Welcome to the Melapress Show, where we explore everything WordPress, security, and website management. Tune in as we chat with industry experts about the latest trends, tips, and strategies for securing and optimizing your WordPress site. Brought to you by Melapress.com, the creators of powerful plugins for compliance, management, and security.
In Episode 33 of The Melapress Show, Robert Abela sits down with Raitis Sevelis, Product Lead at WPBakery, to explore the evolution of page builders — the tools that transformed how we design and build with WordPress long before blocks and Full Site Editing reshaped the landscape. From the early days of drag-and-drop editors to…
In Episode 32 of The Melapress Show, Robert Abela sits down with Andrew Lima, Developer & Technical Lead at Paid Memberships Pro, to unpack the realities of building and scaling membership sites — platforms where trust, data protection, and seamless access control matter just as much as the content itself. From validating complex access rules…
In Episode 31 of The Melapress Show, Weston Ruter — long-time WordPress Core Committer and Principal Engineer at WP Engine — joins Robert Abela to take a deep dive into how WordPress Core keeps improving its speed and performance. Together, they uncover the teamwork, engineering, and testing that drive each performance release — from the…
In Episode 30 of The Melapress Show, Robert Abela sits down with Oliver Sild, Founder & CEO of Patchstack, to unpack the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) — a landmark regulation that’s set to reshape how software security is managed across Europe. From vulnerability disclosure to long-term update requirements, they dive deep into what the…
In Episode 29 of The Melapress Show, Francesco Carlucci — cybersecurity researcher, ethical hacker, and author of The Hacker Mindset — joins Robert Abela to dive into the world of ethical hacking and vulnerability research. Together, they explore how adopting a hacker’s perspective can help developers write more secure code and prevent security issues before…
In Episode 28 of the Melapress Show, Rashmi Nagpal, cybersecurity and AI expert at Patchstack and MIT CSAIL Research Affiliate, joins Robert Abela to discuss how AI and automation are transforming WordPress security. From detecting vulnerabilities to predicting attacks before they happen, they dive deep into how machine learning and automation are changing the way…
In Episode 27 of the Melapress Show, Marcel Tannich, WordCamp Speaker, organizer, and Technical Support Team Lead for WPML at onTheGoSystems, joins Robert Abela to explore the evolution of WordPress automation. From command-line tools like WP-CLI to the rise of AI agents, they discuss how automation and artificial intelligence are transforming development, testing, and support…
In Episode 26 of the Melapress Show, Adi Spiac from Cozmoslabs joins Robert Abela to discuss the challenges and opportunities of running a WordPress membership website. From building a strong community to managing payments, they explore the key strategies that help membership sites thrive. Key topics include: What to consider before setting up a membership…
In Episode 25 of the Melapress Show, Roger Williams from Kinsta joins Robert Abela to discuss WordPress updates, from plugins to themes. From automatic updates to staged rollouts, they explore the strategies WordPress users can adopt to keep sites secure, stable, and efficient. Key topics include: The update options WordPress users have today The most…
In Episode 24 of the Melapress Show, Jennifer Aguilera Schumacher from 7South Digital joins Robert Abela to share her lessons learned from years of working on complex WordPress projects. From small business websites to enterprise builds, they discuss the most common pitfalls teams face and the strategies that actually lead to smoother project delivery. Key…
In Episode 23 of the Melapress Show, Navid Ardakanian, creator of AI Workflow Automation, joins Robert Abela to share how he built a WordPress plugin entirely through “vibe coding.” Without being a developer, Navid used AI as his coding partner to create not only the plugin but also its website, licensing system, and checkout. Key…
In Episode 22 of the Melapress Show, Katie Keith, CEO and founder of Barn2, joins Robert Abela to uncover the real-world challenges of running a WooCommerce store. From day-to-day operations to future trends, they discuss what it really takes to build and maintain a resilient online shop. Key topics include: The realities of running a…
In Episode 21 of the Melapress Show, Jakob Trost, CTO at GREYD, joins Robert Abela to uncover what it really takes to build and manage large-scale WordPress systems. From universities to global franchises, they discuss how organizations can scale WordPress to hundreds of sites while balancing global control with local flexibility. Key topics include: The…
In Episode 20 of the Melapress Show, Ian Muscat, co-founder of Have I Been Squatted, joins Robert Abela to uncover the growing threat of domain squatting and its impact on businesses of all sizes. From reputation damage to phishing attacks, they discuss how malicious actors exploit domain lookalikes and how you can protect your brand….
In Episode 19 of the Melapress Show, David Johnson, Brand Bard at StellarWP, joins Robert Abela to explore the tension between modern, AI-assisted coding and the growing wave of compliance, particularly the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). They discuss how vibe coding is reshaping development workflows and how developers can navigate new security expectations. Key…
