- \n
- Telex turns your rambling ideas into Gutenberg blocks. Sometimes magically, sometimes\u2026 not.<\/li>\n
- Open Call for Web Heroes: WP Accessibility Day needs you to save the internet, one alt-text at a time.<\/li>\n
- Who\u2019s WP-Award-worthy, in your opinion? Nominate now or forever hold your peace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Hot Off The Presses: What\u2019s New?<\/h2>\n
\n![\"Funny](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/messy-clothes-cache-joke.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/br>
\n\u201cClutter?\u201d Don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\nI call it \u201coptimized wardrobe management.\u201d Some people just don\u2019t appreciate the efficiency of using a floordrobe, amirite?<\/p>\n
Oops, that reminds me of the laundry I forgot about in the washing machine\u2026 BRB.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, keep reading for what\u2019s new in WordPress.<\/p>\n
Help Make The Internet Work for Everyone: WP Accessibility Day Calls for Volunteers<\/h2>\n
Raise your hand if you believe in keyboard-only navigable menus and alt-text for every cat meme!<\/p>\n
WP Accessibility Day 2025 (a totally volunteer-run, non-profit WordPress event) is calling all inclusivity champions to suit up<\/a>. No prior experience needed, just a willingness to make the web a resource that everyone<\/em> can use.<\/p>\n
The event livestreams for a glorious 24 hours straight, from October 15 at 9:45 AM Central (that\u2019s 3:00 PM UTC) to October 16. The event team need your help before, during, and after the fun unfolds.<\/p>\n
Day-of gigs include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Emcees<\/strong> (your game-show-host fantasy, finally realized!): You\u2019ll do a pre-recorded intro, moderate live Q&A, and keep the vibe inclusive. Must speak clearly in English for a global crowd.<\/li>\n
- Session Moderators:<\/strong> Make sure all events go smoothly and direct attendees with queries to the Q&A section.<\/li>\n
- Lobby Moderators\/Volunteer Point-of-Contact:<\/strong> Keep volunteers in check and monitor the Lobby Chat to make sure everyone\u2019s sticking to the Code of Conduct.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There\u2019s plenty of help needed post-event too, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Video Reviewers:<\/strong> Fix captions, sync ASL, and spot any mistakes or typos.<\/li>\n
- Translators:<\/strong> Fluent in English and another language? You can help refine auto-generated transcripts into clarity gold. (This one is paid, and there\u2019s a separate application here.<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
No organizing experience required; your only prerequisite is caring about an accessible internet. Ready to roll? Apply now, become part of the a11y army and feel good that you\u2019re part of a team making the web more inclusive.<\/p>\n
\u2192 Get your volunteer FAQs answered here.<\/a> <\/p>\n
\u2192 Put your hand up to volunteer here via this form.<\/a><\/p>\n
Telex What You Want, What You Really Really Want: Vibe Coding Comes for WordPress Blocks<\/h2>\n
WordPress just dropped Telex<\/a>, an extremely<\/em> experimental AI tool that promises to turn your natural-language requests into functional, customizable Gutenberg blocks.<\/p>\n
At WordCamp US 2025 in Portland, Matt Mullenweg pitched it like \u201cV0 or Lovable, but specifically for WordPress,\u201d referencing popular \u201cvibe coding\u201d services. The name is certainly a nostalgic throwback. Most of us probably aren\u2019t old enough to remember the original Telex<\/a>, which was technology that dinosaurs used to send text-based messages to each other during the Cretaceous Period.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it\u2019s supposed to work:<\/p>\n
- \n
- You type what you want, like \u201cgive me an image gallery,\u201d or \u201cI need a pricing block with 3 tiers.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Telex spits out a downloadable .zip file you can install as a plugin onto your site or the Playground sandbox.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
But, does it actually do what it promises?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what happened when a few folks in the WordPress world tested it out:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Matt Medeiros from WP Minute tested 3 different projects<\/a>, with very<\/em> mixed results, but says there are \u201cglimpses of something promising here.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Matt Cromwell used it to make a handy TL;DR button<\/a> that summarizes blog posts in one click.<\/li>\n
- Paul Charlton from WP Tuts attempted to do some \u201crelatively basic things\u201d and it crashed the browser<\/a>. \ud83d\ude2c<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But hey, there is<\/strong> a big \u201cEXPERIMENTAL\u201d badge slapped across the tool, so maybe we can excuse the glitches for now and keep our expectations where they should be.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a warning label that says, \u201cUse your best judgement when installing this code on your website,\u201d soooo\u2026 Telex at your own risk for now. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
Have You Made Your WP Award Nominations? You\u2019ve Only Got Until September 16th!<\/h2>\n
Roll out the virtual red carpet! Nominations are now open for the 2025 WP Awards<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s your chance to cast a vote for your favorite plugins, hosting companies, newsletters, and maybe even that one crazy theme developer who still answers support tickets at 2am with alarming cheerfulness. (When do you sleep?!?)<\/p>\n
The WP Awards, organized by The WP Weekly<\/em>, are basically the People\u2019s Choice Awards of our little corner of the internet. Categories span plugins, hosting, SaaS tools, services, and content creators, which means you<\/em> get to help decide who gets bragging rights for the next 12 months (and who gets to add \u201caward-nominated\u201d to their landing page).<\/p>\n
The site is also a fantastic way to discover tools, plugins, and projects you didn\u2019t even know existed.<\/p>\n
For example:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Did you know that there is a website that ranks website builders<\/a> on how creator-friendly they are?<\/li>\n
- Or a free tool that lets you quickly find out which WordPress theme a site uses<\/a>?<\/li>\n
- Or a virtual museum<\/a> showcasing stunning Block Editor creations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There\u2019s a TON of cool stuff being built in WordPress land, so why not head over and nominate your faves?<\/p>\n
\u2192 Submit your nominations here.<\/a><\/p>\n
Mind Bloggling Facts & Stats<\/h2>\n
- \n
- The Kitchensink WP podcast is 600 episodes in, and Adam Silver still<\/em> hasn\u2019t run out of things to say about WordPress! (Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- According to the Melapress WordPress Security Survey, a concerning 96% of WordPress admins, devs, and other pros said they had experienced at least one security incident, and 64% had suffered a full breach. Eeep! \ud83d\ude31 (Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- Speaking of security, remember the story in our last edition about how hosting security failed against 87.8% of WordPress plugin exploits? Patchstack CEO Oliver Sild is seeking an independent reviewer to verify methods and results for part 2 of the analysis. (Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Blogs & Resources You Shouldn\u2019t Miss<\/h2>\n
Jono Alderson is here to teach you all about cache flow management.<\/a> <\/p>\n
\u201cI know what you did last login\u2026\u201d Darren McEntee\u2019s Activity Log Pro<\/a> lets you track everything<\/em> happening on your WP site. <\/p>\n
An \u201cExperimental Accordion\u201d Block<\/a>, hey? Huh, didn\u2019t know Weird Al was a WordPress dev… <\/p>\n
New YouTube Series: Watch Marieke van de Rakt and Iris Guelen give websites the constructive roasting they deserve<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to make a smart 404 page<\/a> that\u2019ll step in when AI hallucinates non-existent URLs. <\/p>\n
Chris and Ryan offer a FAIR bit of clarity<\/a> on how Federated and Independent Repositories actually works. <\/p>\n
Accessibility isn\u2019t an add-on, it\u2019s a mindset. Sandra, Anne-Mieke, and Jennifer show you how to make it stick.<\/a> <\/p>\n
Coffee Break Distractions<\/h2>\n
Topher DeRosia shared some pics from WordCamp USA<\/a>, including a cool series of artist Jax Ko<\/a> painting a mural. <\/p>\n
\u201cWordPress is like water, it can take any form.\u201d – wisdom from Mainul Kabir Aion<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Me on Monday morning<\/a>: Who wrote this nonsense?! Oh wait\u2026<\/em> <\/p>\n
These two look like experts at deleting cookies\u2026<\/a> <\/p>\n
Does WordPress Core need more blocks? Justin Tadlock weighs in on the discussion.<\/a> <\/p>\n
Umm\u2026 this real-time AI webcam demo<\/a> is actually pretty crazy! <\/p>\n
The first rule of WP Builders Fight Club<\/a> is\u2026 oh crap I\u2019ve already broken it. <\/p>\n
And finally\u2026 <\/p>\n
- According to the Melapress WordPress Security Survey, a concerning 96% of WordPress admins, devs, and other pros said they had experienced at least one security incident, and 64% had suffered a full breach. Eeep! \ud83d\ude31 (Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- Or a free tool that lets you quickly find out which WordPress theme a site uses<\/a>?<\/li>\n
- Matt Cromwell used it to make a handy TL;DR button<\/a> that summarizes blog posts in one click.<\/li>\n
- Matt Medeiros from WP Minute tested 3 different projects<\/a>, with very<\/em> mixed results, but says there are \u201cglimpses of something promising here.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Translators:<\/strong> Fluent in English and another language? You can help refine auto-generated transcripts into clarity gold. (This one is paid, and there\u2019s a separate application here.<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Session Moderators:<\/strong> Make sure all events go smoothly and direct attendees with queries to the Q&A section.<\/li>\n
- Emcees<\/strong> (your game-show-host fantasy, finally realized!): You\u2019ll do a pre-recorded intro, moderate live Q&A, and keep the vibe inclusive. Must speak clearly in English for a global crowd.<\/li>\n