One of our favourite things about WordCamp Europe is that, while it might technically be a conference about software, it has never really felt like one. Yes, there are talks about WordPress website design, code, security, performance, AI, plugins and the future of the web. But the conversations that stay with you are almost always about something much bigger.
People.
The people building the tools, solving problems, creating things that help others do their work better.
While we were at WordCamp Europe 2026, we caught up with Robert Abela, Founder and CEO of Melapress, to talk about WordPress, community, security, and our work together on the new Melapress website.
And Robert summed up something we have believed for a long time: “WordPress is much more than software. It’s a whole movement.”
Building technology through community
Robert founded Melapress in 2013 after identifying a need for better security and management tools within the WordPress ecosystem.
Today, Melapress develops trusted WordPress plugins used by businesses and organisations around the world, helping website owners improve security, manage users, and maintain better control over their websites.
But like many people in the WordPress community, Robert’s story isn’t just about building a product. It’s about contributing to something bigger.
One of the things that makes WordPress unique is the community behind it. Developers, designers, agencies, content creators, businesses and volunteers from across the world all contribute ideas, improvements, and solutions.
That collaborative approach is why WordPress continues to evolve.
Because open source isn’t just about access to code. It’s about shared knowledge, transparency, and creating technology that people can build on.
Your website is never really finished
During our conversation, Robert said something else that really resonated with us: “A website is almost a living thing.”
And he’s right.
There was a time when websites were treated like a finished product. You designed it, built it, launched it, and maybe looked at it again five years later when it started to feel outdated.
But that’s not how digital works anymore. Your organisation changes, your users change, technology changes even the way people search, browse, read, and interact online changes.
A good website needs to grow with you. It needs maintenance, care, improvements, and sometimes a bit of pruning (we couldn’t resist the gardening metaphor).
That’s why our relationships with clients rarely end when a website launches. Launch day is just the beginning.
Working together on the Melapress website
When Melapress approached Pooka & Co, they needed a website that reflected who they had become as a business. As their products, audience, and organisation had grown, their digital presence needed to grow with them.
Working together, we focused on creating a website that was clearer, easier to manage, and built around their users’ needs.
But as Robert explained, the process itself mattered just as much as the final result:
“First of all, it was the personalised service. It’s not like one of those big agencies where today you speak to someone, the other day you speak to someone else.
I had a very personalised service. I could speak to Marcus, I could speak to Ben… It was very professional, but also at the same time personalised.”
And that’s exactly how we believe digital partnerships should work. Good websites don’t come from disappearing behind a curtain and returning months later with a finished product.
They come from conversations, collaboration, understanding the people behind an organisation, and building something together.
Technology changes. People still matter.
One of the biggest conversations at WordCamp Europe this year was about change. AI is changing how we create, search is changing how people find information, the tools we use every day are becoming more powerful.
And while that is exciting, spending time with people like Robert is a reminder that the future of technology isn’t just about faster tools or smarter systems, it’s about the communities behind them.
The people asking better questions, sharing knowledge, building things that solve real problems.
Because WordPress has never just been software, it’s the people behind it who make it work.
If you would like to know more about us and how we approach WordPress website design and development please do get in touch, we would be happy to set up a call.
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We’d love to hear what you’re up to. Please get in touch using hello@pooka.co or through the form linked below. Don’t be shy!
