Writing
Notes on web craft, AI for business, and the modern web.
Long-form essays and shorter notes from the practice. Four pillars: higher-ed web, WordPress at enterprise scale, web strategy, and AI for business.
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WordPress Security Hardening Beyond Plugins
Server-level and configuration security for serious protection
Security plugins help, but they're not the whole picture. True WordPress hardening requires server-level protections, proper configuration, and security practices that go beyond what any plugin can provide.
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WordPress Multisite: When It Makes Sense
Managing multiple sites from one WordPress installation
WordPress Multisite lets you run a network of sites from a single installation. It's powerful but adds complexity. Here's how to evaluate whether Multisite is right for your situation.
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WordPress REST API for Beginners
Understanding WordPress as a data platform
The WordPress REST API transforms WordPress from a website builder into a content platform. Understanding the basics opens possibilities for mobile apps, custom integrations, and modern development approaches.
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WordPress Cron Jobs: Understanding and Optimizing
Scheduled tasks that keep your site running
WordPress cron handles scheduled tasks like publishing posts, checking for updates, and running plugin processes. Understanding how it works—and how to optimize it—keeps your site running smoothly.
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WordPress Database Optimization Guide
Speed up your site by cleaning up your database
A bloated WordPress database slows down your site. Here's how to identify database performance issues, clean up accumulated clutter, and optimize for speed without risking data loss.
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WordPress Staging Environments: A Complete Guide
Test changes safely before they hit production
A staging environment lets you test WordPress changes without risking your live site. Here's everything you need to know about setting up, using, and maintaining staging environments for WordPress.
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WordPress Plugin Conflicts: Prevention and Resolution
Keeping your plugins playing nice together
Plugin conflicts can crash your WordPress site, break functionality, or cause subtle bugs that take hours to track down. Here's how to prevent conflicts, diagnose them when they occur, and resolve them without losing your mind.
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WordPress Gutenberg: The Block Editor Finally Matures
After years of growing pains, the block editor delivers
The WordPress block editor has come a long way since its rocky 2018 launch. Here's an honest assessment of where Gutenberg stands in 2026, what it does well, and where it still falls short.
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Headless WordPress: When It Makes Sense
Decoupled architecture for the right use cases
Headless WordPress is powerful but not always necessary. Learn when decoupling your front-end from WordPress makes sense—and when traditional WordPress is the better choice.
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Preparing Your WordPress Site for the Holidays
A pre-season checklist for traffic spikes and time off
The holidays bring traffic spikes, increased transactions, and reduced staff availability. Here's how to prepare your WordPress site so you can enjoy the season without website emergencies.
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WordPress Multisite: Lessons from Managing 50+ Sites
Hard-won wisdom from a decade of network administration
After managing WordPress Multisite networks with 50+ sites for over a decade, here are the lessons that would have saved me countless hours—and the practices that make large networks manageable.
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Building Custom WordPress Plugins: When and Why
Making the right call between off-the-shelf and custom solutions
Custom WordPress plugins can solve problems no existing solution addresses—but they also add complexity and cost. Learn when custom development makes sense and when you should stick with existing plugins.
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WordPress Performance Optimization: A Technical Deep Dive
Beyond the basics: server-level tuning, database optimization, and architecture decisions that matter
Basic WordPress optimization advice is everywhere. This guide goes deeper—covering server configuration, database tuning, object caching, and architectural decisions that separate fast sites from truly performant ones.
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WordPress Security Hardening: A 2026 Checklist
Practical steps to protect your WordPress site from today's threats
WordPress powers 43% of the web—making it a prime target for hackers. This actionable checklist covers the security measures that actually matter, from basic hygiene to advanced hardening techniques.
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Why Your WordPress Site Is Slow (And How to Fix It)
The most common performance killers and practical fixes that actually work
A slow WordPress site costs you visitors, conversions, and search rankings. Learn the real reasons your site drags and the proven fixes I use on enterprise sites handling millions of pageviews.
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Composer for WordPress: Package Management Done Right
Modern dependency management for professional WordPress development
Composer transforms WordPress development from manual plugin wrangling to proper dependency management. Here's how to implement it correctly and why it matters for maintainable WordPress projects.
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WordPress Theme Development in 2025
Modern approaches to building WordPress themes
WordPress theme development has evolved significantly. Here's how to approach theme development in 2025, balancing modern tools with WordPress's evolving architecture.
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WordPress Plugin Development Fundamentals
Building custom functionality the WordPress way
Custom plugins extend WordPress to do exactly what you need. Here's a foundational guide to WordPress plugin development, from basic structure to best practices.
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Object-Oriented PHP for WordPress Developers
Moving beyond procedural code to maintainable WordPress development
WordPress's procedural roots don't mean you're stuck writing procedural code. Here's how to apply object-oriented principles to WordPress development for cleaner, more maintainable plugins and themes.
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WordPress 6.5 Features and Impact
What's new and what it means for your site
WordPress 6.5 brings significant improvements to the block editor, fonts, and developer experience. Here's what you need to know about the release and how to take advantage of new features.
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WordPress Multisite Network Administration
Managing multiple sites from a single WordPress installation
WordPress Multisite enables running multiple sites from one installation. Here's what you need to know about administering multisite networks effectively.
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Building Custom Gutenberg Blocks
Creating reusable components for the WordPress block editor
Custom Gutenberg blocks extend WordPress's native editing experience. Here's how to approach block development, from planning to production-ready implementation.
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WordPress Performance Benchmarks: What to Aim For
Realistic performance targets for WordPress sites
How fast should your WordPress site be? Here are practical performance benchmarks based on real-world data and Google's Core Web Vitals, with guidance on what's achievable.