tips to help you work from PSG Studio

View this email in your browser

09 March 2021

Hello <<First Name>>,

This email landed in your inbox because you signed up at PSG Studio or a friend forwarded it to you. I hope you enjoy it, but if you'd like to leave, simply unsubscribe.

For over twenty years I’ve used technology, documentation, and planning to help solve business needs. I want to share this knowledge with you. In this newsletter edition, you will find one quick tip, I’ll explore an interesting article, share links to websites that caught my eye, and recent blog posts in case you missed seeing them.

One thing

Are your plugins up to date? In this case, my concern isn't if you've clicked the "update now" link, turned on automatic updates, or if you've deleted those you aren't using (you should do all of these things). What I would like you to check is when was the last update.

How to check

In your WordPress dashboard, click on Plugins and then "View Details". The right side of the screen that pops up is what I'm most interested about. In addition to the current version number, this area shows when the plugin was last updated, what version of WordPress it requires, compatibility, and minimum version of PHP.

If your plugin hasn't been updated and tested with the current version, then you'll see this notice prominently placed under the plugin title.

Why?

If your plugins aren't updated regularly then not only will they eventually stop working with WordPress, but they may make your site open to security risks. This periodic manual check is one way to make sure your site will run optimally.

Of Interest

WordPress users will hear more about Full Site Editing (FSE) this year.

Very briefly, FSE takes the power of Gutenberg blocks beyond the post and page to the entire site.

It is more than an upgrade to widgets or a replacement for page and theme builders.

It turns the entire traditional theme structure on its head by providing the ability to access all parts of what was traditionally walled behind a separate editing of HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript.

Personally I'm all for this. Most of the site owners I've worked with over the years have hired me because they were frustrated that in order to edit one small key part of their site, such as create a 404 page to that expressed their uniqueness, they had to jump through hoops and understand technology far beyond their comfort zone.

Is it ready? No. I've been testing it and there are definitely bugs to work out!

As FSE progresses, I'll share what to look forward to, how to transition, and what may unexpectedly change.

Quick Break

Taking breaks allows your brain to rest and avoid mental fatigue! Here are some links to provide a short rest.

how well will an iceberg you draw float? (javascript webpage app - joshdata.me)
As spring arrives my thoughts turn to flowers, including sunflowers. (blog post - blogspot.com)
Bored, a poem by Margaret Atwood. (webpage - publicradio.org)

From the Notebook Archive

I publish a new blog post every other Friday (with this newsletter the following Tuesday). Here are the most recent posts:

Summary of Recent Updates to WordPress (05 March 2021)
Two Reasons to Create a Plan B (19 February 2021)
Plan by Jumping in the Middle (05 February 2021)
Exploring a New Playbook (22 January 2021)

Thank you for reading. I hope you found this newsletter useful. If you think someone else would find it helpful, please consider forwarding it. If this is your first time reading the newsletter, welcome. You can read previous issues and subscribe here.

Finally, if you need to venture outside, please do so safely. Wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands.

/penny