<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Mike Lopez</title><link>https://mikelopez.com</link><description>WordPress, PHP, Product Development, and Remote Engineering leadership</description><item><title>Legacy PHP Modernization: Refactor, Replatform, or Rewrite?</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1721/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1721/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Choose a legacy PHP modernization strategy with a practical decision matrix for incremental refactoring, replatforming, and full rewrites.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Spot a Slipping Software Deadline Early</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1737/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1737/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Spot a slipping software deadline through aging work, missed evidence, and unresolved dependencies. Use a practical risk review to make scope and date decisions while options remain.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Upgrade Legacy PHP With Rector One Version at a Time</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1720/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1720/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Upgrade legacy PHP with Rector in controlled version steps, using dry runs, tests, static analysis, small commits, and a clear rollback path.]]></description></item><item><title>Remote Team Status Meetings: Cut Updates, Keep Connection</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1742/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1742/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Redesign remote team status meetings around decisions, useful updates, and human connection. Test a lighter meeting rhythm that protects focus without leaving colleagues isolated.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Add PHPStan to a Legacy PHP Codebase</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1719/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1719/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Add PHPStan to a legacy PHP codebase without blocking delivery by choosing a useful starting level, creating a baseline, and reducing it in CI.]]></description></item><item><title>Track Remote Development Progress Without Micromanaging</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1736/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1736/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Track remote development progress with accepted outcomes, visible blockers, and useful forecasts. Build a lightweight weekly report that helps managers act without monitoring every developer.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Hire a Legacy PHP Developer Who Can Modernize Safely</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1718/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1718/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Hire a legacy PHP developer with a practical interview, bounded exercise, and scoring rubric focused on safe modernization instead of framework trivia.]]></description></item><item><title>WordPress 7.2 Takes Shape as Playground Expands AI Tools</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1757/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1757/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:22:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[WordPress 7.2 has a release team and December target, while Playground expands browser-based AI tools. Here is what the original announcements confirm for developers and site owners.]]></description></item><item><title>Matt Mullenweg’s Brief Automattic Ouster Leaves Questions About Leadership and Control</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1756/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1756/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:13:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Automattic’s board placed Matt Mullenweg on paid leave before a rapid reversal. Here is the reported timeline, what participants said, and what remains unclear about the leadership dispute.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Refactor a Legacy PHP Application With No Tests</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1717/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1717/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Learn how to refactor a legacy PHP application with no tests by building a safety net, finding seams, and changing one observable behavior at a time.]]></description></item><item><title>How I Got a 100 PageSpeed Insights Score on Mobile and Desktop</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1711/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1711/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I took mikelopez.com from 67 mobile and 93 desktop to a 100 PageSpeed Insights score on both using static HTML, responsive images, AI-assisted diagnosis, and Cloudflare Pages.]]></description></item><item><title>Cursor Pagination vs OFFSET in PHP and MySQL</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1716/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1716/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Compare cursor pagination vs OFFSET in PHP and MySQL, then build a stable, secure PDO implementation that keeps large result sets fast.]]></description></item><item><title>PHP 8.6 for WordPress Developers: What to Watch Before Release</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1710/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1710/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[PHP 8.6 for WordPress developers is now in beta with safer session defaults, closure optimizations, new syntax, and compatibility changes plugin teams should test before release.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Refactor Interdependent PHP Files With PhpStorm and AI</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1709/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1709/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Refactor legacy PHP code with PhpStorm by mapping dependencies, preserving dynamic WordPress contracts, using AI within clear limits, and verifying every change.]]></description></item><item><title>How to Review AI-Generated PHP Code Without Fooling Yourself</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1707/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1707/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Review AI-generated PHP code with a disciplined checklist for assumptions, WordPress security, data access, compatibility, tests, and maintainability in production.]]></description></item><item><title>What WordPress&#039;s Real-Time Collaboration Delay Teaches Software Teams</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1706/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1706/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[WordPress delayed real-time collaboration after finding architectural and performance risks. The decision offers practical lessons for software teams before they ship.]]></description></item><item><title>Pax Silica Philippines: Why I Support It With Eyes Wide Open</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1708/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1708/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:14:18 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I support Pax Silica Philippines for its potential to create skilled jobs, attract future-tech investment, and strengthen security, but only with safeguards and accountability.]]></description></item><item><title>PHP 8.5 for WordPress Developers: Features Worth Using</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1705/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1705/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[PHP 8.5 adds cleaner URI handling, pipelines, safer return values, improved cloning, and useful performance tools. Here is what matters for WordPress developers.]]></description></item><item><title>WordPress 7.1 for Plugin Developers: What Actually Matters</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1704/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1704/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:27:59 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[WordPress 7.1 expands the Abilities and SVG Icon APIs, enforces the iframed editor, adds browser-side media processing, and brings compatibility changes plugin developers should test.]]></description></item><item><title>AI and Jobs in the Philippines: How Filipinos Can Cope and Adapt</title><link>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1703/</link><guid>https://mikelopez.com/blog/1703/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:43:36 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[AI and jobs in the Philippines are already changing together. See which workers face the most pressure, what the research actually says, and how Filipinos can adapt.]]></description></item></channel></rss>