Tag Archives: community-team

Junko Nukaga 3:33 am on October 3, 2024
Tags: community-team,   

Community Team Meeting Agenda for 3 – October -2024

The Community Team chat takes place the first Thursday of every month in the #community-team channel on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. 

This meeting is meant for all contributors on the team and everyone who is interested in taking part in some of the things our team does. Feel free to join us, even if you are not currently active in the team!

Asia-Pacific / EMEA friendly meeting: Thursday, [3 October] 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC
Americas friendly meeting: Thursday, [3 October] 2024 at 21:00 PM UTC

You will find a preliminary agenda for the meeting below. 

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga. It does not need to be a blog post yet, the topic can be discussed during the meeting nevertheless. We use the same agenda for both meetings.

Call for meeting host and notetaker
If anyone is available to host this month’s or next month’s Community Team meetings and/or write the recap notes , please reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga.

Check-ins: Program and Event Supporters / Contributors

  • What have you been doing and how is it going? 
  • What did you accomplish after the last meeting? 
  • Are there any blockers? 
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

Highlights to Note

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.

Open Posts

Check out these new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments.

Announcements / Newsletters

Open Floor

This is your chance to discuss things that weren’t on the meeting agenda. 

We invite you to use this opportunity to share anything that you want with the team. If you currently have a topic you’d like to discuss, add it to the comments of this post and we will try to update the agenda accordingly.

Hope to see you on Thursday, either in the Asia-Pacific / EMEA (12:00 UTC) or Americas-friendly version (21:00 UTC) of the meeting!#agenda, #meeting-agenda, #team, #team-chat, #team-meeting

#community-team, #meeting

Sumit Singh 6:09 pm on September 25, 2024
Tags: community-team, , WCLatam   

Community Team September Meeting Recap

Attendance: @nukaga, @_dorsvenabili, @zinanga, @matteoenna, @patricia70, @nilovelez, @harishanker, @ioanahasaquestion. @devinmaeztri, @sumitsingh, @enricosorcinelli, @juliarosia

Notes: This recap is a summary of the Community Team monthly meeting. It will cover the discussion points, ideas, and decisions that came up during the meeting. The aim of this recap is to provide a quick overview for those who were unable to attend as well as an overview for everyone. These meetings were based on the Agenda for September and are held in our #community-team SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel on Make WordPress.
You can find the meeting chat log here:

Please leave your comments if you have any feedback.
Additionally, each agenda item discussed may have its own Make post related to its topic with more information and you can add to the discussion directly to that post.

Chat Summary

  • What is your .org username? (Please always include it, so we don’t miss to mention you in the recap notes)
  • What have you been doing and how is it going?
  • Anything you’ve accomplished since the last meeting?
  • Are there any blockers?
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

@nukaga: I did the following in August – Organizer of WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Asia – MentorEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. for WordCamp Kansai – A little vetting.

@_dorsvenabili: I’m back this week from some summer vacations and I’ve been catching up, handling HS tickets, MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. applications and a bit of maintenance of the Meetup tracker, gave feedback to some drafts (GatherPress, etc.), supporting event organizers, attendeed the Supporters Office HoursOffice Hours Defined times when the Global Community Team are in the #community-events Slack channel. If there is anything you would like to discuss – you do not need to inform them in advance.You are very welcome to drop into any of the Community Team Slack channels at any time. and discussed next steps with inactive Supporters and how to simplify our Events’ applications processes (vetting, group orientations, etc.), had some check-ins with some Supporters, WC Madrid budget review, and more…
We need help vetting applications as the queue is long right now, if any Supporter is interested, please let me know, thanks! I’m mentoring the following events: WordPress Day for Developers Lisboa 2024, WordCamp Youth Hackathon Skopje,WordCamp Sevilla, Spain WordCamp Skopje, North

@zinanga: August was a bit about vacations and also community preparations for fall. Organizing final details for WC Griñón program. Opening new group in Spain Castilla La Mancha now in September. Continue with meetp reactivations And last, but not least, participating in WC Bogotá as attendee and witnessing an amazing reactivation there, not only for the country but also for others who also attended from Costa Rica, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, Spain. Great leadership, #WCLatam support and lovely contributor dayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/., just amazing 🙂

@matteoenna: He currently launching first do_actiondo_action do_action hackathons are community-organised events that are focussed on using WordPress to give deserving charitable organisations their own online presence. Learn more on doaction.org..

@patricia70: August: mentoring 4 upcoming WC (2 are in 2025). first venue visit for WCEU2025 in Basel with lead organisers + Local team work started lot of things with GatherPress. preparing the Contributor Mentorship Program (esp the BuddyPress/bbPressbbPress Free, open source software built on top of WordPress for easily creating forums on sites. https://bbpress.org. project)
September:WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. teams selection started.preparing the Mentorship Program (most of the vetting have been done when I was away in Basel by amazing peeps @nilovelez @jdy68 @estelaris @harishanker etc :thank-you:) published the GatherPress project update. Blocker: I need another sponsor 🙂 (Themeisle sponsors 1/4 of my contribution time).

@harishanker: Working on facilitating the contributor mentorship program as well as a couple of other projects: Project dashboards and Five for the Future. All good, and no blockers! Excited to be here.

@nilovelez: Mentoring/organizing Trabajo remoto: transformando el futuro con WordPress. Mentoring WordPress Valencia Diversity day. Working on the vetting of the mentorship Program. And preparing for a lot of Spanish WordCamps.

@patricia70: @nilovelez Intrigued by the “preparing for a lot of Spanish WordCamps“, depending on money I would love to come back to Spain for a WordCamp! It was so great last year at WCMAD :es:.

@ioanahasaquestion: Activity: so far, just getting familiar with the channel / great work you’ve been doing.

@devinmaeztri: Tasks: WC/WP Events and do_action applications and tracker maintenance, events and supporters mentoring, WordCamp CentralWordCamp Central Website for all WordCamp activities globally. https://central.wordcamp.org includes a list of upcoming and past camp with links to each. inbox triage. Projects: Meetup Reactivation, Supporters Offboarding & Onboarding. Events: WCAsia Organizer, WC Port Harcourt and WC Sydney MentorsEvent Supporter Event Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues.. ID community: Polyglots LM & GTEGeneral Translation Editor General Translation Editor – One of the polyglots team leads in a geographic region https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/. Further information at https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/glossary/#general-translation-editor., Meetup Organizer groups, following up on unapproved videos for WPTV from events in Indonesia with @kharisblank.

@zinanga: @patriciabt Regarding Spanish WordCamps we have until end of the year: 20-22 September WC Pontevedra, 26-27 October WC Granada, 23-24-Nov WC Griñón for ECommerce, 13-14 Dec WC Madrid (pending for final details I heard). So u cnan choose or come to all of them Additionaly in Spanish, there is alsoWC Costa Rica 11-12 October, WC Guatemala city 26 October.

@nilovelez: 28 September Valencia WordPress diversity day, 19 October Denia “Trabajo remoto: transformando el futuro con WordPress” (online), 9-10 November WordCamp Sevilla.

@sumitsingh:  he working for Training and community team to write post/review meeting post.

 @enricosorcinelli: I’m enricosorcinelli on WP org and I’m currently co-organizing Rome Core Days event.

@juliarosia: I’ve been working nonstop on WordCamp US organizing – and it’s now just 1.5 weeks away!

Highlights to Note

Moving forward: new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments. Even commenting +1 or something short to these posts is really valuable and helpful!

 In case you missed them, here are the latest announcements and newsletters. Take your time to read them now, or save it for later. Make sure you catch up whenever you can!

Last but not least, it’s time to open the floor!

Is there anything you’d like to say or talk about? Did we miss something on our agenda today?

@_dorsvenabili I’d like to invite all Event and Program Supporters to help us with vetting Meetup applications, there is a long list right now and we need all the help as possible :pray::skin-tone-2:
https://github.com/orgs/WordPress/projects/176

@enricosorcinelli Feel free to add your feedback on the little ideas I proposed for the Five of the Future

@patricia70 is there any advancement or ideas about using a CRM (I’m not sure if I already mentioned during last month meeting) for the Community team, WordCamp organization? @Steve recommended one, that would allow easy follow up for everything related to emailing, and I believe was ready to help for implementation?

Call for volunteers

The Community Team Monthly Meetings happen on the first Thursday’s of every month. These meetings can be facilitated and run by any member of the community team, and is a great opportunity to engage with the rest of the community and team.

If you are interested in facilitating any of these meetings in the future, please feel free to comment or get in touch with any of the Community Team Reps.

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps:@lio, @st810amaze, @leogopal, or @nukaga.

#community-team, #meeting

Patricia BT 7:43 am on September 5, 2024
Tags: , , , community-team, , ,   

Update about the GatherPress project

We were invited to give regular updates about GatherPress.

Here are the significant advancements made by GatherPress since our initial proposal. GatherPress continues to evolve, thanks to the active participation and feedback from community members. Here’s a detailed overview of our progress.

Call for Feedback and status of the Proposal

We are actively seeking feedback from current MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. organizers. Your insights are invaluable in helping us refine GatherPress to better meet the needs of the WordPress community.

There are several ways to help:

  • You can test GatherPress right now using this Playground demo in your browser or test it on your own site installing the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party available in the plugin repository and provide your feedback in the comments below or in our main GatherPress GitHub repository.
  • If you are a Meetup organizer, you can start testing GatherPress by publishing your Meetup events in our Demo site joining the current WordPress Meetup groups that are already using this platform, helping us to test real cases. Read the home page here, fill the form to join the tests and provide your feedback on the same site or on our GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ repositories: For the plugin features on our main GatherPress repository, and for the Community integration, on the Gatherpress-WP-org-integration repository.
    We would like to know if it was easy or not for you to add a venue, an event, and your general feeling about the use of GatherPress. ideally we would like to have feedback from attendees as well, so feel free to share the form with your attendees.
  • If you are a member of the Community or MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. teams, please add feature requests and reply to questions for what is needed to create the integration between GatherPress and the WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ network (user accounts, user activity in profiles, email sending, group creation and management, etc) here on the Gatherpress-WP-org-integration GitHub repository.
  • You can spread the word about the tool, invite event organizers to join the tests, invite people to test the tool and send feedback, etc.

It’s only after GatherPress has proven its viability through your feedback that the Meta team can implement it on the .org network for the pilot program, as we proposed in January. Therefore, your input is crucial to ensure a successful integration. Please test and provide feedback before the end of September 2024.

Improvements

Since introducing GatherPress, we have focused on integrating features that enhance event management within WordPress. Our initial release has been well-received, and community feedback has been instrumental in guiding our development process. Based on user feedback, we have implemented several improvements:

  • We added OpenStreetMap to load the maps by default, Google Maps is still available as an option,
  • Customizable post type and taxonomyTaxonomy A taxonomy is a way to group things together. In WordPress, some common taxonomies are category, link, tag, or post format. https://codex.wordpress.org/Taxonomies#Default_Taxonomies. slugs with localized defaults,
  • Improvements to accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility),
  • Import and export events, venues and topics using WordPress’ native tools,
  • Now using WordPress Playground to:
    • Enable the “Live Preview” on .org/plugins
    • Instantly preview changes from a commented Playground-link on each PR
    • Automatically generate multilingual screenshots for .org/plugins
    • Run end-to-end tests
    • Curate and maintain a set of demo-data, that is re-used in all of those Playgrounds,
  • And more, all our released features can be seen in our main GitHub project.

GatherPress on the WordPress Plugin Repository

GatherPress is now available on the official WordPress Plugin Repository since the end of June. This makes it easier for users to discover, install, and update GatherPress directly from their WordPress dashboards. Additionally, you can test GatherPress using the Playground. We encourage you to try the plugin, and as always, your feedback is invaluable.

Translation Availability

GatherPress is now available for translation. We invite community members to contribute translations, making GatherPress accessible to a broader audience. Please share it with your Polyglots teams to organize translation sprints and to get it translated to as many languages as possible!

Thanks to all the polyglots around the world, who have already translated GatherPress into 8 languages!

WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. US Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/.

GatherPress will have a dedicated table at the upcoming WordCamp US Contributor Day (September 17, 2024). This is a fantastic opportunity to meet Mike and Mervin, discuss the project, provide feedback, and contribute to the development of GatherPress. We encourage you to join us and get involved. You can even join us remotely via a video call during the Contributor Day if you do not attend the WordCamp.

Involvement can happen in many ways, for example:

  • Contribution with tasks we have identified as important for our next version.
  • Small backlog tasks to help get your feet wet with the project.
  • Testing and identifying issues in the plugin and documenting them in a ticket to be prioritized in a future release of the plugin.
  • Helping test our code by contributing to unit tests (JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/. or PHPPHP PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php.) or end-to-end tests (playwright).
  • Work with the Meta team for the integration with the WordPress.org network.

Development Roadmap

Looking ahead, we have an exciting roadmap for GatherPress. Upcoming features include:

  • Recurring event management, 
  • BlockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. updates and improvements,
  • Email notification when event starts,
  • Event federation using ActivityPub,
  • New calendar block,
  • And more, all our planned features can be seen in our main GitHub project.

Furthermore, we are building addons to easily build integration with other plugins. 

We are also working to integrate GatherPress with the WordPress.org network, and are identifying the requirements with the Meta and Community teams before creating a full roadmap with dates for the integration and the start of the pilot program.

We are committed to continuous improvement and look forward to delivering these new capabilities.

Join the Team

We invite community members to join the GatherPress team. Whether you are a developer, designer, translator, community member or simply passionate about improving event management in WordPress, your contributions are welcome. Together, we can shape the future of GatherPress. You can join the GatherPress Slack or GitHub and participate in our weekly huddles on Fridays at 15:00 UTC (16:00 UTC from November to March). The upcoming huddles are always listed on the homepage of our website.

Get to know GatherPress and the Team

You can visit our blog and watch the interviews we gave, they are packed with information about GatherPress. To know more about who we are, you can have a look at the team page.

We are grateful for the community’s support and look forward to your continued involvement as we refine and expand GatherPress. Together, we are shaping the future of event management within the WordPress ecosystem.

For any queries or to provide direct feedback, please reach out to @mauteri or @patriciabt on WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/..

Thank you for your support!

The GatherPress Team

Written and reviewed by @patricia70, @mauteri, @carstenbach, @malgra from the GatherPress team, and reviewed by @_dorsvenabili, @nao, @peiraisotta.
Many thanks!

+make.wordpress.org/meta/

#meetups, #community-management, #community-events, #community-team, #learn, #meta, #meta-wordcamp

#meetups, #community-management, #community-events, #community-team, #learn, #meta, #meta-wordcamp

Junko Nukaga 6:40 am on September 4, 2024
Tags: community-team,   

Community Team Meeting Agenda for 5 – September -2024

The Community Team chat takes place the first Thursday of every month in the #community-team channel on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. 

This meeting is meant for all contributors on the team and everyone who is interested in taking part in some of the things our team does. Feel free to join us, even if you are not currently active in the team!

Asia-Pacific / EMEA friendly meeting: Thursday, [5 September] 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC
Americas friendly meeting: Thursday, [5 September] 2024 at 21:00 PM UTC

You will find a preliminary agenda for the meeting below. 

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga. It does not need to be a blog post yet, the topic can be discussed during the meeting nevertheless. We use the same agenda for both meetings.

Call for meeting host and notetaker
If anyone is available to host this month’s or next month’s Community Team meetings and/or write the recap notes , please reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga.

Check-ins: Program and Event Supporters / Contributors

  • What have you been doing and how is it going? 
  • What did you accomplish after the last meeting? 
  • Are there any blockers? 
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

Highlights to Note

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.

Open Posts

Check out these new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments.

Announcements / Newsletters

Open Floor

This is your chance to discuss things that weren’t on the meeting agenda. 

We invite you to use this opportunity to share anything that you want with the team. If you currently have a topic you’d like to discuss, add it to the comments of this post and we will try to update the agenda accordingly.

Hope to see you on Thursday, either in the Asia-Pacific / EMEA (12:00 UTC) or Americas-friendly version (21:00 UTC) of the meeting!#agenda, #meeting-agenda, #team, #team-chat, #team-meeting

#community-team, #meeting

Julia Golomb 9:30 pm on August 27, 2024
Tags: , community-team, ,   

Meetup Organizer Newsletter: August 2024

Schedule Your State of the WordState of the Word This is the annual report given by Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress at WordCamp US. It looks at what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and the future of WordPress. https://wordpress.tv/tag/state-of-the-word/. Watch Party, WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. US 2024, and more!

Hello WordPress MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. Organizers,

As the season winds down, we’re gearing up for an exciting season of WordPress events. This month’s newsletter is packed with tips and resources to help you make the most of your MeetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook., from scheduling a State of the Word watch party to harnessing the power of WordCamp US 2024. Let’s dive in!

Don’t Wait – Schedule Your State of the Word 2024 Watch Party Now!

Banner with red background and the words "State of the Word 2024."

State of the Word 2024 is happening on December 16 at 9:00 UTC, and it’s the perfect opportunity to bring your WordPress community together. This annual event is a cornerstone for the WordPress open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. project, offering a look back at the year’s milestones and a preview of what’s to come.

Why not turn this event into a community gathering? We encourage you to host a watch party for your local Meetup group. Whether you stream the event live or watch the recording together afterward, it’s an ideal chance to connect, discuss, and celebrate WordPress with your local community.

To make your event a success, we prepared a detailed State of the Word watch party guide with tips on planning, promoting, and hosting your watch party. This resource includes everything you need to create an engaging and well-attended event.

Don’t miss this chance to gather your community for an inspiring event. Schedule your watch party today!

Update Meetup Notification Settings To Receive Important Updates

It’s crucial for Meetup organizers to stay informed with the latest updates from WordPress. To ensure you receive important notifications from WordPress, take a moment to update your meetup.com account settings:

  1. Click on your circular ‘Profile’ button in the upper right-hand corner of meetup.com.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Choose Email Updates.
  4. Make sure the ‘Updates from Meetup Pro Networks’ toggle is ON.

This screenshot shows the steps:

Screenshot of meetup.com Settings page (email updates section)

Set the Tone in the First 5 Minutes of Your Event

The first five minutes of your Meetup are crucial for setting a welcoming and engaging atmosphere. Priya Parker, in her essay “The Magic of a Good Opening,” highlights the importance of a strong start. Here’s how you can apply these principles to your Meetup:

  • Welcome with Intention: Start with a warm and genuine greeting that acknowledges both new and returning members, making everyone feel valued.
  • Establish a Shared Purpose: Clearly articulate the Meetup’s purpose, whether it’s networking, learning, or collaboration. This aligns expectations and fosters community.
  • Break the Ice: Use a simple icebreaker to help attendees relax and connect. A question related to WordPress or the event’s theme can spark conversation.
  • Set Expectations: Outline the event structure briefly to help manage energy and keep the event on track.

By thoughtfully crafting these opening moments, you create a space where participants feel connected and excited to contribute. For more inspiration, check out Parker’s short essay. 

Harness WordCamp US 2024 Sessions for Your Meetup Group

WordCamp US 2024 is just around the corner, from September 17 to 20! Explore the WordCamp US 2024 schedule to find sessions that could inspire your Meetup members. All talks will be live-streamed and recorded, so even those who can’t attend in person can gather to watch and discuss the sessions together.

Additionally, consider organizing a Showcase Day inspired by WordCamp US, where local developers and designers can present their most inspiring projects. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate community talent and inspire others.

Meetups of the Month

Photo of 30 smiling and waving people on a sandy beach with palm trees in the background.
Malaga, Spain WordPress Meetup
Photo of a person holding a microphone
Taoyuan, Taiwan WordPress Meetup
10 people standing in a row posing for a photograph
Rabat, Morocco WordPress Meetup

Meetup Organizers, We Want to Feature You!

We love highlighting Meetups from around the world in our newsletters. Want your Meetup to be featured? Share a picture with the Community team! Rename your picture as “Meetup-name_event-date” and upload it here in jpg or png format. Remember to ask permission from your group members before taking and sharing photos.

A special thank you to our Global Sponsors: Bluehost, GoDaddy, Automattic, WPBeginner, and Woo!

💡Need Support or Guidance From the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community Team A group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps.?

If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. are here to help. Please email us at support@wordcamp.org or join the #community-events Slack channel. Thanks for everything you do to grow and support the WordPress community — let’s keep sharing knowledge and inspiring each other with our contributions!

See you online soon!

The following people contributed to this edition of the Meetup newsletter: @bjmcsherry, @devinmaeztri, @harishanker, and @juliarosia.

#community-team, #meetup-organizer-newsletter, #newsletter

Devin Maeztri 11:18 am on August 15, 2024
Tags: , community-team   

Announcement: Sunsetting North American Camera Kit Rental Program

Historically, our Camera Kit program has been essential to recording videos for WordPress.tv at minimal cost. Eight camera kits have been allocated in North America and eight in Europe.

Usage Statistics

The community’s interest in camera kits reflects their usage over the years. We can identify how frequently these kits have been utilized by examining the request data. As our in-person events resumed in 2022, we analyzed the requests from 2022 to the present.

North America

From 2022 to 2024, the request data shows limited utilization of the camera kits:

  • 2022: 1 request
  • 2023: 2 requests
  • 2024: 0 request

This represents a low number of requests, indicating a limited interest from the community.

Europe

The European kits, despite being newer and refurbished in late 2022, also reflect a limited number of requests:

  • 2022: 1 request
  • 2023: 5 requests
  • 2024: 1 request

While there was a slight increase in interest in 2023, the overall number of requests remains low, also suggesting a limited interest from the community.

Financial Expenditures

Maintaining, replacing, and shipping camera kits involves considerable expenditure annually. Here’s an overview of the financial details for both regions.

North America

The details regarding the initial purchase, ongoing maintenance, and shipping costs for North American kits are difficult to obtain due to the age and outdated nature of the equipment. However, the following points are worth noting:

  • The current state of the North American kits indicates a need for refurbishment if we want to continue the program.
  • Shipping and maintenance records are sparse, making it challenging to quantify the exact financial outlay over the years.

Europe

For European camera kits, more detailed financial records are available:

  • Refurbishment Costs (2022): €11,866
  • Shipping Costs (Nov 2022 — Present): $1,690.87

These figures clarify the ongoing investment required to keep the European kits operational and available for community events.

Current Locations and Management

The camera kits are located and managed to facilitate easy access and deployment:

  • North America:
    • Five camera kits are in America.
    • One kit was transferred to Europe in 2022.
    • Two kits are currently unaccounted for.
  • Europe:
    • All eight camera kits remain within Europe.
    • The exact current locations and the tracking record are managed by our Program ManagerProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule., Timi Wahalahti (@sippis).
    • Additionally, there is one kit that was received from North America, although its exact status, and whether it is the same kit sent in 2022 are unclear.

Analysis and Consideration for the Future

Given the current state of usage and financial investment in these camera kits, it is essential to consider the efficiency and impact of the program:

  • Decreased Demand: The data from 2022 to 2024 highlights a notable decline in requests for camera kits. This trend suggests reduced needs or interests from the community, raising questions about the continued viability of maintaining these kits.
  • Financial Burden: The ongoing costs for maintenance, refurbishment, and shipping are substantial, especially when weighed against the limited usage observed recently.
  • Outdated Equipment: Particularly in North America, the kits are outdated and likely in need of replacement or significant upgrades to meet current standards and expectations.
  • Storage Resources: Especially in North America, we are facing challenges in finding storage that can be easily accessed by event organizers.

Conclusion

The camera kits in North America and Europe have historically played a vital role in the WordPress event ecosystem. However, the declining usage and significant financial outlays necessitate reevaluating the program. The lack of efficiency and diminishing impact indicate that it may be time to consider closing the camera kit program or exploring alternative solutions to meet the community’s needs in a more cost-effective and impactful manner.

Moving forward, we announce the end of the North American Camera Kit program, we will update the relevant documentation, and continue the EU Camera Kit program and involve more contributors to manage the program. 

Thank you, @_dorsvenabili and @naokomc, for contributing to this post.

#camera-kits, #community-team
Julia Golomb 10:30 pm on July 29, 2024
Tags: , community-team, ,   

Meetup Organizer Newsletter: July 2024

Welcome to the July edition of the MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. Organizer Newsletter! This month, we explore how to create purpose-driven WordPress meetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. that engage and inspire your community. Additionally, we’ll share important updates from the Community Team, new learning pathways on Learn.WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/, and celebrate some vibrant meetups from around the world. Let’s get started!

Create Purpose-Driven WordPress Meetups

As WordPress meetup organizers, our goal is to create meaningful and engaging events. Priya Parker, author of “The Art of Gathering,” emphasizes that a successful event begins with a clear purpose. This purpose shapes the event’s structure, activities, and atmosphere. Without it, gatherings can feel aimless and fail to resonate with attendees. Inspired by Parker’s concept of a purpose-driven event, we can elevate our meetups by focusing on a clear and compelling purpose.

Apply This to WordPress Meetups

When planning your WordPress meetup, start by asking: What is the primary goal of this event? Is it to introduce new users to WordPress, deepen the skills of experienced developers, or foster networking within the local WordPress community? Identifying the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. purpose streamlines the planning process and ensures every element aligns with this goal.

Looking for a Purpose?

A key goal for WordPress events is to attract and engage first-time attendees. Reaching new users is crucial for the growth and sustainability of the WordPress project, aligning with the Big Picture Goals for 2024. Consider organizing some meetup events driven by the purpose of introducing new users to WordPress.

Communicate Your Purpose

Once you’ve identified the purpose, communicate it clearly to potential attendees. This attracts the right audience and sets expectations. For example:

  • Learning and Development: “Join us for a hands-on workshop focused on building custom themes with WordPress.”
  • Networking and Community Building: “Meet and mingle with local WordPress professionals at our summer social event.”
  • Knowledge Sharing: “Hear from industry experts on the latest WordPress trends and technologies.”

Design with Purpose in Mind

Every aspect of your meetup should reflect its purpose. If the goal is education, ensure you have knowledgeable speakers and interactive sessions. For a networking-focused event, prioritize activities that encourage interaction and connection. Aligning the event’s design with its purpose creates a cohesive and impactful experience for attendees.

After the event, gather feedback to assess whether the purpose was effectively communicated and achieved. Use this feedback to refine future meetups, continually enhancing their relevance and value.

Key Takeaways

Incorporating Priya Parker’s concept of a purpose-driven event into your WordPress meetups can transform them from ordinary gatherings into impactful, memorable experiences that provide clear value to attendees. By clearly identifying, communicating, and designing around a central purpose, you’ll foster an engaged and satisfied community, with attendees who are excited to return for future meetup events and help spread word about upcoming events.

Remember, a well-defined purpose is the cornerstone of a successful event. Happy organizing!

Announcement: Reactivating or Removing Dormant Meetup Groups

Throughout July, the Community Team is working to reactivate WordPress Meetups. The team shared an update on the progress, including context behind the messages sent via Meetup.com and next steps. Most importantly, please review this list of Meetup groups pending deletion from the chapter program and notify the Community Team of any errors. Read the full update on Make/Community.

Learning Pathway for Intermediate WordPress Users Now Available on Learn.WordPress.org

We’re excited to announce that the Learning Pathway for Intermediate WordPress Users is now live on Learn.WordPress.org! This comprehensive learning pathway will help Meetup organizers support community members who are familiar with WordPress and looking to deepen their skills.

The following learning pathways were also recently published:

The Make WordPress Training Team is dedicated to creating learning pathways for all skill levels, from beginner through expert, and for users, developers, and designers alike. Learn more about this initiative in this post.

Learn WordPress Course Cohort

The WordPress Training Team recently concluded its second Learn WordPress Course Cohort: a six week facilitated learning experience focused on a course on Learn WordPress.

The goals of a Course Cohort are similar to those of Learn WordPress Online Workshops. The key difference? Course Cohorts are held across consecutive sessions, while Online Workshops are generally one-off sessions.

Want to participate in a future Course Cohort? Follow updates from the Training Team!

Meetups of the Month

This month, we celebrate the WordPress Meetup groups of Tegal (Indonesia) and Rabat (Morocco).

Tegal, Indonesia WordPress Meetup
Rabat, Morocco WordPress Meetup

Meetup Organizers, we want to feature you!

We’d love to publish pictures from Meetups all around the world in each newsletter. Do you want your Meetup to be featured? Share 1 picture with the Community team! Rename your picture as “Meetup-name_event-date” and upload it to this folder. The formats supported are jpg and png. Please remember, always ask for permission from your group members before taking the picture and sharing it with us!

A special thank you to our Global Sponsors: Bluehost, GoDaddy, Automattic, WPBeginner, and Woo!

If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. are here to help. Please email us at support@wordcamp.org or join the #community-events Slack channel. Thanks for everything you do to grow and support the WordPress community—let’s keep sharing knowledge and inspiring each other with our contributions!

See you online soon!

The following people contributed to this edition of the Meetup newsletter: @juliarosia, @bjmcsherry, @courtneypk, @piyopiyofox

#community-team, #meetup-organizer-newsletter, #newsletter

Junko Nukaga 3:30 am on July 16, 2024
Tags: community-team   

Community Team Event Updates Published

Community team updates were posted in Team Updates.
https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2024/07/16/community-team-event-updates-july-16-2024/

I believe we can improve more on these numbers and the way we post them in the future. (Several comments were received on the draft Google docs, some of which could not be reflected.)
I have set up a GitHub issue for the next release, so if you have suggestions for improvement, please comment.

Thanks to everyone who helped out!
@nao @peiraisotta @_dorsvenabili @webtechpooja @unintended8 @devinmaeztri

#community-team

alexcu21 5:09 pm on July 8, 2024
Tags: Community Team Meeting, community-team   

Community Team July Meeting Recap

Attendance: @peiraissota, @matteoenna, @zinanga, @yogesh, @ciudadanob, @lucas, @patriciabt, @Lidia Marbán, @Devin(she/her), @nukaga, @gmrafi, @chaion07, @nhrrob, @aion, @Muhibul Haque, @alexcu21, @askdesign, @Taco Verdo (Yoast), @sumitsingh

Notes: 

This recap is a summary of the Community Team monthly meeting. It will cover the discussion points, ideas, and decisions that came up during the meeting. The aim of this recap is to provide a quick overview for those who were unable to attend as well as an overview for everyone. These meetings were based on the Agenda for July and are held in our #community-team SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel on Make WordPress.

You can find the meeting chat log here:

Please leave your comments if you have any feedback. 

Additionally, each agenda item discussed may have its own Make post related to its topic with more information and you can add to the discussion directly to that post.

Chat Summary

Here are some discussion points from the meeting.

Reactivating Inactive MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. Groups

There are some community members helping with reactivation in some cities like: Karachi, Pakistan, Buenos Aires, Argentina. This month we are reactivating 370 inactive meetup groups around the globe. Also, there are some shared experiences in how to help to tackle challenges on the existing groups.

First time attendees post

The team recently published this post: First time attendees a key measure of success for WordPress events is the percentage of first-time attendees.

WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program Q4 2024

A call for interest has been published here

Addressing overlapping projects

Addressing Overlapping Initiatives and Improving Collaboration Across Teams – An in-person meeting during WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Europe was convened to address the overlapping initiatives among various WordPress contributor groups and explore ways to enhance collaboration and streamline efforts.

Events Financial summaries


The Events of the Month – March & April 2024 report has been published with the event financial summaries.

Ongoing Discussion needing feedback.

  1. Join the conversation about event sponsorship, and leave feedback about the Proposal for a Unified Sponsorship Initiative before July 10.
  2. Don’t miss the Proposal to integrate Slack workspaces from local WP Communities into Slack Enterprise Grid, and share feedback before July 12.

Meetup organizer newsletter

Meetup Organizer Newsletter: June 2024.

Community team meetings

A doubt was raised by community team members about the number of sessions per meeting. While other teams have only one session per meeting, they asked if the community team should also switch to one session each month instead of our traditional two sessions. 

Some attendees agreed, if the meeting is running asynchronously, one session is ok.

WordCamp Websites SEO 

@Taco Verdo brought a topic to the table:

“Something I’d like to bring to the attention is that our WordCamp websites need love, from an online marketing/SEO perspective. Old WordCamp websites are outranking current/upcoming WordCamps, WordCamp pages shared on social media don’t have proper descriptions/images, and quite a few more issues. Unfortunately, this is not a new problem, but I feel it’s important that we keep repeating the pain.” 

According to some attendees, this is something that requires attention in order to improve SEO in events sites.

Next Meeting

Community Team Meetings are held the first Thursday of every month. There are two meetings to support different time zones. The meetings will take place on #community-team on Slack.

Call for Meeting Facilitators

The Community Team Monthly Meetings happen on the first Thursday of every month. These meetings can be facilitated and run by any member of the community team, and is a great opportunity to engage with the rest of the community and team.

If you are interested in facilitating any of these meetings in the future, please feel free to comment or get in touch with any of the Community Team Reps.


If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps:@peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga. 

#community-team-meeting, #community-team

Patricia BT 7:56 am on June 28, 2024
Tags: , community-team, international-communities,   

Proposal to integrate Slack workspaces from local WP Communities into Slack Enterprise Grid

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance communication and collaboration among our local WordPress communities, we propose that WordPress Community SupportWordPress Community Support WordPress Community Support PBC is a Public Benefit Corporation, created specifically to be the financial and legal support for WordCamps, WordPress Meetup groups, and any additional “official” events organized within the WordPress Community Events program. considers adopting our local communities, currently on free SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. plans, into a consolidated Enterprise Grid plan. More information: An introduction to Slack Enterprise Grid and Guide to the Enterprise Grid admin dashboard.

In alignment with @Matt Mullenweg’s proposal at the State of the WordState of the Word This is the annual report given by Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress at WordCamp US. It looks at what we’ve done, what we’re doing, and the future of WordPress. https://wordpress.tv/tag/state-of-the-word/. 2023, where he suggested adopting a few polyglot channels by saying about free Slack spaces for local communities: “you shouldn’t need to do that”, this initiative to transition to an Enterprise Grid could be seen as an extension of that vision. By consolidating our Slack workspaces, we not only enhance our ability to support multilingual communication but also significantly broaden the scope for cross-community interactions. This proactive step would further integrate diverse voices and expertise into our global WordPress community, supporting our collective growth. 

It follows a post in December 2023 by @tobifjellner on the Polyglots P2P2 P2 or O2 is the term people use to refer to the Make WordPress blog. It can be found at https://make.wordpress.org/. How can we best handle local channels in WordPress global Slack? and a comment by @mkismy suggesting the Enterprise Grid. It was also mentioned in a Community Team meeting in May 2024, suggesting this proposal. It also follows the pause in the transition to Matrix, see the related post by @akirk.

It’s important to note that many of our local WordPress communities currently operate on free Slack plans. The list of known communication platforms for local communication can be seen here: Local Slack Teams.

These communities, which are pivotal in promoting WordPress and offering support at a local level, are indeed especially important for Polyglots but not only: Support, Community event organization and many more conversations happen in those Slack workspaces. Local communities face significant limitations in terms of message history and integration capabilities under the free plan model, with access to the conversations limited to 90 days. As Slack moves towards deleting older than 1 year historical data for free accounts, our community’s valuable discussions and resources risk being lost. Transitioning to an Enterprise Grid plan would safeguard our archives and enhance our operational capacities, ensuring that every local community has the tools they need to thrive.

Key Benefits of Moving to Slack Enterprise Grid:

  1. Data Continuity and Access: By migrating to Enterprise Grid, we can ensure that all historical data — including messages, files, and customizations — is preserved. This is critical as Slack’s upcoming policy change will delete older than 1-year history for free workspaces starting 26 August​ 2024.
  2. Enhanced Security and Compliance: Enterprise Grid offers advanced security features, compliance settings, and administrative capabilities that are not available in free Slack plans. These include SAML-based single sign-on, and comprehensive user and channel management​.
  3. Improved Collaboration Across Workspaces: Enterprise Grid allows for better integration across different workspaces. This is especially beneficial for communities that are segmented by region or interest group, facilitating smoother communication and resource sharing across the entire network​. 

Implementation Considerations:

  • Timeline: The transition should ideally be completed before 25 August 2024 to avoid any disruption caused by the deletion of message history for free plans. However, we understand that this deadline is short and even if it is not feasible in that timeframe, this proposal is still valid, with the workspaces recovery of 1 year of historical conversations.
  • Community Feedback and Support: It is crucial to involve community leaders and members, as well as free local Slack “owners”, in this transition process to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed.
  • User accounts: Address the concern of user accounts as people might already have accounts in several of those Slack workspaces. See with Slack if some sort of consolidation and merging user accounts are possible without losing user history in all the workspaces they belong to.
  • This change would hugely benefit the communication within the community, but it doesn’t solve all problems. For example, Slack refuses users and domains linked to certain locations, like Iran, Russia, etc.
  • Slack being a third-party proprietary application, we need to take into consideration these concerns, and talk with them about data ownership: Slack’s use of traditional machine learning models. If we move to an open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. solution at a later date, with this proposal we will at least have consolidated the existing Slack workspaces.

Call to Action:

Let’s consider this proposal and provide feedback on the feasibility of this transition, and if this is possible before 25 August 2024, in the comments below before July 12, 2024 for collaborative decision-making. 

This proposal has been written by @patricia70 and reviewed by @markhowellsmead, @mazzomaz, @mielbu and @tobifjellner

The draft was submitted for feedback to other community members as well, with participation/OK from:
@estelaris, @francescodicandia, @kcristiano, @mkismy, @nilovelez, @nukaga, @sippis, @zzap

+make.wordpress.org/polyglots/

#community-management, #community-team, #international-communities, #proposal