Thank a Plugin Developer Day is celebrated on January 28 every year. This day is intended to honor plugin developers and their contributions. Naturally, this raises the question of who or what a plugin developer is for some of us. You certainly do not blog on WordPress if you find yourself nodding along. It’s a forgivable offense, though, because the plugin is a term we’ve all heard of but never bothered to look up. A plugin, in a nutshell, is a type of program that is developed to integrate into a WordPress site. Their goal is usually to improve the website by making it run faster or having better graphics — and other such features.
History of Thank a Plugin Developer Day
Thank a Plugin Developer Day was first declared by WordPress developer, Matt Mullenweg, on January 28, 2009. He purportedly instituted such a day once the number of plugins on the WordPress plugin directory had surpassed 4,000. In an appreciation post, Mullenweg thanked plugin developers for all that they contributed to WordPress and expressed his enthusiasm for the next 4,000 plugins.
A brief history of WordPress is worth looking at to better understand the history of plugins. In 2003, Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg dreamed of and founded WordPress. The third version of WordPress was published in May 2004, including support for a new concept known as a ‘plugin.’ Ryan Boren, an early WordPress contributor, came up with the idea. He devised a mechanism that allowed developers to write their own custom codes and integrate them into specific WordPress events or features. This was especially innovative for non-technical folks because they could simply enable or disable these plugins at will. WordPress launched its plugin directory in 2005, and as of 2015, there were over 2,000 plugins available.
WordPress is still at the forefront of blogging, powering over 28% of all blogs on the internet. Mullenweg was dubbed ‘the blog prince’ by “Power Magazine” in February 2009, as WordPress saw a daily increase of roughly 15,000 new blogs. This demonstrated that the blogging era was far from over — just the contrary. WordPress had crossed the 50 million mark by July 2011 since it was powering over 50 million blogs all around the world. Consider how much potential there is for plugin developers with that many websites!
Thank a Plugin Developer Day timeline
The inception of WordPress, by Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg, revolutionizes blogging forever.
Ryan Boren's plugin system makes it possible to encode plugins directly into WordPress, eliminating the need for hacks.
The WordPress plugin directory becomes a repository of plugins used.
WordPress powers over 50 million blogs, thanks to the contributions of plugin developers and others.
Thank a Plugin Developer Day FAQs
What are some examples of plugins
Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Flash, Java, QuickTime, and other popular plugins are just a few examples. Most of us are familiar with these names, although we may not know what they stand for.
How does a plugin work?
A plugin is also known as an add-on or an extension to make it easier to grasp. It improves the functions of a host website without creating any changes to the website’s programming.
Can I sell plugins?
Yes. Plugins can be sold on your website or through a marketplace like Themeforest or CodeCanyon.
Thank a Plugin Developer Day Activities
Follow Matt Mullenweg’s advice
Mullenweg recommends that users look at the plugins that they commonly use or enjoy the most and visit the developers' websites in his appreciation article. By doing so, the plugin developers can be contacted or potentially get monetary compensation via PayPal.
Give a good rating
Because the world revolves around ratings, giving a star rating to any of your favorite plugins in the WordPress plugin directory would be beneficial. Donations are also always welcome. You can also show your support for plugin creators by mentioning them on your blog or social media profile.
Try your hand at coding
It's never too late to experiment with new things. Why not enroll in a coding mini-course, whether you have no prior experience or a lot of it? It appears to be growing in significance as a subject, and who knows, maybe you'll be able to create your own plugin one day.
5 Crazy Blogging Facts To Leave You Agog
70 million is the trendy number
WordPress users create 70 million new articles each month.
Blogs aren’t going anywhere
Around 80% of internet users are found to read blogs regularly.
Credibility depends on blogs
Around 70% of consumers say that blogs add to the credibility of any commercial site.
Pictures are still worth a thousand words
Blogs with images receive 94% more traffic than those without.
Who runs the world? Blogs
More than a quarter of all websites on the internet have blogs, which is significant given that the majority of blog traffic is organic rather than purchased.
Why We Love Thank a Plugin Developer Day
Never a bad time for gratitude
There is no substitute for the wonderful fuzziness that appreciation offers to both the expresser and the 'expressed.’ The best part is that it doesn't take much; all you need is a grateful mindset and the ability to communicate it. A simple thank you may always make a difference.
Plugins are the future
Even if the concept of the plugin isn't fully formed in your mind, its significance must have made an effect. Plugins are used all the time, and they are unquestionably the way of the future — if the exponential growth in plugins is any indication.
They make life easier for all users
Plugin developers are the individuals who make website browsing easier. They ensure we get a seamless and smooth experience, and many provide enhancements in ways we will never know. As a result, taking the time to appreciate such people is at the top of our priority list, and thanks to holidays like today — they will never be forgotten.
Thank a Plugin Developer Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 28 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | January 28 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | January 28 | Thursday |
| 2028 | January 28 | Friday |
| 2029 | January 28 | Sunday |
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