Ryan Imel

Editor in Chief

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Ryan Imel is the Editor in Chief and WPCandy, and the one you get to be upset with if something goes wrong. You can also find him at his blog and on Twitter.

Ryan’s Latest Posts (1,379 total)

The Quarterly Magazine’s design process, sped up on video

By 17 hours agoFebruary 6, 2012

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The first issue of The WPCandy Quarterly is in the printing queue as you read these words. Exciting, right? Since there’s nothing I can do to speed up the process (believe me, I would if I could) I’ve taken some time and looked back over the first issue’s development.

One thing I did, while the design process of the Quarterly moved along, was save several drafts. There were nearly 50 individual design drafts of this issue, actually (we drafted articles separately with the individual authors).

Since the drafts were interesting, I put together a quick video showing a few stages of development for various pages within the Quarterly. In the video you get to see the pages when they weren’t much more than words on a page, when they changed formats and styles, and then what they eventually become. I had fun making it, so I hope you enjoy watching it.

I’ve embedded the video below, just after the jump.

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The WPCandy Quarterly print proofs are in

By 3 days agoFebruary 4, 2012

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The WPCandy Quarterly is, as far as I know, the first-ever WordPress-centric magazine. Or rather, it will be when it begins shipping out to subscribers in the next week or so. On Friday I received the final print proofs, which wraps up the last necessary step before all the issue are printed and delivered.

I’ve dropped in a few photos of the proof sheets below. Of course I’m a bit biased, but I think this issue looks fantastic. I’ll have more to share about the production process next week, but I just couldn’t help sharing this update now. I’m pretty excited to see this coming together.

Remember, we have a limited number of issues. Pick one up today to be sure you have one of the first issues of the Quarterly.

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Pressbits 004: Don’t hesitate to release plugins

By 4 days agoFebruary 3, 2012

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In this episode of Pressbits I discuss the hesitance I sometimes see in folks to release their code as WordPress plugins. Listen, I dare you:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If you would rather download it directly you can do that too, or subscribe to this show via RSS or on iTunes. If you would prefer a transcript, you can also read that just after the jump.

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Envato removes price adjustment tool from their Elite program

By 4 days agoFebruary 3, 2012

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This morning Collis Ta’eed announced on the Envato Notes blog that their price adjustment tool, previously available to Envato Elite authors on their marketplaces that reached $75,000 in sales, is no longer available. Normally prices on the Envato marketplaces are set by Envato during the product review process, and not by the author of the product. The price adjustment tool, announced last year, allowed certain authors to test out different prices for their products beyond what the marketplace would set for them.

The change, Ta’eed said, comes to prepare for the next major change to Envato’s pricing strategy. The introduction of variable pricing for certain elite authors was Envato’s first step toward dynamic pricing. “While it has had some success,” he said, “it’s become clear to us that it’s not the long-term solution.” The updated pricing solution — while what it is isn’t exactly clear yet — is slated for release “later this year”.

With the pricing tool removed, any marketplace products with modified prices will be left at the last price their author left them at. This affects 160 current authors who have already reached the $75,000 Elite level.

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WPCandy Podcast 30: Jetpack full of fireworks edition

By 5 days agoFebruary 2, 2012

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In this, episode 30 of the WPCandy Podcast, we officially adopt a new format for the official show. In short, the goal is for the WPCandy Podcast to deliver a higher awesome per minute ratio, and be the “if you only listen to one WordPress podcast, listen to this one” podcast.

But that’s not all. In this episode Brian and I recap on 2011 at WPCandy, and I sit down to interview Andy Skelton and Joen Asmussen from Automattic about the WordPress.com/Jetpack year-end reports (example).

You can listen to the podcast here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This week’s episode is just over 41 minutes long. If you want to jump ahead:

  • 00:50 Ryan and Brian reminisce on 2011
  • 14:55 Interview with Andy Skelton and Joen Asmussen

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, or directly to the RSS feed. As always you can send any emails you would like to have included on the show to podcast@wpcandy.com. The download link is just after the jump.

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Pressbits 003: Simple plugin updates

By 5 days agoFebruary 1, 2012

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I recorded a Pressbits episode just for you:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If you would rather download it directly you can do that too, or subscribe to this show via RSS or on iTunes. If you would prefer a transcript, you can also read that just after the jump.

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Quarterly update: The magazine’s at the printer

By 7 days agoJanuary 31, 2012

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I’m excited to announce that we’ve begun the last stage of production on the first issue of The WPCandy Quarterly. The issue’s files are with the printer now, and barring any last-minute issues we should see printing begin in the next couple of days.

In other words: the wait is just about over, and all orders will shortly be fulfilled. The magazine is 60 pages filled to the proverbial brim with articles from some of the smartest people in the WordPress community. Personally I can’t wait until you see what we’ve all been working on.

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WordPress.org and .com join the SOPA protests with blackouts

By 20 days agoJanuary 18, 2012

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Earlier today WordPress.org announced its participation in the January 18th protests against the USA’s Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Earlier this evening the blackout went into effect, and will block access (initially) to all of WordPress.org including the Codex, support forums, plugin directory and theme directory. The blackout will be in effect for 24 hours.

For more about the acts and protest in question visit sopastrike.com.

But the blackout on WordPress.org is not unavoidable. Scrolling to the bottom of a page will give you a link to clear the blackout for an hour and continue on to the website. On her blog, Jane Wells explained that while she originally wanted to see the whole site blacked out, instead the WordPress.org team opted to make the blackout only partial for the sake of those who depend on WordPress.org:

The reason we did this instead of a full shut-down is that there are many businesses and people who help drive the independent web that need access to the WordPress Codex, forums, plugin/theme repos, and APIs. We wouldn’t want to penalize them in our protest, so we just made it impossible to ignore instead.

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WP Late Night 001: Shame Edition

By 20 days agoJanuary 17, 2012

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I’m excited to (finally, I know) post the recording of the first episode of WP Late Night, a production that myself, Brad Williams, and Dre Armeda put together. If you missed the live recording—and let’s face it, relatively speaking the world did—you can check it out now, lovingly crafted into a variety of media formats.

The video (yup, we recorded video for this podcast) is embedded at the top of this post’s page. Alternatively, you can listen to the audio only just after the jump. I’ll have an iTunes subscription available soon.

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PressTrends out of beta Tuesday, releasing plugin for users

By 23 days agoJanuary 15, 2012

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George Ortiz presented at WordCamp Birmingham today, and announced that PressTrends will be coming out of closed beta this week on Tuesday. The public launch will also bring the launch of a plugin for WordPress users that will offer statistics and analysis based on information gathered by all sites tracked by PressTrends. PressTrends has been in private beta since November, serving statistics to selected theme authors and shops.

Based on the brief demo Ortiz gave (see the photo below) the upcoming plugin will track a site’s posts, comments, and active plugins. Based on performance, Ortiz said, he hopes that the stats will be able to offer bloggers tips for how to improve the number of comments and success that bloggers see.

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