Weekly WordPress News: State of the Word 2021

Hey, WordPress fans.

We are checking in with your latest dose of weekly WordPress news.

This week, WordPress 5.9 Beta 3 is released and ready for testing, on track for January 2022 official release. Since Beta 2, 14 bugs have been fixed. If you want to help test the new features, here are some guidelines from the contributors.

Beyond that, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg delivered his annual keynote in person. In case you missed it, you may view the full recording with captions and transcripts on WordPress.tv or check out the highlights here.

We also have a lot of other tutorials and resources for you.

Let’s get to all of this week’s WordPress news…

WORDPRESS NEWS AND ARTICLES

• WordPress 5.9 Beta 3 – available for testing. 
• State of the Word 2021: WordPress Passes 43% Market Share, Looks to Expand the Commons Through Openverse – in case you missed it. 
• The Gamechangers: Meet the Players Driving Change With WordPress Acquisitions – learn more about Freemius’ new video series. 
• Dear Users of CC Search, Welcome to Openverse – learn more about the Creative Commons Search rebrand.
• 10up Releases the Publisher Media Kit WordPress Plugin –  a new plugin to digitize your media kit.
• WordPress Vulnerability Report: December 2021, Part 3 – the regular iThemes vulnerability report.
• David Gwyer Teases Block Theme Generator App, Plans for a Community of Creators – looks very promising. 
• Severe Vulnerabilities Fixed in All In One SEO Plugin Version 4.1.5.3 – don’t forget to update if you haven’t yet.
• Mailgun Joins Sinch: The Future of Customer Communications Is Here – acquisition of the popular email automation tool. 
• Alara Block Theme Promises a New Pattern or Design Variation Every Week for the Next Year – check out this block theme.

TUTORIALS AND HOW-TOS

• The guide to understanding duplicate content… and eradicating it on WordPress – a comprehensive guide.
• How to Delete or Uninstall a WordPress Theme (Four Easy Methods) – as the title says.
• How to use categories and tags for pages in WordPress – give users controlled access to your content.
• Restricting Content on WooCommerce using Memberships – a complete guide.
• 9 Best WordPress LMS Plugins to Choose in 2021 – from Cloudways.
• How to Create a Dynamic Front Page for Your WordPress Website – as the title says.
• How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication for WordPress – using ProfilePress.
• Grow Your Audience: How to Retain Customers After the Holidays – from WooCommerce team.
• How to Edit the WooCommerce Cart Page (No Coding Needed) – step-by-step tutorial.

RESOURCES

• 20 Astra Theme Examples To Inspire Your Next WordPress Site (2021) – across different industries.
• 20 GeneratePress Examples To Inspire Your Next WordPress Site – ideas for your next project.
• WP Engine Offer – 4 months free on annual shared plans with code WEBWEEK2021 until Jan 3.
• 20+ Best WordPress Photography Themes in 2021 – including free and paid themes.
• 20+ Best WordPress Auto Themes in 2021 – for auto rentals, car dealerships and car listings.
• Gravitec AppSumo Deal – $49 lifetime deal on this push notifications plugin.
• Headline Studio Pro Holiday Sale – 50% off 5 headlines/month + 5 bonus headlines when they upgrade.
• Selecting the right solution for your project – the latest episode of WPwatercooler.