Proposal: Recognition for event volunteers and attendees in WordPress.org profile

About two years ago Meta Trac ticket (note: please don’t continue in that ticket, this 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/. is the more correct place for it) was opened about adding a 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. volunteer and attendee badges to 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/ profiles. A few weeks ago Taco did bring it back to the discussion and I promised to write a proposal to move this forward.

Profile badges are graphics that do show users contributions towards WordPress project.

It is suggested that we should:

  • Give a badge for WordCamp volunteers
  • Give a badge for WordCamp attendees
  • Give a badge for 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. attendees

Let’s dive into each badge for a second.

WordCamp volunteers

Technically giving a badge for WordCamp volunteers is probably the most easiest of the badges to give automatically. In coordination with WordCamp 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. team, we could find a way to track all volunteers and their WordPress.org usernames as we do for organisers and speakers too.

It’s also almost unarguable that WordCamp volunteers are contributing to the project, so they should get a badge. In 2017 there was a conversation about recognising volunteers in WordCamp websites, that ended up in conclusion that we should do that. At that time the discussion didn’t consider profile badges and as an end result using Admin Flags functionality was suggested.

WordCamp Attendees

This is technically more harder to do, because we don’t ask WordPress.org usernames when attendees purchase a ticket.

Sure we could add a field and ask that, but then comes the question when badge should be added to profile. When a ticket is purchased? Then what happens if that ticket changes owner, is refunded or attendee doesn’t show up. If we add the badge after attendee has marked as attended in Camptix, not all would get a badge because not all WordCamps do use the functionality to mark attendance.

It’s also arguable whether attending to WordCamp is actually contributing to the project and something from which they should get a badge.

In the Trac ticket @andreamiddleton pointed out that in 2014 WordCamp San Francisco worked out a way display event registration and attendance on the activity log. She suggested that we recognise attendees in that way instead of giving badges.

Meetup attendees

Technically this is the hardest thing to achieve, because 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. live totally their own lives in Meetup.com and don’t have strong connection to WordCamp.org or WordPress.org systems. We don’t have a way to link Meetup.com profile to WordPress.org username for giving them a badge. Surely it can probably be done if team invests a lot of time on developing this feature.

The same discussion as with WordCamp attendees on their level of contribution to the project also applies to Meetup attendees.

The proposal

I’m proposing:

Badge for WordCamp volunteers

We should create a new badge for WordCamp volunteers and recognise them the same way as we do for organisers and speakers. Technical aspects need to be decided with WordCamp Meta team, but I’d create a new post type and re-use same functionalities that are used for organisers and speakers.

Log note for WordCamp attendees

We should start asking WordPress.org username during ticket purchase with an optional field in preparations to recognising WordCamp attendees.

I’m in favour of Andrea’s suggestion on showing the attendance on profile log instead of giving them a badge. Log note could be added after the WordCamp, in case the ticket changes owner on the first event day. Logic could be that everyone with a ticket does get the note unless there are at least a certain amount of attendees marked as attended when log note would be added only to those attendees.

What about Meetups and other event formats?

For Meetup and our other event format attendees, I would say it’s a too low-level contribution towards the WordPress project and technically too complicated to implement. Hopefully we can start recognising them at some point, but not for now.

Feedback

Read the original proposal and discussion on Meta Track ticket, there are good arguments and points. Note: please don’t continue in that ticket, this P2 is the more correct place for it.

Please share your feedback on the topic and especially on:

  • Should WordCamp volunteers get a badge?
  • Should WordCamp attendees get a badge or a note in their log?
  • What things do we need to take into consideration in these cases?

Share your thoughts before 2020-08-13.

#attendees, #meetups-2, #recognition, #volunteers, #wordcamps #meetups

Standardized Tags for the Community SupportPress Queue

It’s time we standardized the tags we use to triage the SupportPress queue for 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. and 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. activities — especially since we’re going to have a lot more volunteers helping out soon!

This is my first pass at a list of standard tags that 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. can use to classify emails/inquiries that come in to SupportPress. Deputies/volunteers, please suggest additional tags and/or edits to these tags. I’m sure I’m missing at least one something! 😉

meetup application
WordCamp application
budget review request
site issue
payment request
swag request
general question
venue contract
sponsor question
speaker question
debrief
sensitive (for issues that require confidentiality)
all deputies’ names (in the case of an ongoing conversation between a community member and a certain deputyProgram 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.)

#deputies, #community-management, #volunteers

New Volunteers: Plan

Since we put out the call for more help (and more help with a time commitment, we have had a great response. We’re still responding to people (so if you volunteered but aren’t in this post, don’t worry you’re next!), but would like to start training new folks this week if possible. Here’s where we are at.

Donated by employers:

  • Aditya Kane will now be contributing 40 hours a month or about 10 hours per week as part of his regular job with rtCamp.
  • Jenny Wong will be contributing 8 hours per week courtesy of Human Made.
  • Andy Christian will now be contributing 5 hours per week from Automattic.
  • Drew Jaynes will contribute 2 hrs per week. He’s now contributed part-time to community work from 10up, but will be balancing docs and other stuff to start, so the 2 hours is dedicated to this team specifically.

Committing their personal time:

  • Birgit Pauli-Haack will contribute 2 hours per week.
  • Alexander Gounder will contribute 2 hours per week.
  • Rich Robinkoff will contribute 2-4 hours per week.
  • Peter Nemcok will contribute 2 hours per week.

The training/ramp-up plan:
1. Get everyone set up in supportpress and as authors on this blog.
2. Screencast a typical supportpress triage, and write up instructions on how to tag things, using predefined replies, etc. Have new volunteers review.
3. Instead of trying to span the entire world in time zones with more group training, pair up each new volunteer with an experienced deputyProgram 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. to have them shadow (via screenshare type hangout) for a bit, then reverse and have the deputy shadow them as they take a stab at supportpress triage.
4. Once comfortable with supportpress triage, follow same process with vetting organizer applications.
5. Once comfortable with vetting, train on additional tasks as appropriate (conducting organizer orientation hangouts, sending WC/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. swag, helping with things like budget reviews, doing site reviews, approving organizers, etc.) depending on interests, greatest area of value, and greatest need.
6. Have the new volunteers (who by now should be fairly seasoned) start training the next crop of volunteers. 🙂

New volunteers listed above: we’ll be setting up your access this week and posting some basic instructions for you to look over, and then one of the current 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. will reach out to set up a time with you to get your training going (Deputies: we’ll go over what to cover before you start with them).

  • Drew Jaynes will be trained by Brandon Dove.
  • Rich Robinkoff will be trained by Kevin Cristiano.
  • Birgit Pauli-Haack will be trained by Andrea Middleton.
  • Alexander Gounder will be trained by Aditya Kane.
  • Andy Christian will be trained by Jen Mylo.
  • Jenny Wong will get a crash course in setting up 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 Petya at WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event., and then will be trained by Josepha Haden.
  • Peter Nemcok will be trained by Josepha after WCEU as well.

Also: Existing deputies have been supporting WC organizers and applications but not meetups, so Josepha and I will be training them all on getting people into the meetup program as well.

For people who were interested in volunteering (who commented on a recent post to that effect) but couldn’t make one of the two orientations, we’ll be setting up another round in a week or so. We still want you! 🙂 Just need to add people gradually so we don’t overburden the current deputies with training responsibilities. Thanks for your patience. 🙂

#deputies, #community-management, #volunteers

Designers for Community Stuff

I know, I know, so many posts. I would apologize, but come on, isn’t exciting to see a bunch of stuff starting to happen? 🙂

I should have added in the post about volunteers/paid volunteers that we desperately need design help as well. If you’re a designer who wants to get involved (working on design stuff for the team overall and/or helping local communities that don’t have a strong designer on their event team), let me know! Same deal, a little or a lot, every bit helps.

#community-management, #design, #volunteers

Speaking of new I’d like to build out…

Speaking of new, I’d like to build out a few more volunteer groups around/within this group:

  • a volunteer or group of volunteers who can help with 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. video follow-up; which is to say, someone who can help organizers remember to and prioritized posting video to WordPress.tv
  • a group of volunteers who would be willing to help/support @myroseapple with providing occasional post-production for WordCamp videos

I wonder if @myroseapple would be willing to head up coordination of the post-production group? and I wonder if anyone here is interested in doing the oh-so-gentle nagging job, or if I should recruit from the group of people who have already expressed interest in moderating/volunteering for wp.tv work.

Please share your thoughts! 🙂

#volunteers, #wordpress-tv