As organizers, we are often asked by those not familiar with WordCamp, just what it is. On the surface, WordCamp is a conference that focuses on everything WordPress. They are locally organized events which bring together everyone from casual users to core developers participate, share ideas, and get to know each other.
For those of us at WordCamp Seattle, WordCamp is about more than just WordPress. It’s about community. It’s about a diverse group coming together, supporting each other, helping each other, and contributing to who we are as people and not simply WordPress users.
“in any industry, you have peers. In WordPress, you have community.” ~ Keynote speaker Bridget Willard
What does community mean?
That answer will differ a bit for everyone. For most, being part of a community means understanding that your actions impact others. It means taking others into consideration BEFORE you act. It means being inclusive – that everyone is welcome. It means doing the little things so everyone feels welcome.
It’s why we have gender neutral bathrooms. It’s why those who don’t wish to be in photos can opt out with an orange sticker.
Dietary restrictions and allergies are always a concern when organizing an event. We chose to use lunch cards for various nearby locations again this year to provide attendees a variety of choices and to accommodate any requirements.
This concept of being welcoming – extends beyond WordCamp. Our local WPSeattle Community is hosting a pre-camp happy hour Thursday, Nov 8th. It’s open to everyone! They will be providing the pizza (and of course they’ll have gluten free options and accommodate other allergies).
Community is not just local.
While each WordCamp has it’s own local community, the WordPress community is global. It’s important that we contribute to the greater community as much as we focus on our local one.
Over the past several years, a number of our organizing team headed south to WordCamp Portland. This year was no different with 2 of our team volunteering their time just a week before our camp!
How you can contribute
If you’re looking for ways to contribute or give back to the community, there’s still time to volunteer or consider transcribing video on WordPress.tv, answering support questions on WordPress.org, or testing the next version of WordPress.
If you’re unsure, you can get an intro to this in our Contributor Room on Sunday
What does community mean to you?
With WordCamp Seattle less than a week away, take a moment to think about what community means to you and share your thoughts with us.