April 2023 Meetup Resources

At our April 2023 virtual meetup, co-organizer Randy Walker discussed what’s new in WordPress 6.2, using a demo site to highlight changes and new features, including:

• Site Editor interface, Templates and Template Parts
• Navigation Menu block
• Distraction Free mode
• Openverse integration
• Style Book
• Sticky positioned blocks

During the meeting and demo, several resources and recent articles about WordPress 6.2 were shared:

• What’s New in WordPress 6.2 from Kinsta
• What’s new in WordPress 6.2: Dolphy from GoDaddy
• WordPress 6.2 Field Guide from Make WordPress Core
• What’s New in WordPress 6.2 (Features and Screenshots) from WPBeginner
• Steps for adding/updating navigation with the Navigation block (though directed to folks on hosted WordPress.com, the steps apply to self-hosted WordPress sites as well)
• Upcoming free online workshop from Learn WordPress on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 4pm Eastern Time: Exploring some of the new 6.2 WordPress features, presented by Kathryn Presner and Wes Theron

If anyone is using Elementor Pro and WooCommerce, you’ll want to update to the latest version: Hackers exploit WordPress plugin flaw that gives full control of millions of sites.

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October 2022 Meetup Resources

At our October 2022 virtual meetup, members shared their websites, favorite WordPress resources, recent posts, and plugins.

Here’s a list of what was shared:

Randy Walker’s websites:

• IT in the D
• Daily Detroit
• Randy Walker

Deborah Edwards-Onoro website: Lireo Designs

Angie Peterson website: ampdigitalphotographer.com

Dave Rotter’s website: Rottervision

Sites Dave built and maintains:

• Protocol Mold Testing
• Piara Elementals
• Kalb Adult Foster Care Home
• Yiannis Fine Arts

Sites Dave contributes to: Evaluation by Design

Lynn Tamor website: Out and About in Oakland County

Contact form plugins:

• Contact Form 7
• Flamingo (works with Contact Form 7)
• WP Forms Lite

September 2022 Let’s Catch Up Resources

At our September 2022 virtual meetup, members shared some of their websites, favorite WordPress resources, recent posts, and plugins.

Here’s a list of what was shared:

• Learn WordPress online training
• Simple Site Design with Full Site Editing
• Full Site Editing
• Simple Calendar
• Linky (plugin to create a landing page in WordPress, similar to Linktree)
• Oakland County Activities
  • WP 101 Elementor course
• Redirection

November 2021 Favorite Plugins & Themes

We asked members attending November’s virtual meetup to share their favorite plugins and/or themes. These are the plugins that were shared:

• WP Recipe Maker
• WooCommerce
• WooBuilder Blocks
• Redirection
• Heroic Table of Contents

If you’re a podcaster, these themes and plugins might help you out:

• Podcast WordPress Themes from SecondLine Themes
• Blubrry PowerPress (or check with your podcast media host)
• Podcast Subscription Buttons

We also had a question about Plugins and GPL. Kinsta has an article called WordPress and GPL – Everything You Need to Know that you should read.

Deborah also shared her article What’s the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?

New URL & Site Title: Now Metro Detroit WordPress Meetup Group

I launched this as a support site for a local WordPress user meetup group in Ferndale, MI in 2009. Over 3.5 years and 34 meetups (and 3 successful WordCamps!) later, the group is going strong thanks to current organizers.

The group has outgrown its name, and the name has been changed to Metro Detroit WordPress Meetup group. To match that, the URL of this site is now changed to metrodetroitwp.wordpress.com with the site title change.

I want to thank Deborah, TJ, Anthony, and Debra for running the community and growing it so much after my leaving of the area in 2011. You guys are awesome!

Now, you can expect some news updates and more change on this site. Meanwhile,

• sign up for the email updates of this blog (on the sidebar)
• follow @metrodetroitwp on Twitter
• join the Facebook group

And of course, make sure to join the meetup group’s next event!

Although I’ve moved quite far (Tokyo, Japan), I am looking forward to joining the local meetup or WordCamp someday in the future.