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  • The Wonderful Messy Future: How AI Could Improve Our Lives

    Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is coming. Whether it be a year or a decade, it’s coming.

    Our economy and society are working in well-known models. With some minor updates, this is how things will continue to roll until the impacts of artificial intelligence are inescapable. The inescapable moment will come with the general distribution of AGI. We’re in the pregame of that change. Every piece of technology is getting the AI treatment. Government workers are seeing their workflows getting mimicked by AI to process easy tasks in moments and process them automatically. Businesses used to be in dire need of their graphic designers for their branding, advertising and marketing. Many of these tasks are now handled by AI image generators. AI is cranking out AI images, short videos, janky marketing copy. The turnaround time for graphic design and marketing assets used to take days. Apps return those assets in minutes.

    All of the simple stuff is going to AI. Intellectual workers who used to appreciate the mix of difficult and easy tasks now have only the hard stuff left on their plates. For junior talent, the change is more profound. Where once they were given all of the easy work, now they’re not being given any work. Entry level jobs are drying up.

    Parents will know this dynamic better than others. When a baby is born, there’s little danger of the kid getting into something they shouldn’t. As they grow, the water level of jeopardy rises. Cover the plugs in the wall boards. Put the sharp stuff up high. It’s a slow motion flood of danger. That’s happening with intellectual labour. If AI is the toddler, it’s at the electrical outlet: it has its paws all over the entry level jobs. Eventually, AI will be able to grab mid-level jobs. Before we know it, it’s going to be reaching high for the elite level tasks that usually require senior experts. We’re not there yet. But keep in mind that OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT less than three years ago.

    In less than three years, AI has chewed through entry level graphic design, CGI and programming work. It’s overhauling the workflow of large organizations. It took decades of work in the study of protein folding and did all the homework in weeks. It’s true that the level of skills in practice by an expert are exponentially greater than their junior counterparts. But technology grows exponentially.

    AI Doesn’t Need A Bathroom Break

    For workers, this is a dire time. The bottom rungs of the career ladder have been chopped out. With each passing month, more rungs are going to be chopped out. If someone hasn’t entered into their career already, I don’t know if they could. I follow Indeed’s job feeds. The entry level jobs are gone. At the same time, the elder statesmen in the workplace are peacing out. Many of them retired during COVID. Some of them are ready to do so now. Employers are getting worried: the experts are retiring. The mid-level people are going to be drafted up to the majors before they’re ready. If those mid-career people don’t skill up fast, they’re going to get caught in the rising tide of AI. At the same time, businesses are looking at what AI can do. Some of them are adjusting their product offerings to lean on AI.

    For the general public, this is a mixed bag. They get very informed results at lightning speed from AI. In the cases of image generation and marketing copy, that’s sometimes awesome; that’s sometimes slop. There’s good and bad, but the short assessment is that AI is good.

    Do Entrepreneurs Like AI?

    For entrepreneurs, this is a golden age.

    In the 1990s, I was approached by people who basically said, “if you build this app, I’ll split it with you 50-50.” 50-50, huh? So: I make it real and sink in my time and in your largess, you’ll give me half. I rarely accepted those deals.

    By the 2000s, the tune changed up. Entrepreneurs had managed some growth and prominence. They promised programmers and designers glory. They suggested that people could work for “exposure.” Exposure doesn’t pay the rent. Lots of influencers could peddle their notoriety for free labour until the talent realized how poor the pay-off was.

    The 2010s: the VC game. Venture Capitalists have been around forever. They have had a good run, making the Internet an intrinsic part of our lives. So many startups did a speed run of getting ready for acquisition. That came with the big payday and their cash out, leaving entrepreneurs seeking encores.

    Now, it’s 2025. AI powered apps are getting adoption at a lightning pace– almost too fast for VCs to hop on board. As a for-instance, search Youtube for “$10k / month AI App” – there’s an explosion of small scale developers ramping up to health incomes in very little time. They’re finding all of the nooks and crannies where AI could play a role to make people’s lives better, faster and more efficient.

    While AI entrepreneurs are making bank, what about those poor entry level white collar workers? With how things are going now, they’re doomed. They’ll never get the first job. They’ll never skill up to be mid-skilled staff. Less likely still, they’re not going to get to those exalted expert positions. We all thought automation was going to take the factory jobs and put robots in McDonalds. Instead: AI has gotten all of the creatives and the paper pushers– the stuff that it easy to feed into a computer.

    Where does that leave us? On the current course, this leads to economic disaster. When AGI becomes a part of our day-to-day life, this trend will accelerate. More people will lose their jobs to automation. Corporations will become profitable to a point. Corporations need consumers and out of work consumers are not good consumers. Once we send the workers home, there’s going to be a profound down shift in the fortunes of industry.

    Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often touted as the solution to the jobless future. I love the idea, but I can’t make it work. Use Canada as an example: 30,000,000 people. The simple UBI payroll would be $1000/mo – or $30-billion per month paid out to people with heartbeats. I know: pay children? First off: children need food and housing. Second: our social and economic changes have really put a crimp on the urge to start families. There will always be children, and they’ll always need lunch. So, how would Canada pay out a $30-billion/month payroll? Some existing thoughts for how to fund it:

    • Increase the GST. Make it 20%. The affluent would pay a lot more for their goodies. The poor would also pay, but having less money means they’d pay fewer GST dollars.
    • Charge a robot tax. That’s a fast track to squelching progress. Those who don’t innovate, dodge the tax. Those who sneak in innovation, dodge the tax. Those who don’t want to pay the robot tax can just go offshore and run their robots there.

    If I Ran The World (well, Canada)

    If I ran Canada, I would look at the landscape of the problem. I would tackle our challenges and opportunities with new policies from government to usher in the world we’re heading towards.

    As AGI rolls out, we’re going to eventually lose many of the jobs. It is true that AI will create new jobs and new opportunities. As long as we need experts, their value will increase. At some point, their comparative value and the comparative economy of turning to automation will cross and the experts will be sent home. Their robot replacements will do the work faster, cheaper, without ego and without bathroom breaks. They will break down and for some time, robot repairmen will be the new superstars… until a robot replaces them.

    Our demographic is aging: the median age is climbing. This will continue to shrink the number of children and grow the number of seniors in all of the developed countries. Eventually the biggest cohort (Boomers) and their children (Gen X) will be retired and/or in elder care. Even as Canada games out raising the retirement age, it’s eventually going to hit the biological limits of forcing 75 year olds onto the bus every morning to oversee a diminishing workforce of mid-level people who fear losing their jobs.

    Automation is going to decimate retail and those retail clerk jobs. It’s going to take the fast food workers out of the back of house and front of house. Kiosks will be sending orders to burger machines that run 24×7 and never pick their noses. The burger flippers are doomed. All it’s going to take is someone rolling out a “Robo-Burger” franchise into the marketplace for every other fast food joint to transform. Automated services are creeping into our lives. At some point, they will be a fixture of business.

    Our youth are aimless. Unemployment in the under 30 group is huge. Every generation gets to the age where they look at 25-year olds and say, “when are going to do anything with your life?” In this era, it’s even more profound. Fewer of them are moving out, getting jobs or starting families of their own. They’re jammed into being teenagers for a decade or more.

    In China, this situation is a 5-alarm fire. The One-Child policy and the disproportionate number of boys to girls had led to a dilemma. The boys are now men who can’t find partners. They have aging parents with no siblings available to share the load. Good jobs are not as plentiful as they’d wish. The men make a career out of elder care, locked in a cycle of late teenagehood lasting deep into their 60s and 70s. When their parents die, those boys are going to inherit what their parents left to them before following them to the grave in a couple decades.

    The sliders of profitability and affordability are going on a roller coaster. That’s going to see a lot of people gouged. It’s going to see disruptive players eat the lunch of unprepared profiteers.

    If our economy and society get broken, we’re heading for trouble. When you see protests and civil unrest, what you’re really seeing is people who didn’t need to show up at work that day. Either their job is already gone; or they didn’t care if they lost the job. Civil unrest happens when people have the time to be unruly and when they have nothing to lose. If left as-is, jobs will be in short supply. Incomes and the standard of living will be poor. There will be a lot to grieve and the time to protest or just lash out.

    How do we make this all work?

    Models of what works often exist in our past. LIkewise, models of what fails will stick out in our history like sore thumbs. The driver of the evolutions needs to come from three places. The government needs to set legislation and establish norms. Workers need to expect more from employers. People need to re-evaluate their role in society and where they find contentment.

    My models of what works come from some simple places: COVID, Victoria BC and telecommunications.

    COVID

    The house arrest vibe of COVID wasn’t fun. What I did like: working from home. More so, after working from home off-and-on for over 40 years, it was nice to see a defacto workplace to match my own. Working from home takes the commute out of the affordability math. It gives workers back 1 to 3 hours per day of unpaid labour that went into commuting. It let them raid their kitchen for affordable, healthy food instead of fast food and salty diner fare. That kitchen raid: it’s cheaper than a restaurant. The found money from no commute and no dining out: that’s money in workers’ pockets. Staying at home is a cold and flu circuit breaker: less illness means less misery and fewer sick days. Also: fewer trips to the pharmacy for $20 cough syrup.  Employers win too: they can shrink their office sizes. They can save on office furniture, phones and all of the trappings of a bulky workplace. As AGI takes jobs, businesses can see their bottom line thicken without seeing the desks empty out.

    Working from home. Small offices. Reliance on AI labour. These moves make life more affordable for workers. They also make profitability more likely for businesses.

    COVID also showed us that what was once impossible flipped overnight. The “we’ll never do that” evaporated under necessity. Governments also were able to quickly open their wallets to cover the crisis with cash. We can move fast. Industry can move fast. Even governments can move fast when their political lives depend on it.

    Victoria BC

    Victoria BC: one of the least affordable places in Canada. It also only has 46% employment. Yes: 54% of the residents live in the least affordable city and they do so without a job. If more than half of the people can make a go of it without UBI, having a job isn’t the lynchpin that we maybe thought it was.

    Most of the idle folk break into these subsets:

    • Children. They don’t work, but they could clean up their rooms a little, you know.
    • Retired folk. There are a lot of retired people living here and living off of a pension.
    • The disabled. There is a big cohort of people who use a disability pension to survive.
    • People living off of annuities. Some people have a nest egg to fund them for the rest of their lives. However they came by it, they are not a small population in Victoria.
    • The destitute. Some people live off of nothing. They couch surf. They sleep rough. They rely on the kindness of strangers. They subsist off of aid agencies. When people speak of UBI and the jobless future, this is the cohort that sets fear in our hearts. We don’t want to become poor, homeless, at risk, and in trouble. If the robots take our jobs and we have nowhere to turn, this is our fate.

    Of the 400,000 people in Victoria; and the 216,000 who don’t have jobs; 1,800 are destitute / homeless; and 56,000 live below the poverty line– some of whom are actually the working poor. The remaining 160,000 get by without a job. So: you don’t need a job to survive– even in one of the least affordable cities in Canada. If 54% of the community don’t need to work, how many people really need to work?

    In Victoria, despite the high share of non-employed people, there is a labour shortage. It has led to many businesses shortening their operating hours. The affordability crisis keeps people from working in low paying jobs. What if low paying retail and service jobs were replaced with automation? Automation could turn some businesses into 24×7 businesses. If the drive-thru order is taken by AI, then the food is prepped by robots, why not keep it open 24×7. Door Dash and Uber Eats are already delivering goods beyond food. If they could pick up supplies from grocery stores and pharmacies run through automation, they could prep the orders for delivery at any hour. Imagine the impact on day-to-day traffic flows if the grocery runs happened by robo-delivery at 8PM instead of after work in-person. Serving those needs could provide new opportunities. Grocery stores that serve only automated deliveries could be set-up in locations with poor curb appeal, but excellent property prices. The rise of Door Dash has brought about “ghost kitchens”– restaurants that only consist of a kitchen and place to pickup orders. Moving operations to more affordable venues could make those ventures more profitable. It may even allow them to offer lower prices… or prices that don’t spike as readily as we’ve seen in the last few years.

    What about the low paid service workers ejected by automation? They could skip from entry-level up to management. Consumer needs will persist, so the markets and opportunities will persist, too. Employee-owned businesses could make the same income but distribute the profits to all of the staff. People can invest in businesses that go heavy on automation and live off of the dividends and profits. Government could set up policies and incentives to encourage low income people to participate in the investment of automation businesses then live off of those proceeds.

    Telecommunications

    Telecommunications and media used to be MUCH more expensive. Up until the 2000s, people with long distance connections used to go broke because of their phone bill. The proliferation of cellphones quickly led to national calling plans; then unlimited minutes; then unlimited national calls – poof. Your $300 phone bill got replaced with a $60 cellphone bill– a phone you can use while at the beach, not tethered to that phone table in the front hallway. It became a massive improvement at the same time, the service (long distance) basically de-commodified. At the same time, Skype then Google Meet and Zoom made even the cellphone bill optional.

    Netflix and Amazon Prime have replaced movie rentals taking Blockbuster and all of its competitors off of the playing field. There’s more to this topic as all of the streaming services are now making the replacement option more balkanized and expensive, but the overall service delivery is much less expensive.

    The creation of media: that’s an entirely revolutionized situation. When I was a kid, I got a tape recorder– I could make media and I was so grateful. I did get an 8mm film camera but the cost of film developing wasn’t going to work for my 10-year-old wallet. I spent my teens and twenties coveting the video cameras of others. In the 2000s people could get digital cameras for a high cost with lousy resolution. Moore’s Law quickly improved audio and video capabilities. Nowadays many of us have 4K video cameras in their pockets. With the advent of text-to-AI video, there may be another implosion of costs with a beach scene and a space battle costs the same pennies to create.

    Moore’s Law on cellphones has created a different problem: profit contraction. Your $100 cellphone from 2000 did so little, and your current $1500 phone does so much. By Moore’s Law, that phone should be $10 now. Why did it go the other way? Profit. The slicked back sales reps at cellphone stores need a commission to make their job worthwhile. The commission on a $10 phone would be pointless. An artificially expensive phone would be seen as gouging. To keep the price points high, the features have to continue to skyrocket: more memory, high resolution, better apps.

    As technology improves cost and quality continue to improve geometrically. It’s the best example of “decommodification.”

    Decommodification

    We’re all well aware of how supply chain disruptions made commodity prices jump. Inflation is about the deterioration of buying power. Economists cheer when it’s low and we all suffer when inflation is high. Deflation is often considered worse. I am not an economist, so I stand on my small sandy hill and say: Deflation is good. We need it. We need affordability more than we need the benefits of long game compounding investment interest.

    Deflation and decommodification will drive affordability. As people need less money, it changes the math. Where before maybe a household need $150k to keep the lights on, maybe automation can deliver a plunge in prices to give people a decent life with much less money.

    Housing

    House prices are the best example of an economy off course. The houses have not gotten better. The ground has not gotten more verdant or picturesque. The population pressure have made them more sought after. The malpractice of government has made housing a lot more expensive for new builds. It means that existing home supply is a bargain– a bargain that can remain a comparative bargain event if the price points rise closer to the new housing supply. Our demand is constant (1 person needs 1 home); the supply has fallen behind demand. Housing prices should have increased, but not to the extent we’re seeing.

    Housing needs a soft landing to flatten inflation. Government policies can make this happen.

    My first suggestion: change tax laws to let all mortgage holders write off the interest they pay. In the early years of a mortgage, most of the payments go to interest. As they continue, they start to bite into the principal of the loan. If the mortgage holders can get a tax credit for that interest, it would benefit them. People who paid cash for their homes: they wouldn’t get a tax credit. As people progress through their mortgage and the interest share diminishes, the tax credit diminishes. Those tax credits can be paid by also changing the tax structure to extract more money from the big banks. Yep: that will kill the best friends of politicians (ie. the banks), but making banks into a source of revenue for the general public is long overdue.

    Second suggestion: make the CRA the lender of last resort. Banks are profiting off of mortgages. They’re making billions of dollars. Why shouldn’t the government do that instead? Reap those profits and use them in lieu of taxes to pay for things we all need in the world of AGI.

    Financing and affordability are more important than simple housing supply. Developers have been allowed to slow walk housing supply to keep healthy profits rolling in. There needs to be policy shifts to change the housing situation. When housing becomes less expensive, it increases the likelihood of access to home ownership; and it takes the pressure off ot people’s budgets.

    Look at what happens when there is a big housing announcement, and the government pledges something like $100 million to a program. In today’s markets, that’s equal to 400 apartments or maybe 200 homes– that’s not a government program. That’s a lottery. A lottery that millions of people lose out on. We lack affordable housing more than we lack housing. If the CRA were a lender, it could couple its access to money with the government’s ability to set policy and legislation. It could limit what properties are eligible. It could set rules that sellers may have to adhere to. Best of all: a $100-million program gives 400 people apartments. $100-million in mortgages gives those same people housing and it eventually pays back along with a bonus $100-million the government can use to fund more mortgages and/or pay for government programs. Governments can also pledge long mortgages, giving people some predictability to their futures. This pressure valve in the mortgage market will force banks to up their game.

    Electricity

    As we decarbonize, we’ll rely more on the electrical grid. Eventually, we’ll be all the way swapped over to electric heat, electric cars, and the need to power our compute. Relying on one source is a tremendous risk. Some time ago, the price of solar dropped to the point where it’s the cheapest source of energy. Eventually, fusion power will come about– maybe in 20 years? 😉 Thorium fission will come into play to power remote locations and industries that may need much more than what the power grid could easily handle. Best of all, they’re small and relatively safe. As they become common, their price could drop. As a base load power source, they could back stop the intermittency of solar, wind and wave power.

    This expansion of electricity into our lives could lead to the costs per kilowatt dropping. Homeowners who deploy solar panels can often be completely power independent inside of a decade. It effectively freezes the cost of their electricity. As some power companies have fallen into the hands of profiteers, sidestepping them entirely is the best defense.

    If electricity is cheap, and electricity powers physical and cognitive work, then it can be more efficient than we were currently seeing. People who generate their own power would have effectively decommodified their heating, recreation and transportation costs.

    Medical Costs

    Healthcare in Canada is going to Hell. As soon as the Boomers bulged into the years where they needed lots of care, the system really started to rattle. Already, affluent people can use medical tourism to jump the queue on elective procedures. There have been calls to privatize healthcare but this will lead to haves and have-nots. Eventually, taxpayers who are underwriting poorer people will call for further cuts for the sake of their own bottom line. We don’t want that. What we do want is affordable healthcare.

    Medical interventions can prove really expensive. They’re also a choke point. They won’t double up in operating rooms or otherwise scale to meet demand. The more they’re relied on, the worse the system will work. Operations are scary: every technique to avoid them is a win. Governments are doing lots to try to get people to age healthy: exercise, dietary choices, and the like are in place to head off health crises as long as possible.

    Likewise, medical appointments can add up. It takes too long for patients to see a doctor. That exacerbates some health conditions needlessly and simply put: why do we need to suffer?

    Policies need to change. There has been a shift to allow pharmacists to do more in the doctor’s stead. That trend should continue and more people in the healthcare field should get the work that overloads doctors to free them up to see patients.

    There needs to be technical improvements in the healthcare system. Too often do doctors claim they can’t get access to test results or the files held by other health practitioners. Wherever a digital system can replace a personal interaction, it should get automated. At the same time, make prodigious logging and reporting available for quality control. When it comes to medical billing, the entire regime needs simplification. Doctors are not accountants and it’s poor use of our tax dollars to make them that.

    We need Chat GPT… to a point. Over recent years I have turned to 811. In BC, it’s a healthcare line where people can post questions to a registered nurse or similar healthcare expert. They answered a question fairly quickly; and I didn’t need to go into the emergency ward or book a doctor’s appointment. Keep drawing through this trend line. It simultaneously feels like the best idea and the worst idea to turn to AI with healthcare questions. There has to be a middle ground: an AI that can field questions; it can deliver home based solutions; and it can get their patient to escalate to a professional. If an AI could take the place of some of 811, that would make the system less expensive, maybe less crowded.

    We need to put AI into senior care. Visit a nursing home and you’ll see first hand the mismatch of patient needs compared to the labour available. At the same time, private elder care can be eye-wateringly expensive with some places costing $10k – 20k per month per patient.

    Use AI pattern recognition to monitor residents to detect those in distress. Similar to police bodycams, patientcams could monitor seniors and routinely delete old footage to keep alive some balance between privacy and accountability. I have a camera perched in my garage. It cost $30. It alerts me if there is motion. It differentiates between the types of motion. Imagine if that basic hardware and connectivity were ramped up with AI image detection– a system to see if someone had fallen and couldn’t get up. It could be anticipatory– detecting when someone is in imminent trouble. Many injuries compound during the wait time to rescue. The Golden Hour rule in first aid is all about getting someone into treatment inside of the hour following the injury. Some injuries are much more complicated to treat if there is a long delay before treatment. Imagine the cost savings of sometimes stopping accidents before they happen, or at least getting an aide worker to them in seconds.

    AI and the advances in robotics could help with senior care. The costs of robots are falling. At the same time, their capacity is improving. We may soon see a situation where a $20,000 robot shadows a senior to help them get up, carry their groceries, or catch them before they fall. A 24×7 care worker for a fraction of the cost of the current flesh-and-blood versions. Yes: this does accelerate our race to joblessness by sending care workers home, but it has to happen. Seniors need round-the-clock potential care. They need aid without attitude or sick days. Seniors need a continuity of care that is humanly impossible. After the $20k spend and the maintenance cost of a robot, this could greatly reduce the per-patient costs as we get to an era where senior care is going to explode. If robots shadowing seniors seems like sci-fi, think about how fast we all adopted cellphones– and a cellphone has never helped anyone carry a bag of groceries. Anyone who has a senior friend or relative in extended care knows that these places come up short. There’s too much demand. There’s too much jeopardy. The wage:workload ratio is lousy, leaving disaffected workers caring for infirm people. Technology can play a role with monitoring, the early detection of issues, and the labour needed to manage the residents.

    Getting In On The AI Economy

    All of the entrepreneurs are trying to turn their side hustle into money to free them from the 9-to-5. Businesses looking to adopt automation need to find a path to automation. They could just bankroll new devices, but more likely than not, they need to finance or defer the costs. It’s not uncommon for businesses to lease their equipment. What if there were automations and AI solutions that could be leased? That would create on-going income for the company that supplies the solution. People could invest in these integrators and collect the dividends.

    Making The Jump

    How does all this add up? What’s the big plan?

    The realities:

    • Change is coming. AGI could be in a year, a decade or maybe two. When it comes, it will disrupt our workplaces, our economy and our society.
    • We can change fast. COVID showed us we could shift in weeks. If someone tells you otherwise, they’re lying.
    • We can’t afford inflation.

    Technology can make electricity less expensive and make our lives more affordable. As automation replaces workers, the costs of service and manufacturing will drop; businesses will be more profitable; and hopefully both things will happen. That could make more billionaires, but it could also lead to less expensive products and services. If those billionaires get too greedy, disruptive players could deliver the same services at a deep discount and take their market share.

    Policies can be used to make healthcare and housing less expensive. They are our biggest concerns in day-to-day life. Will we be healthy? Will we be able to afford our home? If people are jobless, they won’t have employment income. Tackling affordability will be paramount.

    People already tap into non-employment income to live decent lives. A post-jobs future will change things like pensions, but it won’t eradicate that some people already don’t work for a living. The people displaced by automation could live a decent life if we got some of our expensive line items down. They could live off of AI dividends; or profit sharing in employee owned businesses. For the few who don’t have access to a job, a hustle, a dividend or a pension, there would need to be money to provide them a basic income and those dollars need to go further. Technology has already done a lot to skyrocket literacy; improve incomes worldwide; and connect us for good or ill. It can permeate further into our lives to shoulder all manner of labour while we reap the rewards.

    I’m not suggesting UBI. For a reason I cannot fathom, universal basic income has a stink on it. When the Swiss voted to adopt UBI, it handily lost. The spectre of UBI is often held up as an example of the threat of woke socialists. Despite the merits of UBI, it may never come about. I argue that we do better than living off of government handouts. Our current world is too expensive and we keep getting less for more. Technology can turn the tide on that trend. We can find new venues to invest in. We can turn to new technology that will accomplish big tasks economically. Those economic wins can make our day-to-day life more affordable.

    We can live well, if government changes policies and makes new legislation to usher in a wonderful albeit messy world of artificial intelligence.

    Linked Sources & Further Reading

  • Grants, Grants and even more Grants.

    Here are some links to organizations that Erin found that offer grants that may help you offset the cost of a website build:

    WEBSITE FUNDING IDEAS

     

    OTHER STUFF

    https://www.google.ca/grants/ – This will not cover the website build but once you launch the new site it could help you get a lot of free advertising!

    https://www.google.com/intl/en/nonprofits/ – More Google goodies (ad-free Youtube channel, etc.)

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/nonprofits/offers-for-nonprofits – free or cost-reduced MS products

    https://www.techsoup.ca/product-catalog – I’m sure you already know about this one, but just in case

    https://ccndr.ca/ – Helps non-profits to use tech to increase their impact

    https://www.tagtech.org/programs/funding-tech/ – this might have useful info

  • How WP Descriptor Helps Content Managers Keep Their Media Library Searchable and SEO-Friendly

    For content managers overseeing large WordPress sites, maintaining an organized media library isn’t just good practice—it’s essential for operational efficiency. As institutions and editorial teams expand their digital footprint, the challenge of keeping thousands of images searchable, properly tagged, and SEO-optimized becomes increasingly complex. This is where WP Descriptor offers a powerful solution that transforms how content professionals manage their media assets.

    The Growing Challenge of WordPress Media Management

    The WordPress media library serves as the central repository for all visual content across your site—from featured images and infographics to documents and videos. For large organizations and content teams, this library can quickly grow to contain thousands of files, creating significant challenges:

    • Search inefficiency: Without proper metadata, finding specific assets becomes increasingly difficult
    • Inconsistent optimization: Manual tagging often leads to inconsistent application of SEO best practices
    • Resource allocation: Content teams spend valuable time on administrative tasks rather than creative work
    • Accessibility gaps: Untagged images create barriers for users relying on assistive technologies

    These challenges don’t just slow down content production—they directly impact both internal workflows and external site performance. According to recent WordPress ecosystem studies, properly organized media libraries can reduce content production time by up to 25%, allowing teams to focus more on quality creation rather than administrative overhead.

    The Critical Role of Metadata in Media Organization

    Metadata—the descriptive information attached to media files—serves as the foundation for an organized, searchable WordPress media library. Three key metadata elements play particularly important roles:

    Alt Text: Dual Purpose for Accessibility and SEO

    Alt text (alternative text) serves two critical functions:

    1. Internal searchability: When properly implemented, alt text makes images discoverable through WordPress media library search functionality
    2. SEO enhancement: Search engines use alt text to understand image content, improving rankings in both traditional and image search results

    For content managers, implementing consistent alt text across thousands of images manually presents a significant challenge. Each image requires unique, descriptive text that accurately represents its content while incorporating relevant keywords naturally.

    Titles: Organization Beyond Filenames

    While filenames often default to cryptic camera-generated codes (IMG_0123.jpg), media titles provide a human-readable identifier that:

    • Makes assets immediately recognizable in the media library grid view
    • Improves search functionality within the WordPress admin interface
    • Creates additional context for search engines when images are indexed
    • Provides organizational structure for content teams working collaboratively

    Content managers at educational institutions, media organizations, and enterprise websites particularly benefit from structured naming conventions that identify department, content type, and usage rights within titles.

    Captions: Context and Clarity

    Image captions serve multiple purposes in a well-organized media library:

    • Provide contextual information visible to site visitors
    • Create additional searchable text within the media library
    • Offer another opportunity to incorporate relevant keywords
    • Establish consistency across various content pieces

    For large editorial teams, standardized caption practices ensure brand consistency while improving content reusability across multiple channels and platforms.

    How WP Descriptor Transforms Media Management

    WP Descriptor addresses these challenges through intelligent automation, providing content managers with a powerful tool that streamlines media library maintenance across even the largest WordPress installations.

    Automated Metadata Generation

    The core functionality of WP Descriptor centers on its ability to automatically generate comprehensive metadata for each media file:

    • Smart alt text creation: The plugin analyzes image content and generates descriptive, SEO-friendly alt text that accurately represents visual elements
    • Standardized title formatting: WP Descriptor applies consistent naming conventions based on customizable templates
    • Contextual caption generation: Images receive appropriate captions that enhance both visitor experience and internal searchability

    This automation ensures that every image added to your media library receives complete metadata, eliminating gaps in your optimization strategy.

    Bulk Processing for Existing Libraries

    For institutions with extensive existing media collections, WP Descriptor offers efficient bulk processing capabilities:

    • Scan and update thousands of images in a single operation
    • Apply consistent metadata standards across historically inconsistent libraries
    • Identify and prioritize images missing critical metadata elements
    • Transform legacy content to meet current SEO and accessibility standards

    Content teams at educational institutions report particular success using WP Descriptor to bring historical image archives into compliance with current digital standards without extensive manual intervention.

    Workflow Integration for Editorial Teams

    Beyond its technical capabilities, WP Descriptor integrates seamlessly into existing content workflows:

    • Automatically processes new uploads in the background
    • Maintains consistent standards across multiple content contributors
    • Reduces training requirements for new team members
    • Eliminates repetitive manual tagging tasks from editorial processes

    This integration is especially valuable for organizations with distributed content teams, ensuring consistent practices across departments, campuses, or content verticals.

    Real-World Benefits for Content Professionals

    Content managers implementing WP Descriptor report significant improvements across multiple operational areas:

    Enhanced Internal Search Functionality

    When every image contains proper metadata, internal search functionality becomes dramatically more effective:

    • Content editors can quickly locate specific images by description rather than relying on visual scanning
    • Search results return contextually relevant assets rather than filename-based matches
    • Historical content becomes as discoverable as recent uploads
    • Cross-departmental asset sharing becomes more efficient

    A university communications department reported reducing image search time by over 80% after implementing comprehensive metadata tagging through WP Descriptor, allowing their small team to manage a library of over 15,000 images effectively.

    SEO Performance Improvements

    Properly optimized images contribute significantly to overall site SEO performance:

    • Complete alt text implementation improves image search visibility
    • Consistent keyword integration enhances topical relevance signals
    • Structured metadata supports rich results in search listings
    • Accessibility improvements align with Google’s increasing focus on user experience factors

    Content managers track these improvements through increased image search traffic and better performance for image-rich content pages.

    Accessibility Compliance

    For institutional content managers, accessibility compliance represents both an ethical obligation and often a legal requirement:

    • Complete alt text implementation ensures screen reader compatibility
    • Standardized descriptions provide equivalent experiences for all users
    • Automated processes eliminate human error in compliance efforts
    • Documentation of systematic approaches demonstrates due diligence

    WP Descriptor helps organizations maintain consistent accessibility standards even as their media libraries grow exponentially over time.

    Content Governance and Asset Management

    Beyond search and SEO benefits, structured metadata supports broader content governance:

    • Track usage rights and attribution requirements
    • Identify outdated branding elements that should be retired
    • Monitor content age and relevance across large libraries
    • Support content reuse policies through improved asset discovery

    These governance capabilities prove particularly valuable for organizations managing complex content ecosystems with specific compliance requirements.

    Implementation Strategies for Content Teams

    Content managers considering WP Descriptor implementation can follow these effective practices:

    1. Audit current media library status to identify metadata gaps and prioritize improvements
    2. Establish metadata standards specific to your organization’s needs and content types
    3. Configure WP Descriptor settings to align with these established standards
    4. Process existing library in manageable batches, starting with high-visibility content
    5. Train content team members on the importance of metadata and the role of automation
    6. Monitor performance improvements in both internal workflows and external SEO metrics

    This systematic approach ensures successful integration while demonstrating clear ROI through measurable workflow improvements.

    Elevating Content Operations Through Media Organization

    For content managers and editorial teams, an organized media library represents more than just good housekeeping—it’s a fundamental asset that supports efficient content production, improves SEO performance, and ensures accessibility compliance. WP Descriptor transforms this often overwhelming task into a streamlined, automated process that integrates seamlessly into existing workflows.

    By implementing intelligent metadata generation across your WordPress media library, content teams can reclaim time previously lost to manual tagging, improve content discoverability for both internal and external users, and maintain consistent standards even as content libraries grow exponentially.

    Make your media searchable — and your content strategy seamless.

  • Image SEO: Driving E-commerce Success Through Optimized Product Images

    Image SEO: Driving E-commerce Success Through Optimized Product Images

    In the fast-paced world of online retail, where countless stores compete for customer attention, even the smallest optimization can make a significant difference to your bottom line. While most e-commerce entrepreneurs focus on pricing strategies, advertising campaigns, and website design, there’s a powerful yet often overlooked element that could dramatically boost your visibility and sales: image descriptions.

    For WooCommerce store owners, Shopify merchants considering a WordPress migration, and online retailers across all platforms, mastering the art and science of image optimization could be the competitive edge you’ve been searching for. Let’s explore how leveraging the hidden power of product image descriptions can transform your e-commerce performance in 2025 and beyond.

    Understanding Image SEO in the E-commerce Context

    When customers can’t physically touch or examine your products, high-quality images become your most valuable selling tool. But these visual assets deliver far more value when properly optimized for both human visitors and search engine algorithms.

    The Dual Purpose of Product Images

    Product images serve two critical functions in your e-commerce operation:

    1. Visual Communication: They showcase your products’ appearance, features, and quality to potential buyers
    2. Search Engine Assets: When properly optimized, they drive additional organic traffic through image search results and enhance your overall SEO profile

    According to recent e-commerce conversion studies, products with high-quality images and comprehensive descriptions see conversion rates up to 30% higher than those with minimal visual information. This statistic alone highlights why investing in image optimization delivers exceptional ROI.

    How Search Engines Process Images

    Despite advancements in AI and machine learning, search engines still can’t “see” images the way humans do. They rely on textual clues to understand and categorize visual content. These clues include:

    • Alt text: The HTML attribute that provides alternative information for an image
    • File names: How you name your image files before uploading
    • Surrounding content: The text near your image that provides context
    • Captions: Visible text accompanying images
    • Structured data markup: Technical implementation that explicitly tells search engines what your images represent

    By optimizing these elements, you create a comprehensive framework that helps search engines understand and appropriately rank your product images.

    The SEO Advantage of Optimized Product Images

    Direct Traffic from Image Search

    Google Images accounts for a significant portion of all search traffic, with studies showing that nearly 23% of all Google searches occur on the Images tab. For e-commerce specifically, image search can drive highly qualified traffic—users actively looking for products visually similar to what you offer.

    When a potential customer searches for “leather crossbody bag” or “ergonomic office chair” and clicks the Images tab, your product could appear prominently if you’ve implemented proper alt text optimization. Each properly optimized image essentially functions as an additional entry point to your store.

    Enhanced Organic Rankings

    Beyond direct image search traffic, well-optimized product images contribute to your overall organic search performance. Search engines like Google consider user experience signals when determining rankings, and accessibility features like alt text indicate a quality website that serves all users effectively.

    Furthermore, comprehensive image descriptions containing relevant keywords reinforce your page’s topical relevance, potentially boosting your position for competitive product search terms. While no single factor determines rankings, properly optimized images provide valuable SEO signals that complement your broader optimization strategy.

    Local SEO Benefits

    For e-commerce businesses with physical locations or those targeting specific geographic markets, image optimization offers additional local SEO advantages. Including location-relevant information in your image descriptions can help your products appear in localized searches.

    For example, alt text like “Handcrafted ceramic mug made in Portland” provides both product and geographic context that could help your store appear in searches from customers specifically looking for locally made items.

    Accessibility: Where Ethics and Business Benefits Align

    Creating an Inclusive Shopping Experience

    Approximately 285 million people worldwide have visual impairments, representing a significant market segment that might struggle to shop at stores with poor accessibility practices. By implementing descriptive alt text, you ensure screen readers can accurately communicate your product details to these potential customers.

    Consider this real-world scenario: A visually impaired shopper wants to purchase a gift for a family member. On stores with proper image descriptions, they can confidently browse and select products based on detailed alt text. On stores without these descriptions, they encounter frustrating gaps in information that likely lead them to shop elsewhere.

    Reduced Legal Risks

    Beyond the ethical considerations, accessibility has increasingly become a legal requirement. In recent years, there’s been a significant uptick in ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) lawsuits against websites with accessibility barriers—including e-commerce sites lacking proper image descriptions.

    Implementing comprehensive alt text across your product catalog not only expands your potential customer base but also helps protect your business from potential litigation. In today’s business landscape, accessibility isn’t optional—it’s an essential component of responsible e-commerce operation.

    Crafting Effective Product Image Descriptions

    Alt Text Best Practices for E-commerce

    Creating effective alt text for product images requires balancing descriptive accuracy, keyword integration, and conciseness. Here are practical guidelines specifically for e-commerce product images:

    Be Specific About Product Details

    Include key product characteristics that shoppers care about:

    Basic example: “Blue dress” Better example: “Mid-length royal blue summer dress with short sleeves and v-neck design”

    Incorporate Model Numbers When Relevant

    For technical products, model numbers can drive specific search traffic:

    Basic example: “Wireless headphones” Better example: “Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless noise-canceling headphones in matte black”

    Include Color, Material, and Style

    These descriptive elements match common search patterns:

    Basic example: “Men’s watch” Better example: “Men’s stainless steel chronograph watch with brown leather strap”

    Keep it Under 125 Characters

    While being descriptive, remain concise for optimal screen reader experience:

    Too long: “Women’s handcrafted genuine Italian leather shoulder bag with adjustable strap, gold-tone hardware, zippered main compartment, interior pockets, perfect for everyday use or special occasions, available in cognac brown” Better length: “Women’s cognac brown Italian leather shoulder bag with adjustable strap and gold-tone hardware”

    Avoid Keyword Stuffing

    Maintain natural language while incorporating relevant terms:

    Poor practice: “Shoes shoes running shoes men’s shoes athletic shoes discount running shoes” Good practice: “Men’s lightweight gray and blue running shoes with responsive cushioning”

    Creating SEO-Friendly File Names

    Before uploading product images, rename the files using descriptive, keyword-rich names separated by hyphens:

    Default camera naming: “IMG_5867.jpg” SEO-friendly naming: “womens-wool-peacoat-navy-front-view.jpg”

    This simple adjustment provides search engines with additional context while creating a more organized media library for your team.

    Technical Optimization: Beyond Descriptions

    Image Compression and Loading Speed

    While descriptions are crucial, technical image optimization is equally important for e-commerce success. Page speed directly impacts conversion rates, with studies showing that each second of delay can reduce conversions by up to 7%.

    Implement these technical best practices:

    1. Compress images without sacrificing quality using tools like ShortPixel or Imagify
    2. Choose appropriate file formats (JPEG for photographs, PNG for images requiring transparency, WebP for modern browsers)
    3. Implement lazy loading so images load only as shoppers scroll down the page
    4. Provide responsive images that adapt to different screen sizes
    5. Use CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) to serve images quickly regardless of visitor location

    Structured Data for Enhanced Search Features

    Implementing product structured data markup (using schema.org vocabulary) enables rich results in search, potentially including your product images directly in search results with pricing and availability information. This advanced implementation significantly increases visibility and can improve click-through rates from search results.

    Scaling Image Optimization Across Large Product Catalogs

    The Manual Approach vs. Automation

    For small stores with limited inventory, manually optimizing each product image might be feasible. However, most growing e-commerce businesses face a critical challenge: how to maintain consistent, high-quality image optimization across hundreds or thousands of products?

    Manual optimization presents several challenges:

    • Time consumption: Writing unique, effective alt text for each product image requires significant effort
    • Consistency issues: Different team members might use varying approaches to description writing
    • Update difficulties: When products change, remembering to update all associated image descriptions becomes cumbersome
    • Scaling limitations: As your catalog grows, manual processes become increasingly unsustainable

    Automation Solutions for E-commerce Image Optimization

    This is where specialized tools like WP Descriptor become invaluable for WooCommerce stores and WordPress-based e-commerce sites. By leveraging advanced algorithms, WP Descriptor automatically generates rich, SEO-friendly alt text for your entire product catalog.

    The benefits of automation include:

    • Time savings: Instantly generate descriptions for your entire catalog
    • Consistency: Maintain a uniform approach to image descriptions
    • Scalability: Effortlessly optimize new products as they’re added
    • Reduced human error: Eliminate overlooked images or incomplete descriptions
    • SEO advantages: Ensure every product image contributes to your search visibility

    For Shopify merchants considering migration to WordPress, tools like WP Descriptor offer a compelling advantage, allowing automated optimization of imported product images without the tedious process of manual description writing.

    Measuring the Impact of Image Optimization

    Tracking Performance Metrics

    To understand the ROI of your image optimization efforts, monitor these key metrics:

    1. Image search traffic: Track visitors arriving through Google Images using Google Analytics or similar tools
    2. Product page engagement: Measure time on page and bounce rate improvements after optimization
    3. Conversion rate changes: Compare pre-optimization and post-optimization conversion performance
    4. Accessibility scores: Use tools like WAVE or axe to evaluate accessibility improvements

    A/B Testing Approach

    Consider testing different alt text approaches on similar products to identify which description styles drive the most engagement and conversions. Split testing can reveal whether detailed technical specifications or lifestyle-focused descriptions perform better for your specific audience.

    Strategic Implementation for Different E-commerce Scenarios

    For New Store Launches

    If you’re just beginning your e-commerce journey, implement comprehensive image optimization from day one:

    1. Establish clear guidelines for product photography
    2. Create a standardized approach to alt text creation
    3. Select and implement appropriate automation tools
    4. Build templates for different product categories
    5. Train team members on image optimization best practices

    For Established Stores with Legacy Images

    If you have an existing catalog with suboptimal image optimization:

    1. Conduct an audit to identify unoptimized images
    2. Prioritize optimization of top-selling products first
    3. Consider automated solutions for bulk updates
    4. Implement a phased approach to prevent overwhelming your team
    5. Establish processes to ensure new products follow optimization guidelines

    For Multi-Channel Sellers

    If you sell across multiple platforms (your own store plus marketplaces like Amazon or eBay):

    1. Create a central image repository with optimized descriptions
    2. Adapt descriptions to meet the specific requirements of each platform
    3. Track which optimization approaches perform best on different channels
    4. Implement platform-specific structured data where applicable
    5. Consider how image optimization might differ between marketplace and direct-to-consumer contexts

    Future-Proofing Your Image Optimization Strategy

    Adapting to Visual Search Advancements

    As technologies like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens continue to evolve, visual search will increasingly impact e-commerce. Preparing your image assets with comprehensive descriptions helps algorithms understand your products in this emerging search paradigm.

    Voice Search Considerations

    With the growing popularity of voice assistants, consider how your image descriptions might appear in voice search results. Descriptive alt text that answers common product questions can position your items favorably in this expanding search channel.

    Transforming Images from Visual Elements to Revenue Drivers

    In the competitive e-commerce landscape of 2025, every advantage matters. By recognizing product images as more than just visual elements—but as powerful SEO assets and accessibility tools—you position your store for greater visibility, improved user experience, and ultimately, increased sales.

    Whether you manage a boutique WooCommerce store or operate a large-scale online retail operation, image optimization represents one of the most underutilized opportunities to differentiate your business and capture additional market share.

    For store owners seeking efficiency without compromising quality, automation tools like WP Descriptor offer the perfect balance—ensuring every product image contributes to your SEO strategy while making your store accessible to all potential customers.

    Don’t leave this opportunity untapped. By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide—whether manually or through intelligent automation—you’ll transform your product images from simple visual aids into powerful drivers of sustainable e-commerce growth.

    Ready to unlock the hidden SEO power of your product images? Let WP Descriptor generate optimized alt text for your entire catalog—automatically. Turn every product image into an SEO asset today.

  • Now Is the Perfect Time to Move to WP A-Z Hosting

    Now Is the Perfect Time to Move to WP A-Z Hosting

    Yesterday, IslandHosting clients got this in their inbox:

    We wanted to email you ourselves regarding the upcoming transition for IslandHosting.com. We have enjoyed building the company, along with former partners, into the business it has become. However, after many years, it is now time for us to move on to other endeavours. We have had new opportunities arise that we would like to give our full attention to, but we didn’t want to leave IslandHosting.com without strong leadership at the helm. We feel it is the right time for another company to take over. We have decided to hand over and transition IslandHosting.com to Exact Hosting which is part of the Tucows organization. This will allow their strong leadership to better serve you and facilitate the future growth of the company with you as their top priority.

    Exact Hosting and the Tucows team have the same priority as we do, and that is YOU. We are confident that they will handle all of your support questions and technical problems quickly, kindly, and competently. Tucows has assured us that they will make sure the transition goes smoothly, and aside from a few changes in logos, billing and login details, it will be business as usual. We have seen a good deal of the process working with Exact Hosting and are confident you will be well supported in your domain and hosting needs.

    We thank you for the time you have been our customer and wish you all the best.

    Steve & Catherine Morley
    Owners of IslandHosting.com

    Although customers have been assured that “it will be business as usual,” this has left some clients wondering. Migrations to large conglomerate hosts can mean slower support queues, price creep, and a one-size-fits-all infrastructure that isn’t tuned for WordPress. Web Hosting Talk users have already catalogued malware-flag issues and long wait times after previous Exact Hosting acquisitions. Here’s a link to the TrustPilot profile for Exact Hosting.

    The good news? You don’t have to ride out that uncertainty. John Overall’s WP A-Z Hosting was built from the ground up for WordPress performance, security, and real human support. Below is a clear-cut look at why switching now makes sense and how painless the move can be. They have data centers in Canada, near Montreal. WP A-Z’s head off is on Vancouver Island. When you deal with WP A-Z, you’re dealing with an expert who has over 20 years experience with web design and WordPress.

    Web321 has been hosting sites with JohnOverall.net and WP A-Z Hosting for five years now. The performance and support has been outstanding. In full disclosure, we don’t put all our eggs in one basket and Web321 will sometimes keep a site where it is when we start working with a client for our WordPress support, but our default hosting solution is always WP A-Z. It’s the best service we have encountered.

    1. Performance That’s Actually Optimized for WordPress

    WP A-Z Hosting Plan SSD Storage Bandwidth WP Toolkit Backups Key Extras
    Budget 10 GB 20 GB Basic Twice a week & are available on demand WHM Xtra, multi-user, 30-day guarantee
    Small-Biz Standard 25 GB Unmetered Basic Twice a week & are available on demand Same extras
    Premium 40 GB Unmetered Deluxe Twice a week & are available on demand Same extras

    All plans run on WordPress-tuned LiteSpeed servers, include cPanel + WP Toolkit for
    one-click staging and cloning, and let you roll back to any nightly snapshot in seconds.

    2. Real WordPress Experts—No Support Guesswork

    • WP A-Z Hosting routes every ticket to technicians who specialize in WordPress and co-host the WP Plugins A-Z podcast. They can resolve plugin conflicts, performance bottlenecks, and theme issues daily—so your question reaches the right person on the first try.
    • Exact Hosting operates within a large network where support staff juggle dozens of platforms. While their agents are friendly, they may not have deep WordPress expertise on tap, which can add extra steps before you reach a specialist.
    • Web321 is available to offer dedicated WordPress support to clients who need updates, expert advice and solid solutions.

    Why it matters: When a critical plugin update breaks your checkout at 9 p.m. on a Friday, you’ll talk to someone who already speaks functions.php, not a generalist who needs to escalate.

    3. Transparent Pricing—No Renewal Surprises

    WP A-Z keeps its fees flat year-to-year and lists every cost up front. Large network hosts often lure customers with discounted first-year rates, then raise renewals by 200 % or more. With WP A-Z, the price you sign up for is the price you’ll keep.

    4. Ready to Migrate Your Site

    1. Full cPanel copy—including email, databases, and SSL. We tried working with dotEasy recently and they wanted $120/yr. upgrade to add a database to their client’s site, bringing that client’s bill to over $300/yr to host three page WordPress site!
    2. Temporary staging URL so you can test everything before DNS change.
    3. DNS cut-over timed for low-traffic hours; propagation is typically under 30 minutes.

    5. Security You Don’t Have to Babysit

    • WordPress-tuned web-application firewall that blocks XML-RPC and REST-API brute force by default.
    • Daily malware scans with auto-quarantine.
    • Free Let’s Encrypt SSL issued and renewed automatically.

    6. Features Not Commonly Found on the Mega-Hosts

    Feature WP A-Z Hosting Exact Hosting (Tucows)
    One-click staging ✔ Only on high-tier plans
    Git over SSH on all plans ✔ Limited
    Per-directory PHP versions ✔ Global only
    Custom server-side cron intervals ✔ Limited
    Money-back guarantee 30 days 7–14 days
    For the best CPanel hosting in Canada, we heavily reccommend WP A-Z Hosting.

    7. How to Move in Three Simple Steps

    1. Choose the WP A-Z plan that matches or exceeds your current storage.
    2. After set-up make a Support request for migration to with your Islandnet credentials.
    3. Review the staging copy, approve the DNS switch, then cancel Islandnet once SSL and email are verified.

    Ready to Migrate?

    WP A-Z Hosting will transfer your site, optimize it on arrival, and back it up nightly.
    Click here to lock in flat-rate pricing before your next Islandnet renewal.

    Your site, your performance, your peace of mind—move it to WordPress experts at WP A-Z.

  • Alt Text: Enhancing SEO and Accessibility in 2025

    Alt Text: Enhancing SEO and Accessibility in 2025

    In today’s digital landscape, where visuals dominate content strategy and user experience, a seemingly minor element continues to play an outsized role in both search engine performance and inclusive web design. Alt text—those concise descriptions attached to images across the web—remains one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in a digital marketer’s arsenal.

    For website owners, content creators, and SEO professionals looking to maximize their online presence while creating truly inclusive digital experiences, understanding the multifaceted value of alt text has never been more important. Let’s dive into why alt text matters more than ever in 2025, and how you can leverage it for better rankings and broader audience reach.

    What Exactly Is Alt Text?

    Before exploring the benefits, let’s clarify what alt text (alternative text) actually is. Alt text is HTML attribute code that describes the appearance and function of images on a webpage. This descriptive text appears in place of images when they fail to load and is read by screen readers for visually impaired users.

    A simple example of alt text in HTML looks like this:

    html
    <img src="red-running-shoes.jpg" alt="Red Nike running shoes with reflective laces on a wooden surface">

    While the code itself is straightforward, crafting effective alt text requires thoughtfulness, precision, and an understanding of both user needs and search engine priorities.

    The Dual Impact: SEO Benefits of Alt Text

    Improving Image Search Visibility

    Search engines have become increasingly sophisticated in understanding visual content, but they still rely heavily on textual cues to interpret and rank images. Well-crafted alt text serves as a bridge between your visual content and search algorithms, significantly improving your chances of appearing in image search results.

    Recent statistics from SearchEngine Journal reveal that image search accounts for nearly 27% of all search queries across major platforms. This represents a massive opportunity for websites that optimize their visual content properly.

    Contextual Relevance Signals

    Alt text doesn’t just help your images rank—it contributes to how search engines understand your overall content. By providing additional context through image descriptions, you reinforce the topical relevance of your page, potentially boosting its position in organic search results.

    Google’s algorithms are increasingly focused on understanding content in context. When your alt text aligns with your page’s primary keywords and subject matter, it sends a powerful signal that your content comprehensively addresses the topic at hand.

    Core Web Vitals & User Experience Signals

    In 2025, Google’s emphasis on page experience metrics continues to influence rankings. Accessibility features like alt text factor into how search engines evaluate your site’s overall user experience. As search algorithms evolve to prioritize truly user-friendly websites, implementing proper alt text becomes not just good practice but a competitive necessity.

    Recent updates to Google’s ranking systems have placed greater emphasis on sites that follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, with alt text implementation being a fundamental requirement.

    Beyond SEO: The Human Impact of Alt Text

    Creating Truly Inclusive Web Experiences

    For the estimated 285 million people worldwide with visual impairments, alt text isn’t a technical SEO consideration—it’s the difference between accessing information and being excluded from it entirely.

    Screen reading technology relies on alt text to convey image content to users who cannot see it. When a visually impaired user encounters an image without alt text, their screen reader might simply announce “image” or read out the file name, providing little to no useful information about what the image contains.

    Consider this real-world scenario: An online shopping site displays product photos without alt text. A visually impaired shopper cannot determine what the products look like, severely limiting their ability to make informed purchasing decisions. This represents not just a single missed sale, but potential customer loss and brand damage.

    Legal Compliance and Brand Reputation

    Accessibility isn’t just ethically important—it’s increasingly becoming a legal requirement. Companies across industries have faced litigation for websites that fail to meet accessibility standards, including missing alt text. In the United States, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance for websites has become a significant concern for businesses of all sizes.

    Beyond avoiding legal complications, brands that prioritize accessibility demonstrate their commitment to serving all users equally. This inclusive approach can significantly enhance brand perception and loyalty, particularly among the disability community and their allies—a market segment with substantial purchasing power often overlooked by competitors.

    Crafting Effective Alt Text: Best Practices for 2025

    Be Descriptive But Concise

    The ideal alt text provides enough detail to convey the image’s purpose and content without overwhelming the user. While screen readers can handle longer descriptions, most experts recommend keeping alt text under 125 characters to ensure it remains digestible.

    Poor example: “Image1.jpg” Better example: “Woman in business attire smiling while typing on laptop in a bright office setting”

    Include Keywords Strategically

    While incorporating relevant keywords into your alt text can boost SEO value, forcing keywords unnaturally can harm user experience and potentially trigger search engine penalties. The key is natural integration that serves both search algorithms and human users.

    Poor example: “SEO services SEO agency best SEO company marketing SEO” Better example: “Digital marketing professional analyzing SEO performance metrics on computer screen”

    Context Matters

    The most effective alt text considers the image’s role in the surrounding content. Is the image decorative, informative, or functional? Does it contain text that should be conveyed? These contextual factors should guide your approach.

    Poor example: “Chart” Better example: “Bar graph showing monthly website traffic growth of 45% from January to June 2025”

    Avoid Redundancy

    If the information in your alt text is already clearly stated in the surrounding content, consider using a more concise description or, in rare cases where the image is purely decorative, an empty alt attribute (alt=””) to prevent screen readers from providing unnecessary repetition.

    The Technical Side: Implementation Challenges and Solutions

    Content Management System Integration

    Most modern CMS platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix provide built-in fields for adding alt text to images. However, ensuring consistent implementation across large sites remains challenging. Site audits using tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider can help identify images missing alt text.

    Legacy Content Management

    For established websites with thousands of existing images, retroactively adding alt text can seem daunting. Prioritizing high-traffic pages and gradually working through your image library makes this task more manageable. Additionally, batch updating tools are available for many platforms.

    Automating Alt Text Creation with AI Tools

    As websites scale and content production accelerates, manually writing alt text for every image becomes increasingly challenging. This is where specialized tools like WP Descriptor come into play, offering automated solutions that save time while maintaining quality.

    WP Descriptor uses advanced AI to analyze image content and generate accurate, contextually appropriate alt text automatically. For busy content teams and large-scale websites, this automation ensures no image goes without proper description, maintaining both accessibility standards and SEO advantages without creating workflow bottlenecks.

    Future-Proofing: Alt Text in an Evolving Digital Landscape

    Voice Search Optimization

    As voice search continues to grow in popularity, the descriptive nature of good alt text becomes even more valuable. Voice search queries tend to be more conversational and question-based than typed searches, and comprehensive image descriptions can help your content appear in these results.

    AI and Machine Learning Developments

    While Google and other search engines are improving their ability to understand images without explicit text descriptions, alt text remains crucial for providing context and nuance that even advanced AI might miss. Your human-crafted descriptions often capture subtleties and brand-specific details that automated systems might overlook.

    Multimodal Search Evolution

    As search engines move toward multimodal experiences that combine text, images, voice, and other inputs, properly labeled visual content will be positioned to perform well in these new search environments. Today’s alt text best practices lay the groundwork for success in tomorrow’s search paradigms.

    Measuring the Impact: Tracking Alt Text Performance

    Analytics Integration

    To truly understand how alt text affects your site performance, consider setting up tracking for image search traffic in Google Analytics or similar platforms. This data can help quantify the SEO benefits of your alt text implementation.

    Accessibility Testing

    Regular accessibility audits using tools like WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) or axe can help identify areas where your alt text could be improved. These tools provide actionable insights about compliance with WCAG standards.

    User Feedback

    Don’t underestimate the value of direct feedback from users with disabilities. Consider adding accessibility feedback options to your site or conducting user testing with individuals who use assistive technologies.

    The Strategic Advantage of Alt Text Excellence

    In 2025’s competitive digital landscape, every ranking factor and user experience element matters. Alt text represents a unique opportunity to simultaneously improve search visibility, demonstrate social responsibility, and create more inclusive digital spaces.

    By investing in quality alt text—whether through meticulous manual creation or strategic automation with tools like WP Descriptor—you position your website for both immediate performance gains and long-term success as search algorithms and user expectations continue to evolve.

    The most successful digital strategies recognize that technical SEO and human-centered design aren’t separate considerations but complementary approaches that, when combined effectively, create truly exceptional online experiences. Alt text sits precisely at this intersection, offering a perfect example of how doing what’s right for users ultimately benefits your business goals as well.

    Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your digital presence while making the web more accessible for everyone. Whether you manage a small blog or oversee enterprise-level content operations, making alt text a priority today will yield returns well into the future.

  • The WP Engine Tracker

    A new website, WP Engine Tracker, shows the number of sites that have left hosting provider WP Engine since its dispute with WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg began in September. Automattic confirmed that it created this site but did not provide further information. The site’s URL is WordPressenginetracker.com. This is notable because Mullenweg and Automattic have argued that WP Engine misused the WordPress trademark and misled people into thinking it was connected to WordPress.com.

    Currently, the page reports that over 16,000 domains have moved to a different hosting provider.

    The official WordPress account on X has promoted offers and blog posts outlining alternatives to WP Engine.

    Mullenweg, Automattic, and WP Engine are in an ongoing legal conflict. Last week, Mullenweg and Automattic filed court documents, asking the judge to dismiss some of WP Engine’s main claims. They also asked the court to deny WP Engine’s preliminary motion, which aims to restore WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org, a repository site owned by Mullenweg.

    During TechCrunch Disrupt last week, Mullenweg said that WP Engine will lose more than 8% of its business in the coming weeks. In September, Mullenweg had asked WP Engine to pay 8% of their revenue as a licensing fee for using the WordPress trademark.

    “They are losing a lot of customers. We will see what happens. We are at war with them, and we will work to take all of their customers,” Mullenweg said.

    A developer, Duane Storey, has also created a plugin to restrict information passed through the WordPress HTTP API. This plugin is not affiliated with WordPress or Automattic. The plugin is available at: https://github.com/wp-privacy/wp-api-privacy.

    more info: Techcrunch

  • WordPress Drama – The Latest Update

    If you don’t know what WordPress is or the recent discussions about it, let’s talk. WordPress is a widely used platform that allows people to easily create and manage websites, and lately, there have been some important debates about its future direction that are worth understanding. Let’s break it down step by step so you have a good idea of what’s happening and why people care so much about it.

    The Main Player(s)

    Let’s talk about the important people and groups:

    • WordPress is one of the most popular tools for building websites. It is very flexible and easy to use, which makes it popular with marketing companies that want to create websites without needing special technical skills. WordPress has helped many of these companies offer more services and call themselves web development agencies. This means that businesses that may not have had the technical ability to create websites in the past can now use WordPress to do so, which has made website building much more accessible. However, this has also led to different opinions about the value of these services and whether such agencies can truly be called web development providers.
    • Automattic is the company started by Matt Mullenweg, who also co-founded WordPress. Automattic runs many products related to WordPress, including WordPress.com, which is a commercial service that provides hosting and other features for users who want a more streamlined experience. Automattic has a big influence on the WordPress world, and its decisions are often talked about in the community. Because Automattic plays such a major role in the development and direction of WordPress, the choices it makes are sometimes met with mixed reactions, with some supporting the changes and others feeling concerned about how these decisions affect the larger WordPress ecosystem.
    • The WordPress Community includes developers, designers, content creators, and users who help with the open-source project. This group helps improve WordPress by giving feedback, making plugins and themes, and joining community events. The community has different views about the direction of WordPress, with some wanting to keep things stable and others wanting more changes. This diversity of opinion is both a strength and a challenge for WordPress. It means that there is always a lot of input, but it also means that reaching agreements can be tough. The community is made up of many different types of people, from beginners to experts, and from hobbyists to professional developers, which adds to the variety of perspectives.

    The Events*

    • Matt gets a bug up his ass one day about WPEngine and decides to accuse them of freeloading and messing up his software and doing other things he doesn’t like. Initially, people were sympathetic to this, because this is absolutely a thing that companies do with free software and it sucks. However, reactions were muted and WPEngine especially didn’t immediately just roll over and give him what he wanted, so Matt went on to turn up the heat in a follow-up blog post, calling them a “cancer” and telling their customers they should leave.
    • WPEngine sends a cease-and-desist in which they also accuse Mullenweg of trying to shake them down for millions of dollars and threatening them if they did not pay up, and oh my goodness they included receipts.
    • Mullenweg does not, in fact, cease or desist. Automattic — controlled by Matt — fires back with its own cease and desist, and Matt goes on to comment on X (“formerly Twitter”), and a particular orange site where many other commenters plead with him to shut up for his own good, and on his personal blog.
    • When all that only manages to get a quiet murmur in tech news circles, Matt decides to ban WPEngine’s hosted sites from accessing WordPress software updates from WordPress.org, which he controls.
    • WPEngine responds with a lawsuit in 11 complaints, using delightfully tasty legal terms like “extortion”, and, oh, also now telling the world that Matt had tried to poach their CEO and then threatened her when she didn’t cooperate, and oh my goodness again there are receipts in the lawsuit! The current executive director of WordPress apparently finds out, from this lawsuit, that Matt was attempting to replace her, and bounces.
    • Matt goes on to run his mouth everywhere until he lands a lawyer with a high enough hourly rate to convince him to touch grass for a minute.
    • Now the tech news is starting to pick all this up (and this is when traffic starts to spike at r/Wordpress), but still not quite at the volume Matt’s looking for.
    • Matt offers employees of Automattic a pretty sweet severance deal if they don’t like the emperor’s new clothes, and over 8% of his staff say “thank you, bye”.
    • Matt gets a petty little checkbox added to the wordpress.org login that makes you promise, cross-your-heart, you’re not “affiliated with” WPEngine. What does that mean? Nobody knows and Matt banhammers people for asking.
    • Next, Matt directs WordPress.org to steal a popular plugin, managed by WPEngine, used by millions of sites, and rename it, and force-install that onto every site that was previously using WPEngine’s plugin. Matt calls this a “fork”, and says it’s “for security reasons”. This has a direct impact on millions of customers, ties up agencies with inquiries, and absolutely blows up tech news. Matt starts injecting this directly into his veins and slumps back on the floor of his “post-economic” bathroom (this last part might not have actually happened, I’m not sure).
    • …and he bans another popular plugin (archive)
    • …so some plugin developers begin to move their plugins off of wordpress.org: exhibit a (archive), exhibit b (archive).

    Other recaps for those that try to maintain a balanced drama diet:

    Lifted almost verbatim from: https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/1g4pr8f/wordpress_the_software_is_currently_embroiled_in…

    You can read more about this discussion on Reddit. Automattic supports changes like the Gutenberg project that, in theory, was intended to make editing easier, but the community grew worried about compatibility, learning new features, and how these changes might affect their current way of working. The Gutenberg editor aimed to bring a modern editing experience similar to other popular platforms, but these changes mean that users have to adapt, and not everyone found the transition easy. The UI, to this day, fails to be clear and useable. A few users appreciate the new features and felt that Gutenberg makes content creation simpler, but others find it disruptive to their current setup.

    For more on community reactions, check out this Reddit thread. On the other hand, some people think that using new technologies is important for WordPress to stay competitive as website tools change. The world of website building is constantly evolving, and many feel that WordPress needs to keep up by offering more advanced tools and features that users expect. Without these updates, WordPress might fall behind newer competitors that offer a more modern user experience.

    Business Considerations

    From a business point of view, these changes are part of a larger trend in the industry to make editing tools more dynamic and user-friendly. Businesses today want platforms that are easy to use, even for people who are not very technical. This topic has also been discussed extensively on Reddit. As with any changing platform, it can be hard to balance new features with what the community wants, but it is often needed to keep growing in the long run. If WordPress does not innovate, it risks losing users to other platforms that offer a simpler or more modern experience. However, too much change can also create frustration for long-time users who prefer the old way of doing things.

    For agencies and businesses that use WordPress, these changes bring both good opportunities and some challenges. Businesses that have used the classic editor for years may find it difficult to switch, and there could be additional costs involved in making sure everyone knows how to use the new tools effectively. Businesses need to consider how these changes affect their overall strategy. While Gutenberg could have improved the way content was created, it requires updates to plugins and themes to ensure compatibility. This can be both time-consuming and costly, especially for businesses with complex setups.

    The discussions about WordPress’ future show how hard it can be to manage an open-source platform with many users and different opinions. Automattic’s role in leading the project is important, but they must always balance new ideas with what the community needs and expects. It is not easy to keep everyone happy when there are so many different types of users with different needs. Some people want stability, while others want new features, and Automattic has to try to find the best path forward for everyone.

    For businesses, staying informed about these changes and adapting to new features will be important to get the most out of WordPress while avoiding any major issues. Keeping up with changes can be challenging, but it is also an opportunity to improve and grow. By understanding the new tools and taking the time to learn how to use them, businesses can make sure they are making the most of what WordPress has to offer. This will help them stay competitive and ensure that their websites are modern, engaging, and effective. Being proactive about adapting to change is key, and businesses that do so will likely find themselves in a better position to succeed in the long term.

  • Retiring Web Designers: Secure Your Legacy and Earn Recurring Income with Web321

    Retiring Web Designers: Secure Your Legacy and Earn Recurring Income with Web321

    After years of crafting beautiful websites and building strong client relationships, you’re considering retirement. It’s a significant decision that brings both excitement for the future and concern for the clients you’ve supported over the years. What will happen to them once you step away? How can you ensure they’re in good hands without abandoning them?

    At Web321, we understand the unique position you’re in. We’re here to offer a solution that not only takes care of your clients but also provides you with a stream of recurring income even after you’ve retired.

    Your Legacy Matters

    You’ve dedicated your career to helping businesses thrive online. The websites you’ve built are a testament to your hard work and creativity. As you plan your retirement, it’s essential to consider:

    • Client Continuity: Ensuring your clients continue to receive the support they need.
    • Quality Assurance: Trusting that the new team will uphold the standards you’ve set.
    • Financial Security: Leveraging your client base to provide ongoing income.

    Why Partner with Web321?

    Client-Centric Approach

    We prioritize your clients just as you have. Our commitment is to provide them with exceptional service, ensuring they feel supported throughout the transition and beyond.

    Expertise and Reliability

    Our team of skilled professionals is equipped to handle a wide range of web design and development needs. We stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies to offer top-notch services.

    Seamless Transition Process

    We have a structured process to make the handover smooth for both you and your clients. Communication is key, and we work closely with you to address any concerns.

    Benefits for You

    Recurring Income

    By entrusting your client list to Web321, you set up a passive income stream. We offer competitive referral commissions, providing you with recurring revenue based on the services we continue to provide to your clients.

    Peace of Mind

    Retire knowing your clients are in capable hands. We value the relationships you’ve built and aim to maintain them with the same level of care and professionalism.

    Flexible Arrangements

    We can customize the transition plan to suit your preferences, whether you wish to remain a point of contact during the initial phase or step back entirely.

    How the Transition Works

    1. Initial DiscussionLet’s talk about your needs, expectations, and any specific considerations regarding your client base.
    2. Agreement SetupWe’ll outline the terms, including the commission structure and transition timeline, ensuring transparency and mutual agreement.
    3. Client IntroductionTogether, we’ll plan how to introduce Web321 to your clients, positioning it as a positive step for their ongoing support.
    4. OnboardingOur team will reach out to your clients, gather necessary information, and begin providing services without interruption.
    5. Ongoing CollaborationIf desired, you can stay involved during the initial stages to ensure a comfortable handover for your clients.

    Take the Next Step with Confidence

    Retirement doesn’t have to mean leaving your clients adrift or missing out on future earnings from the relationships you’ve nurtured. By partnering with Web321, you can secure your legacy, provide for your financial future, and ensure your clients continue to receive the high-quality service they’ve come to expect.

    Reach out to Web321 today to discuss how we can tailor a transition plan that respects your contributions and looks after your clients.

    About Web321

    At Web321, we specialize in web design, development, and maintenance services tailored to businesses of all sizes. Our mission is to empower businesses with effective online solutions while building lasting relationships based on trust and excellence.

    Contact Us

    Let Web321 be your partner in web success—whether you’re a website owner seeking support or a web designer planning your next chapter.

  • What Comes After WordPress?

    What Comes After WordPress?

    This week WordPress and its founder, Matt Mullenweg, got into a conflict with the Managed WordPress hosting company, WP Engine. WP Engine started in 2010 under the helm of Jason Cohen. It currently hosts 200,000 WordPress websites. At the WordPress WCUS 2024 event, Mullenweg called out WP Engine for its ‘lack of contribution’ to the community. WP Engine sent a cease and desist letter over the statements. WordPress sent a cease and desist letter of its own. In their letter on the 23rd, they called for action and a response by October 3rd. On September 25th, Mullenweg blocked access to code updates by all of the WP Engine sites hosted there. In short, WordPress wants 8% of WP Engine’s estimated $400-million/year income for “licensing.” They want $32-million. The WordPress community is in disarray. Some are siding with Mullenweg. Many are questioning if this is the point where WordPress dies. It’s a good question. One person has hobbled 200,000 websites leaving them vulnerable to bugs and exploits. WordPress runs approximately 30 – 40% of the websites on the Internet. If there is a massive shift in how it functions, how one can gain access to updates or how much it costs, they could change. Developers adopt content management systems. Salespeople sell what the developers produce. If WordPress becomes toxic, that adoption trend could reverse. People could start to replace their WordPress websites with alternatives like Squarespace, Laravel, etc..

    What if, as some have said, this is The Death of WordPress? Well, first: it won’t be the actual death of the project. People out there are still using janky applications concocted in 1995 and they won’t surrender them. There’s always going to be a million websites using WordPress. Second, people are going to adopt new tools. The trend of simplicity is going to snag many WordPress site owners who have been shaken out of their complacency. They will go to Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, Card and a host of other simple solutions. For many, this will be fine. Honestly, there’s a tier of WordPress sites that were never well served by the excess horsepower of WordPress.

    Maybe this is an opportunity.

    Where am I coming from? My personal history with content management goes back to the 1990s. I’ve been coding since the Apple ][ days. I was tapped ca. 1996 to build functionality into my websites. I built ecommerce systems from scratch. I built Perl based content management systems. In the 2000s, I built “Daccor” an ASP driven content management company that ran sites like the BC Conservatives website and the CARP BC website. Why didn’t I keep going? Money. I was too poor to do the slog of evangelizing an unknown CMS while building out functionality, roll out new designs, and being a breadwinner. Since 2005 or thereabouts, I have been building custom code for Drupal, WordPress and other projects.

    WordPress started as blogging software. It was a fork of the b2/cafelog project by François Planque. Mullenweg and Mike Little forked the code and began building towards what we know as WordPress today. If you look at the b2 code, you can see evolutionary clues of what grew from there. A lot has happened in 21 years.

    The Content Management System

    Here are my thoughts for what a content management system needs. It’s coloured by my affinities, so what I propose will echo what I like. For the longest time, WordPress’ stack looked like my goto stack, so some of these choices will be familiar.

    PHP Based. Love it. Hate it. PHP is very popular and runs almost all of the web servers. PHP8 is economical in its processing. It’s well adopted. The one trend I see that I don’t like: Composer. There are so many applications that ship with the need to go through Composer to get the supporting libraries. That’s great for nerds, but for every nerd rolling out a WordPress website, there are 1000 non-nerds who want to hit [DOWNLOAD] and call it done. Using Composer knee-caps adoption. If a product is going to be popular, it needs to be easy.

    When it comes to coding conventions: I spent my first 20 years (1983 – 2003) writing procedural code. Object oriented (OO) code is bolted on as a skill set for me. I found that how WordPress combined OO and procedural code was really attractive. Some developers are so in love with OO code that they miss the heart attack it delivers to the hardware it runs. The code needs to be as lean as possible. Period.

    When the considerations are stacked: security, performance, utility: in that order. There are so many bad actors, security has to be the first and foremost considerations. Second, but a close second: the CMS needs to deliver its output quickly. It’s not uncommon to see WordPress sites dawdle for two to three seconds before it gets around to serving its content. What a failure. Third, utility. The user experience has to be good. There needs to be easy templating available to control the look and feel of the admin screens, the front end displays and data directly sent to users.

    The code conventions need to be straightforward and orderly. There needs to be a way to filter all of the content and templating easily. I used to write code to track the behaviour of Drupal code to build its output. It would go round and round and round, refactoring and messing with the presentation of the data. That all cooks into server load, performance lags and unpredictable code.

    JQuery Based. This is a personal bias. I like JQuery and I dislike React. As WordPress has adopted JQuery, it’s a move I like that I would keep with a new CMS. I would move towards headless, but not full on headless. I have seen web servers have partial failures and their output is immediately lobotomized. I maintain that while search engines can index dynamically built pages that pull in data via Ajax, search engines better index pages where the content is on the page. I like the idea that a page can be saved offline and look intelligible. I don’t like the idea that a web page has to only be viewed on the connected Internet. It flies in the face of using the Internet to publish data in a way that delivers portable content. I like the idea of using Ajax to bring in content for progressive disclosure– to enhance the experience. Maybe having the JavaScript library as a swappable element would be a winning feature. It would let some developers work with React, JQuery or whatever library they choose.

    MySQL Based, but flexible. MySQL and MariaDB are workhorses. Going to one server for the true source of data creates a chokepoint. WordPress’ architecture has been good when it comes to its data schema. I used to wince seeing all of the tables that Drupal would spin up; with their complicated and resource intensive db joins; the 500+ tables that would give the MySQL paging system a stroke. WordPress avoided that for the most part. I think they went a little too far and some of the tables are cumbersome and problematic in their own way. Lessons learned from other CMSes:

    • Fewer tables is better, to a point.
    • Simple queries win– it’s best to pull a lot of records.
    • Remember revisions. Every piece of content should have a way to see its history.
    • Find a way to warehouse old data to remove it from the active data.
    • Build in a way to use DB replication (master-slave relationships) from the outset. Write to main DB, read from the best available child DBs.
    • Build in a way to pull in other data sources easily to synthesize a complete picture: remote data, S3 storage, text file content, etc.
    • Cache data as much as possible without being its own performance hit.
    • Pre-package data as much as data when the data will be commonly called in its packaged form.

    HTML5. Embrace it. Use the HTML5 potential and all that it brings. There are powerful shorthand ways to accomplish things nowadays. Make sure all of the HTML conventions work with lean code.

    Build with SEO and Performance In Mind. We’re talking about web publishing. It’s not an afterthought to have the page load fast, work well and be discoverable on the web. WordPress will plunk all manner of render blocking Javascript in the header. Don’t do that. Put as much code in the footer and defer as much as possible. Work with what web clients need to create the best output delivered in the best fashion. Build the output to make the time-to-first-byte (TTFB) as short as possible.

    Fetch some content routinely at the client. Some of the aspects of a page don’t need to appear immediately. If they’re not indexed by Google it may not be that important. Build in a capacity to easily fetch some content from the CMS or even remote sources of data.

    Portable. Portable Portable. Make everything on the site portable. Make it show that content and configs can be backed up, downloaded, moved, frozen or otherwise worked with. With the prospect of use generated content, but the need to promote websites through the development lifecycle there needs to be easy ways to move setting without slamming content.

    Reconcile CSS before it gets served out. In my coding, I will see three and four layers or countermanding CSS instructions: WP core, Woo, Divi, some other plugin, then eventually what I introduce to style the output. That’s sloppy. There needs to be a compilation step that sorts out these conflicting and countermanding rules before the styling comes out. If it’s not reconciled, it creates processing load for the web client, and inconsistent user experiences. It needs to be cleaned up before it’s delivered.

    Inherit Good Code. In mulling this over, I’ve thought: keep all of the WordPress hooks, lose some of the code. WordPress plugins go beyond hooks. I’ve written many plugins that drill right into the core of WordPress to get the functionality and data I need. This proposed plugin should be poised to make the use of the huge number of WordPress plugins that exist. Because of the deep ties to the WordPress core, I propose this instead: map the hooks (actions and filters) to how the arguments are made with WordPress. Build a conversion system to adapt incoming WordPress plugins to operate in the new CMS. It gives those products additional longevity and it gives the new CMS a library of tools to start with.

    The Open Source Project

    WordPress’ row with WP Engine has shown off that the organizational shortcomings can jeopardize a project more than bad coding or poor adoption. There needs to be several things in place to proceed successfully.

    Make it Open Source. Make it under the GPL2 license to ensure that there won’t be a rug pull later by a petulant player.

    Put shared assets under the control of the non-profit. It should be easy to add assets and value. It should be hard to vandalize it; or repeal it. That’s in the core of the Open Source movement, but it’s obvious that people can decide to ignore that. The key holders of these critical elements need to be vetted by the non-profit oversight and then there needs to be a means to hold them accountable to uphold a charter of conduct.

    Set up a non-profit. Set up a non-profit that oversees the roadmap. Make it democratic. Given how many anecdotes there are of women and other voices being squelched by less than diplomatic developers and gatekeepers, put governance, safeguards and oversight into the core of the organization, along with a way to deal with people who make the contribution environment toxic. When my staffer and I were listening to a talk by Angela Byron about how they were blockaded by bad actors in the Drupal community, she described their tactics, their language and how they put a chill on participation. Everything she said was valid and I believed all of it, but also: my staffer and I experienced the same thing despite being men. The gatekeeping and anti-social conduct can kill a community. The oversight of the community needs to keep people on good behaviour and it has to watch the watchers with cycles of accountability and democratic interaction.

    Set up a means of commercialization. Often founders struggle to get a glimmer of adoption. Then something kicks and the process takes off. Open source is a different beast from commercial software. Software accomplishes work and carries value. When open source does that, often consultants and producers of add-on products reap the rewards. With software, the money comes to those who exploit the technology more so that the person who pioneers the technology. There needs to be an understood means of commercialization that all parties understand. If one company reaps billions while another gets millions, that’s how it goes.  Rasmus Lerdorf, the inventor of PHP, is not as wealthy as Mark Zuckerberg the user of PHP who used the technology to build Facebook. It’s impossible to police parties that profit from a successful venture.

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