As WordCamp US 2018 quickly approaches, first-time attendees might find themselves both excited and confused about the broad array of events included in the conference. Today, Contributor Day Lead Aaron Campbell provides information on his background, what Contributor Day is, how to get involved, and more in order to prepare for the day.
Q: How did you get involved with the WordPress community?
Aaron Campbell: Back around 2005 I started using WordPress on client sites. By 2007 the projects had become more complex and I came across some issues with WordPress core. I found my way into the IRC channel with the goal to get my fix put into WordPress so I wouldn’t have to keep patching the client site every time a new version of WordPress was released. I succeeded, and I was hooked. I’ve been involved in every release of WordPress since then.
Q: What is Contributor Day?
AC: Contributor Day is when a group of people get together with the goal to give back to WordPress by pitching in however they can to help improve it. When they first started they were focused almost entirely on writing code to add features or fix bug, but they have gotten so much better over time. Now you can be involved with anything from marketing to documentation, support to translations, security to code, and so much more.
The best part is, there are mentors there – people who are experienced in contributing to WordPress in whatever way it is you’re trying to contribute – that can help to get you up to speed or even help you figure out how you want to help.
Q: Why are you so passionate about Contributor Day?
AC: Buckle up, we take a detour to answer this one! The internet is no longer just a toy. It’s not just a fun place with memes, cat videos, and social media. And it’s not just for some people. It’s the most effective tool that exists today for learning. For passing information between people and generations. And our ability to share information like that is what helps humanity as a whole to make forward progress.
Closed systems that exist on the internet, and the interests they serve, put this amazing information sharing tool at risk. Open alternatives like WordPress, help to keep those closed systems in check. They help to keep a balance, offering people choice and freedom.
So I’m passionate about contributor day because I see it as a time where we all come together – different people, different backgrounds – and work together to help humanity in our own way.
Q: Why should attendees participate in Contributor Day?
AC: Aside from the above? If you use WordPress, making it better is beneficial to you. You’ll also often find yourself working alongside some of the most talented people in the world during contributor day. Take advantage of that to learn from them and ramp up your own skills.
Q: What should attendees bring to Contributor Day?
AC: A desire to help improve WordPress is the biggest thing. A computer is generally needed for most groups, but not always.
General Contributor Day Information
Want to learn even more about Contributor Day? Check out the Contributor Day Page for information on teams, helpful links, sponsors and more.
Still need a ticket? For only $40, you can attend two days of sessions, Contributor Day, the Community Bazaar and the afterparty. You also get a bunch of awesome swag. Purchase your tickets now.