At WebDevStudios (WDS), we’re not above using puns. Yes, it’s the end of September and the beginning of autumn. Of course, we’re falling for another Five for the Future Friday! It’s happening tomorrow.
In case you’re new to the WordPress scene, Five for the Future (5FTF) is an initiative designed by the WordPress project to encourage independent developers and WordPress website agencies to give back to WordPress.
After committing a pledge, many 5FTF participants give back by contributing code to the WordPress core. At WDS, we like to contribute by developing open-source plugins, taking support tickets from the WordPress forum, providing documentation or translations, and donating time to the WordPress community, such as volunteering at or organizing a WordCamp.
WebDevStudios prefers to designate the final Friday of each month as our Five for the Future day. That means for the entire workday, we don’t focus on client work. Our team dedicates their time to 5FTF.
We have a special internal Slack channel where we check in and announce our plans for 5FTF. For example, at our last Five for the Future Friday on August 26th, Principal Engineer, Sal Ferrarello, stated, “I’m starting out with updating some of my plugin versions and then I’m not certain what next. Maybe a minimal example repo of a Gutenberg block. Maybe a 
rebase practice repo. If anyone wants to team up or share what they’re working on, I’ve got a 
link open and always appreciate company 
.”
One of the benefits of WDS’ 5FTF Fridays is the opportunity to collaborate. While each of our client projects requires teamwork, it’s common for various individual teammates to go a period without working with other specific teammates. When we come together to give back to WordPress, we further our bonds.
Aside from our internal Slack channel, our teammates also tweet their contributions. We love that.
On more than one occasion, we have heard from other members of the WordPress community that these tweets inspire them to also give back. Here are last month’s 5FTF tweets.
Working on a simple yet useful plugin
Thanks for sponsoring the open source contribution and making it a part of the culture @webdevstudios #WordPress #OpenSource pic.twitter.com/taoswIEqCO
— Lax Mariappan (@laxmariappan) August 26, 2022
It’s #5ftf today @webdevstudios! I’m finishing up a blog post my teammates & I started and then jumping back into my FSE theme.
— Lindsey Bell (@lindseywb) August 26, 2022
Today @webdevstudios is giving back to #WordPress and open source technology by contributing to #5FTF. I’ll be answering questions in the https://t.co/PKj2GpgZgg support forums.
— Bonnie Martin (@bonjmartn) August 26, 2022
At @webdevstudios we are contributing to the open source community with our 5 for the future Friday. Today I’m building a WordPress plugin that adds a simple timeline block. #5FTF
— David Walz (@DavesjoshinWDS) August 26, 2022
It’s #5FTF @webdevstudios and I started my day with sponsor/budget call with the amazing people at @WordCampAsia I’ll be heads-down on spreadsheets again. 💵📊 pic.twitter.com/dgjJ4cw7C3
— JC Palmes (@jpalmes) August 26, 2022
Loving working on this cookbook theme #5FTF @webdevstudios 🙌🎉
— Inna Gutnik (@inna_slayer) August 26, 2022
It’s #5FTF @webdevstudios today and I’ll be contributing to the Polyglots team with Spanish translations for some plugins. pic.twitter.com/lzGnPuN46z
— Jairo Perez (@jairoprez) August 26, 2022
It’s #5FTF @ @webdevstudios, thanks for sponsoring my journey into FSE, today I’m adding fluid typography to my theme, with the CSS clamp function and theme.json #WordPress #FSE pic.twitter.com/JhpbXccqWp
— Alfredo Navas (@3LPU4S) August 26, 2022
For #5FTF @webdevstudios, I’m finishing up a blog post on a custom recipes block I made for a client. Then I’ll probably make more block patterns for the pattern library on .org.
— Lauren Levin (@thelaurenlevin) August 26, 2022
Coincidently, August 26th was also Contributor Day for the Builder Experience Team at WP Engine.
It’s #WordPress Contributor Day on the Builder Experience Team at @wpengine!
Participants will contribute to a wide variety of WordPress Make teams including Core (Trac + Gutenberg) and Documentation. 💪
We are committed to making WordPress the best it can be. Let’s go! #5FTF
— WP Engine Builders (@wpebuilders) August 26, 2022
5FTF is a hit! Anyone can pledge and participate. Are you fired up to give back to WordPress?
Then please follow WebDevStudios on Twitter tomorrow for Five for the Future Friday. Also, follow the hashtag #5FTF to see how all participants are contributing.
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