Stick around until the end to see a very suspicious ostrich.
In today’s edition:
- WordCamp Gdynia proves that WordPress (and pierogi) are better when shared in two languages.
- An overview of smart and useful tools, built by smart nerds from your friendly neighborhood.
- Customers and billing have officially been split, giving The Hub more efficient workflows and less emotional baggage.
Hot off the press: what’s new?
Once upon a time, before vibe coding Debugging with rubber duckswhere we discovered the errors in our code by explaining it out loud to a little rubber ducky until we realized where we went wrong.
Because yes, whether it’s a bath toy or an AI tool, the truth is that sometimes just talking through it is enough.
But remember: the duck is just a placeholder for your own brain.
You’re basically debugging yourself all the time, so don’t sell yourself short!
Duck or no duck, we’re back with what’s new in WordPress, so keep reading.
Ctrl+Alt+Polska: Polish WordCamp becomes bilingual
Until this year, WordCamps in Poland were always organized exclusively in Polish. But something interesting happened last year.
The organizers noticed that in the hallways, at the sponsor tables and at the pierogi during lunch, people simply… switched to English. Participants from outside Poland joined in and the locals seemed happy to switch to English so that everyone could attend. So instead of fighting it, they thought: Hey. What if we actually planned this?
So this year, WordCamp Gdynia is doing a classic WordPress move: a major version upgrade. They will offer two language courses side by side: one in Polish and one in English, making it the first ever bilingual WordCamp in Poland.
It’s all about opening doors for more participants, speakers and sponsors to join the conversation:
- Local developers can show off their projects without having to worry about how to say “block editor” in perfect Queen’s English.
- International speakers can join in even if they can’t handle Polish tongue twisters the beetle sounds in the reeds.
- Everyone gets access to voices they wouldn’t normally hear.
The event starts in the coastal city September 26which lasts three full days. There are workshops on Friday, a packed conference on Saturday and in-depth sessions on Sunday, covering everything from UX tips to security and AI to mental health in IT.
With the bilingual format, the whole thing just leveled out from “regional meeting” to “international crossover event.”
Oh, and there’s a rumor going around that speakers and sponsors will even sail through the harbor in a pirate ship. Arr… update your plugins or I’ll make you walk the plank!
Things that smart people built while we were debugging
Some brilliant people build things that make the rest of us think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Luckily for us mere mortals, she did think about it… and we can reap the benefits.
This is what we noticed recently:
Pattern builder
Building block patterns don’t have to feel like you’re assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded. Pattern builder This allows you to visually merge WordPress patterns. Copy the PHP or save them directly into your theme. Now you’ll be stacking blocks like a pro (minus the frustration of the Allen wrench).
ChangelogWP
Track plugin updates for over 54,000 plugins? I need a nap just thinking about it. Derek Ashauer built ChangelogWPa centralized site for plugin change logs, notifications, and even premium plugin support. It’s like RSS feeds for your sanity.
DB Reset Pro
Want to reset a WordPress database without touching files or accidentally destroying everything? DB Reset Pro gives you a secure, UI-based way to wipe your database, optionally allowing you to reset users, uploads, and settings.
Postal calendar
Organize your messages like a pro with Postal calendar from GelForm. Calendar view, easy management and no existential crises. Finally, your content planning might look as tidy as your desk (or at least as tidy as you). pretend your desk is when someone is looking).
Word sheet
Word sheet is another gem. It’s a tool that lets you explore, discover, and play with WordPress so you look like a magician in front of clients or colleagues.
Bookmark this one because every now and then your workflow might need a cheat code.
💔 Customers + Stripe Billing: It’s Over (and That’s a Good Thing)
For years, Customers and billing were that couple. Always together. Always show up at The Hub hand in hand. If you wanted one, you were stuck with the other.
But let’s be honest: it didn’t work. Customers wanted freedom. Billing wanted commitment. You too? You were in the middle of it, trying to add someone to The Hub without having to set up a Stripe connection.
Well, the breakup was finally happening.
Now you can add customers to The Hub without setting up Stripe billing.
- Invite customers, show them their sites, and collaborate freely without the need for billing settings.
- Link customers to websites, domains or professional emails, or give them access to your white-labeled portal.
- And if/when billing comes into the picture, it will be on your terms.
So yeah, customers and billing are officially decoupled, and honestly? They both bloom. Customers are more approachable, billing is less sticky, and you can finally enjoy The Hub without the relationship drama.
👉 Read the full exposition note here
Mind Blogging Facts and Statistics
- In August, 162 people contributed to the WordPress source code using Trac, which was 46 more than the previous month! Additionally, 37 people made their very first contributions to WordPress Core. Welcome to the party, everyone! (Source)
- CSS? We love her! When asked: “How satisfied are you with the overall state of CSS?” the developers who responded to the 2025 State of CSS survey showed a clear upward trend in happiness in recent years. (Source)
- Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in terms of accessibility. According to the WebAIM Million 2025 report, 94.8% of home pages had WCAG 2 errors detected. 💀(Source)
Blogs and resources not to be missed
A huge shout-out to Michelle Frechette and Samah Nasr: Underrepresented in technology was named one of the million podcasts Top 40 Women in Tech Podcasts And Top 100 Diversity and Inclusion Podcasts! 🎉
Here it is how to fix your website so color-blind users don’t have to squint as if they’re decoding a secret message.
Wisdom by Patricia Ordoñez women in WordPress: “You just have to do it, even if you don’t think you can do it or that you are good enough. Your future self will thank you for it.”
Think your slide deck is 🔥? Do you have a fun WordPress variant that keeps you awake at night? The call for speakers at WordCamp Asia is now open…just saying.
If you’ve ever wanted to achieve a Jedi-level understanding of block.json, Ronald Huereca has your back this technical deep-dive for plugin developers.
Florian Dee spills the secret sauce: See the WordPress tools he uses to keep his e-commerce empire running.
If you ship code without a vulnerability disclosure program, congratulations, you live dangerously.
Distraction during the coffee break
Speaking of rubber ducks, this classic James Veitch bit never gets old.
Tour de France for websites: CSS Wizardry awards the pro cycling site that does just that leaves everyone else in the dust.
Writing code was never the bottleneck, this was.
From Bavarian oompah bands to online brands – Sandra Kurze’s WordPress journey hits all the right notes.
The only thing that glitters is… not good. Tammie Lister writes about the AI Sparkle Paradox.
“Half of your website’s audience is not human.” Jono Alderson on why the Internet is no longer in URL form.
And finally…
One of these birds is not like the others…
Do you like this mix of nerdery and nonsense? Forward it to your favorite WordPress geek. 💖
#Weve #cracked #code