Symfony Station Communiqué — 05 January 2024. A look at Symfony, Drupal, PHP, Cybersec, and Fediverse News!
Tags: symfony, drupal, php, fediverse
Published: 2024-01-07 17:12:37

This communiqué [originally appeared on Symfony Station](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024).

Welcome to this week's Symfony Station communiqué. It's your review of the essential news in the Symfony and PHP development communities focusing on protecting democracy. Because open-source equals open societies, peeps. We also cover the cybersecurity world and the Fediverse (more open-source). 

There is good content in the of our categories, so please take your time and enjoy the items most relevant and valuable to you. This is why we publish on Fridays. So you can savor it over your weekend. 😉

Or jump straight to your favorite section via our website.

- [Symfony](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#symfony)
- [PHP](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#php)
- [More Programming](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#more)
- [Fighting for Democracy](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#other)
- [Cybersecurity](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#cybersecurity)
- [Fediverse](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-05-January-2024#fediverse)

Once again, thanks go out to Javier Eguiluz and Symfony for sharing [our communiqué](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Symfony-Station-Communique-29-December-2023) in their [Week of Symfony](https://symfony.com/blog/a-week-of-symfony-887-25-31-december-2023).

**My opinions will be in bold. And often involve cursing.**

---

![Symfony logo](https://www.symfonystation.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Symfony-2.png)

## Symfony

As always, we will start with the official news from Symfony.

Highlight -> "This week, Symfony [5.4.34](https://symfony.com/blog/symfony-5-4-34-released), [6.3.11](https://symfony.com/blog/symfony-6-3-11-released), [6.4.2](https://symfony.com/blog/symfony-6-4-2-released) and [7.0.2](https://symfony.com/blog/symfony-7-0-2-released) maintenance versions were released. Meanwhile, development activity was intense and the upcoming Symfony 7.1 version added [new methods](https://github.com/symfony/symfony/commit/e85fa2cc43accf4315a0de00e8d7daefb1b4be04) to convert between UUID versions, a [new model_type option](https://github.com/symfony/symfony/commit/f5d993bbbe0e4c68ab6b6a9d9b2ac2143a8f3732) for the Money form field and a [new Charset constraint](https://github.com/symfony/symfony/commit/8499c8188b75374e59e483eca064e51d9a8d7f32). Lastly, we published a [recap of the 2023 year for the Symfony project](https://symfony.com/blog/symfony-2023-year-in-review)."

[A Week of Symfony #887 (25-31 December 2023)](https://symfony.com/blog/a-week-of-symfony-887-25-31-december-2023)



They also have:

[Simpler Versioning for Symfony Docs](https://symfony.com/blog/simpler-versioning-for-symfony-docs)


---
## Featured Item

From Jason opines on the evil Meta is plotting for the Fediverse:

What if Meta's hidden objective behind the Threads-to-Mastodon initiative is a play on [app.net](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/app.net)? And, what if threads.net is a measured step towards what could be the greatest pivot in all of tech?
### [Copy, Acquire, Kill— How Meta could pull off the most extraordinary pivot in tech history](https://www.fromjason.xyz/p/notebook/copy-acquire-kill-how-meta-could-pull-off-the-most-extraordinary-pivot-in-tech-history/)


---

### This Week

Terugblik has a review of SymfonyCon:

[Terugblik SymfonyCon Brussel 2023](https://linku.nl/terugblik-symfonycon-2023/)

Mounir Mouih shows us:

[How to properly handle Requests with Symfony 6.3 +](https://medium.com/@mounir.mouih/how-to-properly-handle-requests-with-symfony-6-3-0bfc8d7726a9)

Alberto Robles explores:

[Simplifying Data Access in Symfony -Global Variables in Twig](https://medium.com/@bertorobles/simplifying-data-access-in-symfony-global-variables-in-twig-96395e2979d6)

**Great stuff.**
  
Sakshi Goraniya examines:

[Unleashing the Power of Finite State Machines with Everlution/fsm in Symfony](https://medium.com/simform-engineering/unleashing-the-power-of-finite-state-machines-with-everlution-fsm-symfony-e9841b233f9a)

Twilio shares:

[Integrating Voice Call OTP Verification in a Symfony Application with Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/blog/integrate-voice-call-otp-verification-symfony-twilio)

Filip Horvat shares:

[30 Tips for a Stable and Efficient Process of Developing PHP Symfony Apps](https://medium.com/@fico7489/30-tips-for-a-stable-and-efficient-process-of-developing-php-symfony-apps-a0695fadb223)

Jochelle Mendonca goes:

[From Chaos to Order: Unraveling Symfony’s Service Locators for Developers](https://medium.com/@jochelle.mendonca/from-chaos-to-order-unraveling-symfonys-service-locators-for-developers-8333ae0a52bc)

Serghei Pogor is:

[Mastering Activity Logging in Symfony PHP: Enhancing Security, Debugging, and User Experience](https://medium.com/@256cub/mastering-activity-logging-in-symfony-php-enhancing-security-debugging-and-user-experience-bf6247bbefef)

### eCommerce

QTA Tech shares:

[From Shopping Carts to Conversions: Why Drupal Commerce Should Be Your Top Choice](https://qtatech.com/en/article/shopping-carts-conversions-why-drupal-commerce-should-be-your-top-choice)

Speaking of, the DropTimes has:

[Introducing View Filter Commerce Promotion Module for Drupal Users](https://www.thedroptimes.com/36404/introducing-view-filter-commerce-promotion-module-drupal-users)

Erland Muchasaj has a practical example of the:

[Adapter Design Pattern](https://medium.com/@erlandmuchasaj/adapter-design-pattern-eddc3fa6f33d)


### CMSs

TYPO3 has:

[Proudly Not Invented Here — or Being TYPO3 at DrupalCon Lille](https://typo3.org/article/proudly-not-invented-here-or-being-typo3-at-drupalcon-lille)
  
[Members Have Selected Four Ideas to be Funded in Quarter 1/2024](https://typo3.org/article/members-have-selected-four-ideas-to-be-funded-in-quarter-1-2024)

<br/>  

Golems shows us:
  
[How to Leverage Drupal's Layout Builder to Create Complex Pages](https://gole.ms/blog/how-leverage-drupals-layout-builder-create-complex-pages)

**Great stuff.**

ZYX Ware has:

[A Comprehensive Guide to Selecting the Right Hosting Solution for Your Drupal Project](https://www.zyxware.com/article/6670/selecting-right-hosting-solution-for-your-drupal-project)

[Agility and Efficiency: No Code Tools in Drupal Web Development](https://www.zyxware.com/article/6587/no-code-tools-drupal-web-development)

Mario Hernandez looks at:

[Managing image embeds with Drupal media](https://mariohernandez.io/blog/managing-image-embeds-with-drupal-media/)

Five Jars explores:

[Building Microsites in Drupal](https://medium.com/@fivejars/building-microsites-in-drupal-e3aa976e14e4)

**This is interesting.**

<p>Palantir examines:</p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://www.palantir.net/blog/planning-your-drupal-7-migration-organizational-groundwork" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://www.palantir.net/blog/planning-your-drupal-7-migration-organizational-groundwork" target="_blank">Planning Your Drupal 7 Migration: Organizational Groundwork</a></p>  
<p>DrupalEasy looks at:</p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://www.drupaleasy.com/blogs/ultimike/2023/12/using-github-copilot-visual-studio-code-create-phpunit-test" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://www.drupaleasy.com/blogs/ultimike/2023/12/using-github-copilot-visual-studio-code-create-phpunit-test" target="_blank">Using GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code to create a PhpUnit test</a>  </p>  
<p>LostCarPark shares a:</p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://lostcarpark.com/drupal/advent-calendar/drupal-advent-calendar-2023-retrospective-and-thank-yous" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://lostcarpark.com/drupal/advent-calendar/drupal-advent-calendar-2023-retrospective-and-thank-yous" target="_blank">Drupal Advent Calendar 2023 Retrospective and Thank&nbsp;Yous</a></p>  
<p>The DropTimes has:</p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://www.thedroptimes.com/36458/new-bunny-stream-module-enhances-video-integration-drupal-websites" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://www.thedroptimes.com/36458/new-bunny-stream-module-enhances-video-integration-drupal-websites" target="_blank">New Bunny Stream Module Enhances Video Integration for Drupal Websites</a></p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://www.thedroptimes.com/interview/36019/selfish-exercise-in-selfless-commitment-conversation-with-michael-anello" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://www.thedroptimes.com/interview/36019/selfish-exercise-in-selfless-commitment-conversation-with-michael-anello" target="_blank">New Bunny Stream Module Enhances Video Integration for Drupal Websites</a></p>  
<p>And Matt Glaman has:</p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://mglaman.medium.com/looking-back-on-2023-d13e2fb573db" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://mglaman.medium.com/looking-back-on-2023-d13e2fb573db" target="_blank">Looking back on 2023</a></p>  
<p><a data-tooltip-position="top" aria-label="https://mglaman.medium.com/my-dependabot-configuration-for-drupal-and-other-php-projects-d37de20926ea" rel="noopener" class="external-link" href="https://mglaman.medium.com/my-dependabot-configuration-for-drupal-and-other-php-projects-d37de20926ea" target="_blank">My Dependabot configuration for Drupal (and other PHP projects)</a></p>

**This is interesting.**

Ryan Robinson demonstrates:

[Drupal: Importing Multiple Paragraphs](https://ryanrobinson.technology/websites/drupal/importing-multiple-paragraphs/)

**I'm not certain this is a current post. But it is useful for those upgrading from Drupal 7. So, I sharing it.**

Nextide has this interesting case study:

[Oxford's Mathematical Institute: Streamlining Academic Visitor Applications with Maestro](https://www.nextide.ca/university-of-oxford-workflow-maestro)

Four Kitchens shares the:

[Responsive image best practices for Drupal](https://www.fourkitchens.com/blog/development/responsive-image-best-practices-drupal/)

And ImageX delves into:

[Accessibility Elements, Part 4: Accessible Keyboard Navigation in Drupal](https://imagexmedia.com/blog/keyboard-accessibilty-in-drupal)

**Important stuff.**


---

## PHP

### This Week

Suresh Ramani is:

[Exploring the Null Safe Operator in PHP](https://dev.to/sureshramani/exploring-the-null-safe-operator-in-php-238k)

Ibrar Hussain explores:

[Simplifying Amazon Q Setup in PhpStorm](https://dev.to/ibrarturi/simplifying-amazon-q-setup-in-phpstorm-3b3o)

Danilo Correa examines:

[Compactar arquivos direto no S3 com PHP](https://dev.to/dcorrea777/compactar-arquivos-direto-no-s3-com-php-47k0)

Paulo Real looks at:

[Entenda primeiro o PHP, depois os Frameworks: Um papo sincero sobre fundamentos](https://pauloreal.medium.com/entenda-primeiro-o-php-depois-os-frameworks-um-papo-sincero-sobre-fundamentos-8f45b16adcec)

Alex shares:

[6 Things About Date and Time That You Should Know](https://alexwebdevelop.activehosted.com/social/36660e59856b4de58a219bcf4e27eba3.270)
  
Specbee has:

[An Introduction to PHP Standard Recommendation (PSR)](https://www.specbee.com/blogs/introduction-php-standard-recommendation-psr)

php[architect] explores:

[Stacks With SplStack](https://www.phparch.com/2024/01/stacks-with-splstack/)

Doğan Uçar examines:

[fsync Unlocked: PHP & Advanced Memory Synchronization](https://doganoo.medium.com/fsync-unlocked-php-advanced-memory-synchronization-7d8ef7fc3974)

Mohasin Hossain has a good reminder and useful chart:

[Polymorphism in PHP With Example](https://mohasin-dev.medium.com/polymorphism-in-php-with-example-83de1792c89d)

Grégoire Paris has useful git and composer tips:

[Bisecting vendors](https://dev.to/greg0ire/bisecting-vendors-12kd)

---

## More Programming

Marcel Bootsman is:

[Embracing freedom, privacy and security: Firefox is the essential independent browser](https://marcelbootsman.nl/firefox-is-the-essential-independent-browser)

Speaking of ethics, we created Version 2 of a previous post for 2024:

[Choose an Efficient and Ethical Writing Stack for your Tech Content: 2024](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Writing-Stack-Technical-Newsletter-Blog-2024)

Thanks to the DropTimes for summarizing and promoting it:

[Symfony Station Advocates Ethical Writing Stack](https://www.thedroptimes.com/36543/symfony-station-advocates-ethical-writing-stack)

Roma Komarov celebrates:

[Cap-Height Vertical Align](https://blog.kizu.dev/cap-height-align/)

Kinsta looks at:

[Mastering Postgres: From Database Creation to Administration With Adminer](https://kinsta.com/blog/postgres-create-database/)

Mark Story explores:

[Web Components and CakePHP FormHelper](http://mark-story.com/posts/view/webcomponents-and-cakephp-formhelper)

Nolan Lawson examines:

[Shadow DOM and the problem of encapsulation](https://nolanlawson.com/2023/12/30/shadow-dom-and-the-problem-of-encapsulation/)

Smashing Mag looks at:

[The View Transitions API And Delightful UI Animations (Part 2)](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2024/01/view-transitions-api-ui-animations-part2/)

Go Make Things says:
  
[A lot of what people use React for would be better handled with vanilla JavaScript](https://gomakethings.com/a-lot-of-what-people-use-react-for-would-be-better-handled-with-vanilla-javascript/)

**This is obvious but bares repeating.**

---

## Fighting for Democracy

[Please visit our Support Ukraine page](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/Support-Ukraine) to learn how you can help kick Russia out of Ukraine (eventually).

### The cyber response to Russia’s War Crimes and other douchebaggery

Wired reports:
  
[To Beat Russia, Ukraine Needs a Major Tech Breakthrough](https://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-russia-future-war-tech/)

The Guardian reports:

[How social media’s biggest user protest rocked Reddit](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/30/reddit-moderator-protest-communities-social-media)

**Unfortunately, Reddit only slightly ameliorated their enshittification.**

Citation Needed tells the Nazis running Substack to fuck off:

[Citation Needed has a new home](https://citationneeded.news/citation-needed-has-a-new-home/)

The Register reports:

[EU lassos tech giants in bid to rein in the AI Wild West](https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/03/eu_ai_legistlation/)


### The Evil Empire Strikes Back

DarkReading reports:

[Russia Kyivstar Hack Should Alarm West, Ukraine Security Chief Warns](https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/russia-kyivstar-hack-should-alarm-west-ukraine-cyber-spy-warns)

The Guardian reports:

[Substack faces user revolt over anti-censorship stance on neo-Nazis](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/03/substack-user-revolt-anti-censorship-stance-neo-nazis)

Fast Company reports:

[Why experts are concerned about Meta’s new Link History feature](https://www.fastcompany.com/91005198/why-experts-are-concerned-about-metas-new-link-history-feature "Why experts are concerned about Meta’s new Link History feature")

Wired reports on:
  
[The Most Dangerous People on the Internet in 2023](https://www.wired.com/story/most-dangerous-people-2023/)

**They include the usual c^unts we all know and hate.**

### Cybersecurity/Privacy

BleepingComputer reports:

[Malware abuses Google OAuth endpoint to ‘revive’ cookies, hijack accounts](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malware-abuses-google-oauth-endpoint-to-revive-cookies-hijack-accounts/)

The Hacker News reports:

[New Terrapin Flaw Could Let Attackers Downgrade SSH Protocol Security](https://thehackernews.com/2024/01/new-terrapin-flaw-could-let-attackers.html)

[Mandiant's Twitter Account Restored After Six-Hour Crypto Scam Hack](https://thehackernews.com/2024/01/mandiants-twitter-account-restored.html)

**If you are still on Shitter at this point, you deserve whatever happens to you. Ditto if you own crypto.** 

TechCrunch reports:

[It’s not all doom and gloom: When cybersecurity gave us hope in 2023](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/30/when-cybersecurity-gave-us-hope-2023/)

---

### Fediverse

The Fediverse Report has:

[An uncertain future for Firefish](https://fediversereport.com/an-uncertain-future-for-firefish/)

Catodon will replace it:

["Introducing Catodon!"](https://catodon.social/@catodon/pages/introducing-catodon)

EFF reviews:

[Taking Back the Web with Decentralization: 2023 in Review](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/taking-back-web-decentralization-2023-review)

Timothy Chambers has some:

[2024 Fediverse Predictions](https://www.timothychambers.net/2023/12/29/fediverse-predictions.html)

Darnell Day has:

[Fediverse Rankings: Top 20 Sites Will Boast Over 300 Million Active Users By Year's End](https://darnell.day/fediverse-rankings-top-20-sites-will-boast-over-300-million-active-users-by)

Informapirata shows us:
  
[Mastodon Tips: how to use Friendica groups/forums and Lemmy communities](https://www.informapirata.it/2024/01/02/mastodon-tips-how-to-use-friendica-groups-forums-and-lemmy-communities/)

RSS Parrot is a tool to:

[Turn Mastodon into your feed reader](https://rss-parrot.net/)

Here's an academic paper on the federation of social media:

[The digital covenant: non-centralized platform governance on the mastodon social network](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2147400)

---
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You can find a vast array of curated evergreen content on our [communiqués page]((https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/communiques). :FasRocket: 


## Author

![Reuben Walker headshot](https://symfonystation.mobileatom.net/sites/default/files/inline-images/Reuben-Walker-headshot.jpg)

### Reuben Walker

Founder
Symfony Station