![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wordcamp-bengalaru.png\")
WordPress’ Community team is evolving the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking for professionals, leaving the flagship events to focus more on connection and inspiration.\u00a0This change opens the door for more creative concepts around the events’ new mission:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.
\n
A group of eight pilot events were confirmed in June, and two recent “NextGen” WordPress events have already happened, including a community-building workshop in Japan, and WordCamp Bengaluru, a one-day event featuring the local culture and a walking tour of the city.
\n\n\n\nThe Community team has compiled a list of more than three dozen concepts to inspire NextGen event organizers. The list spans a wide range of ideas, such as college campus based groups, sponsor networking days, show and tell night, job fairs, events for agencies, WordPress retreats, and many more.
\n\n\n\nAnyone who is interested to host one of these new event types is invited to fill out a form that the Community team has created to capture ideas for future events – either before the end of 2023, or during the first half of 2024. Organizers will be asked to identify a category for their proposed event from among the following:
\n\n\n\nAlthough the form is presented as a survey, it’s more of an interest form, which is why it collects the respondent’s contact information. Respondents who indicate they are willing to have a discussion about their ideas may be contacted by the Community team.
\n", "content_text": "Attendees of NextGen WordCamp Bengaluru – image credit: WordPress.org\n\n\n\nWordPress’ Community team is evolving the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking for professionals, leaving the flagship events to focus more on connection and inspiration.\u00a0This change opens the door for more creative concepts around the events’ new mission:\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.\n\n\n\n\nA group of eight pilot events were confirmed in June, and two recent “NextGen” WordPress events have already happened, including a community-building workshop in Japan, and WordCamp Bengaluru, a one-day event featuring the local culture and a walking tour of the city.\n\n\n\nThe Community team has compiled a list of more than three dozen concepts to inspire NextGen event organizers. The list spans a wide range of ideas, such as college campus based groups, sponsor networking days, show and tell night, job fairs, events for agencies, WordPress retreats, and many more. \n\n\n\nAnyone who is interested to host one of these new event types is invited to fill out a form that the Community team has created to capture ideas for future events – either before the end of 2023, or during the first half of 2024. Organizers will be asked to identify a category for their proposed event from among the following:\n\n\n\n\nWP expertise level (beginners, intermediate, advanced)\n\n\n\nFocused activity (training, recruiting, networking, contributing, conferencing, etc)\n\n\n\nJob status (students, fresh graduates, job seekers, freelancers, business owners, etc)\n\n\n\nIdentity-based (women, castes, BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQI+, tribes, age, etc)\n\n\n\nContent topic focused (designers, block development, SEO, etc)\n\n\n\n\nAlthough the form is presented as a survey, it’s more of an interest form, which is why it collects the respondent’s contact information. Respondents who indicate they are willing to have a discussion about their ideas may be contacted by the Community team.", "date_published": "2023-09-21T21:26:05-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-21T21:26:07-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wordcamp-bengalaru.png", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=148773", "url": "https://wptavern.com/woosesh-2023-publishes-speaker-lineup-launches-seshies-awards", "title": "WooSesh 2023 Publishes Speaker Lineup, Launches Seshies Awards", "content_html": "\nWooSesh 2023, the virtual conference for WooCommerce store builders, will be broadcast live on October 10-12. This year’s theme is “Next Generation Commerce.” Registration is not yet open, but the speaker lineup and broadcast schedule have just been published. Over the course of three days, WooSesh will feature 31 speakers across 23 sessions.
\n\n\n\nThe event will kick off with the State of the Woo address, delivered by WooCommerce CEO Paul Maiorana and other product leaders from the company. Speakers will cover a wide range of topics like complexities of sales tax and product taxability, accessibility, block themes, security, AI tools, and automation, with case studies and workshops mixed in.
\n\n\n\nWooSesh organizer Brian Richards is launching “The Seshies” this year, a community awards ceremony that will recognize the best examples of the WooCommerce ecosystem across six categories: Innovation, Store, Extension, Agency, Developer, and Community Advocate.
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-14-at-11.00.46-PM.png\")
The Seshies will include a community awards ceremony that will celebrate the winners. Anyone can nominate candidates for the awards, and participants can even nominate themselves and their own WooCommerce projects.
“These awards are something that have been on my heart for quite some time,” Richards said. “And now, after 6 years of hosting WooSesh and 10 years of running WPSessions, I think I’ve amassed enough authority and (critically) a wide enough reach to deliver awards, on your behalf, that have real meaning.”
\n\n\n\nThe week before the event, Richards plans to publish the top three nominees in each category. The community will vote throughout the first two days of WooSesh and the winners will be announced on the final day. Winners will receive a digital badge of recognition and Richards said he is also working on producing physical awards to ship to winners anywhere in the world.
\n", "content_text": "WooSesh 2023, the virtual conference for WooCommerce store builders, will be broadcast live on October 10-12. This year’s theme is “Next Generation Commerce.” Registration is not yet open, but the speaker lineup and broadcast schedule have just been published. Over the course of three days, WooSesh will feature 31 speakers across 23 sessions.\n\n\n\nThe event will kick off with the State of the Woo address, delivered by WooCommerce CEO Paul Maiorana and other product leaders from the company. Speakers will cover a wide range of topics like complexities of sales tax and product taxability, accessibility, block themes, security, AI tools, and automation, with case studies and workshops mixed in.\n\n\n\nNew in 2023: The Seshies\n\n\n\nWooSesh organizer Brian Richards is launching “The Seshies” this year, a community awards ceremony that will recognize the best examples of the WooCommerce ecosystem across six categories: Innovation, Store, Extension, Agency, Developer, and Community Advocate.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Seshies will include a community awards ceremony that will celebrate the winners. Anyone can nominate candidates for the awards, and participants can even nominate themselves and their own WooCommerce projects. \n\n\n\n“These awards are something that have been on my heart for quite some time,” Richards said. “And now, after 6 years of hosting WooSesh and 10 years of running WPSessions, I think I’ve amassed enough authority and (critically) a wide enough reach to deliver awards, on your behalf, that have real meaning.”\n\n\n\nThe week before the event, Richards plans to publish the top three nominees in each category. The community will vote throughout the first two days of WooSesh and the winners will be announced on the final day. Winners will receive a digital badge of recognition and Richards said he is also working on producing physical awards to ship to winners anywhere in the world.", "date_published": "2023-09-14T23:34:32-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-14T23:34:34-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-14-at-11.25.03-PM.png", "tags": [ "woocommerce", "woosesh", "E-Commerce", "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=147963", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordpress-community-summit-travel-fund-contributes-48k-in-assistance-for-attendees", "title": "WordPress Community Summit Travel Fund Contributes $48K in Assistance for Attendees", "content_html": "\nThis year’s WordCamp US includes a Community Summit, an invitation-only contributor-focused event that will take place prior to the main conference on August 22-23, 2023, in National Harbor, Washington, DC. It will be the first summit in six years, since the last one was held in Paris, France in 2017.
\n\n\n\nHistorically, the summit has offered contributors the rare opportunity to hold in-person discussions on important topics across teams. In order to ensure the gathering is diverse and inclusive, previous community summit organizers have included a travel assistance program to remove the financial barriers of attending.
\n\n\n\nThe 2023 Community Summit travel fund is providing $48,000 in travel assistance, thanks to a group of sponsors that includes Automattic, A2 Hosting, Elementor, and Weglot. The funding will support 38 attendees with roundtrip transportation ($31K for 24 people) and hotel stays ($16,500 for 66 hotel nights for 22 people).
\n\n\n\nAttendees have been reminded about the non-attribution guideline which enables the event to offer a safe and inclusive environment for collaboration where comments are not attributed to specific individuals. Discussions, photographs, recaps, and summaries can be shared as long as they abide by the non-attribution guideline.
\n\n\n\nThe schedule has been published, featuring 26 discussion topics. Contributors will have dedicated sessions to discuss the criteria for delaying the upgrade of foundational tech, understanding contributor leadership roles, refining Five for the Future for a robust WordPress community, accessibility in the WordPress project, open source participation in global legislation, backwards compatibility in Gutenberg, among other interesting topics that lend themselves to cross-team collaboration.
\n", "content_text": "This year’s WordCamp US includes a Community Summit, an invitation-only contributor-focused event that will take place prior to the main conference on August 22-23, 2023, in National Harbor, Washington, DC. It will be the first summit in six years, since the last one was held in Paris, France in 2017.\n\n\n\nHistorically, the summit has offered contributors the rare opportunity to hold in-person discussions on important topics across teams. In order to ensure the gathering is diverse and inclusive, previous community summit organizers have included a travel assistance program to remove the financial barriers of attending.\n\n\n\nThe 2023 Community Summit travel fund is providing $48,000 in travel assistance, thanks to a group of sponsors that includes Automattic, A2 Hosting, Elementor, and Weglot. The funding will support 38 attendees with roundtrip transportation ($31K for 24 people) and hotel stays ($16,500 for 66 hotel nights for 22 people).\n\n\n\nAttendees have been reminded about the non-attribution guideline which enables the event to offer a safe and inclusive environment for collaboration where comments are not attributed to specific individuals. Discussions, photographs, recaps, and summaries can be shared as long as they abide by the non-attribution guideline. \n\n\n\nThe schedule has been published, featuring 26 discussion topics. Contributors will have dedicated sessions to discuss the criteria for delaying the upgrade of foundational tech, understanding contributor leadership roles, refining Five for the Future for a robust WordPress community, accessibility in the WordPress project, open source participation in global legislation, backwards compatibility in Gutenberg, among other interesting topics that lend themselves to cross-team collaboration.", "date_published": "2023-08-18T00:02:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-18T00:02:01-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/wordcamp-us-2023.jpg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=147494", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-asia-2024-opens-call-for-speakers", "title": "WordCamp Asia 2024 Opens Call for Speakers", "content_html": "\nWordCamp Asia 2024 is happening in Taipei, Taiwan, next year from\u00a0March 7-9, at the\u00a0Taipei International Convention Center (TICC). With the dates locked in and venue secured, organizers have now opened the call for speakers. The event will feature three days of talks, workshops, and networking events, and organizers expect more than 2,000 attendees.
\n\n\n\nTalks will be given in English and there will be four different formats for sessions:
\n\n\n\nWordCamp Asia’s organizers suggested nearly two dozen acceptable topics across a wide range of disciplines, including accessibility, SEO, marketing, Web3, AI, security, case studies, and more. They are especially “interested in hearing about diverse topics and inspirational stories. Topics such as trends, new approaches, and upcoming changes in related software and WordPress itself will be encouraged.”
\n\n\n\nThe call for speakers includes those who are hoping to host or join a panel discussion or host a workshop.\u00a0Speakers do not have to be experienced at public speaking to be selected for WordCamp Asia. Those who do not have videos of previous talks can record a 5-10 minute video talking about their topic and link to it in the speaker form.
\n\n\n\nWordCamp Asia has launched an\u00a0Underrepresented Speaker Support Initiative\u00a0alongside this call for speakers with the goal of removing financial barriers for speakers. The program calls on companies to invest in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive tech community by sponsoring underrepresented speakers, helping them practice their talks, and promoting the cause.
\n\n\n\nThe event’s organizers are also calling for sponsors, media partners, and volunteers. Prospective speakers are limited to two presentation submissions and can also indicate if they would be willing to be selected as a backup speaker. Applications will close on September 30, 2023. Speakers will be notified about the outcome of the selection process in November, followed by speaker announcements in December.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp Asia 2024 is happening in Taipei, Taiwan, next year from\u00a0March 7-9, at the\u00a0Taipei International Convention Center (TICC). With the dates locked in and venue secured, organizers have now opened the call for speakers. The event will feature three days of talks, workshops, and networking events, and organizers expect more than 2,000 attendees.\n\n\n\nTalks will be given in English and there will be four different formats for sessions:\n\n\n\n\nLong Talks: 40 minutes total (30 minutes for talk + 10 minutes for Q&A)\n\n\n\nLightning Talks: 10 minutes total (10 minutes for talk only. No Q&A)\n\n\n\nPanel Discussions: Approximately 60 minutes with Q&A\n\n\n\nWorkshops: 90 minutes up to half a day\n\n\n\n\nWordCamp Asia’s organizers suggested nearly two dozen acceptable topics across a wide range of disciplines, including accessibility, SEO, marketing, Web3, AI, security, case studies, and more. They are especially “interested in hearing about diverse topics and inspirational stories. Topics such as trends, new approaches, and upcoming changes in related software and WordPress itself will be encouraged.”\n\n\n\nThe call for speakers includes those who are hoping to host or join a panel discussion or host a workshop.\u00a0Speakers do not have to be experienced at public speaking to be selected for WordCamp Asia. Those who do not have videos of previous talks can record a 5-10 minute video talking about their topic and link to it in the speaker form.\n\n\n\nWordCamp Asia has launched an\u00a0Underrepresented Speaker Support Initiative\u00a0alongside this call for speakers with the goal of removing financial barriers for speakers. The program calls on companies to invest in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive tech community by sponsoring underrepresented speakers, helping them practice their talks, and promoting the cause.\n\n\n\nThe event’s organizers are also calling for sponsors, media partners, and volunteers. Prospective speakers are limited to two presentation submissions and can also indicate if they would be willing to be selected as a backup speaker. Applications will close on September 30, 2023. Speakers will be notified about the outcome of the selection process in November, followed by speaker announcements in December.", "date_published": "2023-08-04T00:12:03-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-04T00:12:05-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA0L3drNTk0NDYwNTgtaW1hZ2Uta3A2Ym5yYWouanBn.jpg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146996", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-us-2023-contributor-day-signup-is-open", "title": "WordCamp US 2023 Contributor Day Signup Is Open", "content_html": "\nWordCamp US 2023 is happening next month in National Harbor, Maryland. The Contributor Day will kick off the event on Thursday, August 24, preceding the conference days. It is open to any attendee, including those who have never contributed before and seasoned contributors alike. There are many technical and non-technical ways to contribute to WordPress.
\n\n\n\nThose who are not able to attend WordCamp US are also welcome to join the event virtually via the the #contributor-day\u00a0Slack channel. New contributors attending in person will begin at 8:30 AM EST and returning contributors will join at 9:30. A guide will be present in the Slack channel at 10 AM EST to help virtual contributors.
\n\n\n\nRecommendations for preparing for Contributor Day are on the event page, along with a list and description of all the Make WordPress teams that contributors can elect to join.
\n\n\n\nThe sign up form is now open for everyone who plans to attend the event in person. It includes the opportunity to give feedback on anticipated accessibility needs and meal preferences for the lunch provided during the event. Contributors will also be asked to select their preferred contributor team(s) during sign up so organizers can be prepared with team leads available.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp US 2023 is happening next month in National Harbor, Maryland. The Contributor Day will kick off the event on Thursday, August 24, preceding the conference days. It is open to any attendee, including those who have never contributed before and seasoned contributors alike. There are many technical and non-technical ways to contribute to WordPress.\n\n\n\nThose who are not able to attend WordCamp US are also welcome to join the event virtually via the the #contributor-day\u00a0Slack channel. New contributors attending in person will begin at 8:30 AM EST and returning contributors will join at 9:30. A guide will be present in the Slack channel at 10 AM EST to help virtual contributors. \n\n\n\nRecommendations for preparing for Contributor Day are on the event page, along with a list and description of all the Make WordPress teams that contributors can elect to join.\n\n\n\nThe sign up form is now open for everyone who plans to attend the event in person. It includes the opportunity to give feedback on anticipated accessibility needs and meal preferences for the lunch provided during the event. Contributors will also be asked to select their preferred contributor team(s) during sign up so organizers can be prepared with team leads available.", "date_published": "2023-07-17T17:52:19-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-17T17:52:20-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-5.13.44-PM.png", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146752", "url": "https://wptavern.com/state-of-digital-publishing-to-host-wordpress-publishers-performance-summit-july-27-2023", "title": "State of Digital Publishing to Host WordPress Publishers Performance Summit, July 27, 2023", "content_html": "\nThe State of Digital Publishing, a startup market research publisher focused on digital media, is hosting an online event called WordPress Publishers Performance Summit (WPPS) on July 27, starting at 2PM EST. The organization’s mission is to help publishers develop sustainable business models through education, guides, online courses, and other resources. They have partnered with Multidots, a WordPress development agency and WordPress.com VIP Gold Partner, who is sponsoring the event.
\n\n\n\nWPPS will feature 10 panelists speaking on best practices for managing and optimizing the performance of WordPress publishing sites. Panelists have been selected from high performance teams at The Boston Globe, Forbes, Multidots, WordPress.com VIP, Parse.ly, and other publishers.
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-11-at-8.53.03-PM.png\")
The schedule includes\u00a0four 40-minute sessions over the span of four hours:
\n\n\n\nThese sessions will be aimed at editorial and content strategists, SEO specialists, ad tech and integration professionals, and others working in the publishing industry.
\n\n\n\nWPPS is free and attendees can register on the event’s website. Unlike many other virtual events, the organizers do not plan to record the sessions so those who are interested will need to watch them live. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered by the panel. Those who are unable to attend live can sign up on the website to receive an ebook with the panelists’ recommended WordPress best practices that were shared at the event.
\n", "content_text": "The State of Digital Publishing, a startup market research publisher focused on digital media, is hosting an online event called WordPress Publishers Performance Summit (WPPS) on July 27, starting at 2PM EST. The organization’s mission is to help publishers develop sustainable business models through education, guides, online courses, and other resources. They have partnered with Multidots, a WordPress development agency and WordPress.com VIP Gold Partner, who is sponsoring the event.\n\n\n\nWPPS will feature 10 panelists speaking on best practices for managing and optimizing the performance of WordPress publishing sites. Panelists have been selected from high performance teams at The Boston Globe, Forbes, Multidots, WordPress.com VIP, Parse.ly, and other publishers. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe schedule includes\u00a0four 40-minute sessions over the span of four hours: \n\n\n\n\nHow to do less: evaluate your website\u2019s performance and metrics\n\n\n\nReasons why your Core Web Vitals are not passing\n\n\n\nSuccessfully securing and scaling WordPress\n\n\n\nImproving publishing workflow – the threats and opportunities ahead\n\n\n\n\nThese sessions will be aimed at editorial and content strategists, SEO specialists, ad tech and integration professionals, and others working in the publishing industry.\n\n\n\nWPPS is free and attendees can register on the event’s website. Unlike many other virtual events, the organizers do not plan to record the sessions so those who are interested will need to watch them live. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered by the panel. Those who are unable to attend live can sign up on the website to receive an ebook with the panelists’ recommended WordPress best practices that were shared at the event.", "date_published": "2023-07-11T20:57:10-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-11T20:57:12-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-11-at-8.53.03-PM.png", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146490", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-dhaka-2023-cancelled-due-to-concerns-of-corporate-influence-on-community-decision-making", "title": "WordCamp Dhaka 2023 Cancelled Due to Concerns of Corporate Influence on Community Decision-Making", "content_html": "\nWordCamp Dhaka (Bangladesh) 2023 has been cancelled by The WordPress Community Team due to concerns of corporate influence on the community decision-making process. The camp was scheduled for August 5, and organizers had already secured a venue and progressed on moving the camp forward.
\n\n\n\nThe Community Team published a statement on the event’s website, which cited the interference of corporate interests:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe WordPress Community Team\u2019s primary goal is to support and nurture the WordPress community by enabling organizers to create amazing events that celebrate WordPress, its community, and globally shared values. The Community team cannot support the event if a WordCamp is not aligned with these values.
\n\n\n\nWordPress events benefit the WordPress community as a whole, not specific businesses or individuals. The Community Team expects that WordCamps decisions should be guided by the community\u2019s collective wisdom and not influenced by any one company\u2019s interests. When companies attempt to exert influence on the planning process, the Community Team must step in to mediate. In this instance, we have decided to cancel WordCamp Dhaka 2023.
\n
The Community Team urged the Dhaka community to focus on collaborative organization, companies uplifting the community, and greater diversity in participation.
\n\n\n\nIn an equally vague incident report on WordPress.org, which doesn’t even identify the WordCamp that was cancelled, Community Team contributor Sam Suresh called it “an unfortunate but necessary decision.” He summarized the team’s reasons for the decision:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe decision to cancel the event was not a result of inadequate planning or insufficient effort on the part of the organizing team. Instead, there were observable actions from local community members to influence decisions that would benefit specific individuals or companies. When this influence did not immediately lead to their desired results, the individuals aimed to undermine the organizing process and event success. While the Community Team took steps to mediate, the inappropriate behavior and actions we saw necessitated the cancelation. This is a rare and extreme decision and underscores the severity of the situation.
\n
Suresh said the issues applied to the local meetup group as well, and that all co-organizers and event organizers were removed from their roles and required to repeat their orientation to gain access again. A community deputy and a mentor were also removed from their roles in the project and the companies involved in the infractions were banned from sponsoring WordPress events for a year.
\n\n\n\n“In times of challenges like these, it is important to remember that anyone can organize WordPress events regardless of who they work for and that WordPress community events are for the benefit of everyone, not any one business or individual,” Suresh said. “As a community,\u00a0we will not tolerate harassment or influencing unacceptable behaviors.”
\n\n\n\nShortly after publishing, several community members commented with objections to the level of secrecy around the issues at hand and the people and companies involved. The Community Team’s nebulous posts on the matter seem to have further scandalized the situation, instead of offering clarity and transparency.
\n\n\n\n“This post definitely abides by the ongoing policy of not letting the community know who is being censured by the Community Services team, even in cases of egregious action,” WordPress marketing and meta contributor S\u00e9 Reed commented.
\n\n\n\n“I\u2019ve seen multiple cases of people filing harassment reports and various Code of Conduct violations, and that person/people have had various consequences, including being removed from organizing teams. However, those people then cite various reasons for leaving the team, often outright lying. But because of the secrecy around these cases, no one says otherwise and those people can and often do continue to operate in the community without any repercussions beyond secretly losing their ‘official’ role(s).”
\n\n\n\nReed highlighted the damaging effects of the secrecy surrounding these incidents, most notably that explaining the situation often falls to those who filed the report, as the Community Team abdicates any further responsibility after validating the report.
\n\n\n\n“This action is damaging to the community as a whole, as we do not have a full picture of who we are working with and we continue to unknowingly support and empower people who have not honored their community commitments,” Reed said.
\n\n\n\nNot all participants in the discussion were in favor of The Community Team identifying the individuals involved, but in this situation they demand to know the companies that were banned from sponsoring WordPress events.
\n\n\n\n“I\u2019m on the fence about knowing peoples\u2019 names here, but I think people definitely need to know the\u00a0companies\u00a0involved; actively trying to sabotage a WordPress\u00a0WordCamp\u00a0is a serious breach of trust for the community,” WebDevStudios Director of Engineering Mitch Cantor said. “Especially when they may turn around and then make money from that said community they tried to sabotage.”
\n\n\n\nDealing with these types of sensitive situations is not an enviable task, but the community, for whom these decisions are designed to serve, is calling for a greater level of transparency regarding those who act in ways that are not aligned with WordPress’ globally shared values.
\n\n\n\n“One way or the other, protecting folks who have violated the Community Code of Conduct is a policy that very clearly needs to be revisited,” Reed said.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp Dhaka (Bangladesh) 2023 has been cancelled by The WordPress Community Team due to concerns of corporate influence on the community decision-making process. The camp was scheduled for August 5, and organizers had already secured a venue and progressed on moving the camp forward. \n\n\n\nThe Community Team published a statement on the event’s website, which cited the interference of corporate interests: \n\n\n\n\nThe WordPress Community Team\u2019s primary goal is to support and nurture the WordPress community by enabling organizers to create amazing events that celebrate WordPress, its community, and globally shared values. The Community team cannot support the event if a WordCamp is not aligned with these values.\n\n\n\nWordPress events benefit the WordPress community as a whole, not specific businesses or individuals. The Community Team expects that WordCamps decisions should be guided by the community\u2019s collective wisdom and not influenced by any one company\u2019s interests. When companies attempt to exert influence on the planning process, the Community Team must step in to mediate. In this instance, we have decided to cancel WordCamp Dhaka 2023.\n\n\n\n\nThe Community Team urged the Dhaka community to focus on collaborative organization, companies uplifting the community, and greater diversity in participation.\n\n\n\nIn an equally vague incident report on WordPress.org, which doesn’t even identify the WordCamp that was cancelled, Community Team contributor Sam Suresh called it “an unfortunate but necessary decision.” He summarized the team’s reasons for the decision:\n\n\n\n\nThe decision to cancel the event was not a result of inadequate planning or insufficient effort on the part of the organizing team. Instead, there were observable actions from local community members to influence decisions that would benefit specific individuals or companies. When this influence did not immediately lead to their desired results, the individuals aimed to undermine the organizing process and event success. While the Community Team took steps to mediate, the inappropriate behavior and actions we saw necessitated the cancelation. This is a rare and extreme decision and underscores the severity of the situation.\n\n\n\n\nSuresh said the issues applied to the local meetup group as well, and that all co-organizers and event organizers were removed from their roles and required to repeat their orientation to gain access again. A community deputy and a mentor were also removed from their roles in the project and the companies involved in the infractions were banned from sponsoring WordPress events for a year.\n\n\n\n“In times of challenges like these, it is important to remember that anyone can organize WordPress events regardless of who they work for and that WordPress community events are for the benefit of everyone, not any one business or individual,” Suresh said. “As a community,\u00a0we will not tolerate harassment or influencing unacceptable behaviors.”\n\n\n\nShortly after publishing, several community members commented with objections to the level of secrecy around the issues at hand and the people and companies involved. The Community Team’s nebulous posts on the matter seem to have further scandalized the situation, instead of offering clarity and transparency.\n\n\n\n“This post definitely abides by the ongoing policy of not letting the community know who is being censured by the Community Services team, even in cases of egregious action,” WordPress marketing and meta contributor S\u00e9 Reed commented.\n\n\n\n“I\u2019ve seen multiple cases of people filing harassment reports and various Code of Conduct violations, and that person/people have had various consequences, including being removed from organizing teams. However, those people then cite various reasons for leaving the team, often outright lying. But because of the secrecy around these cases, no one says otherwise and those people can and often do continue to operate in the community without any repercussions beyond secretly losing their ‘official’ role(s).”\n\n\n\nReed highlighted the damaging effects of the secrecy surrounding these incidents, most notably that explaining the situation often falls to those who filed the report, as the Community Team abdicates any further responsibility after validating the report.\n\n\n\n“This action is damaging to the community as a whole, as we do not have a full picture of who we are working with and we continue to unknowingly support and empower people who have not honored their community commitments,” Reed said.\n\n\n\nNot all participants in the discussion were in favor of The Community Team identifying the individuals involved, but in this situation they demand to know the companies that were banned from sponsoring WordPress events.\n\n\n\n“I\u2019m on the fence about knowing peoples\u2019 names here, but I think people definitely need to know the\u00a0companies\u00a0involved; actively trying to sabotage a WordPress\u00a0WordCamp\u00a0is a serious breach of trust for the community,” WebDevStudios Director of Engineering Mitch Cantor said. “Especially when they may turn around and then make money from that said community they tried to sabotage.”\n\n\n\nDealing with these types of sensitive situations is not an enviable task, but the community, for whom these decisions are designed to serve, is calling for a greater level of transparency regarding those who act in ways that are not aligned with WordPress’ globally shared values.\n\n\n\n“One way or the other, protecting folks who have violated the Community Code of Conduct is a policy that very clearly needs to be revisited,” Reed said.", "date_published": "2023-07-03T15:11:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-03T15:24:31-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-03-at-2.59.31-PM.png", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146336", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-asia-2024-scheduled-for-march-7-9-in-taipei", "title": "WordCamp Asia 2024 Scheduled for March 7-9 in Taipei", "content_html": "\nWordCamp Asia has announced its dates for 2024. The flagship event is now officially scheduled for March 7-9, in Taipei, Taiwan. Organizers have secured the\u00a0Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) venue to host the event, which is located in the business district not far from Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, a skyscraper that is the city’s most visible landmark. TICC has a capacity of more than 3,000 people.
\n\n\n\n“The local community is massive and I\u2019ve been told that WordCamp Taiwan (this October) alone would boast of at least 500 attendees,” organizer John Ang said after visiting Taipei with his team to sign the venue. “While we were on the same trip, we were lucky to be able to celebrate\u00a0 the 20th Anniversary of WordPress with the Taiwanese community.
\n\n\n\n“There\u2019s also active work bringing in government support and other open source communities across the region (e.g. Hong Kong) to WordCamp Asia next year.”\u00a0
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screen-Shot-2023-06-28-at-8.28.54-PM.png\")
WordCamp Asia attendees can expect 3-5 tracks of sessions featuring diverse presentations across a range of topics for beginners and seasoned WordPress professionals alike. The venue also offers ample common areas for networking.
\n\n\n\nMore details on the event and calls for speakers and sponsors should be coming soon. Those who are hopeful to attend can subscribe to updates on the event’s website or follow @WordCampAsia on Twitter.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp Asia has announced its dates for 2024. The flagship event is now officially scheduled for March 7-9, in Taipei, Taiwan. Organizers have secured the\u00a0Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) venue to host the event, which is located in the business district not far from Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, a skyscraper that is the city’s most visible landmark. TICC has a capacity of more than 3,000 people.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“The local community is massive and I\u2019ve been told that WordCamp Taiwan (this October) alone would boast of at least 500 attendees,” organizer John Ang said after visiting Taipei with his team to sign the venue. “While we were on the same trip, we were lucky to be able to celebrate\u00a0 the 20th Anniversary of WordPress with the Taiwanese community.\n\n\n\n“There\u2019s also active work bringing in government support and other open source communities across the region (e.g. Hong Kong) to WordCamp Asia next year.”\u00a0\n\n\n\nphoto credit: Preparations have started for WordCamp Asia 2024\n\n\n\nWordCamp Asia attendees can expect 3-5 tracks of sessions featuring diverse presentations across a range of topics for beginners and seasoned WordPress professionals alike. The venue also offers ample common areas for networking.\n\n\n\nMore details on the event and calls for speakers and sponsors should be coming soon. Those who are hopeful to attend can subscribe to updates on the event’s website or follow @WordCampAsia on Twitter.", "date_published": "2023-06-28T20:31:19-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-28T20:31:21-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTA0L3drNTk0NDYwNTgtaW1hZ2Uta3A2Ym5yYWouanBn.jpg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146294", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcamp-europe-2024-calls-for-organizers", "title": "WordCamp Europe 2024 Calls for Organizers", "content_html": "\nWordCamp Europe 2023 in Athens attracted more than 2,500 attendees from 94 countries, made possible by 112 organizers and 250 volunteers. The event is now looking forward to 2024, which will be hosted by the Italian WordPress community in Torino, Italy, June 13-15. This modern city is located at the foot of the Alps in northwestern Italy and has more than 2,000 years of history to explore.
\n\n\n\nWCEU 2024 is calling for organizers who will serve on one of a dozen teams that have been operating for the past few years, including attendee services, budget, design, sales and sponsors, communications, and more.
\n\n\n\nThose selected to organize will begin planning WCEU in September 2023 and will work with a distributed team on a weekly basis until June 2024.
\n\n\n\nDuring the 2023 event’s speaker announcements, the WCEU organizing team was criticized for the second year in a row regarding its commitment to diversity. The previous year organizers were called out for the lack of diversity on the organizing team and this year the complaint was a lack of diversity in the speaker selection.
\n\n\n\nWCEU 2023 organizers published a transparent account of the various selection processes used for organizers, speakers, media partners, and others involved in the event. The article states that organizers are shortlisted based on their skills, with an effort “to keep gender parity high whilst also selecting people from all available European WordPress communities.” It also states that applicants’ experience and enthusiasm are chief among selection factors but organizers also reach out to encourage underrepresented groups to apply:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDuring the selection process we don\u2019t have anything that resembles a \u201cpositive discrimination\u201d policy, whereby we choose people based on their race, color, background, gender, sexual identity, or any other attribute; we solely chose people based on their stated experience and enthusiasm to be part of the team…
\n\n\n\nAcknowledging that diversity within the Organizing team is important, we reach out to community groups and members before and during the application process, encouraging people to apply where we have historically seen underrepresentation.
\n
The article concludes with a statement of willingness to modify this selection process if the organization is not able to achieve a diverse lineup:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWordCamp Europe is an iterative event; each year learns from the last and 2024 will be no different. We cannot take for granted that achieving diversity one year guarantees it the next. As a flagship WordCamp event we may need to positively discriminate to achieve gender parity, or fair representation of communities.\u00a0
\n
The call for 2024 organizers does not identify any changes that have been made to the selection process. Prospective organizers will need to fill out the application form highlighting their skills, experience, and desired role.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp Europe 2023 in Athens attracted more than 2,500 attendees from 94 countries, made possible by 112 organizers and 250 volunteers. The event is now looking forward to 2024, which will be hosted by the Italian WordPress community in Torino, Italy, June 13-15. This modern city is located at the foot of the Alps in northwestern Italy and has more than 2,000 years of history to explore.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWCEU 2024 is calling for organizers who will serve on one of a dozen teams that have been operating for the past few years, including attendee services, budget, design, sales and sponsors, communications, and more.\n\n\n\nThose selected to organize will begin planning WCEU in September 2023 and will work with a distributed team on a weekly basis until June 2024. \n\n\n\nDuring the 2023 event’s speaker announcements, the WCEU organizing team was criticized for the second year in a row regarding its commitment to diversity. The previous year organizers were called out for the lack of diversity on the organizing team and this year the complaint was a lack of diversity in the speaker selection.\n\n\n\nWCEU 2023 organizers published a transparent account of the various selection processes used for organizers, speakers, media partners, and others involved in the event. The article states that organizers are shortlisted based on their skills, with an effort “to keep gender parity high whilst also selecting people from all available European WordPress communities.” It also states that applicants’ experience and enthusiasm are chief among selection factors but organizers also reach out to encourage underrepresented groups to apply:\n\n\n\n\nDuring the selection process we don\u2019t have anything that resembles a \u201cpositive discrimination\u201d policy, whereby we choose people based on their race, color, background, gender, sexual identity, or any other attribute; we solely chose people based on their stated experience and enthusiasm to be part of the team…\n\n\n\nAcknowledging that diversity within the Organizing team is important, we reach out to community groups and members before and during the application process, encouraging people to apply where we have historically seen underrepresentation.\n\n\n\n\nThe article concludes with a statement of willingness to modify this selection process if the organization is not able to achieve a diverse lineup:\n\n\n\n\nWordCamp Europe is an iterative event; each year learns from the last and 2024 will be no different. We cannot take for granted that achieving diversity one year guarantees it the next. As a flagship WordCamp event we may need to positively discriminate to achieve gender parity, or fair representation of communities.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\nThe call for 2024 organizers does not identify any changes that have been made to the selection process. Prospective organizers will need to fill out the application form highlighting their skills, experience, and desired role.", "date_published": "2023-06-27T17:40:06-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-27T17:40:08-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/torino-scaled.jpeg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=146019", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordpress-confirms-8-pilot-events-to-launch-the-next-generation-of-wordcamps-in-2023", "title": "WordPress Confirms 8 Pilot Events to Launch the Next Generation of WordCamps in 2023", "content_html": "\nIn May 2023, WordPress’ Community Team announced that it would be evolving the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking for professionals, leaving the flagship events to focus more on connection and inspiration. This major shift opens the door for more experimentation through varied formats. In a recent update, the team shared that progress on the discussions has generated 64 ideas with 59 organizers who are willing to follow up on their ideas.
\n\n\n\nThere are also eight pilot events that have been confirmed and six of them will launch in 2023. These include some of the most creative concepts that WordPress has ever officially entertained, as the previous WordCamp format had become predictable and requirements somewhat inflexible. These pilot events offer a glimpse of what events could look like going forward.
\n\n\n\nThe WordPress community in Leipzig, Germany, is planning the first ever Low-Cost WordCamp for July 1, 2023. Organizers will host 90 attendees and keep costs low with no swag, no social dinner, and no after party. They will offer just one track of presentations.
\n\n\n\n“The goal is to motivate and help new and veteran organizers to create a lighter, impactful event that is low cost and requires less time, financial resources, and fewer organizers/volunteers,” Automattic-sponsored Community Team contributor Isotta Peira said.
\n\n\n\nContributors in Sevilla, Spain, are planning a “WordPress Day” on July 2, 2023, where the focus will be engaging 50 attendees in three different areas of contribution.
\n\n\n\n“The goal is to bring new contributors to the community and retain them by organizing multiple events every year,” Peira said. With these small numbers and limited goals, this effort could easily be organized as frequently as they anticipate.
\n\n\n\nThe community in Tegal, Indonesia is planning a “Scale Up” Workshop for October 22, 2023. A group of 50 participants will join in a 1-day training event that will expand their WordPress skills by “diving into the world of WordPress for enterprise.”
\n\n\n\nThe three other approved pilot events for 2023 include a Rural event for small towns/villages, a WP for Publishers in Bangalore, and a Community Day in Rome, Italy, designed for WordPress community organizers, scheduled for September 29.
\n\n\n\nAll of the confirmed events fall within the new purpose for WordPress events that the Community Team identified earlier this year:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.
\n
Prospective event organizers who are inspired by the confirmed pilot events can submit their creative ideas via a dedicated form. The Community Team is still accepting pilot events for 2023 and is also scheduling into 2024.
\n", "content_text": "In May 2023, WordPress’ Community Team announced that it would be evolving the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking for professionals, leaving the flagship events to focus more on connection and inspiration. This major shift opens the door for more experimentation through varied formats. In a recent update, the team shared that progress on the discussions has generated 64 ideas with 59 organizers who are willing to follow up on their ideas. \n\n\n\nThere are also eight pilot events that have been confirmed and six of them will launch in 2023. These include some of the most creative concepts that WordPress has ever officially entertained, as the previous WordCamp format had become predictable and requirements somewhat inflexible. These pilot events offer a glimpse of what events could look like going forward.\n\n\n\nThe WordPress community in Leipzig, Germany, is planning the first ever Low-Cost WordCamp for July 1, 2023. Organizers will host 90 attendees and keep costs low with no swag, no social dinner, and no after party. They will offer just one track of presentations.\n\n\n\n“The goal is to motivate and help new and veteran organizers to create a lighter, impactful event that is low cost and requires less time, financial resources, and fewer organizers/volunteers,” Automattic-sponsored Community Team contributor Isotta Peira said.\n\n\n\nContributors in Sevilla, Spain, are planning a “WordPress Day” on July 2, 2023, where the focus will be engaging 50 attendees in three different areas of contribution. \n\n\n\n“The goal is to bring new contributors to the community and retain them by organizing multiple events every year,” Peira said. With these small numbers and limited goals, this effort could easily be organized as frequently as they anticipate. \n\n\n\nThe community in Tegal, Indonesia is planning a “Scale Up” Workshop for October 22, 2023. A group of 50 participants will join in a 1-day training event that will expand their WordPress skills by “diving into the world of WordPress for enterprise.” \n\n\n\nThe three other approved pilot events for 2023 include a Rural event for small towns/villages, a WP for Publishers in Bangalore, and a Community Day in Rome, Italy, designed for WordPress community organizers, scheduled for September 29.\n\n\n\nAll of the confirmed events fall within the new purpose for WordPress events that the Community Team identified earlier this year:\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.\n\n\n\n\nProspective event organizers who are inspired by the confirmed pilot events can submit their creative ideas via a dedicated form. The Community Team is still accepting pilot events for 2023 and is also scheduling into 2024.", "date_published": "2023-06-19T17:11:46-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-19T17:11:47-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/32594098207_d40ba35451_k.jpg", "tags": [ "wordcamp", "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=145760", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordcampers-demand-changes-to-qa-format", "title": "WordCampers Demand Changes to Q&A Format", "content_html": "\nQ&A segments at a live event are a valuable point of connection where attendees have the opportunity to gain the undivided attention of the speaker or panelist and get answers to important questions. Inevitably, people who abuse the format can lower the quality of the experience for everyone. A Twitter thread addressing this chronic problem is gaining momentum today following the conclusion of WordCamp Europe 2023.
\n\n\n\n“One problem is that they often add very little value – although they’re supposed to achieve the opposite,” WordPress Core Committer Felix Arntz said. “Unfortunately, those who ‘ask’ are often telling stories, promoting themselves or their business, [or] mansplaining the speaker.
\n\n\n\n“Sometimes they’re not even asking any question at the end which is ridiculous. If that is you, you may not even notice it, but you are seriously wasting people’s time, potentially harming the speaker, and preventing folks from actually learning something.”
\n\n\n\nArntz suggested that those asking questions longer than a minute should forego the Q&A time and ask the speaker informally at a later opportunity if it is relevant.
\n\n\n\n“Just to clarify, while some of the issues apply especially to sessions with more exposure, like a Matt Q&A, they all also apply to any other session,” he said.
\n\n\n\n“While these problems mostly occur due to individual folks in the audience, I think the WordCamp organization needs to take action to improve the situation as it’s been happening for years.”
\n\n\n\nArntz proposed a number of actionable ideas, including submitting questions to a central platform where they can be upvoted by community members, discarding lengthy questions, and providing mandatory training or documentation for emcees on how to handle problematic Q&A situations. He also noted that having questions in writing can assist non-native English speakers in understanding other non-native speakers.
\n\n\n\nArntz also contends that Q&A should be optional, depending on the speaker’s preference. This may also have the added effect of creating a more inclusive environment for speakers.
\n\n\n\n“Particularly for new speakers, it can cause lots of distress or anxiety, especially because, as mentioned before, it very often isn’t questions but any of the aforementioned problems,” he said.
\n\n\n\n“All of this can be another blocker for folks from underrepresented groups to even apply to speak, which came up in the session on women & non-binary folx of WordPress.
\n\n\n\n“Making Q&A optional is a great and simple way to at least improve the latter issue while working on addressing all the other problems. It’s literally just a decision to make, so I urge the community and organizing teams to make it.”
\n\n\n\nArntz’s thread has received positive feedback and support, and other WCEU attendees have joined in with suggestions for improving the Q&A format.
\n\n\n\n“Many other open source conferences use apps that do more with Q&A, rating speakers, and even helping attendees schedule networking,” GoDaddy Developer Advocate Courtney Robertson said. “The favorited events export to iCal/gCal.”
\n\n\n\nRaymon Mens, a first-time-attendee at WCEU, said he was “negatively surprised by the Q&A part” for every session. “I would have preferred some more time for the speaker to go more in depth and not have a long Q&A that doesn\u2019t add a lot.”
\n\n\n\nJon Ang, an organizer for WordCamp Asia, said he is taking Arntz’s feedback into consideration for their next event, and future global leads for WCEU said they are also discussing these ideas for next year.
\n\n\n\n“At WordCamp San Francisco 2011 there was a Q&A session with Barry and it used a P2,” WordPress core committer Aaron Jorbin said. “For the off topic questions, others often chimed in. I think an MC with knowledge of the subject matter asking questions off this would be perfect.”
\n\n\n\nChanges will likely originate from WordCamp organizers who can recognize the existing problems with the current Q&A format and depart from tradition with a better way of bringing quality questions to speakers who wish to entertain them. Getting Q&A right may also become a stronger priority as WordPress’ community team evolves the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking. Based on the feedback on Arntz’s Twitter thread, it’s past time to update the Q&A format and WordCampers are eager to see it happen.
\n", "content_text": "Q&A segments at a live event are a valuable point of connection where attendees have the opportunity to gain the undivided attention of the speaker or panelist and get answers to important questions. Inevitably, people who abuse the format can lower the quality of the experience for everyone. A Twitter thread addressing this chronic problem is gaining momentum today following the conclusion of WordCamp Europe 2023.\n\n\n\n\nAfter #WCEU is before the next WordCamp! There's one thing in particular that is dear to my heart with the organization of these events that needs to change: the Q&A format. 1/x— Felix Arntz (@felixarntz) June 12, 2023\n\n\n\n\n“One problem is that they often add very little value – although they’re supposed to achieve the opposite,” WordPress Core Committer Felix Arntz said. “Unfortunately, those who ‘ask’ are often telling stories, promoting themselves or their business, [or] mansplaining the speaker.\n\n\n\n“Sometimes they’re not even asking any question at the end which is ridiculous. If that is you, you may not even notice it, but you are seriously wasting people’s time, potentially harming the speaker, and preventing folks from actually learning something.”\n\n\n\nArntz suggested that those asking questions longer than a minute should forego the Q&A time and ask the speaker informally at a later opportunity if it is relevant.\n\n\n\n“Just to clarify, while some of the issues apply especially to sessions with more exposure, like a Matt Q&A, they all also apply to any other session,” he said.\n\n\n\n“While these problems mostly occur due to individual folks in the audience, I think the WordCamp organization needs to take action to improve the situation as it’s been happening for years.”\n\n\n\nArntz proposed a number of actionable ideas, including submitting questions to a central platform where they can be upvoted by community members, discarding lengthy questions, and providing mandatory training or documentation for emcees on how to handle problematic Q&A situations. He also noted that having questions in writing can assist non-native English speakers in understanding other non-native speakers.\n\n\n\nArntz also contends that Q&A should be optional, depending on the speaker’s preference. This may also have the added effect of creating a more inclusive environment for speakers.\n\n\n\n“Particularly for new speakers, it can cause lots of distress or anxiety, especially because, as mentioned before, it very often isn’t questions but any of the aforementioned problems,” he said.\n\n\n\n“All of this can be another blocker for folks from underrepresented groups to even apply to speak, which came up in the session on women & non-binary folx of WordPress.\n\n\n\n“Making Q&A optional is a great and simple way to at least improve the latter issue while working on addressing all the other problems. It’s literally just a decision to make, so I urge the community and organizing teams to make it.”\n\n\n\nArntz’s thread has received positive feedback and support, and other WCEU attendees have joined in with suggestions for improving the Q&A format.\n\n\n\n“Many other open source conferences use apps that do more with Q&A, rating speakers, and even helping attendees schedule networking,” GoDaddy Developer Advocate Courtney Robertson said. “The favorited events export to iCal/gCal.”\n\n\n\nRaymon Mens, a first-time-attendee at WCEU, said he was “negatively surprised by the Q&A part” for every session. “I would have preferred some more time for the speaker to go more in depth and not have a long Q&A that doesn\u2019t add a lot.”\n\n\n\nJon Ang, an organizer for WordCamp Asia, said he is taking Arntz’s feedback into consideration for their next event, and future global leads for WCEU said they are also discussing these ideas for next year. \n\n\n\n“At WordCamp San Francisco 2011 there was a Q&A session with Barry and it used a P2,” WordPress core committer Aaron Jorbin said. “For the off topic questions, others often chimed in. I think an MC with knowledge of the subject matter asking questions off this would be perfect.”\n\n\n\nChanges will likely originate from WordCamp organizers who can recognize the existing problems with the current Q&A format and depart from tradition with a better way of bringing quality questions to speakers who wish to entertain them. Getting Q&A right may also become a stronger priority as WordPress’ community team evolves the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking. Based on the feedback on Arntz’s Twitter thread, it’s past time to update the Q&A format and WordCampers are eager to see it happen.", "date_published": "2023-06-12T18:27:35-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-12T18:27:37-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/question-mark-chalk.jpg", "tags": [ "wordcamp", "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=145217", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wceu-2023-publishes-schedule-reaffirms-commitment-to-diversity", "title": "WCEU 2023 Publishes Schedule, Reaffirms Commitment to Diversity", "content_html": "\nWordCamp Europe 2023 is just under three weeks away from happening in Athens on June 8-10. More than 2,700 tickets have been purchased and 527 remain, along with 49 micro-sponsor tickets.
\n\n\n\nSpeaker announcements have concluded and the official schedule was published today. WCEU will be running three tracks of presentations and two tracks for workshops. Organizers have also announced a Wellness Track that will feature different activities throughout the day, including a Yoga class, a Tai Chi class, and a group hike.
\n\n\n\n“The\u00a0Wellness\u00a0Track is an important addition to WordCamp Europe because we need to find a balance and be more focused on taking care of our minds and bodies, taking care of the whole community and in turn the one world we have to live in,” organizer Ohia Thompson said.
\n\n\n\n“This means seeing our interconnectedness and moving forward with a focus on wellbeing, diversity, and sustainability. The\u00a0Wellness\u00a0Track this year is just the beginning of a more intentional future for everyone connected to WordPress.\u201d
\n\n\n\nLast year the team hosting the event in Porto was called out for a lack of diversity on the organizing team, which performs critical tasks like selecting speakers and managing a speaker support program. In what appears to be an echo back to that controversy, a public interaction on Twitter earlier this month caused community members to question the organizing team.
\n\n\n\nWCEU was once again forced to reaffirm its commitment to diversity after Sjoerd Blom, one of the Global organizers, accused StellarWP’s Director of Community Engagement, Michelle Frechette, of “being prejudiced” when she questioned the lack of diversity in the first few rounds of speaker announcements.
\n\n\n\nBlom has since publicly apologized for his response to the criticism this week, reiterating that diversity matters to the team, but only after WCEU received overwhelmingly negative feedback regarding the incident.
\n\n\n\nWordCamp Europe has not yet published anything to mitigate the effects of this public altercation but damage control measures are likely in the works, as Blom indicated a more official response will be coming from the team.
\n", "content_text": "WordCamp Europe 2023 is just under three weeks away from happening in Athens on June 8-10. More than 2,700 tickets have been purchased and 527 remain, along with 49 micro-sponsor tickets. \n\n\n\nSpeaker announcements have concluded and the official schedule was published today. WCEU will be running three tracks of presentations and two tracks for workshops. Organizers have also announced a Wellness Track that will feature different activities throughout the day, including a Yoga class, a Tai Chi class, and a group hike.\n\n\n\n“The\u00a0Wellness\u00a0Track is an important addition to WordCamp Europe because we need to find a balance and be more focused on taking care of our minds and bodies, taking care of the whole community and in turn the one world we have to live in,” organizer Ohia Thompson said. \n\n\n\n“This means seeing our interconnectedness and moving forward with a focus on wellbeing, diversity, and sustainability. The\u00a0Wellness\u00a0Track this year is just the beginning of a more intentional future for everyone connected to WordPress.\u201d\n\n\n\nLast year the team hosting the event in Porto was called out for a lack of diversity on the organizing team, which performs critical tasks like selecting speakers and managing a speaker support program. In what appears to be an echo back to that controversy, a public interaction on Twitter earlier this month caused community members to question the organizing team.\n\n\n\nWCEU was once again forced to reaffirm its commitment to diversity after Sjoerd Blom, one of the Global organizers, accused StellarWP’s Director of Community Engagement, Michelle Frechette, of “being prejudiced” when she questioned the lack of diversity in the first few rounds of speaker announcements. \n\n\n\n\nPlease stop being prejudiced and wait until ALL speakers have been announced. Thanks.— Sjoerd Blom (@sjblom) May 9, 2023\n\n\n\n\nBlom has since publicly apologized for his response to the criticism this week, reiterating that diversity matters to the team, but only after WCEU received overwhelmingly negative feedback regarding the incident.\n\n\n\n\nIn past weeks, @michelleames highlighted the lack of diversity in WCEU\u2019s speaker line up. I\u2019m truly sorry for the offense I caused, especially in using the word \u2018prejudiced\u2019. #WCEU and I know that diversity matters, and we will be sharing more about what happened in coming days.— Sjoerd Blom (@sjblom) May 18, 2023\n\n\n\n\nWordCamp Europe has not yet published anything to mitigate the effects of this public altercation but damage control measures are likely in the works, as Blom indicated a more official response will be coming from the team.", "date_published": "2023-05-19T13:23:12-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-05-19T13:23:14-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/athens-greece.jpg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=144827", "url": "https://wptavern.com/wordpress-community-team-evolves-wordcamp-format-to-promote-adoption-training-and-networking-for-professionals", "title": "WordPress Community Team Evolves WordCamp Format to Promote Adoption, Training, and Networking for Professionals", "content_html": "\nWordPress’ Community Team hailed a new era of WordCamps in its recent announcement outlining a significant shift in the purpose for the events.
\n\n\n\nIn the past, WordCamps have had a mostly predictable format of presenting inspirational talks on exciting things people are doing with WordPress, business topics, and the latest trends, with short networking opportunities and a contributor day appended to the event.
\n\n\n\n“Connection, inspiration, and contribution are undeniably important to WordPressers,” Automattic-sponsored WordPress community organizer\u00a0Angela Jin said.\u00a0“However, as events have returned, communities see that people are much more selective about what events they attend and want to know what they will gain by participating.”\u00a0
\n\n\n\nAfter the pandemic, the number of WordCamps dwindled to a fraction of what they had been, as different areas of the world grappled with their own unique public health situations. The Community Team had loosened some of the requirements for WordCamps in order to foster a more welcoming environment for people to want to host in-person events.
\n\n\n\nIn an effort to modernize these gatherings moving forward, the team has proposed the following update to the purpose of WordPress events:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.
\n
Jin said she hopes a “period of innovation and experimentation will follow this critical shift in the purpose of our events” where events will be curated for more narrow audiences and have a focus on a specific type of content or topic.
\n\n\n\nThis shift also opens the door for more varied event formats, such as workshops, unconferences, job fairs, and pure networking events – which would have definitively been outside the traditional WordCamps of old and not officially supported by the project.
\n\n\n\nJin emphasized that WordPress will continue encouraging local meetups. Currently planned WordCamps (there are currently 14 on the schedule for 2023) can continue as before but new WordCamp applicants will be encouraged to experiment with new formats.
\n\n\n\n“Flagships (WordCamp US,\u00a0WordCamp Europe,\u00a0WordCamp Asia): These will remain our largest, broadest event that fully capitalizes on the energy of a large crowd,” Jin said. “They will be the place to highlight the latest, greatest, and coolest in WordPress and where we are going.”\u00a0
\n\n\n\nReactions to the change in the purpose of WordCamp have been mostly positive but the community has some questions about how it will work. David Bisset, who helped run\u00a0WordCamp\u00a0Miami for over a decade, asks how this will impact smaller communities:
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI certainly would love to see more formats being tried, more standout content, etc. However, I\u2019m trying to view this from a local and smaller WordCamp organizer mindset \u2013 what if I have a varied community and therefore a varied audience? Will having a particular audience in mind in setting content and promoting local WordCamps unknowingly not attract a more diverse audience? Many people come to conferences and WordCamps for certain talks and speakers and stay around for the rest.
\n
WordPress plugin developer David McCan commented that the new purpose statement reads more like educating and preparing a workforce in contrast to how WordCamps previously leaned towards empowering volunteers.
\n\n\n\nParticipants in the discussion are heavily in favor of giving more freedom to event organizers, but many have had irreplaceable experiences at WordCamps in their current format that they are reluctant to see it go. WordPress developer and contributor Ross Wintle commented that he hoped the change in purpose would not diminish the diversity at WordCamps.
\n\n\n\n“While I think there\u2019s some value in focussing on an audience, please don\u2019t throw out the current WordCamps,” Wintle said. “I genuinely believe that one of the best things about these events is that I get to experience the diversity of the WordPress community and see the many, many different ways that WordPress is used, extended and developed for, and I get to meet the many, many talented people from across the spectrum of contribution who possess ideas, skills and experiences that I do not.
\n\n\n\n“I\u2019ve met so many amazing people who have different roles in WordPress, and I think the value of this is far higher than sitting in my bubble with the people that do the same things as me.”
\n\n\n\nMarketing contributor S\u00e9 Reed asked Jin what team meeting,\u00a0GitHub\u00a0issue, or other documented discussion was available to follow the decision-making process for this major change to WordCamps, as no discussions were linked in the announcement.
\n\n\n\n“To my mind, this kind of change (affecting the entire WordPress community and apparently effective immediately) is something that would make sense to discuss at the Community Summit,” Reed said. “As that ship has sailed, I\u2019d like to at least see the discussion that led to it.”
\n\n\n\nJin has not yet responded to these questions but said in the announcement that as event organizers experiment with different formats for WordCamps, “the community team can reevaluate our full events program and how events coexist happily.”
\n", "content_text": "WordPress’ Community Team hailed a new era of WordCamps in its recent announcement outlining a significant shift in the purpose for the events. \n\n\n\nIn the past, WordCamps have had a mostly predictable format of presenting inspirational talks on exciting things people are doing with WordPress, business topics, and the latest trends, with short networking opportunities and a contributor day appended to the event. \n\n\n\n“Connection, inspiration, and contribution are undeniably important to WordPressers,” Automattic-sponsored WordPress community organizer\u00a0Angela Jin said.\u00a0“However, as events have returned, communities see that people are much more selective about what events they attend and want to know what they will gain by participating.”\u00a0\n\n\n\nAfter the pandemic, the number of WordCamps dwindled to a fraction of what they had been, as different areas of the world grappled with their own unique public health situations. The Community Team had loosened some of the requirements for WordCamps in order to foster a more welcoming environment for people to want to host in-person events.\n\n\n\nIn an effort to modernize these gatherings moving forward, the team has proposed the following update to the purpose of WordPress events:\n\n\n\n\nWordPress events spark innovation and adoption by way of accessible training and networking for users, builders, designers, and extenders. We celebrate community by accelerating 21st-century skills, professional opportunities, and partnerships for WordPressers of today and tomorrow.\n\n\n\n\nJin said she hopes a “period of innovation and experimentation will follow this critical shift in the purpose of our events” where events will be curated for more narrow audiences and have a focus on a specific type of content or topic. \n\n\n\nThis shift also opens the door for more varied event formats, such as workshops, unconferences, job fairs, and pure networking events – which would have definitively been outside the traditional WordCamps of old and not officially supported by the project.\n\n\n\nJin emphasized that WordPress will continue encouraging local meetups. Currently planned WordCamps (there are currently 14 on the schedule for 2023) can continue as before but new WordCamp applicants will be encouraged to experiment with new formats.\n\n\n\n“Flagships (WordCamp US,\u00a0WordCamp Europe,\u00a0WordCamp Asia): These will remain our largest, broadest event that fully capitalizes on the energy of a large crowd,” Jin said. “They will be the place to highlight the latest, greatest, and coolest in WordPress and where we are going.”\u00a0\n\n\n\n Reactions to the change in the purpose of WordCamp have been mostly positive but the community has some questions about how it will work. David Bisset, who helped run\u00a0WordCamp\u00a0Miami for over a decade, asks how this will impact smaller communities:\n\n\n\n\nI certainly would love to see more formats being tried, more standout content, etc. However, I\u2019m trying to view this from a local and smaller WordCamp organizer mindset \u2013 what if I have a varied community and therefore a varied audience? Will having a particular audience in mind in setting content and promoting local WordCamps unknowingly not attract a more diverse audience? Many people come to conferences and WordCamps for certain talks and speakers and stay around for the rest.\n\n\n\n\nWordPress plugin developer David McCan commented that the new purpose statement reads more like educating and preparing a workforce in contrast to how WordCamps previously leaned towards empowering volunteers. \n\n\n\nParticipants in the discussion are heavily in favor of giving more freedom to event organizers, but many have had irreplaceable experiences at WordCamps in their current format that they are reluctant to see it go. WordPress developer and contributor Ross Wintle commented that he hoped the change in purpose would not diminish the diversity at WordCamps.\n\n\n\n“While I think there\u2019s some value in focussing on an audience, please don\u2019t throw out the current WordCamps,” Wintle said. “I genuinely believe that one of the best things about these events is that I get to experience the diversity of the WordPress community and see the many, many different ways that WordPress is used, extended and developed for, and I get to meet the many, many talented people from across the spectrum of contribution who possess ideas, skills and experiences that I do not.\n\n\n\n“I\u2019ve met so many amazing people who have different roles in WordPress, and I think the value of this is far higher than sitting in my bubble with the people that do the same things as me.”\n\n\n\nMarketing contributor S\u00e9 Reed asked Jin what team meeting,\u00a0GitHub\u00a0issue, or other documented discussion was available to follow the decision-making process for this major change to WordCamps, as no discussions were linked in the announcement. \n\n\n\n“To my mind, this kind of change (affecting the entire WordPress community and apparently effective immediately) is something that would make sense to discuss at the Community Summit,” Reed said. “As that ship has sailed, I\u2019d like to at least see the discussion that led to it.”\n\n\n\nJin has not yet responded to these questions but said in the announcement that as event organizers experiment with different formats for WordCamps, “the community team can reevaluate our full events program and how events coexist happily.”", "date_published": "2023-05-09T21:55:21-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-05-09T21:55:22-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" } ], "author": { "name": "Sarah Gooding", "url": "https://wptavern.com/author/sarah", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d12f506a8f9afba443178608fc9e2232?s=512&d=retro&r=r" }, "image": "https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/campfire.jpeg", "tags": [ "Events", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://wptavern.com/?p=144545", "url": "https://wptavern.com/first-round-of-wordcamp-us-2023-tickets-sold-out", "title": "First Round of WordCamp US 2023 Tickets Sold Out", "content_html": "\nTickets for WordCamp US 2023 went on sale this morning and quickly sold out within a few hours, leaving many hoping for another opportunity in the next round. WCUS, WordPress’ flagship event in the Western Hemisphere, is happening\u00a0August 24-26, 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
\n\n\n\nTickets cost $50 and include access to 40 speaker presentations in the main event, workshops, networking meetups, lunch each day, snacks and beverages, the WordFest party, a t-shirt, and a surprise gift. Contributor Day tickets are separate and will be available soon.
\n\n\n\nWCUS organizers have confirmed that there will be additional rounds of tickets released in the future. Those who missed this opportunity can follow @WordCampUS on Twitter to be notified of the next ticket release.
\n\n\n\nDespite the high demand for tickets, the event’s August dates prevent some from attending, including families sending their kids to school and European community members who may still be on summer holidays.
\n\n\n\n![\"\ud83d\ude1e\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f61e.png\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WapuuGotchi-customizable-500x281.png\")
![\"\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83d\udcbb\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f469-1f3fb-200d-1f4bb.png\")
![\"\u2728\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2728.png\")
Day 3, the last day and the final sprint! Everyone in the ![\"\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83d\udcbb\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f468-1f3fc-200d-1f4bb.png\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/athens-greece.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/speaker-announcement-wcasia.png\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wcasia-wapuu.png\")
![\"\ud83d\ude22\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f622.png\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-27-at-8.28.20-PM.png\")
![\"\"](\"https://149611589.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/wcus-community-photo-album.jpg\")