That’s why WebDevStudios devotes every last Friday of the month to Five for the Future—an initiative designed to encourage WordPress companies to donate 5% of their time to contributing to WordPress. As a matter of fact, tomorrow, August 30th, is Five for the Future Friday at our WordPress agency.

The Power of Contribution: Understanding Five for the Future

Launched in 2014, the Five for the Future initiative isn’t about maintaining the status quo. It’s about ensuring the platform’s sustainability, security, and continuous innovation. It takes a community to do that.

Five for the Future (5FTF) was born from a simple yet profound idea: ask WordPress companies and individuals to dedicate just 5% of their resources to WordPress. By doing so, we can create a balanced ratio of contributors to users. This “golden ratio” helps keep WordPress thriving and evolving. The success of WordPress hinges on the active participation of its community, and 5FTF serves as a catalyst to bolster this engagement.

Since its inception, 5FTF has seen a growing number of contributors, from web hosts and consultancies to individual developers and designers. The initiative’s primary goal is to increase the number of community members actively involved in WordPress development, making the platform more robust and resilient.

5FTF Enhances WordPress for Everyone

Participation in 5FTF has a ripple effect. Contributors work on various aspects of the platform, from developing new features to fixing bugs, enhancing security, and improving performance. This collective effort ensures that WordPress remains a cutting-edge, competitive platform in the rapidly changing web landscape.

By fostering innovation and encouraging a diverse group of contributors, 5FTF helps WordPress evolve to meet the needs of its vast and varied user base. The benefits are far-reaching: users enjoy a more secure, feature-rich experience; developers gain access to a constantly improving codebase; and companies that offer WordPress services can rely on a stronger, more resilient platform.

Building a Collaborative Community

One of the most significant advantages of 5FTF is the sense of community it fosters. Who doesn’t enjoy connecting with like-minded folks?

Five for the Future brings together developers, designers, content managers, users, and more, creating a collaborative environment where knowledge is shared and innovation is accelerated. This collaboration strengthens the bonds between stakeholders in the WordPress ecosystem and encourages exchanging ideas and best practices.

For organizations like WebDevStudios, participating in 5FTF provides a break from the day-to-day client work, allowing team members to focus on projects they are passionate about. This not only benefits WordPress but also enhances creativity and professional growth within the team.

Contributing Your Skills and Resources to Five for the Future

Participation in 5FTF is open to everyone, regardless of their skill set or the size of their organization. Wherever you are on your WordPress journey, there are numerous ways to contribute. Here are some areas where you can get involved:

• Core and Plugin Development: Help improve the WordPress codebase, fix bugs, and develop new features.
• Documentation and Support: Contribute to the WordPress documentation or assist users in the support forums.
• Translation: Make WordPress accessible to a global audience by translating the platform into different languages.
• Training and Education: Share your knowledge by creating tutorials, putting together a WordCamp talk, or mentoring new contributors.
• Event Organization: Get involved in organizing or volunteering at WordCamps, meetups, and other WordPress events.

Joining the 5FTF Movement

To start contributing, visit the official Five for the Future website, where you can sign up and learn more about how to dedicate your resources to WordPress. Whether you’re an individual looking to give back or an organization aiming to make a lasting impact, your contributions are invaluable to the continued success and growth of WordPress.

WebDevStudios’ Commitment to 5FTF

At WebDevStudios, we understand the importance of giving back to the WordPress community. In fact, we love it!

That’s why we dedicate every last Friday of the month to Five for the Future. Our team members contribute in various ways, from plugin development and support to preparing for WordCamp talks and more. This commitment not only helps WordPress thrive but also enriches our team’s skills and fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Take a look at how we contributed last month, and be sure to follow us and the hashtag #5FTF on X (formerly Twitter) to see what we’re up to tomorrow.

From Our Internal Slack Channel

I’m getting my new machine setup for development, and then I’m bumping Tested Up to Values on my plugins. –Sal Ferrarello, Principal Engineer

I’m attempting some personal plugin support/troubleshooting, possibly helping Brad with a new plugin Idea that he has that has me jazzed (It includes RSS feed customization), and then probably more really old core ticket browsing/refreshing. –Michael Beckwith, Backend Engineer

I’m planning to invest some of the time looking into WP 6.6 features, and hopefully also invest some time on a project I started a couple of months ago (a security scanner pipeline that uses the open Wordfence API). –Rami Abraham, Lead Engineer

MediaCorps needed me to put in some time this and last week. –Jen Miller, Director of Accounts

From X (Formerly Twitter)

#5FTF @webdevstudios again and it’s a #WordPress + spreadsheets day. Wrangling spreadsheets for #WCAsia 2025, working on my slides for my #BlockTheme talk tomorrow for #WordPressIloilo and continue working on #WDSBT. Also my table is transitioning to a #RetroNeon aesthetics. pic.twitter.com/QBalodRjmi

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2025 (@jpalmes) July 26, 2024

It is #5FTF thanks to @webdevstudios and today I’m exploring overrides in Synced Patterns which has just been introduced in #WordPress 6.6

— Jennifer Farhat (@jenniFarhat) July 26, 2024

Joined the @gatherpress team today in a roadmapping call as part of #5FTF with @webdevstudios pic.twitter.com/dpZLoAR4BL

— Laura Byrne (@NewYorkerLaura) July 26, 2024

Today on #5FTF at @webdevstudios , I had the chance to catch up with WP 6.6, Block Bindings, and Pattern Overrides. Thanks, WDS, for the time to stay on top of the game! pic.twitter.com/19bKca5kqK

— Alfredo Navas (@3LPU4S) July 26, 2024

The post Sun, Code, and Contribution: It’s Five for the Future Tomorrow! appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Let’s face it. WordPress wouldn’t be what it is today without the support of its community. This makes 5FTF imperative. After all, its primary purpose is to bolster the success and growth of WordPress by increasing the number of community contributors actively involved in its development.

This is why WebDevStudios dedicates every last Friday of the month to giving back to WordPress by sponsoring our team’s contributions to 5FTF. More contributors mean a stronger, more resilient platform where issues such as bugs and security vulnerabilities can be addressed more efficiently. This benefits everyone—WordPress users, designers, developers, and companies selling WordPress services. The Five for the Future initiative also fosters a community where innovation thrives as diverse groups of individuals collaborate to enhance the platform. That’s the best part!

5FTF Benefits

Participation in Five for the Future offers numerous benefits. For example, it ensures regular updates and improvements, keeping the platform competitive and relevant in the fast-evolving web landscape. That’s because contributors’ collective effort leads to new features, enhanced security, and overall better performance of the WordPress core, plugins, and themes.

In fact, more than 630 contributors (150 first-timers) in at least 51 countries are responsible for WordPress 6.6, aka “Dorsey.” This includes two of our very own team members: Frontend Engineer Aslam Doctor and Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello.

Sal discovered a bug that prevented the global Javascript code from loading on the login page using the (wp_localize_script) method. He submitted a ticket for it. Aslam then created a fix and pushed the patch to the WordPress repository for review, which was approved after a few tests and updates. Sal and Aslam collaborated to create PHP test cases for the fix.

Voila! That’s the power of 5FTF—discovery, investigation, collaboration, and contribution. How can you not participate in such an amazing opportunity?

5FTF Requires Support from WordPress Companies

For organizations, the initiative presents a unique opportunity to give back to the community that supports their business. By contributing to WordPress, companies can gain recognition, build stronger relationships within the community, and stay ahead of industry trends. Additionally, it provides a platform for employees to develop their skills, share knowledge, and gain recognition for their individual contributions.

Getting involved in 5FTF is straightforward. Organizations and individuals can pledge 5% of their resources—whether time, personnel, or financial support—to various areas of WordPress development. This can include core development, plugin and theme development, documentation, security, support forums, translation, and organizing or volunteering at WordCamps. Interested parties can visit the Five for the Future website to sign up and start contributing.

At WebDevStudios, our commitment to Five for the Future is a testament to our dedication to the WordPress community. Since the initiative’s inception, we have proudly dedicated 5% of our resources to contributing to WordPress. Our team members engage in numerous activities to support the growth and sustainability of open-source software.

We encourage all WordPress companies to sponsor their employees’ involvement in Five for the Future. It’s an easy and rewarding way to contribute to the platform’s longevity and success. Your contributions, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in the continuous improvement and innovation of WordPress.

Tomorrow, July 26, 2024, is Five for the Future Friday at WebDevStudios. Below, take a look at some of the ways our team participated in 5FTF last month. We appreciate everything they do to contribute.

From Our Internal 5FTF Slack Channel

I spent some time on client work, and I am now going to spend some time on my plugin. I will also spend 1-2 hours of time researching auto-repeater fields and form structure. –Awais Altaf, Backend Engineer

To start, I want to submit https://github.com/salcode/require-auth-users-rest-endpoint to the WordPress.org plugin repository. -Sal Ferrarello, Principal Engineer

I’m browsing Core Trac for the oldest tickets alive. –Michael Beckwith, Backend Engineer

When I was working with the BT theme, I noticed a funny issue when using non-native blocks (aka ACF). That’s my task for today. –Alfredo Navas, Senior Frontend Engineer

I’m going to ride along with Sal while he submits his plugin to the WordPress plugin repo. Helping to create some of the assets and whatever I can do to help. –Marty O’Connor, Senior Frontend Engineer

I’m going to finish my WP_HTML_Tag_Processor article. I added some performance sections, comparing it with other tools. –Ramsés Del Rosario, Backend Engineer

I’ll be working on a migration tool to hopefully make migrations easier in the future. –Keith Frey, Technical Strategist

Gonna do some experimenting with the Interactivity API. –Garrett Baldwin, Backend Engineer

I will be contributing to the Polyglots Team with more Spanish translations for some plugins. Then I will try to start some new article for the WDS blog. –Jairo Perez, Senior Backend Engineer

From X (Formerly Twitter)

Seeing everyone working behind-the-scenes on #5FTF makes me super happy. It would be so easy to ‘check out’ given that next week is a holiday week for our US team. But nope – everyone’s giving back as hard as they can.

Keep it up friends!

— CMDR Mitchcraft (@thatmitchcanter) June 28, 2024

It’s #5FTF @webdevstudios today and I can’t wait to play with #BlockThemes, wrangle some stuff for #WCAsia, take care of #WordPress #ProgramSupporter tasks, and teach PMs how to do their first PR for @LisaSabinWilson #ErasPlugin tagging #ErasTour @taylorswift13 just in case pic.twitter.com/OE8KZFxUsh

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2025 (@jpalmes) June 28, 2024

#5ftf June 2024 highlight! Contributed to a core ticket for some a feature enhancement at @webdevstudios!
Check it out: https://t.co/nir3qMzFnd #WordPress #OpenSource #WebDev

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) June 28, 2024

It’s #5FTF at @webdevstudios again today!! Today I’m working on some updates to the build processes for our open source #WordPress block theme starter wds-bt!

— Amor (@itsAmorEh) June 28, 2024

It is #5FTF day thanks to @webdevstudios. Today I’m learning more about Block Bindings API improvements on WP 6.6 and trying to include my passion for in a Demo about it. pic.twitter.com/oOoBOYi71y

— Jennifer Farhat (@jenniFarhat) June 28, 2024

#5FTF here at @webdevstudios and I’m working my way through the onboarding process on the training team. Shout out to to @courtneyr_dev https://t.co/y3jj0zhy9u pic.twitter.com/AGLj7MqTAP

— Laura Byrne (@NewYorkerLaura) June 28, 2024

It’s #5FTF at @webdevstudios! Today I created a little #WordPress block that can be used to display post meta in a query loop block.

— Lindsey Bell (@lindseywb) June 28, 2024

The post Summer Is Sizzling with Five for the Future Contributions appeared first on WebDevStudios.

In his initial announcement, Matt highlighted the importance of this effort by emphasizing that it would help grow the WordPress community and ecosystem sustainably. He noted that web hosts, consultancies, and agencies had already stepped up their contributions, but there’s still room for more organizations and individuals to participate.

The purpose of Five for the Future is multifaceted.

Five for the Future aims to increase the number of contributors to WordPress, thereby making the platform more robust and resilient. A larger pool of contributors means more individuals are familiar with the codebase and can promptly address bugs, security vulnerabilities, and other issues.

Additionally, the initiative fosters a more inclusive and welcoming community by encouraging organizations of all sizes and resources to contribute. This inclusivity helps ensure that WordPress remains accessible to a diverse range of users and developers.

The importance of Five for the Future cannot be overstated.

By investing in developing new features and technologies, the initiative helps keep WordPress relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving web landscape. For example, the development of WordPress 6.5 involved around 700 contributors from 57 countries, showcasing the global effort needed to maintain and enhance this open-source project. Such contributions lead to regular updates and improvements in WordPress core, plugins, and themes, benefiting end-users by providing a more secure and feature-rich experience.

Participating in Five for the Future offers numerous benefits.

It helps create a collaborative environment where developers, designers, and other contributors can collaborate, share knowledge, and gain recognition for their efforts. This collaborative spirit accelerates innovation and enhances the sense of community among WordPress users and contributors. Active participation in the initiative strengthens the bonds between stakeholders in the WordPress ecosystem and encourages exchanging ideas and best practices.

To participate in Five for the Future, organizations and individuals can dedicate 5% of their resources—whether in terms of time, personnel, or financial support—to WordPress development and the greater WordPress community. Contributions can be made in various areas, including core and plugin development, documentation, security, support forums, theme reviews, training, testing, translation, and WordCamp organizing, volunteering, and presenting. Interested individuals and organizations can start by visiting the 5FTF website and signing up to contribute.

Five for the Future is a vital initiative for the continuous improvement and innovation of the WordPress platform. By contributing five percent of their resources, organizations can help ensure that WordPress remains a robust, secure, and versatile platform for years. We encourage everyone in the WordPress community to consider participating in this initiative to help build a stronger, more resilient, and inclusive future for WordPress.

Your contributions, no matter how small, can significantly contribute to the long-term success of this open-source project. Here is a sample of how our team contributed to 5FTF last month.

#5FTF @webdevstudios today and I’m heads down working on #WDSBT a #WordPress #BlockTheme pic.twitter.com/vMuLggkEvX

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2025 (@jpalmes) May 31, 2024

Today’s problem to solve: how to version control WordPress patterns for our clients’ websites so we can keep them in our repo. The solution’s done – I just need to code it #5FTF @webdevstudios #WordPress

— CMDR Mitchcraft (@thatmitchcanter) May 31, 2024

Happy #5ftf WordPressors! This time I am working on implementing new features for my plugin “Rearrange WooCommerce Products” at @webdevstudios. Fulfilling requests from plugin users. #WordPress #WooCommerce pic.twitter.com/LLFai8BAzU

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) May 31, 2024

Today for #5ftf I am exploring the Block Bindings API and useful ways to implement it. @webdevstudios pic.twitter.com/TkfkwngV9z

— Jennifer Farhat (@jenniFarhat) May 31, 2024

Grateful @webdevstudios supports #5ftf and allows me time to contribute on the #MediaCorps #WordPress experiment! Excited to see our efforts develop. pic.twitter.com/o4KeEo7o7h

— Jen Miller (@JenMillerMBA) May 31, 2024

Just spent my #5FTF @webdevstudios playing with the WordPress Interactivity API! Built a basic testimonial carousel with bullet controls that uses the cover block. Big thanks to @ryanwelcher for his awesome gallery slider recipe that helped me get started. pic.twitter.com/0PZ3mQvkvJ

— Alfredo Navas (@3LPU4S) May 31, 2024

I capped off today’s @webdevstudios #5FTF with a ticket patch refresh from 14 years ago and the WordPress 2.8.1 days. Adding a “current-tag” class to the Tag Cloud markup when viewing a specific tag archive.

— Captain Macho Pirate Mick Rackham.yarr (@tw2113) May 31, 2024

More 5FTF Contributions

The 5FTF contributions listed below were reported in our internal Slack channel:

I found a website that has some interesting elements that I want to convert to patterns. I also had an idea for a simple progress bar block related to what we’re doing on GCR, so I may work on that. –Lindsey Bell, Lead Engineer

I will look into core Trac or GitHub issues. I’m particularly interested in checking unit tests and how to add them to tickets/PRs. –Mauricio Andrade, Lead Engineer

BT/FSE for me. –Lauren Levin, Lead Engineer

Jumping into some BT theme and WP support threads today. –David Walz, Lead Engineer

Finalizing a PR I was working on for the documentation plugin but then jumping to BT/FSE. –Ashley Stanley, Frontend Engineer

I will retake my WP_HTML_Tag_Processor article to add some more examples and performance tests. –Ramsés Del Rosario, Backend Engineer

For now I will continue contributing to the Polyglots Team with more Spanish translations for some plugins. –Jairo Perez, Senior Backend Engineer

This is still in progress, as I’m rebuilding parts of the spotify.design website in WDS-BT, but I managed to add the Interactivity API to Core Blocks. In this case, I’m adding it to buttons. I’m doing some logic to check if the button has the class .shuffle on it, if it does, I fire off a function to randomly change the header color. –Marty O’Connor, Senior Frontend Engineer

The post Summertime Support: WebDevStudios Sponsors Five for the Future Tomorrow appeared first on WebDevStudios.

That’s why WebDevStudios takes a break from client work on the last Friday of every month to sponsor our team’s efforts to give back to WordPress. Tomorrow, May 31st is Five for the Future Friday at WebDevStudios (WDS).

Significance to the WordPress Ecosystem

The 5FTF initiative is vital for the continuous improvement and innovation of the WordPress platform. By encouraging contributions from diverse community members, 5FTF ensures that WordPress remains robust, secure, and versatile. For example, the development of WordPress 6.5 involved around 700 contributors from 57 countries, demonstrating the global effort needed to maintain and enhance this open-source project.

Such contributions lead to regular updates and improvements in WordPress core, plugins, and themes, directly benefiting the end-users by providing a better, more secure, and feature-rich experience. Additionally, the initiative helps identify and fix bugs, improve code quality, and develop new features, all of which are essential for keeping WordPress competitive and relevant in the rapidly changing landscape of web development.

Benefits to the WordPress Community

The WordPress community greatly benefits from the collaborative spirit fostered by 5FTF. This initiative brings together developers, designers, and other contributors, creating a strong network of individuals and organizations dedicated to the betterment of WordPress. Such collaboration not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also enhances the sense of community among WordPress users and contributors.

Active participation in 5FTF strengthens the bonds between different stakeholders in the WordPress ecosystem. It provides an opportunity for contributors to work on passion projects, share knowledge, and gain recognition for their work. This collaborative environment encourages the exchange of ideas and best practices, which leads to more efficient and effective solutions.

WebDevStudios’ Commitment to Five for the Future

WebDevStudios exemplifies a company that has fully embraced the ethos of 5FTF. Since 2014, WebDevStudios has consistently dedicated 5% of its time to contributing to WordPress, underscoring its commitment to the platform. This regular dedication to 5FTF is a core part of WebDevStudios’ company culture.

Team members are encouraged to engage in activities such as plugin development, support forums, and preparing for WordCamp talks. These contributions are not only beneficial to WordPress but also provide the team with a refreshing change from their daily routines, fostering creativity and professional growth.

Brad Williams, CEO of WebDevStudios, emphasizes the importance of this initiative in an interview for the Amazing Teams Podcast. He highlights that participating in 5FTF is not just about giving back but also about taking a break from the “client grind” and working on projects our team is passionate about. This approach ensures that the contributions are meaningful and impactful, benefiting both the contributors and the broader WordPress community.

Last month, our team members reported using their 5FTF Friday to work on WordPress Support forum tickets, updating plugins, and translations. Below are some posts from X that exemplify our participation. Be sure you’re following us to keep up with latest on Five for the Future.

It’s #5FTF @webdevstudios today and I have a full schedule getting all the things done. Checking in on #WordCampAsia 2025, #WordPress Program Supporter tasks, as well as working on a #BlockTheme pic.twitter.com/IRaskhEs4X

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2024 (@jpalmes) April 26, 2024

Working on further upping my Blocks/Gutenberg/React knowhow for #5FTF at the moment. Pray for me, if that’s your thing.

— Captain Macho Pirate Mick Rackham.yarr (@tw2113) April 26, 2024

Another Friday & another #5FTF celebration at @webdevstudios. This time I continued to work on a #WordPress core patch and did some unit tests with my buddy @salcode

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) April 26, 2024

Happy #5FTF day. Very grateful to be able to help and contribute to our wonderful community. This is possible thanks to @webdevstudios. pic.twitter.com/e4mJr8x0y7

— Jennifer Farhat (@jenniFarhat) April 26, 2024

Boom! My plugin just hit 20K active installs today! It was 10k last year. Massive shoutout to @webdevstudios for allowing us to contribute to the #WordPress community via #5ftf every month. Let’s keep elevating together! https://t.co/hYhUI3MfaS pic.twitter.com/PvVEKeMdPd

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) April 29, 2024

The post May Momentum: Our Ongoing Commitment to Five for the Future appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Since 2014, we’ve proudly participated in the Five for the Future (5FTF) movement, dedicating 5% of our WordPress agency’s time to contributing to the WordPress project. We continue that tradition tomorrow, April 26, 2024, by devoting our entire workday to 5FTF.

Our involvement in 5FTF is more than a mere obligation. It’s a fundamental part of our company culture. In fact, team member after team member will tell you that one of the reasons they joined WebDevStudios was our dedication to 5FTF.

Five for the Future Friday at WebDevStudios

The last Friday of every month is devoted to Five for the Future, so our team takes a break from client projects to work on their WordPress projects. This could be plugin development, taking tickets at the WordPress Support Forum, or working on a WordCamp talk. In whatever manner our staff members choose to spend their day giving back to WordPress and open-source technology, we support it.

By dedicating an entire workday each month to 5FTF, we prioritize giving back to the WordPress community and ensuring that our contributions are meaningful and impactful. From bug fixes and feature enhancements to code reviews and documentation updates, our team actively engages in various areas of WordPress development, leveraging their expertise to make positive contributions.

Benefits of Participation

One of the key benefits of our commitment to 5FTF is the opportunity to contribute to the continuous improvement of WordPress itself. In fact, Matt Mullenweg, one of the founding developers of WordPress, reported that it took around 700 contributors in 57 countries to build WordPress 6.5, which was released on April 2, 2204. The progress of WordPress is credited to all those who give back to it.

Here’s a fun fact: two of those who received contributor credit for WordPress 6.5 came from our team—CEO Brad Williams and Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello. By actively participating in WordPress’ development process and progress, we gain valuable insights into the platform’s inner workings and shape its future direction. Additionally, our involvement allows us to stay abreast of the latest developments in WordPress, ensuring that our team remains at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.

Moreover, our dedication to 5FTF enables us to give back to the broader WordPress community, sharing our knowledge, expertise, and resources for the benefit of all users. By investing in the future of WordPress today, we ensure that it remains a powerful and accessible tool for years to come.

March 2024 Five for the Future Friday

Our last 5FTF Friday was held on March 29, 2024. Some team members spent 5FTF Friday testing their self-developed plugins’ compatibilities with WordPress 6.5. Here are some other ways our team members contributed.

Actually getting to write code today for our WordPress #5FTF. Today’s task? Accessing patterns from the front end to recreate the official pattern library functionality. pic.twitter.com/mzTFdl66tN

— CMDR Mitchcraft St. Jude Creator Summit (@thatmitchcanter) March 29, 2024

Tested and confirmed my Blogroll Block is working well with the upcoming WordPress 6.5 https://t.co/RjAlEzlMPG #fiveforthefuture #5ftf

— Captain Macho Pirate Mick Rackham.yarr (@tw2113) March 29, 2024

This Good Friday, we are celebrating #5FTF at @webdevstudios. I did some research on faust.js blocks rendering & also submitted a patch to #WordPress core for a bug found by my buddy @salcode

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) March 29, 2024

The post Sowing the Seeds of Progress by Participating in Five for the Future appeared first on WebDevStudios.

“We basically dedicate the last Friday of the month, and it’s all hands, and we just contribute to WordPress,” Brad says. “It’s a great break from the client grind for our team. They can work on passion projects, maybe do something a little different than they normally do any given day of the week, or maybe just take a break from coding.”

He goes on to say that the nature of open-source technology, such as WordPress, requires its community to give back to it in order for it to flourish. And that’s what the WebDevStudios (WDS) team is doing tomorrow, March 29th. We’re giving back to WordPress.

Giving Back to WordPress Through Five for the Future

Participating in Five for the Future is more than an act of generosity. It’s a vital investment in the sustainability and growth of WordPress as a platform.

By allocating resources to the Five for the Future (5FTF) initiative, individuals and organizations contribute directly to the enhancement of WordPress core, plugins, themes, and the broader ecosystem. This collective effort fosters innovation, improves security, and enhances the overall user experience for millions of WordPress users worldwide.

Moreover, active participation in 5FTF reinforces the spirit of community and collaboration that lies at the heart of WordPress, strengthening bonds between developers, designers, users, and contributors. Ultimately, giving back through initiatives like 5FTF enriches the WordPress platform and ensures its longevity and relevance in an ever-evolving digital world.

WDS 5FTF Contributions

Our team members contribute to 5FTF in a variety of ways. Sometimes they share it on social media. Here’s a sample of some the ways our team gave back to WordPress in February.

#5FTF @webdevstudios today and my day will be filled with blocks and getting ready for #WCAsia2024 #ContributorDay. If you see me, say hi https://t.co/wbR7xAxOpK

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2024 (@jpalmes) February 23, 2024

#5ftf has arrived early this month at @webdevstudios and this time I am doing some digging with Block Binding API. #WordPress

Reference: https://t.co/xnJrB1uYlJ pic.twitter.com/zxA8dRSD6q

— Aslam Doctor (@aslammdoctor) February 23, 2024

#5FTF Confirmed WP 6.3.4 compatibility for my WordPress Blogroll Block https://t.co/RjAlEzlMPG Version 1.3.4 is now available.

Also I have topped 70+ installs! Maybe getting some love from the #indieweb movement?

— Captain Macho Pirate Mick Rackham.yarr (@tw2113) February 23, 2024

For today’s #5FTF at @webdevstudios! I’m Diving deep into the Interactivity API, excited for the future of WordPress.https://t.co/3MrIVAaW5p

— Alfredo Navas (@3LPU4S) February 23, 2024

The post Springing into Action with Five for the Future appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Why You Should Help Five for the Future Flourish

While contributing to Five for the Future (5FTF) is not a mandatory requirement, it’s still a responsibility. Why? Because WordPress is an open-source platform, its growth is dependent upon its community. That means that WordPress wouldn’t be what it is today without the contributions of developers, designers, and users.

5FTF History

Launched in 2014 by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, 5FTF advocates for organizations to allocate 5% of their resources towards WordPress development. The goal is to maintain a balanced ratio of contributors to users, ensuring the sustainability and growth of the platform.

Participation in Five for the Future has soared since its inception, demonstrating the community’s commitment to collective progress. Regardless of one’s expertise or background, everyone is encouraged to join. Whether your strengths lie in technical aspects like core development or in areas such as marketing, translation, training, or community engagement, there’s a niche for you to make a meaningful impact.

Contributing Is Rewarding

Think about it: participating in 5FTF is an unparalleled learning opportunity. Contributors collaborate with passionate innovators, gaining insights and expertise that can’t be gleaned elsewhere. Additionally, organizations stand to benefit significantly. Participation in WordPress contributions offers cost-effective training and growth avenues compared to traditional programs. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Here are some compelling reasons why all individuals involved in WordPress should help Five for the Future flourish:

• Contributing to the Open Web: By investing in WordPress development, participants contribute to the advancement of open-source technology, fostering accessibility and innovation for users worldwide.
• Influencing Platform Direction: Contributors have the chance to shape the future trajectory of the WordPress platform, ensuring it remains responsive to evolving needs and trends.
• Talent Identification and Recruitment: Engaging in 5FTF provides a platform for identifying and recruiting top talent within the WordPress community. If you’re a knowledge worker, this is your chance to be seen! If you’re an employer, this is your chance to find top talent.

In essence, 5FTF participation is about investing in the continued success and vitality of the WordPress ecosystem for generations to come. Don’t you want to be a part of that?

At WebDevStudios, we definitely want to get involved. Take a look at a few of the ways we participated in 5FTF last month. We hope these examples inspire you to get involved, too!

5FTF Posts on X

Today is #5FTF @webdevstudios, and I’m busy finalizing plans for #WCAsia Contributor Day and working on a new block theme. Also, as a new WordPress Community Team Program Supporter, I’m lending a hand in vetting meetups and WordCamp applications. pic.twitter.com/ZI4FUCYFLa

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2024 (@jpalmes) January 26, 2024

Starting this #5ftf Friday with some good ole fashion analog design process for my open-source theme. #wordpress pic.twitter.com/qf8Rd2R8zC

— David Walz (@DavesjoshinWDS) January 26, 2024

We do #5FTF every month, but I -strongly encouraged- all of the engineers today to put down the client work for one day to make something fun/useful with WordPress.

The client work will be still there Monday. It’s important to stretch your creativity a bit now and again. https://t.co/1p9UyJJmzZ

— CMDR Mitchcraft (@thatmitchcanter) January 26, 2024

Internal 5FTF Posts on WebDevStudios Slack

I got some feedback on the PR  I submitted for the Advance Query Loop plugin, so I’m going to work on that. Also, I’m going to contribute to the Venezuelan translation team by translating Aslam’s plugin Search Attributes for WooCommerce. –Jennifer Farhat, Frontend Engineer

My plan for the day is to dig in and see if it’s possible to recreate one of the convoluted CT ACF blocks as a custom Gutenberg block, and if so what that would look like in the editor. –Garrett Baldwin, Backend Engineer

I am going to build and launch my personal website/blog. Also publish or at least start a draft publication of my first blog post on some interesting WordPress/code topic. –Jairo Perez, Senior Backend Engineer

Dynamic blocks stuff today! –Inna Gutnik, Senior Frontend Engineer

The post WebDevStudios Helps Five for the Future Flourish appeared first on WebDevStudios.

WebDevStudios and Five for  the Future

Every last Friday of the month, WebDevStudios sponsors our teams’ participation in Five for the Future (5FTF). This dedication has evolved into a fundamental principle within the WordPress community, fostering a culture of giving back to WordPress and collaborative participation. The goal is to ensure the sustained growth and improvement of this CMS platform by encouraging consistent contributions from the community.

At WebDevStudios, participating in 5FTF isn’t merely a gesture of goodwill. It’s a testament to our responsibility to nurture the platform that powers countless websites globally. Every line of code, every mentorship hour, and every collaborative effort amplifies WordPress’s robustness, ensuring its continual adaptability to the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Why You Should Commit to 5FTF

By dedicating time, skills, and resources to 5FTF, individuals, and companies contribute to the ongoing evolution and improvement of WordPress. Whether through coding, support, documentation, or other areas, these collective efforts fortify the platform’s innovation, security, and accessibility. It’s not just about philanthropy. It’s an investment in the sustained evolution and enhancement of WordPress. And it’s not too late to start.

The roots of Five for the Future trace back to the visionary mind of Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, who first articulated the initiative on his blog in 2014. The concept is simple yet powerful: encourage individuals and companies involved in the WordPress ecosystem to allocate 5% of their resources—whether it be time, finances, or workforce—toward contributing back to the open-source project.

In essence, Five for the Future isn’t just a monthly celebration of commitment; it’s an ongoing investment in a shared future where WordPress continues to evolve, innovate, and remain a driving force in the world of web technology. Consider making it a corporate or individual resolution to be a part of that shared journey. Here are some ways to begin:

• Make a pledge at the Five for the Future webpage at WordPress.org.
• Volunteer your time and support at the WordPress Support Forum.
• Contribute to the WordPress Core.
• Volunteer for, speak at, or organize a WordCamp.
• Build a plugin or help another member of the WordPress community develop theirs.

Really, there are a myriad of options available for you to contribute to Five for the Future. Read this blog post for more inspiration.

How WebDevStudios Gave Back to WordPress in 2023

By the end of last year, WebDevStudios sponsored nearly 1800 hours for Five for the Future. We couldn’t be prouder of our team who chose to participate. Here are some ways they did so.

• Plugin development and contribution
• Blogging about WordPress
• Organizing WordCamps
• Volunteering at WordCamps
• Speaking at WordCamps
• Translations
• Captioning
• Documentation

One of the ways that people across the community really enjoy contributing to WordPress is through Core contribution. It isn’t easy to have contributions included in the Core, but in 2023, with the release of WordPress 6.4, three team members from WebDevStudios were credited as contributors: Engineering Manager JC Palmes, Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello, and Frontend Engineer Aslam Doctor.

No matter your skill set, all contributions to 5FTF are welcomed and appreciated. We hope you find inspiration and motivation in this post. Now’s a great time to get started on your own Five for the Future journey.

The post Our 2024 Journey with Five for the Future Begins Now! appeared first on WebDevStudios.

A Brief History of Five for the Future

Five for the Future emerged from the visionary mind of Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress. It was first articulated on Matt’s blog in 2014. In his blog post, Matt advocated for individuals and companies involved in the WordPress ecosystem to commit 5% of their resources—be it time, finances, or workforce—toward contributing back to the open-source project.

This initiative aimed to ensure the sustained growth and improvement of WordPress by encouraging consistent contributions from the community. The concept was simple yet powerful: devote a fraction of time and resources to the platform’s development, thereby nurturing its evolution and maintaining its status as a leading content management system.

Since its inception, 5FTF has gained momentum, garnering support from individuals, companies, and agencies like WebDebvStudios. It has evolved into a fundamental principle, fostering a culture of giving back and collaborative participation within the WordPress ecosystem. This commitment to dedicating resources has significantly contributed to the platform’s innovation, security, and overall enhancement, reaffirming WordPress’s position as a dynamic and community-driven open-source project.

Make Five for the Future a New Year’s Resolution

When individuals and companies dedicate their time and resources to 5FTF, they contribute to the ongoing evolution and improvement of WordPress. Whether it’s through coding, support, documentation, or other areas, these collective efforts fortify the platform’s innovation, security, and accessibility. Moreover, companies sponsoring their teams’ involvement in this initiative not only endorse a culture of giving back but also recognize the intrinsic value of open-source collaboration in shaping the digital landscape.

For WordPress companies yet to embark on this journey, embracing 5FTF could be a game-changing New Year’s resolution. It’s an opportunity to align corporate goals with community enrichment, fostering a spirit of responsibility and collective advancement. Encouraging active involvement in this initiative can empower teams, enrich company culture, and ultimately contribute to a WordPress ecosystem that benefits everyone.

In essence, Five for the Future isn’t just a gesture of goodwill; it’s an investment in a shared future where WordPress continues to evolve, innovate, and remain a driving force in the world of web technology. Consider making it a corporate or individual resolution to be a part of that.

Last Month’s 5FTF Friday at WebDevStudios

Holding a 5FTF Friday during the holiday season is challenging when much of the team isn’t present, but we give it a try anyway. So far in 2023, WebDevStudios has sponsored 1,722 contributed hours to Five for the Future. That number should go up slightly after this week’s Five for the Future Friday on December 29th. Here are some of the ways our team contributed to 5FTF last month.

• Engineering Manager JC Palmes used her 5FTF time to work on the WordCamp Asia website and on coordinating WordCamp Asia’s Contributor Day.
• Lead Engineer David Walz wrote a WordPress-related article.
• Backend Engineer Awais Altaf worked on his open-source plugin by testing its compatibility and researching how to expand its features.
• Lead Engineer Lindsey Bell worked on dynamic blocks and learned about how to make block patterns.
• Frontend Engineer Jennifer Farhat contributed to the Venezuelan translation team and to the Advanced Query Loop plugin.
• Senior Frontend Engineer Inna Gutnik worked on packaging up some events-driven async code into something that can be reused.
• Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello opened a pull request for a plugin he uses.

A really interesting way to participate in Five for the Future is through collaboration. Senior Backend Engineer Mauricio Andrade has been working on establishing a solution to parse HTML into WordPress blocks to keep content semi-dynamic by storing only part of the data instead of the whole HTML structure. Principal Engineer Amor Kumar teamed up with Maurico last 5FTF Friday to help him brainstorm ideas.

Let Us Help You Contribute to Five for the Future

If your company needs help establishing regular 5FTF contributions in 2024, don’t hesitate to reach out. WebDevStudios has been doing this since 2014. We’re happy to mentor you to set up a process. Either comment below or reach out to us at contact@webdevstudios.com. Be sure to put Five for the Future in the subject line.

Thank you to everyone who has supported WebDevStudios’ efforts to contribute to Five for the Future. Much of this support comes in the form of shout-outs and recognition. We know you see our team’s participation. Thank you for acknowledging it. Have a great new year.

The post Farewell to 2023: Celebrating the Final Five for the Future Friday of the Year appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Importance of Contributing to Five for the Future

The ethos of Five for the Future (5FTF) encapsulates the very essence of collaboration and growth within the WordPress ecosystem. That resonates deeply with our WordPress agency. The commitment to consistently participate in 5FTF isn’t merely a gesture; it’s a testament to our collective responsibility in nurturing the platform that fuels countless websites across the globe.

Five for the Future isn’t just a philanthropic endeavor; it’s an investment in the sustained evolution and enhancement of WordPress. That’s important to us. By devoting time, skills, and resources to this initiative, WebDevStudios isn’t merely giving back; we’re actively contributing to the vitality and longevity of the platform. Every line of code, every mentorship hour, and every collaborative effort amplifies WordPress’s robustness, ensuring its continual adaptability to the ever-evolving digital landscape.

The significance of 5FTF extends far beyond individual contributions. It fosters a culture of generosity, knowledge sharing, and collective advancement within the WordPress community. It’s a beacon, inviting companies, developers, designers, and enthusiasts to converge and channel their energies toward a shared vision of an even more powerful, inclusive, and innovative WordPress.

Through 5FTF, WebDevStudios aligns itself with this spirit, amplifying our commitment to not just using WordPress but actively nurturing its growth for the benefit of all who rely on its capabilities. This upcoming Black Friday is also 5FTF Friday at WebDevStudios. Here are some examples from Twitter of how our team contributed last month. Make sure that you’re following us on X (formerly Twitter), as well as the hashtag #5FTF.

Today’s #5FTF at @webdevstudios : Some light video editing and recording for a Gutenberg tutorial going up on YouTube sometime soon.

Starring: WordPress, Gutenberg, and my ‘majestic dog’, Chili pic.twitter.com/8sa2YyNU5H

— CMDR MitchCraft (@thatmitchcanter) October 27, 2023

#5FTF + #Halloween @webdevstudios and I’m working on my #WCMNL2023 talk and fixing bugs on wd_s and wd_f. pic.twitter.com/ZlgG88k3fq

— JC Palmes #WCAsia2024 (@jpalmes) October 27, 2023

Finishing up an article I’ve been working on and then moving into the WP support forums for #5ftf @webdevstudios#WordPress

— David Walz (@DavesjoshinWDS) October 27, 2023

WordPress 6.4 Contributors

One of the coolest ways to successfully contribute to 5FTF is by contributing to the WordPress Core. WordPress 6.4 was released earlier this month. Engineering Manager JC Palmes, Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello, and Frontend Engineer Aslam Doctor were listed as Contributors, which is a great honor and acknowledgment of their work. Congratulations to JC, Sal, Aslam, and all the WordPress community members who contributed to WordPress 6.4.

The post Powering Up WordPress Through Five for the Future appeared first on WebDevStudios.