My 2024 in WordPress ![rw-book-cover](https://aaron.jorb.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/aaronjorbin_Create_a_1.911_ratio_image_with_the_text_My_2024__510ddcd4-02fb-4886-ba9b-1f642bdf97d4_0-png.webp) ๐Ÿ”— **Source:** [My 2024 in WordPress](https://aaron.jorb.in/my-2024-in-wordpress/) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: > - #WordPress > - #OpenSource > - #Community > - #WebSecurity > - #Contributions > - #LGBTQPress > - #Sponsorship > - #2024Goals > Author: Aaron Jorbin > Source: https://aaron.jorb.in/my-2024-in-wordpress/ > date created: 2025-01-07 08:00 > > # Title: My 2024 in WordPress > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## Table of Contents: - [๐Ÿ“ Summary](#summary) - [๐Ÿ“– Main Content](#main-content) - [๐Ÿ—’๏ธ Notes](#notes) - [๐Ÿ“– References](#references) - [๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Paraphrase](#paraphrase) - [๐Ÿ“ฐ Newsletter](#newsletter) - [โœ… Action Items](#action-items) - [๐Ÿงช Hypotheses](#hypotheses) - [๐Ÿ“Š Methodology](#methodology) - [โ“ Questions](#questions) - [๐Ÿ”ฎ Future Research](#future-research) - [๐Ÿ’ก Implications](#implications) - [๐Ÿง  Learning Styles Assessment](#learning-styles-assessment) - [๐Ÿ“Š Accessibility Assessment](#accessibility-assessment) - [๐ŸŒ DEIB Assessment](#deib-assessment) - [โœ… Logical Validity](#logical-validity) - [๐Ÿ” DARVO Analysis](#darvo-analysis) - [๐Ÿ” SEO Evaluation](#seo-evaluation) - [๐ŸŽฏ Conclusion](#conclusion) ### References: - N/A ## ๐Ÿ“ Summary: In 2024, Aaron Jorbin reflects on his contributions to WordPress, particularly in the areas of security and community involvement. He faced challenges with sponsorship, falling short of his goal for sustainable support, and discusses his impact in enhancing web security for millions of websites. Key achievements include his role in WordPress core, leading minor releases, and his involvement in community-driven projects. ## ๐Ÿ“– Main Content: ### ๐Ÿ—’๏ธ Notes: - **Sponsorship and Financial Sustainability**: Aaron highlights the difficulty in securing enough community sponsorship to make his work financially sustainable. He notes that unless the sponsorship doubles, he may need to look for a full-time job. - **Key Insight**: The difficulty in achieving sufficient sponsorship underlines the challenge many open-source contributors face in securing sustainable funding. - **WordPress Contributions**: Aaron lists several notable contributions, including: - 334 tickets contributed to. - 131 commits to WordPress core. - Leading and mentoring teams for minor releases, including security updates. - Publishing 5 articles on wordpress.org/news. - **Community Engagement**: Aaronโ€™s involvement in the community extended to: - Publishing 10 monthly updates about WordPress. - Contributing photos to the WordPress Photo Directory. - Being recognized in the #wpkeralaphotos contest. - Engaging in the LGBTQ+PRESS Share Your Pride initiative. - **Appreciation of Sponsors**: Aaron thanks his sponsors by name, recognizing their support in enabling his contributions. ## ๐Ÿ“– References: - N/A ## ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Paraphrase: - **Original Text**: "The highlight for me is knowing that millions of websites are more secure. WordPress as an ecosystem is successful in large part because of the stability of the core software." - **Paraphrase**: One of Aaron's proudest achievements is contributing to the security of millions of websites, highlighting the importance of WordPress core stability in the success of the ecosystem. ## ๐Ÿ“ฐ Newsletter: **2024 Reflections on WordPress** Aaron Jorbin reflects on a year full of contributions to WordPress, focusing on core security, leadership in releases, and his vital role in the community. However, a recurring challenge in 2024 was securing sustainable sponsorship to continue his work in the open-source ecosystem. Aaron continues to hope for increased support, so he can avoid seeking full-time employment and keep contributing to the future of web publishing. Learn more about his achievements and community impact on his blog. ## โœ… Action Items: - **Alignment with Open Source Advocacy**: Aaron's contributions directly support the WordPress ecosystemโ€™s stability, which is crucial for the wider open-source community. His efforts exemplify how core software contributors shape the ecosystem's long-term sustainability. - **Focus on Contributor Engagement**: Aaron's reflection on sponsorship challenges brings attention to the importance of sustainable funding for open-source contributors. This is a key issue for future studies on the sustainability of open-source projects. - **Alignment with OSPO Goals**: Aaronโ€™s leadership in WordPress releases and community contributions aligns with the principles of a thriving OSPO, focusing on fostering a supportive environment for contributors. ## ๐Ÿงช Hypotheses: - Increased sponsorship could directly correlate with more open-source contributors focusing on security tasks, contributing to long-term sustainability. - Leadership roles in open-source projects (e.g., WordPress core release leadership) may enhance the perceived value of contributors, leading to increased sponsorship. ### ๐Ÿ“Š Methodology: - **Data Sources**: Track sponsorship data for open-source contributors, comparing sponsorship levels before and after taking on leadership roles. - **Analysis Techniques**: Correlate sponsorship increases with project impact (security releases, core software commits). ### โ“ Questions: 1. How can the open-source community increase sustainable funding for contributors? 2. What are the long-term effects of leadership roles on contributor visibility and sponsorship? ### ๐Ÿ”ฎ Future Research: - Investigating the effectiveness of various funding models (crowdfunding, corporate sponsorships, grants) in sustaining long-term open-source contributions. - Examining the impact of community engagement activities (e.g., photo contests, contributor days) on contributor retention and sponsorship. ### ๐Ÿ’ก Implications: - This research could lead to more sustainable funding mechanisms for open-source contributors, ensuring the longevity of critical projects like WordPress. - It could also inform how OSPOs can better structure their programs to attract and retain high-impact contributors. ### ๐Ÿง  Learning Styles Assessment: - **Visual Learners**: The article could benefit from visual representations of Aaronโ€™s contributions, such as graphs showing his work over time. - **Aural Learners**: Adding a podcast or interview where Aaron discusses his 2024 achievements and challenges could appeal to auditory learners. - **Verbal Learners**: The articleโ€™s narrative is already engaging for verbal learners. Enhancing it with more detailed personal anecdotes could improve clarity. - **Physical Learners**: The article doesnโ€™t directly engage kinesthetic learners. Including a section on hands-on tasks or real-world applications could be helpful. - **Logical Learners**: Logical learners will appreciate the clear, measurable metrics like ticket contributions and commits to core. - **Social Learners**: Group discussions or community feedback sections could be included to engage social learners. - **Solitary Learners**: Journaling prompts asking readers to reflect on their own contributions could resonate with solitary learners. - **Naturalistic Learners**: Adding references to nature or environmental initiatives related to WordPress or community engagement could connect with this learning style. ### ๐Ÿ“Š Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: Ensure all images related to the community or contributions have proper alt-text for accessibility. - **Keyboard Navigation**: This site appears to be accessible via keyboard. Further tests for ease of navigation could be helpful. - **Contrast and Readability**: The article uses high contrast, making it readable, but a larger font size for mobile readers might improve accessibility. - **Text Resizing**: The content is mobile-friendly, but ensuring proper scaling on all devices would enhance accessibility. ### ๐ŸŒ DEIB Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance**: The article is focused on WordPress, which has a global impact. A more diverse set of examples could strengthen its cultural relevance. - **Inclusive Language**: The article maintains neutral and inclusive language, but could include more global perspectives. - **Neurodiversity Support**: The content structure is clear, though simplifying some of the longer sentences might improve clarity for neurodiverse individuals. - **Representation**: The article mentions LGBTQ+ contributions but could include more examples of diverse identities contributing to the ecosystem. - **Psychological Safety**: The tone is respectful and supportive, fostering an inclusive atmosphere for readers. ### โœ… Logical Validity: - **Sound Deductive Reasoning**: Aaron logically connects his sponsorship challenges with his need for full-time employment. This is supported by the context provided. - **Appeal to Evidence**: Aaronโ€™s quantifiable contributions (e.g., 334 tickets, 131 commits) provide solid evidence to back his claims about his impact. ### ๐Ÿ” DARVO Analysis: - **Deny**: There are no instances of denial of claims within this content. - **Attack**: There is no offensive language directed at sponsors or others in the community. - **Reverse Victim and Offender**: No reversal of victim and offender roles appears in this piece. The tone remains neutral and factual. ### ๐Ÿ” SEO Evaluation: - **Keywords**: The article uses relevant keywords like "WordPress," "open-source," and "sponsorship" appropriately. - **Meta Description**: A brief meta description highlighting Aaronโ€™s contributions to WordPress would improve SEO. - **Title Tag**: The title is clear, concise, and contains relevant keywords for SEO. - **Content Length**: The content is of an appropriate length for this type of reflection piece. - **Internal and External Links**: The article links internally to Aaron's other posts but could benefit from linking to external authoritative sources. - **Mobile Optimization**: The site is responsive, with no issues reported. ## ๐ŸŽฏ Conclusion: Aaronโ€™s 2024 reflections on his contributions to WordPress offer insights into both the personal and professional challenges of open-source work. His contributions to the ecosystemโ€™s stability and security are commendable, and his call for greater financial sustainability highlights a broader issue in open-source. The article is both a personal reflection and a call to action for more support within the community. Further research into funding models for open-source projects would benefit contributors like Aaron, ensuring the sustainability of their valuable work. <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ๐Ÿ“„ **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/My 2024 in WordPress|My 2024 in WordPress, jorbin]] ## Highlights - . This isnโ€™t an easy task and I am not even hitting 50% of my goal which is what would allow for this to be sustainable. Unless I am able to double the sponsorship, I am afraid this wonโ€™t last and I will need to find a full-time job instead. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jh35g6eee2j1qz9b6t8xdps0))