This is a summary of a Hallway Hangout that was wrangled in the #fse-outreach-experiment channel as part of the FSE Outreach Program. All were welcome! The intent was to chat about whatever was on folks’ minds as 5.9 is around the corner. Thank you to all who joined.
Attendance: @elmastudio @ndiego @jeffpaul @rbest @megphillips91 @marybaum @piermario @bobbingwide
Video Recording:
Topics Covered:
- We kicked off the call chatting about Page Builders and what folks might be expecting from WordPress 5.9. Specifically, there’s a sense that folks want to be able to do all of their favorite things from page builders in FSE. In reality, Core is meant to provide a shared base all can build upon (include page builders) and extend as needed, including finding a plugin that offers a more curated experience.
- We chatted then about contextual patterns, meaning patterns being shown right when you need them, and the impact of the pattern directory to help folks build content quickly. Not everyone will want t use the pattern directory though so it’s likely this responsibility with fall to block themers or site builders to package things for users.
- We jumped into a wonderful discussion on the impact of names and how confusing some of the names are. @ndiego went through a few names of plugins using the word “template” to highlight some of the current confusion.
- This launched into a conversation about how eventually this is where the UI can play a role in not needing to know the names of things. Folks shouldn’t need to think “I want to add a template part here” but should instead only be presented with certain options.
- This led to a conversation about the role and needs of early adopters! There’s a very real need for “descriptive, understandable, intuitive, and consistent language” (to quote @megphillips91) that we can all then use to educate others. Made a plug to share anything in this Glossary that might need to be updated since the outreach program can help there.
- We briefly touched on some current pain points in the editor right now, like how we tell folks to “edit their site” yet it’s just called the Editor under Appearance. We also went through a few different ways the UI can help including colorizing various pieces and the power of locking.
- We ended on a sneak peak at next call for testing! It’ll focus on the experience of media when building a site.