With HelpScout shifting from a contact-based pricing model to a user-based one, it’s become clear that a self-hosted solution is the way forward for wordpress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/. It’ll allow more parts of the community to use shared tools, make it easier to customize inboxes (👋 Plugins team), and is more scalable in the long term.

Systems has provisioned a FreeScout instance at freescout.wordpress.net, which we’ll move all HelpScout Inboxes to over the next few weeks. Some inboxes will be easier to migrate than others, so my current plan is to break it up into phases:

1. Photos: 297 total, about 3 new a week, email-only, 1 workflow.
2. Jobs: 439 total, no workflows, email-only.

3. Hosting: confirm it has an owner first.
4. WordPress Meetup All local/regional gatherings that are officially a part of the WordPress world but are not WordCamps are organized through https://www.meetup.com/. A meetup is typically a chance for local WordPress users to get together and share new ideas and seek help from one another. Searching for ‘WordPress’ on meetup.com will help you find options in your area. Support.
5. Memorials.
6. Five for the Future: Needs open conversations triaged.
7. WPF Scholarships: find the source of its occasional API An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.-created conversations.
8. Openverse: 4 workflows.
9. Themes: 8 workflows.

10. WP Project Reports: 4 custom fields.
11. Learn WordPress: 2 custom fields, 7 workflows, 28 saved replies.
12. WordPress Trademarks: 27 saved replies.
13. Mercantile: could move into Phase 2 once open conversations have been triaged.

14. WPF Education: API and web intake both need replacing.
15. WordPress.org Security: Because security.
16. Password Resets: 28 workflows.
17. Data: 45 workflows, very high traffic.
18. WordPress Community Team: 97k conversations, 70 workflows, 304 saved replies, external API intake.

19. Plugins: last, because the plugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. directory code is wired into it, lots of customizations.

This is very much subject to change. It depends on Systems team availability, how quickly I can make progress, and how much work it’ll be to replicate external workflows. Please keep in mind that the goal is to make this transition as smoothly as possible, not as quickly as possible.

To give an idea of what I’m currently looking at:

• Tuesday, October 6: Set up module syncing and commission paid modules.
• Wednesday, October 7: Import user accounts and set up workflows.
• Thursday, October 8: Start migrating Phase 1-3 inboxes (this might move into the next week).
• Monday, October 12: Start migrating Phase 4 inboxes,
• Monday, October 19: Phase 5.

While HelpScout required separate accounts, with FreeScout we’ll switch to WordPress.org SSO, just like WP.org Slack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ accounts are set up. This allows us to sync known account information and enforce Two Factor authentication on all accounts. It’ll also be easier to require Proxy access for Administrator-level accounts.

For this migration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. it means that everyone who currently has a HelpScout account will automatically have access to freescout.wordpress.net through their WordPress.org account! You won’t have to sign up or do anything else.

Given that it’s “only” around 20 mailboxes that need to be moved and about 86 accounts, once a mailbox was migrated I think I’ll just manually email everyone associated with that mailbox. That might be the quickest and easiest way to do that.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

If there are custom workflows you have set up, integrations, webhooks, APIs, and are concerned whether they still work, please leave a comment with details and I’ll take a look.

For the most part this should be pretty self-contained, with the exception of Community and Plugins Inboxes, and I’ll work with those teams to get them migrated as smoothly as possible.

+make.wordpress.org/community/ +make.wordpress.org/hosting/ +make.wordpress.org/photos/ +make.wordpress.org/plugins/ +make.wordpress.org/support/ +make.wordpress.org/themes/ +make.wordpress.org/openverse/ +make.wordpress.org/security/ +make.wordpress.org/updates/ +make.wordpress.org/events/ +make.wordpress.org/project/