This is how I envision WordPress platform evolving beyond what I outlined in Future of WordPress Platform. The vision is essentially a projection of what I had in mind with Teleport Network venture but did not get a chance to realize (old chicken and egg problem). As to why I’m doing this, it’s because WordPress has the scale and unrealized ideas are like orphans.

the vision starts with:

WordPress Studio – is the client-side application I outlined in the previous post on the subject. It’s not unlike VSCode in that much of its functionalities are derived from plugins. Plugins should be stackable so the platform itself can be extended to support key features like theming and financial transactions. Theme support, for example, needs HTML and PHP generators which in turn may need digital signature support to secure assets pushed to server. End goals are to a) reduce dependence on server-side changes to add features (a la serverless mindset), and b) create a vehicle to drive richer user experiences.

followed by:

WordPress Market – is a collection of studio plugins working in conjunction with backend services and UX-level plugins to provide rich mix of communication tools and integrated financial services. Intention is to bridge the difference between a collection of webpages and a retail store in RL. It must offer much more than in-page chatbox, even beyond what Slack offers today.

then ends with:

WordPress Atlas – uses data-science to pull blogs and websites into neighborhoods, towns, and cities based on topics, interests, and relations. Intention is to use real world metaphors to make discovery and sense of community more natural and explicit than, say, blogroll or news aggregators.

To me, Facebook is a mega-city of people just talking and exchanging photos, funnies, and insults all day everyday. I don’t care if Facebook is federated but I do care how drab everything is because you have to use what they offer and no more. I think WordPress can offer a way out of current conundrum without restarting from scratch.