Linking to Supporting Orgs  ## Metadata - Author: [[Matt Mullenweg]] - Full Title: Linking to Supporting Orgs - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [WordPress, Growth, Community, Japan, Gutenberg, AI, Open Source] - #WordPress - #Growth - #Community - #Japan - #Gutenberg - #AI - #OpenSource author: Rae Morey source: The Repository reference: https://www.therepository.email/state-of-the-word-2024-wordpresss-renewed-growth-and-japans-enduring-impact date created: 2024-12-18 14:00 --- # Title: State of the Word 2024: WordPress’s Renewed Growth and Japan’s Enduring Impact ## Table of Contents: - [📖 Introduction](#introduction) - [🌍 WordPress's Global Growth](#global-growth) - [🖥️ Gutenberg’s Focus on Responsive Design](#gutenberg-responsive-design) - [🤖 AI’s Role in WordPress](#ai-in-wordpress) - [👥 Community and Contributor Growth](#community-growth) - [🇯🇵 Japan’s WordPress Impact](#japan-wordpress-impact) ### References: - Rae Morey, "State of the Word 2024: WordPress’s Renewed Growth and Japan’s Enduring Impact", The Repository, https://www.therepository.email/state-of-the-word-2024-wordpresss-renewed-growth-and-japans-enduring-impact ## 📝 Summary: The article covers WordPress’s growth and future directions, as outlined by Matt Mullenweg in his State of the Word 2024 address. Key highlights include WordPress's global dominance, the ongoing evolution of Gutenberg with a focus on responsive design, the integration of AI tools, and the expanding WordPress community, particularly in Japan. ## 📖 Main Content: The article details the key moments from the 2024 State of the Word address, focusing on WordPress’s growth despite market share challenges, improvements in the Gutenberg block editor, and the impact of AI on the WordPress ecosystem. Mullenweg’s speech highlighted Japan’s significant role in WordPress’s history and community growth, particularly with the localization of the platform and the creation of Wapuu. ### 🗒️ Notes - **WordPress’s Global Growth**: Now powers 43.6% of all websites globally, maintaining a 62% market share in CMS, despite a slight decline from 65.2% in 2022. - Japan leads WordPress usage with 58.5% of all Japanese websites. - Plugin and theme downloads show a 20% year-over-year increase. - **Gutenberg’s Focus on Responsive Design**: - Future updates will focus on mobile, tablet, and desktop responsiveness. - Features like the Zoom Out mode and drag-and-drop improvements are being introduced. - **AI in WordPress**: - AI tools aim to speed up workflows, as demonstrated in a Speed Build Challenge. - Automattic’s acquisition of WPAI will help integrate AI further into WordPress. - **Community and Contributor Growth**: - WordPress’s community saw major expansions in India and Latin America, with new WordCamps planned for 2025. - Learn WordPress platform has grown with new educational content for all skill levels. - **Japan’s WordPress Impact**: - WordPress’s economic impact in Japan is valued at over 100 billion yen. - Japan’s contributions, such as Wapuu, continue to shape WordPress globally. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original**: "Japan has proven to be a success story for WordPress, powering 58.5% of all Japanese websites." **Paraphrase**: Japan stands as a key success for WordPress, accounting for over half of the country’s websites. 2. **Original**: "Mullenweg quipped that 'WordPress doomers' would be disappointed to see the platform thriving once again." **Paraphrase**: Mullenweg jokingly noted that those predicting WordPress’s downfall would be surprised by its continued success. ## 📰 Newsletter: **2024 State of the Word: WordPress’s Continued Growth and Global Impact** In this edition, we dive into the latest from WordPress’s State of the Word 2024, where Matt Mullenweg celebrated WordPress’s growth despite market share challenges. Discover how Gutenberg is evolving to prioritize responsive design and how AI tools are set to revolutionize workflows. With community growth in Japan and beyond, WordPress’s future looks bright. Read more about the insights and milestones that will shape the platform in the year ahead: [State of the Word 2024](https://www.therepository.email/state-of-the-word-2024-wordpresss-renewed-growth-and-japans-enduring-impact). ## ✅ Action Items: - **Contributor Engagement**: Highlight the growth of educational platforms like Learn WordPress and the efforts to reach new contributors, aligning with my focus on open-source community expansion. - **Focus on AI**: Investigate how AI integration can improve workflows for contributors, ensuring faster and more efficient development. - **Responsive Design**: Advocate for more inclusive and accessible design tools in Gutenberg, reflecting my commitment to user-friendly development environments. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - The continued integration of AI into WordPress could drastically alter how content creators interact with the platform. - The success of WordPress in Japan could serve as a model for other regions to boost CMS adoption and community growth. ### 📊 Methodology: - Conduct surveys to assess the impact of AI tools on the WordPress community and plugin development. - Analyze the growth patterns of WordPress in non-English-speaking regions to see if Japan’s model can be replicated. ### ❓ Questions: - How will AI continue to evolve in WordPress, and what are the potential pitfalls? - Can the responsive design focus in Gutenberg satisfy both novice and advanced users? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Study the impact of Gutenberg’s responsive design features on global WordPress usage. - Explore how community-driven initiatives in Japan can inspire growth in other regions. ### 💡 Implications: - AI’s integration could streamline content creation and management, making WordPress more competitive. - Responsive design improvements could lead to a significant increase in WordPress adoption by small businesses and independent developers. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: - **Visual Learners (Spatial)**: Adding visual guides for Gutenberg’s new features and responsive tools would support visual learners. - **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)**: Include audio tutorials or podcasts discussing AI tools and responsive design for auditory learners. - **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)**: Use detailed language to describe the functionality of Gutenberg and AI features, helping verbal learners grasp the concepts. - **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)**: Incorporate hands-on tutorials or challenges to help kinesthetic learners engage with new tools. - **Logical Learners (Mathematical)**: Include more data-driven insights into WordPress's growth, highlighting market share changes and download statistics. - **Social Learners (Interpersonal)**: Encourage group discussions on the role of AI in WordPress development. - **Solitary Learners (Intrapersonal)**: Offer personal reflection prompts to consider how AI could transform individual workflows. - **Naturalistic Learners**: Connect WordPress’s global impact to real-world examples of environmental sustainability or community growth. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: Ensure all images have alt-text and use semantic HTML for improved navigation. - **Keyboard Navigation**: Verify all interactive elements are keyboard-accessible, especially in Gutenberg's editor. - **Contrast and Readability**: Recommend using higher contrast for better readability across devices and user settings. - **Text Resizing**: Ensure that text resizing works without distorting page layout, enhancing accessibility for all users. ### 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance**: Highlight the cultural significance of WordPress’s success in Japan and its implications for global inclusivity. - **Inclusive Language**: The language used is inclusive, though the article could benefit from further global examples of WordPress adoption. - **Neurodiversity Support**: Simplifying sections into smaller, digestible points will support neurodiverse learners. - **Representation**: Add broader perspectives on how WordPress’s community includes diverse gender, racial, and socioeconomic identities. ### ✅ Logical validity: - The article logically connects WordPress’s growth to specific community and technological improvements. - There are no apparent fallacies; the article uses evidence to support its claims effectively. 🔍 **DARVO Analysis**: - No signs of DARVO were detected in this article. The tone is focused on celebrating WordPress’s success and addressing challenges directly. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: - **Keywords**: Effective use of target keywords like "WordPress," "AI," and "Gutenberg" throughout the article. - **Meta Description**: The article’s meta description is informative and keyword-optimized for search engines. - **Internal and External Links**: Internal links to related WordPress pages and external references to events and initiatives are appropriately used. - **Mobile Optimization**: The content adapts well to mobile devices, ensuring ease of access across platforms. - Document Tags: [[wpcc]] [[matt mullenweg]] - Summary: There are a number of independent organizations that aren’t “official” WordPress things but still exist to support WP’s mission of democratizing publishing, like WPCC, and I… - URL: https://make.wordpress.org/meta/2023/06/11/linking-to-supporting-orgs/ Thank you Matt! After discussing with [@harishanker](https://profiles.wordpress.org/harishanker/) during the contributor day, I’ve felt encouraged to propose a related idea on make/Community in the near future. I’ll share some preliminary thoughts here for now. In yesterday’s [#WCEU](https://make.wordpress.org/meta/tag/wceu/) Keynote Q&A, I highlighted the importance of creating a focused team, committee, or leadership group dedicated to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) throughout the global WordPress community. This effort should extend beyond events to encompass all make/WordPress teams and working groups. With this in mind, it’s vital that we establish a clearly visible gateway—preferably on the first or second level of the WordPress.org site—for easy access to this pivotal information. As a low-hanging fruit, I’d suggest a dedicated page linked on w.org under *Community* to highlight these independent organizations. Currently, [there are some resources about **Community Inclusion Initiatives** somewhat buried on a handbook page](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/first-steps/inclusive-and-welcoming-events/community-inclusion-initiatives/), which isn’t particularly user-friendly, especially for those who are not yet familiar with navigating the structure of make/WordPress. This page could provide a brief description of each organization, its goals, and how it supports the WordPress mission. It’s important to clearly state that while these organizations align with WordPress’s mission, they are not officially part of WordPress. A link to this page could also be placed in a prominent location on the w.org homepage, so visitors can easily find it. Here’s a suggested structure for such a page: **Introduction**: Starting with a brief introduction about the purpose of the page. Explaining that while WordPress is supported by a community of contributors, there are also numerous independent organizations that align with the mission of democratizing publishing. Being clear that these organizations are not officially part of WordPress, but offer valuable resources and opportunities to get involved. **Organization Categories**: Depending on the number of organizations, we might want to categorize them by their focus areas like accessibility, inclusion, sustainability, enterprise, etc. Each category can be a separate section on the page. **Organization Listings**: Under each category, we can list the organizations. Each listing can include: * **Name of the Organization**: This can be a clickable link leading to the organization’s website. * **Brief Description**: A short summary of what the organization does, its goals, and how it aligns with the WordPress mission. * **Logo or Image**: If available, the organization’s logo or a relevant image can make the listing more visually engaging. * **Get Involved Link**: If the organization has opportunities for people to get involved, include a link to where they can find more information. * **Donate Link**: If the organization accepts donations, include a link to where donations can be made. * **FAQs**: At the end of the page, we might want to include a FAQ section to address common questions about these organizations, their relationship with WordPress, and how to get involved or donate. **Updates and Announcements**: We also should consider including a section for updates and announcements related to these organizations. This could be a live feed of blog posts or a link to a dedicated blog category. **Contact Information**: Include contact information for someone from the WordPress community who can answer further questions about these organizations. I believe it’s crucial to establish clear guidelines not only to prevent misuse but also to maintain transparency. Here are my thoughts on some proposed guidelines and a suggested process for vetting and adding organizations to this dedicated page: **Guidelines**: **Alignment with WordPress Mission and Values**: The organizations should align with the mission of WordPress to democratize publishing. They should also respect the WordPress philosophy and principles. **Adherence to Code of Conduct**: The organizations should have a clear and demonstrated commitment to upholding the WordPress Community Code of Conduct, or a similar set of ethical guidelines. This includes respect for all individuals, promoting inclusivity, and behaving professionally. **Active and Ongoing Contribution**: The organizations should be actively contributing to the WordPress community or the broader mission of democratizing publishing in a meaningful way. **Vetting Process:** **Initial Screening**: Dedicated deputies could conduct an initial screening of organizations. This could involve researching the organization online, visiting its website, and checking for any obvious red flags that would disqualify it from being listed. **Detailed Review**: If an organization passes the initial screening, a more detailed review could be conducted. This could involve checking the organization’s alignment with the WordPress mission and values, reviewing its adherence to a code of conduct, and assessing its contributions to the WordPress community or democratizing publishing. **Contact the Organization**: If the organization passes the detailed review, the deputies could reach out to the organization to learn more about its work and to confirm its interest in being listed on the page. **Decision to List**: Based on the information gathered, a decision could be made about whether to list the organization. This decision could be made by a group of volunteer contributors, or by a designated individual or committee. **Periodic Review**: Organizations listed on the page should be reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to meet the guidelines. If an organization no longer meets the guidelines, it should be removed from the page. These are my 2¢ brewing up for a bit. 😉 My goal is to cultivate a more engaging and visual experience for new and seasoned contributors and independent organizations associated with the WordPress project, such as the WPCC. These organizations play a crucial role in supporting individual contributors and ensuring the foundational pillars of the project are not compromised due to lack of funding. Additionally, I aim to raise awareness about initiatives within the WordPress community that strive for sustainability, diversity, inclusivity, and equality on a global scale. While we understand that we may not be able to meet every individual’s needs, it remains our steadfast commitment to strive for the highest standards possible., Linking to Supporting Orgs, Matt Mullenweg, 01jfdmzkhw1xy6kqyyr9n1wr2b.