This talk encompasses the idea that each of us can be empowered to use and improve WordPress through beta testing of upcoming releases. The 4.4 release is set to hit Beta 1 just three days before WCPDX, which makes this talk a unique opportunity to educate WordCampers on the value of beta testing, and even to interactively participate in testing the next version of WordPress during the talk. I’ll cover my personal journey and lessons learned in dogfooding WordPress for a living, as well as ways anyone (yes, anyone) can get started testing with little to no barrier to entry.

1. Trying Out Tomorrow’s
WordPress Today
Drew Jaynes
WordCamp Portland 2015

2. Beta Testing WordPress

3. You are ideal beta testers

4. Be empowered

5. What’s beta testing?

6. — The second phase of software
testing in which a sampling of the
intended audience tries the product
out.
Beta Testing

7. Development Process

8. • Alpha (development) (6 weeks)
• Beta (dev+testing) (4-6 weeks)
• Release Candidate (testing) (2-3 weeks)
• Release
Development Process

9. • Feature plugins have been merged
• New enhancements frozen
• Bug fixing, testing, iteration
Beta: Overview

10. Getting Started

11. • Setup
• What to test
• Where to report feedback
Getting Started

12. 1. Existing site
+Beta Tester

13. • Low barrier to entry
• Use your own site
• Test your theme and plugins
• Nightly updates
• Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins tab
Existing site: Pros

14. https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/

15. • Upgrades your database
• Rollback options are limited
Existing site: Cons

16. 2. Dev site
+ Beta Tester

17. • “Bleeding edge”
• Can break things and no big deal
• Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins tab
• You can use DesktopServer
Dev site: Pros

18. https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/
tutorials/installing-a-local-server/desktopserver/

19. • Higher barrier to entry
Dev site: Cons

20. 3. trywpbeta.com

21. • Low/no barrier to entry
• Access to the “Beta Testing” plugins
• Updated hourly
trywpbeta.com: Pros

22. http://trywpbeta.com/

23. http://wcpdx.trywpbeta.com
Username: wcpdx
Password: wcpdx15

24. • Can’t test with all themes or plugins
• Locked-down
• “Vanilla”
trywpbeta.com: Cons

25. Where to find out what to test

26. • WordPress.org News blog
• make.wordpress.org/core
• Feature plugins list
• WP Tavern, Post Status
Where to find out what to test

27. Where to report feedback

28. • Alpha/Beta forum
• Core Trac
• Your own blog or social media
Where to report feedback

29. Test some stuff

30. • Twenty Sixteen
• Embed a WordPress post in
a WordPress post
• New oEmbed providers
• Responsive Images
• New default comments form
Test some stuff: 4.4 Beta 1

31. • REST API infrastructure
• Accessibility improvements in wp-admin
• New post permalink flow
• Customizer widgets speed improvements
• Keep your menus when you switch themes
Test some other stuff: 4.4 Beta 1

32. Questions?
Drew Jaynes | @DrewAPicture
Slides: http://drewf.us/wcpdx15