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Sarah Gooding

WordPress 5.1 to Replace “Blogging” References with “Publishing”

WordPress 5.1 will replace the “Happy blogging” language in wp-config-sample.php with “Happy Publishing.” The next major release also cleans up a few other “blog” references by replacing them with the word “site.” A lot of tutorials and documentation will need to be updated. WordPress contributors are continuing to fine-tune the wording in various files to reflect its expanded capabilities as a publishing platform.

“As of this commit, WordPress is no longer a simple blogging platform,” Gary Pendergast wrote in the commit message. “It’s now a comprehensive publishing solution.”

This commit signifies the end of an era, which actually ended a long time ago but is now formally recognized in the software’s language. WordPress can still be used for blogging, but it’s so much more dynamic. These days, successful blogs can easily transition into e-commerce stores or online magazines without having to migrate to a new platform.

With Gutenberg now in the hands of millions of users, publishing different types of content is becoming more accessible for those who don’t know how to code. The new era of “Happy Publishing” in 2019 will bring even more progress on that roadmap, enabling users to have a more unified editing experience for other aspects of content management, including widgets and menus.



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12 responses to “WordPress 5.1 to Replace “Blogging” References with “Publishing””

  1. Actually changing the UI of GB (or finishing all the features that were left unfinished like REST API, fixing responsive images in GB, etc) would really be useful instead of coming up with the idea of calling WP a platform instead of a solution which simply does not matter anything but will cost time and effort.

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    • Have to agree. Small spin exercises like suggesting a character change form blog to publishing does not cut the mustard with seasoned WordPress users.

      Rolling up their sleeves and getting under the hood to rectifying some of the things that just don’t work with the new block editor, would be more in their line.

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    • “Hey, can I have two pictures side by side?”

      “Not yet. Columns is in beta.”

      “Oh, okay.”

      **two months later**

      “Any update on just having two pictures side by side.”

      “Columns is still in beta but it should work.”

      “Ah, almost. I tried and it exploded.”

      **one month later**

      “Are we almost to the point of having one picture next to another picture on the same row, like at least before WP 5.0 launches?”

      **one launch later**

      “Try it now.”

      “Okay….er…anyway it could not take thirty seconds to do, even after I know exactly what to press, and not have to chase the draggable handles as they pop around the UI, making me want to pull my hair out?”

      “Yeah…so…no, is the short answer. But don’t worry, we changed some marketing copy.”

      **the year 2022**

      “Thanks for finally becoming what Beaver Builder was seven years ago.”

      “You’re welcome.” — Sincerely, a visionary

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      • I agree. When I tried Gutenberg on its own, there wasn’t much flexibility. But it seems that the WordPress core team is leaving the extra features to plugin creators.

        I don’t know how that will impact WordPress.com, but I am already doing most of the things I had been doing with premium page builders with Gutenberg – and just a few free block plugins.

        Try the Kadence Blocks plugin. Lots of great layout possibilities! Also, consider the Atomic Blocks, Stackable, and Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg plugins. All are free, and all of them greatly extend the core editor’s feature set.

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      • On the debate above, between Elementor versus Gutenberg with third party blocks versus the struggle with the half-baked columns block, it seems real standardisation is the issue.

        It fails because the standardisation is not baked into the block editor itself. There’s is the impression that it is when you look at the pretty good offerings from the likes of Elementor or kadence blocks but these are still to a degree using their own proprietory mechanisms for layout, albeit wrapped up in the block paradigm. Deactivate a plugin to use another and your layout goes out the window.

        The much unloved columns block doesn’t solve this issue. In fact blocks need to be provided for layout to cover sections, rows and columns. They need to be basic with settings for padding and offer good responsive functionality. There should be an API that allows third party vendors to hook in their own interfaces, bells and whistles. Change theme or builder plugin and your layout remains intact.

        That would be real standardisation.

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        • Yep – I agree. There’s still going to be a “Wild West” with regard to what block plugins to use when building a site. I hope that the core team at least gives Gutenberg layout capabilities similar to those of Kadence.

          At current, it seems strange to release the Twenty Nineteen theme with no sidebars while having such limited layout possibilities with the core editor. I’d thought that the core team was implying that we could use Gutenberg to create the block layouts we wanted without the need for plugins or templates.

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      • […] it seems real standardisation is the issue.

        It fails because the standardisation is not baked into the block editor itself.

        There’s is the impression that it is when you look at the pretty good offerings from the likes of Elementor or kadence blocks but these are still to a degree using their own proprietory mechanisms for layout, albeit wrapped up in the block paradigm. Deactivate a plugin to use another and your layout goes out the window.

        I believe both Gutenberg and Elementor preserve the HTML, at least, which makes it styleable after the fact rather than killing your content because it’s all shortcodes.

        Unless you mean the plugin-specific blocks, like using Gutenberg’s Elementor block and then ditching Elementor and having whatever’s in that one block be janky. Hopefully someone builds out the block version of its replacement in advance.

        The idea of having a block editor but allowing for third party blocks is healthy, much in the same way that I wouldn’t complain if there were six different shortcodes for the same purpose because there were as many plugins for that task.

        Weirdly, though, I do wish, if Gutenberg will stay, that it would at least protect core blocks, or have WP-sanctioned blocks for each purpose. I feel like the cottage industry of a bunch of blocks that are all doing the exact same thing in the exact same way is going to get foggy and confusing for people.

        The much unloved columns block doesn’t solve this issue. In fact blocks need to be provided for layout to cover sections, rows and columns. They need to be basic with settings for padding and offer good responsive functionality.

        I can appreciate what they’re doing, but I am just…biased is the wrong word, because it makes it sound like I am influenced or have a right to be with a basis in fact. I feel more comfortable? With front end editors now that they can exist. If it’s just about making a “map” of where things go and then crossing your fingers that it looks okay on the real page (for preview or for live), that’s great. If you know that you want a piece of information above this or next to that, and don’t care about the particulars, huzzah. Meanwhile, 100% of every design I’ve built out, people got itchy about 10px of space.

        From the “just drop stuff in”, I’d argue there’s even better versions of that. SiteOrigin had interface that didn’t even show the options until you asked for them, and took up all the available space and you could easily click buttons that didn’t run and hide from you to snap to new column sizes or save things as a template. This was like 2012-ish.

        In Gutenberg, by default, if I don’t have any technical help, I have huge pockets of empty space to either side for….some reason? If it’s going to be empty at least give me more space for other interface stuff like options or controls or metaboxes or something. Then I go back and forth seeing if the adjustment I made made any sort of difference.

        Oooooor I can just set it once, see that it works, and die happy.

        Back end may be a preference for some, but then be KING of back end. I hate Visual Composer and aside from it being slower and not handling responsiveness well, I’d rather use its back end than Gutenberg. Otherwise, back end is obsolete for the goal of actually laying things out. I don’t even mean themes or designy bits. I mean just stapling crap together in a way you know it’s going to work.

        I know they’re saying it’s not meant as a page builder, but when you ask for more info they say it’s about organizing the content, just the content, on the content-only area of the page (albeit with a goal of building the whole page eventually?)….but even a page builder, even if it’s overreach or overkill, is easier for me and more performant and with WWWAAAAAAAAAYY better support, on balance.

        Don’t get me wrong. It has a place. I am not opposed to the company doing what they feel is right and I hope it works out for all of us. But it’s trying to be everything and sucking at everything. It needs to commit and not spread itself thin, and own the experience 100%.

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  2. Eh. It’s about time!

    I suppose if there was a single contrib team working on all changes I too would be “outraged” that the REST api or some such wasn’t the highest priority. But it’s not.

    Instead there are dozens of teams. Including more than one UX team. This almost 100% non-technical change, which incidentally is maybe 5-6 years overdue, is the sort of thing that could have been spec’d and implemented at your average WordCamp contributor session.

    I mention it because I still get occasional comments from IT and other tech outsiders saying “well, WordPress is ok for blogging but my client needs a real website.”

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  3. Back on January 3rd, when I was editing the wp-config file, I noticed and tweet about this:


    The tweet itself didn’t get much attention but its good to see someone came forward with a more detailed guide. :)
    Happy Publishing!

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  4. Of course now, a week later, this change has become crystal clear. With a $2.4 million injection earned over the back of volunteer contributors Newspack is not for blogging, it is for PUBLISHING!

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