Jose Castaneda 12:42 pm on April 29, 2014
Tags: themes ( 441 ), trt ( 309 )

Theme Review Update for April 29, 2014

Apologies for the late update. I should have noticed that it didn’t publish my update yesterday.

Currently

6 new tickets are waiting for review.
- 0 tickets are older than 2 weeks
- 0 tickets are older than 1 week
- 0 tickets are older than 3 days
60 tickets are assigned.
- 11 tickets are older than 2 weeks
- 28 tickets are older than 1 week
- 46 tickets are older than 3 days

In the past 7 days

181 tickets were opened
190 tickets were closed:
- 152 tickets were made live.
  - 11 new Themes were made live.
  - 141 Theme updates were made live.
  - 25 more were approved but are waiting to be made live.
- 33 tickets were not-approved.
- 5 tickets were closed-newer-version-uploaded.

#themes, #trt

Joseph Karr O'Connor 6:20 am on April 26, 2014

Accessibility Team Update: April 23, 2014

Authoring Tool AccessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) Guidelines Testing

Jeanne Spellman (http://www.w3.org/People/jeanne/), W3C, joined us for the meeting to discuss the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) testing we will be doing on trunk starting May 12. ATAG testing is, in part, useful for guiding development of accessible “software for generating websites, for example, content management systems (CMS).”

ATAG Overview

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) Overview explains how ATAG testing will:

help make authoring tools themselves accessible, so that people with disabilities can create web content, and
help authors create more accessible web content — specifically: enable, support, and promote the production of content that conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGWCAG WCAG is an acronym for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are helping make sure the internet is accessible to all people no matter how they would need to access the internet (screen-reader, keyboard only, etc) https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/.).

ATAG Testing Harness

The W3CW3C The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards.https://www.w3.org/. is developing an automated way to deliver ATAG test instructions and test result tracking and reports. It will also display WCAG test instructions and techniques, where applicable. In the the overall test instructions doc that was used when developing the tests there are general instructions at the top, followed by a table with the ATAG success criteria, and the test(s) for each one. As we are testing to WCAG level AA so will we be testing to ATAG level AA.

Process

Jeanne has about 15 volunteer testers. Thank you Jeanne! She explained the process: “We set up a page of accessible content, and a page of inaccessible content. Then we have a page of different types of content – video, audio, tables. Some of the ATAG tests check to see if WordPress breaks accessible content, while others see if WordPress fixes inaccessible content.” We discussed access to a test instance of WordPress trunk which is ready to go thanks to Rian Rietveld. There is no estimate as to how long the testing will take since it is a new process.

Helping WordPress and the W3C

This process will help improve WordPress and it will also help make ATAG 2.0 a finalized W3C standard. We are testing to WCAG level AA so we will be testing to ATAG level AA which will help the W3C process. Jeanne explained: “The writing is all done, and now we just need to prove to W3C management that there are 2 real world examples of every success criteria and 5 authoring tools have implemented ATAG level A. AA is a huge bonus.”

Accounts and TracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.https://core.trac.wordpress.org/.

We noted that the volunteer testers will all need WordPress accounts. Aaron Jorbin very thoughtfully posted the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. handbook link to working with trac and opening a ticket. Joe Dolson noted that: “It (testing) doesn’t have to be finished to be able to create tickets – we should be ticketing every discovery as we move forward.” The W3C team will be able to pull reports of all the errors from the testing harness tool which should facilitate the process.

Kim Parsell 8:44 pm on April 25, 2014
Tags: docs ( 157 )

Docs Team Update: Apr. 24, 2014

The following is a summary of the topics that were discussed during our weekly Docs chat.

1. DevHub: @siobhan said @nacin, @otto42, and @coffee2code have been putting the finishing touches on the parser and the code reference theme this week, and version 1 of the new code reference is ~~almost ready to be deployedDeploy Launching code from a local development environment to the production web server, so that it's available to visitors.~~ now online.

2. Admin Help: @jazzsequence said the team discussed the personas that @jerrysarcastic provided. Other discussion included whether to continue reviewing older user testing videos or focus on finalizing the plans for new user testing, as well as possible solutions, including admin tours.

3. Handbooks: The contributor handbooks have a new design, thanks to @sonjanyc! @samuelsidler deployed the new theme this week to all of the contributor handbooks across make.wordpress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ (thank you Sam!). We need to make a decision whether to keep the Pages list at the top of parent pages and style it, or to remove the list entirely, so please leave your feedback on the post.

4. TracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.https://core.trac.wordpress.org/.: The Docs team needs to provide feedback on changing a text string in Trac ticket #27196. Anyone interested that may have a better way to explain the error is welcome to comment and/or provide a patch.

You can read the chat logs here.

#docs

Jan Dembowski 11:14 pm on April 24, 2014
Tags: support ( 303 )

Support Team Update for April 24th

Items discussed in today’s #wordpress-sfd chat.

Image Editor missing features in 3.9

With the release of WordPress 3.9 one of the features that was modified was the ability to use the editor to adjust the borders, margins and styling of images. This functionality can be added using the Advanced Image Styles plugin.

This was not well received by all users and there have been some emphatic topics raised in the Requests and Feedback sub-forum. It’s been a bad experience for people who use were relying on that feature when they post in WordPress.

Some suggested replies for people having this issue include installing the Advanced Image Styles plugin and suggest work arounds such as those listed in this trac comment.

The Requests and Feedback sub-forum

The conversation lead to the Requests and Feedback section. This sub-forum can be tricky; sometimes users just want to vent about something that they do not like in WordPress. As long as the user is not being abusive or rage spamming the sub-forum then offer advice or a work around to their problem. If they continue to vent then just walk away from the topic.

Sometimes users aren’t looking for a solution exactly. They’re looking for that feature to be returned back the way it was. It’s frustrating to support those users but they’re frustrated too and that’s the right place to leave that feedback.

That doesn’t mean someone can just jump around and poke people and topics with pointy sticks. There are limits and if someone needs a timeout then put that account on moderation watch. But just angrily posting isn’t that bad and you don’t have to reply to every post. Especially the topics that may make you angry.

WordPress 3.9.1 should be soon

Mike Schroder posted a good read in make/core some details about what to see fixed in WordPress 3.9.1. The post says “expected this week” but if 3.9.1 slips then don’t be disappointed. 😉 It will get released when it’s ready.

I suggest you visit make/core regularly or subscribe via email. It’s a good way to keep up to date with the development.

Do be ready for topics about the auto update. This will be a minor version number release and WordPress 3.9 should automatically update when it’s released. Minor point releases shouldn’t break anything but please be prepared.

The transcript of today’s IRC #wordpress-sfd meetupMeetup All local/regional gatherings that are officially a part of the WordPress world but are not WordCamps are organized through https://www.meetup.com/. A meetup is typically a chance for local WordPress users to get together and share new ideas and seek help from one another. Searching for ‘WordPress’ on meetup.com will help you find options in your area. can be read at this link.

#support

Boone Gorges 9:57 pm on April 24, 2014
Tags: plugins ( 503 )

Plugin team update for April 24, 2014

Repository status for the last week:

Plugins requested : 196
Plugins rejected : 50
Plugins closed : 27
Plugins approved : 163

105 plugins in the queue, 79 of which are awaiting a first reply and 7 of which are older than 7 days.

6675 commits to the repo (895342-902017)

Support stats: 28 open tickets, 6 with no activity in the last 7 days.

#plugins

Jen 6:34 pm on April 24, 2014
Tags: contributors ( 2 ), feedback, survey ( 4 )

Contributor Experience Survey

Attention team reps: Please pass this survey along to your teams via your team blogs and ask folks to take it and also to spread the word. Use whatever wording you like. 🙂

Take the contributor experience survey — it’s short, and none of the questions are mandatory. Please post, tweet, tell your co-contributors/community members via any/all communication methods. Thanks! Here’s the link: http://wordpressdotorg.polldaddy.com/s/wordpress-contributor-experience-poll

Anyone else reading this, you don’t need to post to the team blog, but if you could take the survey and help spread the word, that would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks from the community outreach team. 🙂

#contributors, #feedback, #survey

Jose Castaneda 5:45 pm on April 21, 2014
Tags: themes ( 441 ), trt ( 309 )

Theme Review Update for April 21, 2014

9 new tickets are waiting for review.
- 0 tickets are older than 2 weeks
- 0 tickets are older than 1 week
- 0 tickets are older than 3 days
71 tickets are assigned.
- 21 tickets are older than 2 weeks
- 36 tickets are older than 1 week
- 54 tickets are older than 3 days

In the past 7 days

168 tickets were opened
186 tickets were closed:
- 155 tickets were made live.
  - 41 new Themes were made live.
  - 114 Theme updates were made live.
  - 0 more were approved but are waiting to be made live.
- 28 tickets were not-approved.
- 3 tickets were closed-newer-version-uploaded.

Talk about the incentive program and the direction it will take.

#themes, #trt

Kim Parsell 1:03 am on April 19, 2014
Tags: docs ( 157 )

Docs Team Update: Apr. 17, 2014

The following is a summary of the topics that were discussed during our weekly Docs chat.

1. DevHub: Parser and theme work is ongoing. @DrewAPicture will be pitching in to help the team finish up work on both.

2. Admin Help: @trishasalas said work continues on reviewing the original user testing videos. @jerrysarcastic attended this week’s meeting, and has volunteered to help with video reviews and preparation for the next round of user testing.

3. Handbooks: @blobaugh is reviewing the current content in the PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Developer Handbook, and making notes for the spreadsheet. He still needs to review existing content in the Codex that can be moved over.

4. Inline Docs: We’re done with hook docs!

5. Codex Updates for 3.9: @siobhan put together a list of Codex pages that either need updated or created for the 3.9 release. If you have some time and want to help, please grab a page and make the appropriate edits. Anything not done before April 25th will be available for contributors to work on at the WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Austin Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/..

6. Community Summit: There is a proposal to hold another community summit this year as part of WordCamp San Francisco. Anyone wishing to discuss doing another retreat-type summit instead of adding community discussions to the WCSF agenda should leave a comment on the post.

You can read the chat logs here.

#docs

Joseph Karr O'Connor 6:17 pm on April 18, 2014

Accessibility Team Update: April 16, 2014

Team Member Thanks

Thanks all the other teams who participated in making WordPress 3.9 happen and who reached out to the accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) team for assistance. Many more people are asking us to check things than ever before. Special thanks to accessibility team members @davidakennedy, @grahamarmfield, and @joedolson who are mentioned in the 3.9 credits.

Weekly Meeting Time

There’s always confusion when the time changes and I regret that I compounded the confusion by being confused myself. I’m now using StatusClock.app by Pulsely for OS X set to GMT/UTC so I’ll be sure to call the weekly meeting to order at 19:00 UTC.

Previous Test

When the accessibility team did the last round of testing it was intended that it be done over a short period of time, but due to various factors it spread out over two months. That was a keyboard-only test because we were certain that, given our resources, we could not finish a full test. It turns out we could not finish even the attenuated test in a reasonable amount of time. This was not the intended outcome but I learned that we need many more testers to perform the testing in an effective manner. This is why I was very glad to make a testing plan with Jeanne Spellman of the W3CW3C The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards.https://www.w3.org/. when we were at the International Technology and Persons With Disabilities Conference a month ago.

New Test Round

Jeanne Spellman of the W3C, the team contact for the User Agent Working Group and the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG), has committed to helping us test WordPress trunk using the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG). Jeanne has assembled a good number of volunteers to do the testing and they will file tickets or bump things up to me as soon as they have identified an issue. This time I feel confident that with current team members providing guidance the W3C team will be able to accomplish the task in a short enough period of time to be most effective. Testing is now scheduled to start the week of May 12, 2014.

ATAG

For those not familiar with ATAG, it is primarily for developers of authoring tools including software for generating websites such as content management systems. There are two areas of focus: making sure that the authoring tool user interface is accessible, and that the authoring tool supports the production of accessible content. Just as with WCAGWCAG WCAG is an acronym for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are helping make sure the internet is accessible to all people no matter how they would need to access the internet (screen-reader, keyboard only, etc) https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/. 2.0, ATAG has three levels of success criteria in order of increasing compliance: A, AA, and AAA. We are testing to WCAG 2.0 level AA so it follows that the ATAG testing will also be done to level AA. ATAG testing will help us discover the issues we need to address next. ATAG at a Glance provides a short summary of the accessibility principles and guidelines in ATAG 2.0.

Jan Dembowski 7:55 pm on April 17, 2014

Support Team Update for April 17th

In today’s #wordpress-sfd support meetupMeetup All local/regional gatherings that are officially a part of the WordPress world but are not WordCamps are organized through https://www.meetup.com/. A meetup is typically a chance for local WordPress users to get together and share new ideas and seek help from one another. Searching for ‘WordPress’ on meetup.com will help you find options in your area. the following items were discussed.

WordPress 3.8.3 was released

On April 14th the update to 3.8.3 was released. This fixed a bug with Quick Draft that was introduced with 3.8.2.

WordPress 3.9 was released

On April 16th WordPress 3.9 “Smith” was also released and the 3.9 Master list post was put up and updated as needed.

As expected there have been some pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party related TinyMCE/Visual Editor issues. Impacted users have been asked to troubleshoot JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. problem using these Codex instructions.

When a plugin is identified as requiring an update it gets put on the REPORTED OOPSES list and tracked there. When the plugin is confirmed as fixed then please update the post and cross it off the list with <del>…</del>.

There do not seem to be any theme issues reported but if there are it will most likely have to do with the Masonry library update.

Also discussed were topics related to image padding/borders and memcache issues.

Better updates through education?

Part of the discussion was the idea from @zoonini to not only have a sticky OMGWTFBBQ post but have another sticky post that refers users to the updating WordPress Codex article.

I think that’s a good idea and for the next major releaseMajor Release A set of releases or versions having the same major version number may be collectively referred to as “X.Y” -- for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, and all other versions in the 5.2. (five dot two dot) branch of that software. Major Releases often are the introduction of new major features and functionality. that should be done. Minor version number releases are and should be handled by the auto updates. If your installation is negatively impacted by an auto update then you may have a bigger problem with your plugins and theme.

Major version number releases (3.8 to 3.9) should be upgraded via the dashboard as well but with planning. A user who follows the Codex update instructions (backups and knows how to restore to an earlier state) really can’t get into too much trouble. With that safety net if something breaks then they can roll back to a previous working state if they need to.

I myself don’t know how to pull off educating the users but another brief sticky post may help more users be prepared for an upgrade.

Today’s transcript can be read online via this link.