EdinburghJS: WordPress, Next.js and Cloudflare

This month at EdinburghJS we heard from Oleksandr Piekhota on WordPress, Next.js and Cloudflare, and from Steve Ortiz on an internal idea incubator programme at Perk.

One of the key ideas in Oleksandr’s presentation was that different parts of the stack are interchangable. I think often junior devs choose a framework, look up the recommended integrations, and stick with what the docs say. By thinking through your system requirements you might be able to come up with a better solution. In addition, by experimenting with various parts of the stack you can improve your knowledge, discover the benefits and limitations of each part. As someone who cut their teeth on WordPress integrations, I know how valuable a standard and known interface is to many people. You can find the presentation on Google Docs.

A highlight of this meetup was that we brought together two communities as Oleksandr runs the Tech Talks Edinburgh Meetup. We have some attendees in common, but it’s good to spread the word about additional community events with folks who might not have heard about it. We did a cross-over with UX Edinburgh at the end of last year too, which was also a success. I’m keen to find more groups to collaborate with in 2026.