{"id":224231,"date":"2026-01-13T09:07:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T09:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/?p=224231"},"modified":"2026-01-11T09:44:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T09:44:53","slug":"dev-merge-with-caution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/dev-merge-with-caution\/","title":{"rendered":"DEV: Merge With Caution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Welcome to DEV, your fortnightly glance at where WordPress is headed next.<\/strong><br \/>\nBuckle up. We\u2019ve got the news, the community moves and the stats to help you merge into 2026 smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>Stick around to the end to see why that package you ordered last year still hasn\u2019t arrived yet. <\/p>\n<p><strong>In today\u2019s edition: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>WP Engine snaps up Big Bite to level up enterprise WordPress publishing.<\/li>\n<li>WordPress 7.0 needs you (yes, <em>you<\/em>!) and no, you don\u2019t have to write code to get involved.<\/li>\n<li>A community scholarship honours Zeel Thakkar\u2019s legacy, helping more people find their place in WordPress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Hot Off The Presses: What\u2019s New?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"image-grid cgrid-row\">\n<div class=\"cgrid-col cgrid-col-span-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fake-cloudflare-error-page-blame-cloudflare-1050x1008.png\" alt=\"LinkedIn post joking about using a fake Cloudflare error page during site outages\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1008\" class=\"aligncenter size-ratio-full wp-image-224232\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n<p>Whether you think this is ethical, you gotta admit it\u2019s pretty clever.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it only works because CloudFlare is about as reliable as a chocolate teapot and a random unexpected outage is not far fetched in the slightest.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s kinda the internet version of blaming a particularly bad fart on the dog, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>No one will ever suspect you were the culprit all along!<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, if you\u2019re looking for something to read while you procrastinate on fixing things a little longer\u2026 you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n<h2>WP Engine Takes a Big Bite Out of the Enterprise Publishing Space<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress hosting giant <strong>WP Engine<\/strong> has officially acquired <strong>Big Bite<\/strong>, a UK-based enterprise agency that has been building editor-centric workflows, newsroom platforms, and custom publishing systems for major media brands for over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve also made plenty of impact across the open web, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Making contributions to <a href=\"http:\/\/internet.org\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Internet.org<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Helping to drive adoption of WordPress Gutenberg with a global bank<\/li>\n<li>Building the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpresstheme.amnesty.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">open-source Humanity theme<\/a> in partnership with Amnesty International.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Big Bite\u2019s roster of clients reads like a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/wpengine_were-excited-to-announce-that-wp-engine-activity-7414654588861005824-mlLV\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>who\u2019s who<\/em> of global newsroom heavyweights<\/a>, from <em>The Times<\/em> and <em>The Wall Street Journal<\/em> to <em>New York Post<\/em> and <em>Metro<\/em>. The deal means the agency arm of Big Bite will wind down, no longer taking on new clients as they fold into WP Engine\u2019s core engineering organisation.<\/p>\n<p>The aim is to bake editorial tools and publishing workflows directly into WP Engine\u2019s product stack rather than serving them up as bespoke builds.<\/p>\n<p>In a world where content is still king and editorial workflows can feel like herding cats, this move signals WP Engine getting serious about giving publishers some pretty snazzy built-in tools.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20260107821691\/en\/WP-Engine-Acquires-Big-Bite\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Check out the official press release.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/bigbite.net\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read what Big Bite have to say about the move.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Wanna Brag That You Helped Build WordPress? This is Your Moment.<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress 7.0 is officially on the horizon, and the Core team is rolling out the welcome mat for volunteers. If you\u2019ve ever wanted to leave your mark on WordPress, there\u2019s no better time to dive in.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feature development, testing, and triaging: there\u2019s a place for you no matter your skill level or area of expertise.<\/li>\n<li>Can\u2019t code? No problem. They need your help with other things too, like photography, translation, and documentation.<\/li>\n<li>Your work will ship in 7.0, giving millions of sites new capabilities and a smoother experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Core team has a spot saved for you, and the goal is to publish the final release during <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.wordcamp.org\/2026\/contributor-day\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Contributor Day at WordCamp Asia<\/a>, on April 9th, 2026!<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/core\/2026\/01\/09\/wordpress-7-0-call-for-volunteers\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Heed the call by commenting here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/contribute\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress Contributor Wizard<\/a> to see which team you should join based on your interests and skills.<\/p>\n<h2>Zeel Thakkar\u2019s Legacy Lives On With a WordCamp Kolhapur Scholarship<\/h2>\n<p>Zeel Thakkar, who passed away while attending WordCamp Surat in November 2025, was a contributor to WordPress 6.7 \u201cRollins\u201d and 6.8 \u201cCecil,\u201d an Operations team organiser, and a beloved member of the WordPress Ahmedabad community.<\/p>\n<p>The Kolhapur WordCamp team is keeping Zeel Thakkar\u2019s memory alive with a brand-new community scholarship in her honor for <em>WordCamp Kolhapur 2026<\/em>. Zeel believed in building community spaces where everyone had a seat at the table, and this scholarship embraces that inclusive and supportive vibe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The scholarship provides 20 free tickets for <a href=\"https:\/\/kolhapur.wordcamp.org\/2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WordCamp Kolhapur 2026<\/a> (January 31st &#8211; February 1st.)<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s targeted at women and girls who want to contribute to WordPress but might need a financial boost.<\/li>\n<li>Preference is given to first-time WordCamp attendees or those new to the community.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Last date to apply: Jan 15, 2026 | Winners announced: Jan 22, 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s more than just a free ticket, it\u2019s a chance to learn and connect with other WordPress enthusiasts while paying tribute to a community builder who made it all a little brighter.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/kolhapur.wordcamp.org\/2026\/in-memory-of-zeel-thakkar-community-scholarship-for-wordcamp-kolhapur-2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apply for the scholarship here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.wordcamp.org\/2026\/in-loving-memory-of-zeel-thakkar\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read more about Zeel and the work she did.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Mind Bloggling Facts &#038; Stats<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>WordPress powers 65% of sites that use a CMS at all. As Nat Miletic points out, that\u2019s \u201coverwhelming category leadership.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/natmiletic\/status\/2002459882499309820\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>In 8 years of Do the Woo\/Open Channels FM, BobWP has aired 1.53 million seconds of audio. The word \u201cWordPress\u201d was mentioned 12,700 times. On average, that\u2019s about once every 2 minutes! (<a href=\"https:\/\/openchannels.fm\/eight-years-and-1-53-million-seconds-later\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>New Year, New Patch. In the first week of 2026, over 333 new vulnerabilities emerged in the WordPress ecosystem. Don\u2019t forget to update, update, update! (<a href=\"https:\/\/solidwp.com\/blog\/wordpress-vulnerability-report-january-7-2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Blogs &#038; Resources You Shouldn\u2019t Miss<\/h2>\n<p>Want confidence that your plugin won\u2019t explode in production? Start with automated unit tests. <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/news\/2025\/12\/how-to-add-automated-unit-tests-to-your-wordpress-plugin\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Here\u2019s how.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/cybersecuritynews.com\/fake-wordpress-domain-renewal-email\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">domain renewal scam<\/a> targeting admins might be hiding in your inbox, and this isn\u2019t the usual \u201cNigerian prince\u201d nonsense.<\/p>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/taihoang.com\/articles\/wordpress-security-in-good-hands\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">illustrated deep-dive handbook on WordPress security<\/a> from T\u00e0i Ho\u00e0ng<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe best outcomes rarely come from one perspective winning. They come from multiple perspectives being taken seriously, long enough to reveal what actually matters.\u201d<\/em> A <a href=\"https:\/\/aurooba.blog\/designing-better-decisions-together\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">thoughtful read<\/a> from Aurooba Ahmed.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s Updog? Apparently, it\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/updog.ai\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">uptime detector<\/a> that might help you see that next Cloudflare outage coming.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theadminbar.com\/member-spotlight-sam-sayer\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Advice from Sam Sayer<\/a>: Think of your business year as a league &#8211; you may not win every game but you can win the season.<\/p>\n<p>Dave Foy shares why teaching \u201cevergreen\u201d WordPress courses <a href=\"https:\/\/wpbuilds.com\/2026\/01\/08\/451-the-realities-of-teaching-wordpress-dave-foys-shift-to-live-cohort-learning\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">led to burnout<\/a>, and why he pivoted to live cohort learning.<\/p>\n<h2>Coffee Break Distractions<\/h2>\n<p>What happens when you try to go for a day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/ybxobfBme_0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">without using open source software.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SideProject\/comments\/1opdxrm\/i_build_a_visual_wikipedia_browser_because_i_got\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This browser<\/a> turns your next Wikipedia rabbit-hole deep-dive into a virtual mind map.<\/p>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/JustGuysBeingDudes\/comments\/1q6eupl\/theyre_having_fun\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">everyone on the team does their part<\/a> and the site launch goes off flawlessly.<\/p>\n<p>If you miss the golden era of MTV, <a href=\"https:\/\/wantmymtv.xyz\/player.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">this player recreates it in your browser<\/a>, with filters for music videos from each decade.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/programmerhumor.io\/webdev-memes\/update-your-footer-to-2026-acug\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A little reminder<\/a> about something you might not have done yet this year. (Speaking of, <a href=\"https:\/\/getfullyear.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">this might help<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mastodon.social\/@docpop\/115860492455788792\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Punk rock turtles<\/a> saved our art group from AI-generated spam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re working with more experienced devs and you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/JustGuysBeingDudes\/comments\/1q7kdw5\/kid_got_moves\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">just trying to keep up.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>And finally\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/humor\/comments\/1psouiv\/why_hasnt_your_package_arrived_yet\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Why your package hasn\u2019t arrived yet.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Love this mix of nerdery and nonsense? Forward it to your favorite WordPress weirdo.<\/strong> \ud83d\udc97<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to DEV, your fortnightly glance at where WordPress is headed next. Buckle up. We\u2019ve got the news, the community moves and the stats to help you merge into 2026 smoothly. Stick around to the end to see why that package you ordered last year still hasn\u2019t arrived yet. In today\u2019s edition: WP Engine snaps [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1204260,"featured_media":223199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"blog_reading_time":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tutorials_categories":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11265],"tags":[],"tutorials_categories":[],"class_list":["post-224231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dev"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1204260"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224231"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224233,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224231\/revisions\/224233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224231"},{"taxonomy":"tutorials_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tutorials_categories?post=224231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}