My name is Jonathan Desrosiers. I’m a Principal Software Engineer at Bluehost, a WordPress Core Committer, and a leader in Open Source. I care deeply about collaborative communities, advocacy for Open Source contributors, thoughtful & purposeful user experiences, the open web, and a well-placed two-seam fastball.
Hi, I’m Jonathan Desrosiers!
Featured Posts
Here is some of my recent content that I think you’ll enjoy!
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Offering Criticism in Open Source Projects
When is it fair to criticize an open source project? A recent podcast discussion about WordPress 6.9’s Notes feature sparked my thinking about how and when contributors should speak up, even without complete context.
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Tailwind: A Cautionary Tale For Anyone Relying on an Open Source Project
Recent layoffs affecting TailwindCSS framework maintainers should make everyone pause and reflect. While Tailwind is not in jeopardy, the next open source project to experience this age-old problem may not be.
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Seven Years a Committer: My WordPress Commit-iversary
November 30, 2025 marks the 7 year anniversary of my first commit to WordPress Core. To celebrate, I’ve compiled a list of statistics breaking down which areas of the code base my commits changed, and how contributors were credited in those commits.
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Implementing AI in Open Source Without Losing the Human Touch
AI is changing how we build and collaborate in Open Source. This post explores how to thoughtfully integrate AI into contributor workflows without losing what makes our communities human, creative, and welcoming, and why the most important decisions still belong to us.
Maintaine.rs
The maintaine.rs project is a curated collection of stories from Open Source maintainers. I was honored to be invited as a contributor to the book by submitting a talk I gave at WordCamp Europe 2025 in essay form.
Discover more from Jonathan Desrosiers
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WordPress Content
As a WordPress contributor for well over a decade, I frequently write about challenges, best practices, and thought experiments for the project and the surrounding Open Source Software communities.
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Open Source Collaboration And A Proud Moment
When you’re deeply involved with an open source project, it can be difficult to “let go” of the urge to weigh in on everything. But watching a colleague present their work at FOSDEM reminded me why stepping back and trusting others is so important for the health of our communities.
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The Ghosts of Unactivated Contributors
Contributors don’t arrive fully formed. They find their way, like hikers choosing different routes up the same mountain. This post explores what it means to activate observers, prevent territoriality, and create space for others to thrive, so the community is not haunted by those who might have stayed if they had been engaged with effectively.
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12 Years Contributing to WordPress
Join me as I reflect on reaching a new milestone in my journey as an Open Source maintainer: 12 years since first contributing to the WordPress project.
Public Speaking
I frequently speak at WordCamps, WordPress Meetups, and other tech events.
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Video Teaser: EvolveDigital Summit NYC
To help get the word out for EvolveDigital Summit NYC 2025, I worked with the organizers to create a short video teaser for my talk.
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EvolveDigital Summit NYC Speaking Session
On November 20, 2025, I’ll be speaking at the EvolveDigital Summit in New York City. Too often, security is treated as an afterthought or a one-time task to check off a list. But that approach often leaves sites vulnerable and owners frustrated. I hope to encourage attendees to challenge how they think about security in…
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Let’s attend a WordCamp, eh?
I will be attending WordCamp Canada 2025 representing Bluehost and delivering two talks. One focuses on how to contribute to WordPress, highlighting the challenges new contributors face. The other addresses AI’s role in collaborative communities, emphasizing the importance of human interaction amidst technological advancements. I’m also excited to explore Ottawa.
Podcasts
I’m an occasional guest on various WordPress related podcasts.
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Episode #182 – WP Tavern Jukebox Podcast
Just prior to WordCamp US in August, I was invited as a guest (again) on the WP Tavern Jukebox Podcast. In addition to speaking with the host Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette also joined the discussion. This episode was focused on the nuanced difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Have a Listen You can listen to the…
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WP Tavern Jukebox Podcast – Episode #174
I recently sat down with Nathan Wrigley and Joe Dolson to record an episode of the WP Tavern Jukebox podcast. We discussed canonical plugins, their role in the ecosystem, and whether it’s appropriate for accessibility features to live in one as opposed to WordPress Core itself.
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A Conversation with Roger Williams
Roger Williams had me on his interview series aimed at promoting the talks at the upcoming WordCamp Asia last week. If you’re curious about my talk, you can check out our conversation on LinkedIn! Featured image credit: CC0 licensed photo by jordipicart from the WordPress Photo Directory.
Latest Puzzles
In my spare time, I enjoy a good puzzle. I keep track of them by posting when I finish one.
