ACF·26wACF 6.6.1
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) 6.6.1 patch release fixes several issues including Color Picker palette display with large custom color sets, WYSIWYG field rendering in ACF Blocks, block render function type signatures, and multiple V3 Blocks problems affecting preview updates, widget editor compatibility, DOM rendering, and field display consistency.
Make WordPress Core·24wGutenberg 21.9 (October 22)
Gutenberg 21.9 introduces several new blocks including Math (for LaTeX formulas), Breadcrumbs, Term Count, and Term Name blocks. The release improves drag-and-drop interactions by directly moving blocks instead of showing a drag chip. DataViews now supports customization persistence across patterns, templates, and pages screens. The Accordion block gains anchor support and is ready for WordPress 6.9. Additional enhancements include aspect ratio controls for galleries, block visibility controls, and numerous bug fixes across the block library, collaboration features, and REST API.
Make WordPress Core·25wCoding Standard Proposal: Make it explicit that PHP files must use the .php extension
WordPress proposes standardizing PHP file extensions to only allow .php files in their coding standards. The change addresses portability and security concerns, as different web server configurations (Apache on Debian vs Fedora) handle alternative extensions like .phtml and .php3 inconsistently. Using only .php ensures universal compatibility across server environments and guarantees that code analysis tools like PHPCS will properly check all PHP files.
ACF·24wACF 6.6.2
Advanced Custom Fields 6.6.2 introduces enhancements for V3 Blocks including a new hideFieldsInSidebar setting, an expanded editor button in the sidebar, and a JS filter for uppercase field names. The release fixes several issues with V3 Blocks such as preview rendering errors, default value saving, undo functionality, and RTL language support. Additional fixes address metabox reordering buttons in the block editor.
TechCrunch·25wAutomattic CEO calls Tumblr his ‘biggest failure’ so far
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg acknowledged Tumblr as his biggest failure, citing the platform's unprofitability despite hosting over 500 million blogs. Plans to migrate Tumblr to WordPress infrastructure remain on hold due to high costs and the platform's inability to generate sufficient revenue. The company has attempted cost-cutting through layoffs and resource reallocation, but Tumblr continues to be sustained by profits from other Automattic products. Mullenweg also discussed ongoing projects including WordPress Playground, Beeper messaging app expansion, and the ongoing legal dispute with WP Engine over open source contributions.