A year in WordCamps

So, it’s the end of the year once again, and we’re all making our year’s balance.

For me, 2015 is the year I turned from an anonymous WordPress developer to an (equally) anonymous WordPress community member.

I’m writing this three weeks after the inaugural WordCamp US in Philadelphia. It’s been (roughly) just one year after my first WordCamp Europe in Sofia. I attended also to WordCamp Europe in Seville and WordCamp Zürich. And, in the middle of that I helped organizing  the WordPress Meetup Milan and the first Italian Contributor Day, back in November.

Now I’m starting to understand what WordPress really is.

I’ve been working with WordPress since 2009, but I’ve never been involved in the community. When you are just user of an open source software, you focus on maximizing  what you could get from the software. When you start being involved in its community, you start to switch focus, thinking about what you could give to the software.

Italian Community at WordCamp US

So you start translating it in your language. You find a typo in the docs and you fix it. You start to take part to discussions. Maybe you’re a developer working with the software as your day job, and you start to contribute with patches, maybe just a single, stupid line. Or you’re a designer, and you help to improve the UI. In short, you show up. And the WordPress community adhere to the old saying:

decisions are made by those who show up

If something makes you feel uncomfortable, just show up and tell. I think that’s really a good way of doing things.

 

New year’s resolutions

So what will 2016 be like? Of course, I will be contributing more. As a developer I find really challenging and exciting working on an open source software with so many competent contributors. There’s so much to learn!

And what about WordCamps? Well, I have already purchased my ticket for WordCamp Europe in Vienna, so let’s see if I break my 2015’s attendance record!


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3 responses to “A year in WordCamps”

  1. Bego Mario Garde Avatar

    Ciao Giustino,
    while I enjoy the photos in your post, I must object in one point: you certainly are no longer an “anonymous member of the community”. Many people have watched with excitement not only the efforts by Guiseppe, Dennis and you to make your Contributor Day #wpcdit a big event, but also the great success of bringing lovely people together in the Italian community.
    Un Felice Anno Nuovo! Bego (@pixolin, Co-Organizer WordCamp Cologne)

    1. Giustino Borzacchiello Avatar
      Giustino Borzacchiello

      Hallo Bego,
      Thank you for your kind words! We’re trying to do our best 🙂

      Unfortunately I don’t know how to say “Happy New Year” in German :S

      Ciao!!

    2. Giuseppe Avatar
      Giuseppe

      Ciao Bego,
      rewarding words and of course I agree with you! Thanks a lot and I hope to see you soon.

      Giustino thanks for your post, I really enjoyed this 2015 balance! It was a great year for the Italian WordPress Community and for our growth.
      The real challenge now is the upcoming 2016!
      I hope we can do a better job!

      Frohes neues Jahr, guys!
      😀

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