Open Channels FM: Invisible Unicode Attacks, CrowdSec Source Leak, and the AI Coding Boom Explored

Invisible characters challenge spam filters, CrowdSec deals with a code leak, and AI is shifting what matters in software development.

bbPress: bbPress 2.6.18 is out!

bbPress 2.6.18 is a maintenance release focused on forum imports and first-login password upgrades. Imported users can now upgrade their passwords on first login for more legacy forum formats, including

Stripe Payment Links vs Embedded WordPress Forms: Which Should You Use?

Should you share a Stripe Payment Link or embed a payment form on your WordPress site? Compare setup, branding, features, and real costs. The post Stripe Payment Links vs Embedded

Open Channels FM: AI for the Rest of Us, Beyond the Bubble

Bob Dunn talks about breaking out of AI echo chambers to gain new insights

How to Build a WooCommerce Print Shop Order Form With File Upload

Build a WooCommerce print-shop page where customers upload artwork, pick a size, and unlock bulk discounts. Step-by-step PPOM walkthrough inside! The post How to Build a WooCommerce Print Shop Order

OpenStation Blog: A better way to use WordPress

I have been using WordPress for a long time, and I still love it. But wp-admin has basically worked in the same way for years. OpenStation is our attempt to

Open Channels FM: OCN Week in Review #4

This week Robert Jacobi shared about the evolving landscape of open source and tech. Highlights include AI’s growing role in security, WordPress and Apache fortifying their processes, LibreOffice redefining productivity

Open Channels FM: Drawing the Line Between Openness and Noise in the Digital World

Is sharing everything always good? Bob Dunn reflects on transparency and the noise in online spaces.

WordPress.org blog: WordPress 7.1.1 Maintenance and Security Release

This security and maintenance release features 17 bug fixes on Core, 19 bug fixes for the Block Editor, and 11 security fixes. Because this is a security release, it is

WordPress Autoloaded Options: Find and Fix wp_options Bloat

Every page load makes WordPress reread all autoloaded wp_options rows, even junk from deleted plugins. Check yours with one safe SQL query and clean it up. The post WordPress Autoloaded

Open Channels FM: Open Source Economics, LibreOffice, and Swiss Digital Sovereignty

Shifting budgets and tech priorities drive change for open source events software and government infrastructure.

Matt: OmFest: A Celebration of Curiosity, Connection, and the Future

OmFest is coming together quite nicely! The new website is beautiful and highlights some of the experiences available throughout the day. I think Om would be very impressed by the

Matt: Mirene

It’s official in SF Standard: Stewart Brand sells his seaworthy Sausalito houseboat to tech CEO. Ahoy!

WordPress Speculative Loading: What It Does and How to Configure It

Your WordPress site can load pages before visitors even click. Learn how speculative loading works, what WordPress 6.8 turned on, and how to tune it! The post WordPress Speculative Loading:

What WordPress AI Really Builds: 9 Prompts, 9 Unedited Results, and What the Good Ones Have in Common

For this post, I decided to use the Section Generator in the free Otter Blocks plugin. I built nine sections of a WordPress site with it, but instead of endlessly

Open Channels FM: Scaling Security WordPress Reinvents Protection and Apache Bolsters Infrastructure While Zephyr Expands Ecosystem

WordPress, Apache, and Zephyr adapt to AI-driven security and infrastructure demands shaping the future of open source at scale.

Build a Curated News Aggregator With WordPress (One Plugin, Full Pipeline)

Skip the plugin roundups. Here’s how to build a curated RSS news aggregator on WordPress end to end: sources, filters, drafts, attribution, and review.

White-Label LMS for WordPress: The Agency Playbook (2026)

Want to sell client-branded course sites as a service? Here’s how a white-label LMS on WordPress works, what it costs, and where the gotchas hide.