What happens beneath WordPress when the open source projects it depends on change? In fact, that question launched Open Talk on Open Source, a show I cohosted with Robert Jacobicolleague on the Do the Woo network. In this first episode, we each told how we came to open source.
🎙️ Episode details
- Topics: why a show about open source beyond WordPress, how we each started, and supply chains and policy
- Show: Open Talk on Open Source, first episode, on Do the Woo (now Open Channels FM)
- Hosts: Robert Jacobi and me, Courtney Robertson
- Released: April 17, 2024
- Listen and read along: Open Talk on Open Source, a new show, with a transcript, on Open Channels FM
🌊 Why a show about open source beyond WordPress?
Of course, WordPress people understand open source inside WordPress. There’s a whole ocean beyond it that shapes what we do. To start, my first example was PHP: as PHP ships new versions faster, hosts have to decide what to support, and core and every plugin face a chicken and egg problem about compatibility.
🧑🏫 How we each started
First, Robert’s path ran through Joomla, where he served as president. Mine, by contrast, started in a school, installing Moodle, the open source learning management system, as an alternative to Blackboard on a school budget. From there, my first contributions were in support forums.
My first WordPress contribution happened because I forgot to buy a WordCamp Mid Atlantic ticket in time. So volunteering at guest check in was the only way in. (Procrastination: occasionally a contribution pathway.) When Robert counted sponsorship as contribution, I agreed, and added that I worked at GoDaddy, enough said.
🔗 Supply chains and policy
Next, I mentioned Europe’s Cyber Resilience Act, where leading open source CMS projects joined forces on a response to protect contributors, and said the US had its own efforts I was involved with. Above all, I wanted the show to dig into every layer: WordPress, plugins, themes and SaaS services, plus the software under your site and under the servers. For small agencies, then, choosing a host or a plugin partner is partly a choice about who supports PHP and tools like PHP_CodeSniffer.
🧪 What can you take about open source beyond WordPress?
- Topics: why a show about open source beyond WordPress, how we each started, and supply chains and policy
- Agencies: ask your host which PHP versions it supports and when it plans to change.
- Contributors: sponsorship, support answers and event volunteering all count.
Also, more conversations like this one live in my podcast and speaking archive.
🗓️ Archival note
Do the Woo released this episode on April 17, 2024. Then I added this post on November 9, 2026, from the publisher’s summary and transcript. However, I reviewed the transcript, not the audio.