Author: mrwweb

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WordCamp Seattle Recaps!

Everyone seems to agree the 2017 WordCamp was the best ever! Below are some highlights from sponsors and attendees. We’d also love YOUR input if you haven’t already completed the post-event survey you may still do so. If you want to be involved in planning this year’s WordCamp you can indicate that on the survey or email us. To be sure you’re always in the know about what’s going on in the community be sure to sign up for our year-round mailing list at the bottom of our website.

https://wpdistrict.sitelock.com/blog/wordcamp-seattle-2017-recap/

https://bobwp.com/favorite-part-wordcamp-seattle-2017/

https://mewsnews.org/2017/11/07/seattle-wordcamp-2017/

http://www.lovelyandgreen.com/why-you-should-attend-wordcamp-youre-blogg/

https://iwitnessdesign.com/blog/wordcamp-seattle-the-good-and-bad/

WordCamp Seattle 2017 Memory Dump

https://www.mcdwayne.com/2017/11/08/wordcamp-seattle-2017/

WordCamp is a Playground for WordPress People

Back Again For WordCamp Seattle – 2017

WordCamp Seattle 2017: A Journey Across Continents – Recap

https://bridgetwillard.com/seattle-to-rochester-a-panel-and-a-keynote/

 

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Countdown to the Contributor Track: Sunday 10–4

As Andrea Middleton shared with us during the keynote, there are tons of ways to participate and grow in the WordPress community! To help you get ready to chip in, we chatted with contributor track organizer (and WordCamp Sponsor Wrangler!) Eric Amundson about what it is and how to join in the fun!

“Contributing is a wonderful way to learn WordPress, no matter your skill level, and to expand your network of WordPress peeps.”

“Contributor Track” runs all day long in Room 2. We want to make sure you know what that is and how to get involved.

Countdown to the Contributor Track: Sunday 10–4

WCSEA: Who will be in the contributor track, and what type of things will you be doing?

ERIC: People of all sorts and all skill levels!

The Contributor Track is meant to help you find a fun way to use the skills you already have to make WordPress better. It’s a helpful and non-judgemental environment where you can get started alongside other folks that want to help you. Everyone that shows up makes a difference.

The WordPress contributor teams work on lots of fantastic stuff including (but not limited to):

  • Working on WordPress Core (WordPress itself)
  • Reviewing and writing documentation
  • Adding subtitles to videos or translating videos
  • Helping answer questions on the support forums
  • Organizing Community activities like WordCamps and Meetups
  • Accessibility and usability testing
  • Translating WordPress into other languages.

A full list of the current contributor teams is available at make.wordpress.org.

WCSEA: I see the Contributor Track runs all day long Sunday. Do people have to attend the whole time?

ERIC: No, certainly not. You’re welcome to join at any time. Helpful Humans will be waiting to help get you started contributing when you’re ready.

WordCamp Seattle has an outstanding roster of speakers this year, and we don’t want you to miss a session that you’re excited about, so come and go as your schedule permits.

WCSEA: I’m not good at coding. Should I still come to the contributor track?

ERIC: Yes, definitely. Coding is not a requirement. In fact, most of the contributor teams rarely ever code.

The basic requirements are that you are willing to help, you have a computer, and you show up.

WCSEA: You run a monthly contributor meetup in Seattle. (Thank you!) Can you share a story of someone who came and made their first contribution?

ERIC: I can’t tell you how many times people have shown up at a Contributor meetup and said: “I don’t know enough to contribute to WordPress, but I’m hoping to be able to someday.”

These folks are awesome because:

  1. They showed up, and that’s often the hardest part.
  2. They’re willing, even though they may not think themselves capable.

In a few short minutes, we can show anyone meaningful ways to participate. Seriously, everyone can help if you’re willing to donate some time.

A local contributor, Lisa, showed up at a monthly Contributor Meetup looking for something to do, but not certain she had the skills. We helped her get started subtitling videos on WordPress.tv. She had fun, learned a bunch, and had the satisfaction of giving back. Lisa has gone on to contribute in many other ways and we’re so thankful for her help.

Subtitling videos is an enjoyable and educational way for a new contributor to get started because you can watch a video on a topic of interest and by adding subtitles, you’re learning while making the video more accessible to others.

Note: subtitling requires headphones too.

WCSEA: Any last thoughts? What’s your best pitch for why to come?

ERIC: For me, contributing back to WordPress is important because WordPress is a key part of how I make my living.

I don’t pay for WordPress, but I reap the benefits of this wonderful web platform every day. I get these benefits because other folks showed up and contributed their time too. This is a community I want to be part of.

Contributing is a wonderful way to learn WordPress, no matter your skill level, and to expand your network of WordPress peeps.

So, come find me in the Contributor Track [Sunday Room 2, 10am – 4pm]; I’ll be hard to miss—the bald white dude flying around the room in a propeller beanie—so wave me down and say “hi.”

Thanks to Eric for leading the contributor track! We hope you’ll stop in and help out!

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Your WordCamp Seattle Itinerary

As in years past, we want to share recommendations for sessions depending on what you do and why you’re here. WordCamp Seattle has something for everyone.

Read on to find our picks for all types of WordPress users! Keep an eye out for:

  • 💡 Serendipity slot! 💡 Follow your gut to learn something you’d normally skip.
  • 🌟 Can’t miss 🌟 We’re pretty sure you should go to this one.
  • 🆙 Level Up! 🆙 Go to a session to push yourself and start learning a new skill.

Your WordCamp Seattle Itinerary

Make it Your Own

Remember that these are just suggestions, and we’ve already shared tips for making your own schedule. Don’t follow these itineraries blindly, and leave room for serendipitous learning and networking.

When time slots don’t have a session that interests you, you can:

  • Go to the “Hallway Track” and network with anyone else who’s just hanging out
  • Choose the session you know least about and see what happens!
  • Visit the “Helpful Humans Desk,” and pick the brain of a WordPress expert
  • Go on a walk for a technology break and space to internalize what you’re learning
  • Mingle with our amazing sponsors and get some free swag

The Total Novice

You want to learn WordPress. You’ve tried it a few times and are ready to start becoming an expert. Immerse yourself in WordPress and soak up as much hands-on knowledge as you can!

The Webmaster / Manager

You’ve got a single site of your own built with a theme and plugins or you use a site someone else built to manage a web presence. You want to learn best practices about design and content to improve your site in the long term.

The Designer

You can pump out logos and brochures in your sleep and you’ve made your share of websites. Whether or not you want to learn how to code, immerse yourself in WordPress-related tech to expand your design ideas and understand how they get built.

The Budding Developer / Themer

You know HTML and CSS. You’ve poked around in a PHP file a few times. You’ve edited a theme and are ready to make a simple plugin. This is going to be fun.

The Business Owner / Freelancer

You make money from a website or maybe you build websites for money. You probably wear a bunch of hats and should peek at some of the other itineraries here too! When you’re thinking about money, clients, sales, and making a living, WordCamp will help you fine-tune your business and website!

The Oldtimer

This isn’t your first rodeo. Or WordCamp. You’re up on the latest gossip and have more than a few pieces of code to your name. For you, we’ve put together an eclectic set of sessions to inspire some new ideas and have you leaving WordCamp excited to keep plowing forward powering 30% of the web!

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6 Tips for Navigating the WordCamp Seattle Schedule Like a Pro

WordCamp Seattle is happening this weekend! We want you to have an amazing WordCamp experience, so we’re sharing some tips for navigating your way to a perfect WordCamp Seattle schedule.

Buy your ticket to WordCamp Seattle

6 Tips for Navigating the WordCamp Seattle Schedule Like a Pro

TIP #1: CTRL/CMD + P!

In Chrome and Firefox, hit Print on the Schedule page to get a one-page front-and-back schedule with checkboxes next to each session to pick sessions to attend! (Thanks to our awesome webmaster, Teri for putting that together.)

(And we just added a PDF version to that same page that you can download and print if the native print doesn’t work.)

TIP #2: It’s Up to You

We don’t categorize our sessions into tracks. Here’s why.

Spend some time with the schedule before you come! Click on session titles to view the full topic description and presenter bio. Keep an open mind and look at every session that sounds even a little interesting.

TIP #3: Push Yourself and “Level Up”

The speaker team’s unofficial motto this year was “level up”! We want you to take your skills and networks to the next level with the WordPress community.

How do you do that?

  • Push yourself to go to sessions that are a little outside your comfort zone.
  • Learn from someone you admire and start building the skills that make you admire them!
  • Go to a session on something you might want to learn later.
  • Follow someone you just met to the next session they’re excited about.

Learning anything takes time! Don’t worry if a topic feels out of reach. A first exposure to a subject gives a broad lay of the land. Your second time learning, you start to put the pieces together. Your third time with information, things really start to click. You can get all of those at WordCamp!

TIP #4: Serendipity & the Hallway Track

The WordCamp Seattle schedule looks jam-packed but barely shows half of what you can do! The best WordCamp experience includes unexpected conversations, giving help, and getting some free advice. This is the “hallway track,” and it’s many people’s favorite part of WordCamp.

To get the most from your time at WordCamp:

  • Strike up a conversation at the end of a session with the person seated next to you.
  • Ask a question of the speaker during Q&A or in the lounge after a presentation.
  • Visit with a sponsor and walk away with some awesome swag.
  • Look for an empty seat at a table during lunch next to someone wearing a WordCamp badge. Learn what they do and what they just learned.
  • Spend an hour in the Sunday contributor track answering questions in the support forums, translating WordPress into another language, or captioning a video. (Among many things!)
  • Visit the “Helpful Humans” desk and ask every imaginable WordPress question. (This is worth the price of admission alone!)

TIP #5: Take Breaks and Stick Around!

We agonized over the schedule and went through countless drafts before settling on this. Our goal was to keep a variety of presentations available throughout the entire day Saturday and Sunday.

If you need a break, don’t be afraid to skip a timeslot with sessions  that don’t catch your eye so you can stick around for more great sessions later!

Sit quietly and work on your website, go on a walk through downtown Seattle to get some fresh air, or just low-key hang out with whoever is around. There will be beanbag chairs!

TIP #6: See you Soon!

A few tickets are still available, so get yours right now. We’ll see you bright and early Saturday, November 4th and a little later Sunday the 5th because of the time change – don’t forget! (And if you can’t come to both days, please join us for one!)

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Let’s all get to know Zac Gordon before he teaches you JavaScript

One of the most exciting sessions we have on our schedule — and that’s really saying something! — is the Intro to JavaScript Workshop with Zac Gordon.

Let's all get to know Zac Gordon before he teaches you JavaScript

Zac is a professional educator and previously taught WordPress for Treehouse. He has years of experience teaching WordPress and JavaScript at high schools, colleges, bootcamps and online learning sites.

We wanted to ask Zac a few questions so you could know who you can spend three amazing hours with on Saturday afternoon! We think this is a truly incredible opportunity worth way more than the cost of admission.

WCSEA: So what makes you think you’re qualified to teach this workshop anyway? Have you even done this before? ;P

ZAC: Well, I like to think I’m qualified 🙂

I have a background in education and have been teaching JavaScript and the WP API full time for the last year and a half.

This workshop is my effort to try to take everything I teach in my Master Course and condense the importance stuff into a 3 hour workshop.

WCSEA: More seriously, we’re really excited to have you doing this workshop for our attendees! Who are the folks who can benefit most from your training?

ZAC: Two types of people benefit:

  1. Folks new to JavaScript
  2. Folks who use a little JavaScript or jQuery and want to know vanilla JavaScript in more depth.

WCSEA: As many will know, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg told us to “learn JavaScript deeply” in 2015, but why? What’s so great about JavaScript? What are the things it lets us do that we couldn’t otherwise?

ZAC: First of all, JavaScript is the primary language for building interactive websites so there is a ton we simply can’t do without it.

Now with the Era of JavaScript Frameworks™ we can more easily build full apps, plugins or decoupled sites entirely with JavaScript.

WCSEA: That all sounds really cool! What are a few sites where we can see vanilla JavaScript & WordPress together in action?

ZAC: We really don’t have to look further than WordPress Core-related projects like Gutenberg, the Customizer and a lot of other areas where more and more interfaces use JavaScript.  I have also seen many agencies using React and Vue in their client projects within WordPress themes or in decoupled applications.  Exciting times we’re in here.

WCSEA: Presumably people should know what WordPress is before attending this workshop. What skills do people need to get the most from the session? Do they need to have anything prepared ahead of time?

ZAC: Folks should have a copy of DesktopServer or Local setup to run WordPress on their computer and have a Code Editor like Atom.

If you’re using a different local environment like XAMPP or MAMP, make sure you’ve got a local SSL certificate ready and can use HTTPS locally.

That’s about it!

WCSEA: When someone walks out of the room at 3:30pm on November 4, what will they know that they didn’t before?

ZAC: JavaScript language basics, how to work with the DOM and JavaScript events, how to add JavaScript to a WordPress theme (or plugin) and how to start pulling in content with JavaScript via the WP REST API.

We will pack in a lot!

WOW! That sure is a lot of amazing stuff you can just learn at WordCamp Seattle 2017.

We hope to see you there! To make sure you can get a spot in Zac’s workshop…

BUY YOUR TICKET TODAY

photo credit: Lorenzo Cafaro

WordCamp Seattle 2017 is over. Check out the next edition!