Welcome to the official blog of the community/outreach team for the WordPress open sourceOpen SourceOpen 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!
This team oversees official events, mentorship programs, diversity initiatives, contributor outreach, and other ways of growing our community.
If you love WordPress and want to help us do these things, join in!
Getting Involved
We use this blog for policy debates, project announcements, and status reports. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to comment on posts and join the discussion.
You can learn about our current activities on the Team Projects page. These projects are suitable for everyone from newcomers to WordPress community elders.
You can use our contact form to volunteer for one of our projects.
Communication
We have Office HoursOffice HoursDefined 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. four times a week in the #community-events channel on Slack: Mondays & Wednesdays 22:00 UTC, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 UTC.
Events WidgetWidgetA WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user.
To fulfill WordPress’s mission to democratize publishing, the Community team seeks to actively reduce barriers to current and future participation, engagement, and sense of belonging in WordPress events.
People who experience marginalization in broader society are more likely to experience barriers to full participation in their WordPress community. As community contributors, we have the ability and responsibility to actively counteract these forces to build a thriving, inclusive community.
The WordPress community is diverse and global. The power of open sourceOpen SourceOpen 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. is that anyone can contribute from anywhere at any time, regardless of their background.
The more diverse our community is, the stronger it becomes. With different perspectives come new innovations, ideas, and solutions. This results in better user experiences for all, from bloggers setting up sites to organizers and attendees of our in-person community events.
Inclusive environments don’t happen overnight – or without effort. As our community grows, so have ideas and efforts to help welcome more diverse voices into the fold.
WPDiversity Programs
#WPDiversity programs are designed to empower WordPress community members with skills and resources to organize and contribute to diverse and inclusive WordPress events. This proposal offers a pathway to introduce all WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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 meetupMeetupMeetup 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 to #WPDiversity programs, with the aim of helping to strengthen their events from inception.
By proactively sharing information about these programs and an invitation to participate with new and existing event organizers, we can shape a culture in which awareness of and action toward diversity and inclusion are embedded in events from the planning outset.
Proposal
Existing WordCamp and Meetup Organizers
All WordCamp and meetup organizers would receive an email inviting and encouraging them to take the following actions in preparation for their upcoming or ongoing WordPress events:
Participate in the Allyship training (interactive video watch party or watch the prerecorded video on their own);
Organize an Allyship and/or Diverse Speaker training for their local community, or invite their community to join one of the regularly-scheduled global trainings.
Join the #DiverseSpeakerSupportSlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel, participate in the channel discussions, and share their event’s calls for organizers and speakers; and request that their Speaker WranglerWranglerSomeone, usually a person part of event organizing team, who looks after certain things like budget or sponsors. do the same.
New WordCamp and Meetup Organizers
All new WordCamp and meetup organizers would automatically receive the invitation described above as they are onboarded.
All WordCamp and Meetup Organizers
Further, all event organizers would be required to:
Read handbook pages that cover key concepts and practices for creating a welcoming and inclusive event;
Demonstrate comprehension through the completion of a quiz.
In February, #WPDiversity held a speaker workshop for Switzerland and a SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. conversation in the Allyship for WP Event organizers program.
February 2022
Switzerland – Underrepresented Voices: Confidence and Topics for Speaking at WordCamps, February 10, 2022
In our 3-month Allyship program, we hold support chats in the WordPress Slack #community-events channel in months 2 and 3. This was our month 3 chat.
We invite the current and previous cohorts to attend (cohorts 1 and 2).
Number who attended: 11
From number of cities: 10
From number of countries: 5 (Canada, England, Luxembourg, Philippines, and United States)
diverse-speaker-support channel
We have set up a brand-new Slack channel in the Make WordPress Slack for:
networking
workshopping talks with each other and with mentorsMentorSomeone 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.
finding out about WordPress speaking opportunities from WordPress MeetupsMeetupMeetup 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. and WordCamps
Number of past #WPDiversity Workshop participants who joined in February: 5
Thank you
A lot of people contribute to making these workshops successful. Thank you to each and every one!
Upcoming:
Love this? Come attend a workshop!
Watch https://make.wordpress.org/community/tag/wpdiversityworkshops/ for our next workshop announcement for April soon.If you are holding WordPress Meetups or are holding a WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. this year, we would like to help you be welcoming diversity stewards. Please get in touch with @jillbinder on the WordPress Slack and we will arrange #WPDiversity workshops for you.
Welcome to the March 2022 edition of the MeetupMeetupMeetup 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. We sincerely hope all our community members in Ukraine are safe and sound. WordPress Co-Founder Matt Mullenweg shared his thoughts on Ukraine, community and WordPress in the 26th episode of WP Briefing.
To learn about the latest news and resources from the WordPress community, keep reading this month’s edition and don’t forget to share the updates with your local meetup groups! For more news from the WordPress community, check out the latest Month in WordPress.
Here’s what’s inside this issue:
WordPress 6.0
Contribute to WordPress
A blog for developers
WordPress events
🎷 WordPress 6.0 set to release on May 24, 2022
The release schedule for WordPress 6.0, the second major releaseMajor ReleaseA set of releases or versions having the same major version number may be collectively referred to as “X.Y” -- for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, and all other versions in the 5.2. (five dot two dot) branch of that software. Major Releases often are the introduction of new major features and functionality. of 2022, has been published. As an iteration over the Go/No Go demos, WordPress leads will host a live-streamed walkthrough of features slated for the release on April 5, 2022. Follow the schedule to keep up with key dates in the next major WordPress release, and keep your local community in the loopLoopThe Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop.!
The #WPDiversity working group is looking for volunteers, and it’s not too late to sign up. Check out this recap of the latest volunteers meeting to see the available roles. Spread the word in your local community, and if you’re interested in joining the group yourself, go ahead and apply!
Interested in widening your pool of Meetup and WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. speakers from underrepresented groups? Join the #diverse-speaker-support channel on the Make WordPress Slack.
💻 Proposal for a new blog for developers
Birgit Pauli-Haack published a proposal to start a blog on developer.wordpress.orgWordPress.orgThe 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/ to share news and updates relevant to developers. Read the proposal and share your thoughts and ideas for improvements by March 18, 2022.
🌍 What’s happening with WordPress events?
We’d like to thank our global community sponsors for 2022 who make WordPress events possible! 2022 has many exciting WordPress events, both in person and online. As always, we strongly urge you to follow the mandatory safety guidelines and also learn about the legal protections available to you for in-person events.
🎪 WordCamps on the horizon
We have plenty of WordCamps taking place this year. Below are some of the WordCamps coming up soon—feel free to attend or share them with your meetup groups!
🇨🇭 WordCamp Genève, Switzerland on April 9, 2022 (in person)
🇬🇷WordCamp Athens, Greece between April 9 and 10, 2022 (in person)
🇦🇹 WordCamp Vienna, Austria from April 23 to 24, 2022 (in person)
🇪🇺 WordCamp Europe in Porto, Portugal from June 2 to 4, 2022 (in person)
🇺🇸 WordCamp US in San Diego, California from September 9 to 11, 2022 (in person)
💛 Upcoming WordPress meetupsMeetupMeetup 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.
Check out the WordPress meetups coming up in March:
If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesDeputyCommunity Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy 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!
Now with more people responsible for more areas of our work, we tried out a “pass the mic” style of meeting. Each person gave an update and we all had many great discussions and ideas.
On March 3 the Community Team met on SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. to share wins and struggles, updates from contributors, and discuss team members’ latest highlights.
As usual, two sessions were held on the same day to enable participation across time zones.
Below is a synopsis of the two discussions.
Diversity and Inclusion
Challenges
The WordPress community should strive for age diversity and inclusion for both older and younger people.
Additionally, we must consider financial diversity. Cost is a significant barrier to WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. attendance.
The pandemic has caused us to quickly backtrack around diversity and community engagement. It’s harder to find organizers, volunteers, and speakers at this time. This challenge adds an extra level of stress for teams, who may in turn overlook and deprioritize diversity efforts. As community contributors, we must continue working hard and remain committed to diversity and inclusion.
Suggestions
Update the Community Inclusion Initiatives page
Consider updating the Community Inclusion Initiatives WordCamp Handbook page to include “commercial” diversity initiatives (such as the Yoast Diversity Fund, which aims to increase the diversity of speaker lineups at tech conferences; and Underrepresented in Tech, which highlights speakers from underrepresented groups). In so doing, clearly indicate which are Make Community Team initiatives and which are external diversity initiatives. For any external initiatives, DeputiesDeputyCommunity Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy Handbook. could conduct light vetting to ensure that they align with our community programs and expectations. It would be beneficial to establish a clear process to add resources in the future.
This discussion concluded with the following proposal:
Create a very light form to submit commercial diversity initiatives for inclusion on the page (link, point of contact, purpose of the initiative, description of how it’s operated). Only list free resources or things that people can apply to (like the Yoast Diversity Fund).
Make #WPDiversity training mandatory for WordPress event organizers
There is significant opportunity to increase new and returning WordPress event organizers’ awareness of and engagement with #WPDiversity offerings (Allyship training, Diverse Speaker training, and Diverse Speaker Support Program). Some meeting participants suggested that diversity training should be mandatory for event organizers.
Participants raised the following considerations:
When it was created in 2017, the #WPDiversity program’s original aim was to raise awareness and provide training to those who seek it. But the WordPress community has changed and matured in the five years since then, and there is value in providing diversity and inclusion training for event organizers who wouldn’t actively seek it.
If the WordPress community decides to make #WPDiversity training mandatory for organizers, this will require logistical thinking to accommodate increased training frequency and audience-sizes.
This could be done in partnership with the Learn team.
There is great opportunity to harness the momentum of the community’s current diversity discussions. Start with what we can do now, and then work towards a full vision at a later stage: “Something now is better than perfect later.”
During onboarding, Community DeputiesDeputyCommunity Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy Handbook. read through sections of the community handbook and then take short tests. We could similarly integrate #WPDiversity into event organizer training, with high-level subject matter that directs organizers to additional resources to learn more.
We all appreciate and support the idea, and here below are a few thoughts about it:
Audiovisual professionals in the community could help us to understand what’s needed and which kit could best serve our scope.
It would be useful to have a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the kit so organizers feel more comfortable.
We could add the above-mentioned tutorial to the DeputyDeputyCommunity Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy Handbook. and MentorMentorSomeone 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. training so they feel comfortable in assisting event organizers.
Global Sponsorship
Many meetupMeetupMeetup 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 don’t know that they can reach out to global sponsors and ask for in-kind donations. We should find a way to better communicate this.
Community members often have a hard time understanding the distinction between WordPress.comWordPress.comAn online implementation of WordPress code that lets you immediately access a new WordPress environment to publish your content. WordPress.com is a private company owned by Automattic that hosts the largest multisite in the world. This is arguably the best place to start blogging if you have never touched WordPress before. https://wordpress.com/ and WordPress.orgWordPress.orgThe 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/. Having WordPress.com as a 2022 Global Sponsor could further add to this confusion.
Roles available (interested? descriptions in slides above ^ )
Diverse Speaker Workshops:
Workshop volunteer — background support
Workshop volunteer — front-end
Workshop facilitator
Workshop coordinators team
Translator
Diverse Speaker Support program:
Speaker MentorMentorSomeone 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.
Speaker Mentor Coordinator
Allyship for WordPress Event Organizers program:
Workshop volunteer — background support
Workshop volunteer — front-end
Workshop facilitator
General:
WP Events Coordination Team
New volunteer greeter
Workshop facilitator
Document editor
Meeting Attendees
Specialty
APAC team
WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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 reps
It’s hard to believe that we’re just two months into this year. Nevertheless, we have some exciting stuff to share in the February 2022 edition of the monthly MeetupMeetupMeetup 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.
Last month marked a significant milestone for WordPress, not only because of the release of WordPress 5.9. As WordPress Co-Founder Matt Mullenweg announced at last year’s State of the WordState of the WordThis 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/., WordPress News also got a new look—be sure to check out the new design tomorrow (February 16, 2022), when it goes live!
Here’s what’s inside this issue:
New guidelines for in-person WordPress events
Diversity in WordPress
WordPress 5.9 Joséphine
WordPress events
Keep reading to learn about the latest news and resources from the WordPress community, and share them with your local meetup groups!
✅ Follow the latest safety guidelines for in-person WordPress events
Following the recent proposal for updated safety measures for WordPress events in 2022, we’ve announced new safety measures for in-person WordCamps and meetupsMeetupMeetup 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..
If your local guidelines allow in-person events, you can still host meetups. However, to ensure the safety of the community, we require you to fulfill the safety checklist for in-person WordPress. For more information, read the mandatory safety guidelines published recently.
If you’re comfortable sharing your experience, we want to hear from you. Please share your story by commenting on this post.
✊ Join the Diverse Speaker Training volunteers meeting
There’s an open invitation for the Diverse Speaker Training zoom call for volunteers that will be held on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, between 5 pm and 6 pm UTC. Join the meeting to learn more about #WPDiversity and how you can contribute to creating a diverse and inclusive WordPress community.
Interested in widening your pool of Meetup and WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. speakers from underrepresented groups? Join the #diverse-speaker-support channel on the Make WordPress SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/..
🎷 WordPress 5.9 Joséphine released on January 25, 2022
Keeping with WordPress tradition, WordPress 5.9 Joséphine was named in honor of the acclaimed jazz singer Joséphine Baker. This much-awaited release holds many exciting updates, such as the introduction of blockBlockBlock 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. themes which makes full site editing a reality. For more information, read the WordPress 5.9 Field Guide and check out the talking points for WordPress 5.9!
Download WordPress 5.9 and organize an event to help spread the word among your meetup groups!
🌍 What’s happening with WordPress events?
2022 has many exciting WordPress events, both in person and online. As always, we strongly urge you to follow the mandatory safety guidelines and also learn about the legal protections available to you for in-person events.
🎪 WordCamps on the horizon
We have plenty of WordCamps taking place this year. Below are some of the WordCamps coming up soon—feel free to attend or share them with your meetup groups!
🇨🇿 WordCamp Prague, Czech Republic on February 26, 2022 (in person)
🇨🇭 WordCamp Genève, Switzerland on April 9, 2022 (in person)
[WordPress NYC] Going GutenbergGutenbergThe Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ 01: Should You Rebuild or Refactor? (English)
And that’s a wrap! For more news from the WordPress community, check out the latest Month in WordPress.
If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesDeputyCommunity Deputies are a team of people all over the world who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and generally keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about deputies in our Community Deputy 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!
Our upcoming events. We could use volunteers and mentorsMentorSomeone 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.:
Agenda – Past: Our impact since launching in 2017 – Now: The 3 diversity programs that we are working on now – You: Opportunities for current and new volunteers / contributors – Discussion: Open floor to chat about ideas for our programs, things you are inspired to lead or contribute, etc.
Diverse Speaker Support channel
Team SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. chat with @kcrockett on Feb 10 @ 6pm-6:30pm ET about the Community Manager role
After we have a Community Manager in place, then we are going to start looking for Speaker Mentors, and a Speaker MentorMentorSomeone 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. Coordinator.
Asking the team for more feedback on the new Volunteer kit
Open floor
@onealtr: Some of us have started discussing with @jillbinder about possibly holding a second meeting that is more APAC friendly. This can have the same agenda and things can be discussed async.
@juliarosia: @Devin and I are going to do some thinking in the coming weeks on how we (the collective “we”) might effectively serve as ambassadors of WPDiversity programs at WCEUWCEUWordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event.. If anyone has ideas or suggestions, or wants to participate in these preliminary conversations, please let us know!
Does the thought of speaking at one of our WordPress MeetupsMeetupMeetup 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. or WordCamps intrigue you? Do you think you don’t know or have anything worth speaking about?
February 10, 2022 @ 8pm-10pm CEST:Switzerland – Underrepresented Voices: Confidence and Topics for Speaking at WordCamps – For people from underrepresented groups intrigued about speaking at WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. Genève.
February 16, 2022 @ 6pm-7pm UTC: Allyship for WordPress Event Organizers Accountability SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. chat on the #community-events channel
Cohorts 1 and 2 of the Allyship for WP Event Organizers are officially invited. Other folks are welcome to watch and even join in and are encouraged to join cohort 3 in March (date TBD).
Open Invitation: Diverse Speaker Training group (#WPDiversity) Volunteers Zoom Call
Want to see if there’s a way you could help out with the #WPDiversity working group?
The Diverse Speaker Training group (#WPDiversity) is having a Zoom call for the group’s volunteers, and the call is open to all in WordPress who would like to learn more about what we do and who value a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming WordPress community.
