release-notes/3785?fbclid=IwAR3wGK5IW8ssJ-XC4k7IiZMBtSjUTVN2pexk6ATCRvuMN-Fn-McOy-XJJv8
…ClassicPress Tutorials on their site:
…https://www.classicpress.net/category/tutorials/
…ClassicPress's “Must Have” Plugins List:
…https://forums.classicpress.net/t/must-have-plugins-list/1163
…ClassicPress Repository!!
…https://directory.classicpress.net/plugins They now have 71 plugins (and counting!) available.
…WordPress Plugin Section compatible with ClassicPress:
…https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/classicpress/
Questions, Notes, and Feedback from our Producers out there:
…Send us your thoughts and opinions, but most of all send us your questions! No such thing as a stupid question people! I was new not too long ago, and I know how overwhelming it can be stepping into this world at this stage – I know for a fact that questions you have are the same questions others out there have!
Nope, nothing today; seems our homing pigeon got lost on the way back with our messages again…. *for when there is no-one
How to be part of your own production!
Interviews – get yourself out there using us as your tool!
…Looking for a way to get your name and work out there? Use us as a stepping stone! Hit us up at https://wppluginsatoz.com/interview
Send in Plugin Reviews, or suggestions for Plugin reviews!
…Have a plugin you love? Or one you really think people should avoid? Reach out to us and get your words and opinion out into the world by hitting us up at https://wppluginsatoz.com/submit-plugin-review/
Send in questions and/or comments!
…Have a thought to share? Send it in! You can stay anonymous or belt your name out in all caps!
Stuff and reminders about Stuff:
Meetups:
Nothing new has been set out yet, it all depends on how moody our island is going be this winter and how much snow/rain we get – no sense having a meetup if the main highway gets washed out again!
Keep an eye here for the next Meet Up, eventually we will get it going!
Random:
Remember you can check out our Show Notes on our site wppluginsatoz.com! There is extra information to grab up there that we don't even speak out loud on the show!
Today's Plugins we covered were:
John’s Plugins: Markup For WooCommerce – 4, Files Fence – 4, Product Sticker – 4
Amber's Plugins: Crawler-Hunter – 5, Confitte Fall Animation – 4, This Day In History – 5
Ways to support the show!
You can support us by Subscribing to our Newsletter, Donating, or reviewing us on Stitcher Radio, Google Play, or the iTunes Store.
Join us on our Facebook, and hit the *Like* button on our YouTube Channel!
…Just showing up to our YouTube Channel and joining us live every Thursday at 11am PDT is a FANTASTIC show of support! So is joining our FaceBook page and hitting *Share* on our posts every once in a while!
…Giving a review of us on any of the platforms listed above would be super helpful too!
Want to get ahold of us???
If you still do Snail Mail, you can send an actual, physical letter or item to this Brick and Mortar address:
…(Pssst! I love receiving things that are not bills! Especially art if you enjoy drawing – no matter what age!)
WP Plugins A to Z
C/O John Overall
20-754 E Fairview Rd.
Victoria, BC V9A 5T9
Canada
OR, you can email us!
Amber: amber@wppro.ca
John: john@wppro.ca
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 – let's see if we can stump my dad!
- In your experience, do plugins that use short codes tend to make it big?
- What kind of plugins have you noticed tend to make it big?
Questions asked after closing credits:
- Why do you think the plugins that are really just multi-tools with too many tools have made it so big, when so many developers seem to not like them..?
- What do you think about the new site for plugins by AyeCode? Do you think it will work as a replacement for the WP Rankings that wordpress.org removed?
One more time for the ways to contact us!
Our Brick and Mortar Address – just in case you decide to send along a gift!
(Especially art if you enjoy drawing – no matter what age!)
WP Plugins A to Z
C/O John Overall
20-754 E Fairview Rd.
Victoria, BC V9A 5T9
Canada
Fastest way to contact us:
John:
- My website: http://www.johnoverall.com/
- WordPress Emergency Support: http://wppro.ca/wpemergency
- email: john@wppro.ca
Amber:
- email: amber@wppro.ca
