Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you happen to be hiding out there on the globe today! Coming to you LIVE from . . .

We’ve got a couple of great in-depth plugins to cover for you with Post Calendar by Gelform bringing in a fun and easier way to transform your chaotic post list into a beautifully organized calendar view. We also have Fullworks Active User Monitor bringing us a way to tell if others are currently online before we do anything like update WordPress from 3.8 to 4.0.

And of course we’ve got some recent news in both the WordPress World and the Tech World in general for you, with some additional WordPress Tips!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their last few weeks! My own have been absolutely chaotic but so much fun! Nothing like having all the little things going wrong the entire time to bring forth a good laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. We could all do with a bit more laughter at the silliness of everything these days!

A few reminders before we start the show today….

Reminders:

• Join us here in person every Monday at 12:00 pm Pacific Time to enjoy our show!
• Show notes are added to wppluginsatoz.com within 24 hours of the show airing; you can find them either on the home page, or in the Podcast Vaults!
• This is a value for value show dear listeners, help us get some loven’ by hitting some like buttons, sharing an episode or two, or just turn our show on really loudly. We will catch somebodies attention!

If you stick around until the end, you will have a chance to hear some good questions – sometimes meant for the greenies, sometimes meant for the very experienced – and sometimes the questions are just completely random. Stick around and have a listen, might help! Or at least entertain!

(Don’t feel shy about sending in a message just to say hi! Send along suggestions, questions, recommendations, news, art – we always love to hear from our listeners!)

Let’s start the show with this weeks Featured Artist:

Artist: 

Who is our artist today?!?

Today is…. Grok! Grok seems to have had some sort of update over the past few weeks, although I don’t think it was so much a lobotomy as just a clipping off the top. Thoughts?

We would love some new art from our Producers out there! If you are so inclined, you can send it into us at amber@wppro.ca or john@wppro.ca. If you need some inspiration, you can always go to our site wppluginsatoz.com and check out our Art Vaults – you will find the link for it on the left hand menu.

We can NEVER have too much art!

Breaking News in the WordPress World at large!! 

If you have anything you think should be added please send it into me at amber@wppro.ca!

News this week:

WordPress Vulnerability Report
(https://solidwp.com/blog/wordpress-vulnerability-report-november-5-2025) – Remember Remember the 5th of November….
In this report there are 108 vulnerabilities. 98 are plugins this week, with 10 Themes.
Plugins: 68 patched, 30 left to go!
Themes: 9 patched, 1 left to go!

WordPress Vulnerability Report from PatchStack
(https://patchstack.com/database/) – These guys always have the latest information on what is going on regarding the latest in vulnerabilities.

Microsoft admits that Windows 10 is wrongly telling users they’re out of support – here’s the fix
(https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-10/microsoft-admits-that-windows-10-is-wrongly-telling-users-theyre-out-of-support-heres-the-fix) – A Windows update bug is causing Windows 10 users to see an error when they check for updates, even when enrolled into Microsoft’s extended support program. Definitely worth giving this a read if you are dealing with the same error – it is indeed rather irritating.

Real-Time collaboration flagged for WordPress 7.0 amid ongoing technical challenges
(https://www.therepository.email/real-time-collaboration-flagged-for-wordpress-7-0-amid-ongoing-technical-challenges) – WordPress is moving closer to the Google Docs-style collaborative editing, and this is not an entirely bad thing. In an update on the Phase 3 of Gutenberg roadmap posted this last week, Automattic-sponsored contributor Anne McCarthy revealed real-time collaboration has been flagged for “possible inclusion” in WordPress 7.0, expected in 2026. Word is currently underway to “extend and improve” the experimental implementation of the feature already available in the Gutenberg plugin.
This article goes through what the challenges currently are, linking you to various sources and talking about the benefits, the discussions, everything around this. This is going to be a huge change coming down the pike for Gutenberg, and when this goes live it is going to change a lot for interaction, collaboration, and more.

WordPress Plugins Team rolls out Automatic Security Scans for all plugin updates
(https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-plugins-team-rolls-out-automatic-security-scans-for-all-plugin-updates) – I can see how this is useful, although I can also see how this could go terribly wrong. Auto scans are notorious for missing the small things – the small things that in the past have lead to massive data breaches and caused giants to fall. Using this automatic scan for security, compatibility, and compliance issues will work for anything major and uninventive for sure… I hope that they will continue to not just monitor this as it goes but will also be looking over the work of the PCP.

WPManageNinja launches FluentCart, aiming to bring speed and simplicity to Ecommerce for WordPress
(https://www.therepository.email/wpmanageninja-launches-fluentcart-aiming-to-bring-speed-and-simplicity-to-ecommerce-for-wordpress) – So this happened while I was away! WPManageNinja has launched FluentCart, a self-hosted plugin that promises to make selling products and subscriptions with WordPress faster and simpler.
&
The WP Minute launches courses, starting with WordPress Hosting
(https://www.therepository.email/the-wp-minute-launches-courses-starting-with-wordpress-hosting) – This also happened! What is going on with all these companies stepping out of where they excel and picking up work in areas that they have not previously been part of? It’s like everyone decided all at once to reach out.
And because it seems so sudden to me, it probably means that there are going to be quite a few companies that have been planning on reaching out to new areas and they will be doing so sooner rather than later.
I think we can expect a bit of a rumble in the earth from the changes that are coming along – not a bad one though, I think the changes will be good, allowing for more opportunity I hope.

Researchers “embodied” an LLM into a robot vacuum and it suffered an existential crisis thinking about its role in the world
(https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/llm-robot-vacuum-existential-crisis) – This is quite the read! I do not think that the LLM was quite ready to deal with being a vacuum… perhaps if they had given it more access to information? Perhaps LLM models are like librarians and need a continuous input of information in order to keep sanity?
This is a very interesting read though, things from HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey to the ‘pass the butter’ experiment from a Rick and Morty show was referenced during the little guy’s break down.

(Go visit WP Shout Comics  OR Word Chronicles OR  MonkeyUser.com for a fantastic brain break – my favourite today is this one!)

Some Extras – check out our Facebook or Twitter!

Microsoft uncovers ‘Whisper Leak’ attack that identifies AI Chat Topics in encrypted traffic
(share.google/svG2DuFDTwkkaTHI8)

Weaponized Putty and Teams Ads deliver Malware allowing hackers to access network
(https://cybersecuritynews.com/weaponized-putty-and-teams-ads) 

Letters of protest fail to stop ‘managed WordPress’ and ‘Hosted WordPress’ US trademark bids
(https://www.therepository.email/letters-of-protest-fail-to-stop-managed-wordpress-and-hosted-wordpress-u-s-trademark-bids)

WordPress Foundation and WooCommerce join Countersuit against WP Engine
(https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-foundation-and-woocommerce-join-countersuit-against-wp-engine-alleging-trademark-infringement-and-false-advertising)

Automattic again pushes to dismiss WP Engine’s antitrust claims amid dispute over redacted excerpts
(https://www.therepository.email/automattic-again-pushes-to-dismiss-wp-engines-antitrust-claims-amid-dispute-over-redacted-excerpts)

This is how I went completely incognito on Windows 11
(https://www.makeuseof.com/how-i-went-completely-incognito-windows-11)

Malware is now using AI to rewrite its own code to avoid detection
(https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/malware-using-rewrite-code-avoid-detection)

State of the Word 2025 set for San Francisco, coinciding with WordPress 6.9 release
(https://www.therepository.email/state-of-the-word-2025-set-for-san-francisco-coinciding-with-wordpress-6-9-release)

Windows 11 has one setting almost no one changes, even though they should
(https://www.pocket-lint.com/how-to-rename-a-windows-11-pc)

Automattic and the Internet Archive Launch Plugin to combat link rot
(https://www.therepository.email/automattic-and-the-internet-archive-launch-plugin-to-combat-link-rot)

WordPress Community Team calls for contributors to rebuild WordCamp tooling
(https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-community-team-calls-for-contributors-to-rebuild-wordcamp-tooling)

Blocktober wraps up as Telex inspires a wave of WordPress experimentation
(https://www.therepository.email/blocktober-wraps-up-as-telex-inspires-a-wave-of-wordpress-experimentation)

WordCamp Canada 2025 fosters connections between Generations of WordPress users
(https://www.therepository.email/wordcamp-canada-2025-fosters-connections-between-generations-of-wordpress-users)

WordPress 6.9 Beta 1 now available and ready for testing
(https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-6-9-beta-1-now-available-and-ready-for-testing)

FAIR and Patchstack joining forces at CloudFest USA Hackathon to build new security integration
(https://www.therepository.email/fair-and-patchstack-joining-forces-at-cloudfest-usa-hackathon-to-build-new-security-integration)

10Web launches vibe for WordPress, another AI builder that turns prompts into full sites
(https://www.therepository.email/10web-launches-vibe-for-wordpress-another-ai-builder-that-turns-prompts-into-full-sites)

Porn Ban – Google Issues new warning for all smartphone users
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/11/08/porn-ban-google-issues-new-warning-for-all-smartphone-users)

FBI wants to know who runs Archive.ph
(https://hackread.com/fbi-wants-to-know-who-runs-archive-ph)

Rogue’s Corner News and Extras

Be sure to go and check out the new and unique plugins now available from WPProAtoz.com!

Rogues Corner & Tip of the day

WordPress Items:
This is a great webpage listing many of the latest WordPress new posts recently published.
https://wp.feedland.org/

Tip of The Day:
Talk about us WPProAtoZ.com as an agency and what we do

The Weeks WordPress Problem and solution:

Upcoming Interviews:
We have the following dates available for booking your Interview with John:
November – 17
December – 1, 15 & 29
January 2026  – 12 & 26
Reminder that we have more interviews coming up in the coming weeks with more developers and community members.

Dragon Rating Time with John!

John’s Plugin

Post Calendar by Gelform

https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-calendar-gelform/

The Lowdown:

Managing your WordPress content just got a whole lot easier and a whole lot more fun! Introducing the Post Calendar plugin, the plugin that transforms your chaotic post list into a beautifully organized calendar view. No more endless scrolling to find that one scheduled post or digging through drafts trying to remember what’s next. The Post Calendar plugin is here to bring order, clarity, and a touch of magic to your content planning.

I also interviewed Corey Maass from ttps://gelform.com/ last week on the interview show check it out here https://wppluginsatoz.com/interview-77-tea-fueled-innovation-corey-maass-on-crafting-pro-grade-plugins-and-conquering-wp-challenges/

Rating 5 Dragons

WordPress Tips

We would love to hear some tid bit tips from some of our producers out there – what did you figure out by breaking something? Or what did you need to learn in order to help someone? You can send these tid bits into me at amber@wppro.ca

My tip to you today…

Make sure that when you are using any information from news sources that you have checked, double and triple checked your information. Cross reference and make sure that you are getting the same information for news from multiple sources before presenting it as fact.

The AI is getting inventive, and the people are getting good with the prompts to help the AI along, creating this current in the center of the stream of information that is moving so fast that if you just dip a toe into it you may find yourself whipped away down stream.

The AI is getting better, and it is important to figure out how to tell what is real and what is AI hallucination before trying to use that information.

So my tip to you today, is to make sure you are cross referencing and double, and triple checking your sources so you don’t find yourself in a riptide of the data stream and heading out to the ocean.

Dragon Rating Time with Amber!

Amber’s Plugin

Fullworks Active User Monitor

https://wordpress.org/plugins/fullworks-active-users-monitor

The Lowdown:

This was sent into us by Alan at Fullworks, and this is a truly fantastic plugin! It’s a freebie, fresh out of the box plugin that does so much I won’t be able to fully cover it and still do it justice, so be sure to go and check it out yourself!

Interestingly enough, Alan shared with me the origin of this plugin and it turns out that this started as a conversation over X with a long term contact of theirs, talking about how they wish that they had a way to check and see if others are logged in before doing a major update in WordPress. Well, discussion ensued, vibe coding with ChatGPT was done, and over the past two years this has become tweaked into the super useful plugin that it has become! If you want to read about the process they went through check out the show notes for more!

This free plugin had an interesting birth. A tweet on X from a long term contact posted that they wished they had a way of checking if any one was logged in before doing a major update of WP or plugin. I suggested a code snippet and they went away and vibe coded with ChatGPT a solution and shared it with me. There were a few small issues and I thought I could improve that, make it more useful, secure and dynamic, so I set out to vibe code a complete plugin. Over the last couple of years I have refined my used of AI into a processes of specification, development and testing, and applied this to this problem.

The result I liked and after a few iterations of running through Plugin Check submitted the plugin to the repo. This was accepted, after one review iteration / fix in a total of just 5 business days – disappointingly despite my prompts being good AI still missed a couple of basic plugin ‘ruled’ (inline javascipt and escape at the very last step) but equally disappointing as the Plugin Check automated check didn’t spot them either as they are basic.

So once I downloaded and activated this plugin, I was able to find ‘Active Users Monitor’ in the left hand menu under ‘Settings’.

On this page you are able to personalize a lot! You can choose to keep the notice in the admin bar up top on how many users are online or not, decide how often it refreshes, enable the dashboard widget or not too! I love that, so many plugins just don’t give you a choice on where you get to see the info.

You are able to configure your Display Settings, and decide who gets to see who is online, whether they are admins, editors, authors, etc.

You can track and log all user login/logout activities and decide on how long to keep the audit log for as well. You can also choose whether or not you are going to track failed logins and if you want to anonymize IP addresses after a specified period for privacy compliance.

Set your options down, hit ‘save changes’, and you are ready to roll!

I really appreciate the info being up in the admin bar, and if you hover over it you can see more details on who is logged in and active at that moment. You can also choose to ‘View All Users’, and go to ‘Settings’. Fantastic design, this means you can keep an eye on it while you are working elsewhere in the site, not have to go all the way back to ‘Settings’->’Active Users Monitor’ dashboard to see what is going on and who is online.

I found this plugin easy to use, and I love the easy access to the info.

I rate this at …

Rating: 5 Dragons

Miscellaneous Announcements from all:

Have an announcement like a meetup, or to announce you’ll be on stage at a WordCamp? Let us know and we will add it here and help get your news out to the world!

WordPress Campus Connect Ajmer – August 23 – November 15

WordPress Campus Connect Jinja, Eastern Region, Uganda – October 1 – November 30

WordCamp Wroclaw 2025 – November 15 – 16

WordPress Day for Ecommerce Porto 2025 – November 15

WordCamp Surat 2025 – November 16

To see the entire list you can follow the link here in the show notes, then click on ‘More WordCamps’ right below the list of the next 5. https://central.wordcamp.org/

If you are interested in finding a WordPress Meetup somewhere around the world you can go check out the places here: https://www.meetup.com/pro/wordpress/

Keep checking back every week to find out what else is going on!

Donations from across the galaxy!

Producership Credits are a thing that do actually exist – we offer them up to those who donate through Time, Talent or Treasure. You can use these credits to boost up your resume, add to your LinkedIn file, so on and so forth!

Even if you are not interested in receiving a Producership Credit, check out how you can use us as your own stepping ladder in the world of the internets – get yourself an interview, get us to make your announcement for you, let the world know you have something to say or a company worth checking out!

Have a look through our site wppluginsatoz.com. Check out the Time, Talent and Treasure pages.

Today’s Plugins we covered were:

John’s Plugin:

Post Calendar By gelform

• Transforms post list into organized calendar view
• Offers digital draft storage space
• Flexible settings

Rating: 5 Dragons

Amber’s Plugin:

Fullworks Active Users Monitor By fullworks

• Live monitoring to see who is online and logged in
• Comprehensive audit trail
• Admin bar widget

Rating: 5 Dragons

How to reach us:

Feel like sending us something through the snail mail system? You can do that thanks to our brick and mortar address that we provide for you!
You can also reach us the more common way of the internets – have both of our internets available down below for ya!

Brick & Mortar Address

WP Plugins A to Z
C/O John Overall 
20-754 E Fairview Rd. 
Victoria, BC  V9A 5T9  
Canada

Internets Addresses

John:

• My website: http://www.johnoverall.com/  
• WordPress Emergency Support: http://wppro.ca/wpemergency
• email: john@wppro.ca

Amber:

• email: amber@wppro.ca

Q & A Time with Amber – Catch this info on our YouTube Channel

If you have questions you would like to have asked on the show, send them in to me at Amber@WPPro.ca – we may never stump my dad, but we can get some good conversation out of him at least!

• What are ‘action hooks’ and what are they used for?

• Is there ever a good reason to skip action hooks (like when adding in a Google Tag) and just write your changes right into the theme file?

Questions asked after closing credits:

• Manually adding in code is always kinda like adding in a brick with adamantium holding it in place – super strong, but near impossible to move once it’s set.
  So does using an Action Hook give you more flexibility in the sense of being able to change, remove or target that code later – without breaking the whole wall?

• If you only had 60 seconds to make a site change that survives updates, would you reach for the Customizer, a child theme, or a custom plugin first?
  • Why did you choose that?