This Week in WordPress: Major Updates, Releases, and Community Highlights (Nov 18 – Nov 24, 2024)

  1. WordPress 6.7 “Rollins” Released: On November 12, 2024, WordPress unveiled version 6.7, codenamed “Rollins.” This update introduces enhanced font management, a new default theme named Twenty Twenty-Five, and 65 accessibility improvements, aiming to make website creation more intuitive and inclusive. (Search Engine Journal)
  2. Ongoing Legal Dispute Between WordPress and WP Engine: The legal battle between WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine continues to escalate. Mullenweg has requested the dismissal of WP Engine’s lawsuit, which accuses him and Automattic of libel and extortion. The court hearing is scheduled for March 2025. (The Verge)
  3. WordPress.org Experiences Outage: Recently, WordPress.org faced an outage, temporarily affecting access to its resources. The issue has since been resolved, and the platform is operating normally. (WP Tavern)
  4. Automattic Launches ‘WP Engine Tracker’: In response to the ongoing dispute, Automattic has introduced a ‘WP Engine Tracker’ to monitor websites migrating away from WP Engine. This move has sparked controversy within the WordPress community. (WP Tavern)
  5. Design Team Unveils New WordPress Design System Figma Library: The WordPress design team has released a new design system Figma library, providing designers with a comprehensive toolkit to create cohesive and user-friendly interfaces. (WP Tavern)
  6. WordPress 6.7.1 Scheduled for Release: A maintenance release, WordPress 6.7.1, is scheduled for November 21, 2024, to address bugs identified in the recent 6.7 release. Users are encouraged to update promptly to benefit from these fixes. (WP Tavern)
  7. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Plugin Controversy: WordPress.org has taken control of the ACF plugin, previously managed by WP Engine, citing security concerns. This action has intensified the ongoing dispute between the two organizations. (TechCrunch)
  8. WordPress Co-founder Addresses Ownership of WordPress.org: Matt Mullenweg has publicly stated that “WordPress.org just belongs to me,” clarifying his control over the platform amidst the legal disputes with WP Engine. (The Verge)
  9. Community Concerns Over Open Source Dynamics: The ongoing conflicts have raised broader concerns about the dynamics of open-source projects and the balance between community contributions and corporate interests. (Financial Times)
  10. WordPress 6.6 Release: Prior to the 6.7 update, WordPress 6.6 was released, bringing numerous fixes and enhancements aimed at improving creativity, usability, and efficiency for users. (WordPress)
  11. Tumblr Migration to WordPress Backend: Automattic announced plans to migrate all Tumblr blogs to a WordPress backend, aiming to provide a more stable infrastructure and unify feature development across both platforms.  (The Verge)
  12. WP Engine’s Acquisition of NitroPack: WP Engine has acquired NitroPack, a move aimed at enhancing website performance optimization services for WordPress users. (Wikipedia)

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