We’ve Quacked The Code

Stick around to the end to see a veeeery suspicious ostrich.

In today’s edition:

• WordCamp Gdynia proves that WordPress (and pierogi) are better when shared in two languages.
• A round-up of smart and useful tools built by your friendly neighborhood clever nerds.
• Clients and Billing have officially split, bringing more efficient workflows and less emotional baggage to The Hub.

Hot Off The Presses: What’s New?

Once upon a time, before vibe coding, there was Rubber Duck Debugging, where we caught the mistakes in our code by explaining it out loud to a lil’ rubber ducky until we realized where we were going wrong.

Because yeah, whether it’s a bath toy or an AI tool, the truth is that sometimes just talking it through is all you need.

But don’t forget: the duck is just a placeholder for your own brain.

You’ve actually been debugging yourself the whole 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 Going Bilingual

Up until this year, WordCamps in Poland were always hosted exclusively in Polish. But last year, something interesting happened.

Organizers noticed that in the hallways, at the sponsor tables and over pierogi at lunch, people just… switched to English. Attendees from outside of Poland were joining in, and the locals seemed happy to switch to English so everyone could be included. So, instead of fighting it, they thought, Huh. What if we actually… planned for this?

So this year, WordCamp Gdynia is pulling a classic WordPress move: a major version upgrade. They’ll be running two language tracks side by side: one in Polish, one in English, making it the first ever bilingual WordCamp in Poland.

It’s all about opening doors for more attendees, speakers and sponsors to join the conversation:

• Local devs can show off their projects without worrying about how to say “block editor” in perfect Queen’s English.
• International speakers can swoop in even if they can’t handle Polish tongue-twisters like chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie.
• Everyone gets access to voices they wouldn’t usually hear.

The event will kick off in the seaside city on September 26th, lasting three full days. There will be workshops on Friday, a packed conference Saturday, and deep-dive sessions on Sunday, covering everything from UX tips to security to AI to mental health in IT.

With the bilingual format, the whole thing just leveled up from “regional meetup” to “international crossover event.”

Oh, and there’s a rumor going around that speakers and sponsors will even get to cruise around the port in a pirate ship. Arr… update ye plugins or I’ll make ye walk the plank!

• 👉 Still ticketless? That’s fixable. Grab yours here before the event sells out or Duolingo finally sends the owl to break your kneecaps.
• 👉 Read more about Gdynia’s bilingual glow-up.

Things Clever People Built While We Were Debugging

Some brilliant humans build things that make the rest of us go, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Luckily for us mere mortals, they did think of it… and we get to reap the benefits.

Here’s what caught our eye recently:

Pattern Builder
Building block patterns doesn’t have to feel like assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded. Pattern Builder lets you snap together WordPress patterns visually. Copy the PHP or save them straight into your theme. Now your blocks stack like a pro (minus the Allen key frustration).

ChangelogWP
Keeping track of plugin updates across 54,000+ plugins? I need a nap just thinking about it. Derek Ashauer built ChangelogWP, a centralized site for plugin changelogs, notifications, and even premium plugin support. It’s like RSS feeds for your sanity.

DB Reset Pro
Need to reset a WordPress database without touching files or accidentally nuking everything? DB Reset Pro gives you a safe, UI-based way to wipe your database, optionally resetting users, uploads, and settings.

Post Calendar
Organize your posts like a pro with Post Calendar by GelForm. Calendar view, easy management, and zero existential crises. Finally, your content schedule might look as neat as your desk (or at least, as neat as you pretend your desk is when someone is looking).

Wordvell
Wordvell is another gem. It’s a tool for exploring, discovering, and playing with WordPress in ways that actually make you look like a wizard in front of clients or coworkers.

Bookmark these, because every now and then your workflow just might need a cheat code.

💔 Clients + Stripe Billing: It’s Over (And That’s a Good Thing)

For years, Clients and Billing were that couple. Always together. Always showing up in The Hub holding hands. If you wanted one, you were stuck with the other.

But let’s be honest, it wasn’t working. Clients wanted freedom. Billing wanted commitment. And you? You were stuck in the middle, just trying to add someone to The Hub without having to set up a Stripe connection.

Well, the breakup finally happened.

Now, you can add clients to The Hub without setting up Stripe billing.

• Invite clients in, let them see their sites and collaborate freely, no billing setup required.
• Link clients to websites, domains or pro emails, or give them access to your white-labeled portal.
• And if/when billing does come into the picture, it’s on your terms.

So yeah, Clients and Billing have officially uncoupled, and honestly? They’re both thriving. Clients are more approachable, Billing is less clingy, and you finally get to enjoy The Hub without the relationship drama.

👉 Read the full breakup note here

Mind Bloggling Facts & Stats

• In August, 162 people contributed to WordPress source code using Trac, which was 46 more than the month before! Plus, 37 folks made their very first contribution to WordPress Core. Welcome to the party, y’all! (Source)
• CSS? We love her! When asked, “How happy are you with the general state of CSS?” the devs who responded to the 2025 State of CSS survey showed a clear upward trend in happiness in recent years. (Source)
• Unfortunately, when it comes to accessibility, we’ve still got a loooong way to go. According to the WebAIM Million 2025 report, 94.8% of home pages had detected WCAG 2 failures. 💀 (Source)

Blogs & Resources You Shouldn’t Miss

A massive shout-out to Michelle Frechette and Samah Nasr: Underrepresented in Tech was named one of Million Podcasts’ Best 40 Women in Tech Podcasts and Best 100 Diversity and Inclusion Podcasts! 🎉

Here’s how to fix your website so color-blind users don’t have to squint like they’re decoding a secret message.

Wisdom from Patricia Ordoñez for women in WordPress: “You just have to do it, even if you don’t think you can or you’re good enough. Your future self is going to thank you for it.”

Think your slide deck is 🔥? Got a hot WordPress take that keeps you up at night? The call for speakers at WordCamp Asia is now open… just saying.

If you ever wanted to reach a Jedi-level understanding of block.json, Ronald Huereca has you covered in this technical deep-dive for plugin developers.

Florian Dee spills the secret sauce: See the WordPress tools he uses to keep his ecommerce empire ticking.

If you’re shipping code without a vulnerability disclosure program, congratulations, you’re living dangerously.

Coffee Break Distractions

Speaking of rubber ducks, this classic James Veitch bit never gets old.

Tour de France for websites: CSS Wizardry crowns the pro-cycling site that leaves all the others 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.

All that glitters is… not good. Tammie Lister writes about the AI Sparkle Paradox.

“Half of your website’s audience isn’t human.” Jono Alderson on why the web isn’t URL-shaped anymore.

And finally…

One of these birds is not like the others…

Love this mix of nerdery and nonsense? Forward it to your favorite WordPress weirdo. 💖