Highlight on: Blogging Sessions at WordCamp US

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Hey, bloggers and writers! WordCamp US isn’t just for the coders and theme-makers among us. If you’re more into the content creation side of things, here are three reasons you should grab a ticket and join us.

Make Connections

WCUS is going to be packed with people from such a wide variety of backgrounds and skill levels, you’ll have an opportunity to meet and chat with all sorts of enthusiastic WordPress users and make new blogging friends. (Bring your business cards!)

Learn New Things

There are dozens of sessions to choose from, so you’re sure to find several that will work for you. Here are four sessions in particular you might be interested in:

Beyond these four, there are even more relevant sessions for bloggers on the full schedule — Check it out & map out your plans!

Get Ideas

There’s just something about being in a room full of fellow bloggers and WordPress users to find new inspiration. Whether it’s something you hear a speaker say, a tip you get at the Happiness Bar, or a chat you have with a fellow attendee, attending WCUS is sure to spark new ideas for your own blog!

Ready to join us? Buy your ticket now!

A pop-up WordPress swag store!

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WAPUUNK_ADULTDid you know there’s WordPress swag store? It seems to be a well kept secret, but there is a place you can go online throughout the year to order t-shirts, hoodies, sunglasses, coffee mugs, and so much more all branded with that famous WordPress W.

But sometimes it’s fun to do something special. Something in person. So we’re bringing a WordPress swag pop-up shop to WordCamp US. You’ll be able to get hands on with the swag to decide what items you just can’t live without. In addition to the classic WordPress branded gear we’ll be bringing out some new favorites. Everyone loves wapuu right? Good, because we’ll have some exclusive wapuu gear that you won’t find anywhere else. With apparel and accessories for WordPress fans of all ages you’re sure to find something cool. 

hoodieIf you’re coming from out of town make sure that you leave plenty of room in your bags. I mean, the holidays are nearly here, it’s the perfect time to pick up a gift for the WordPress lover on your list.  The shop will be open during conference hours Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5 near the sponsors area and will accept cash and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express). All proceeds from these sales help offset the cost of providing free swag (buttons, stickers, etc.) to WordCamps and WordPress meetups around the world.

So stock up on some cool swag for you, your family, and maybe even your friends, knowing that you’re also giving back to the WordPress Community!

Highlight on: Design Sessions at WordCamp US

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Guest post by Luca Sartoni.

Ahead of the event, we’d like to help you get oriented to some of the dozens of sessions which might be aimed at a specific audience, or might appeal to someone trying to learn more about the subject. Today, we’re going to look at three great presentations about design:

Linda Daniels – Visual Design and UX: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Linda Daniels is a Design Thinker and Experience Architect. She is thought leader, always in search of excellence and the next big thing. She will be exploring the visual principles that help guide us when creating digital (and non-digital) artifacts for all types of media.

David Kennedy – Themes are for users

David A. Kennedy works at Automattic wrangling themes for WordPress.com. He’s also an accessibility evangelist and He contributes to WordPress Core, the WordPress Accessibility Team and the Underscores starter theme. His presentation is about a theme’s user experience, and how to set users up for success.

Beth Soderberg – Dynamic CSS: Transforms, Transitions, and Animation Basics

Beth Soderberg works as a web developer at CHIEF and in her spare time volunteers with the WordPress Training and TV Teams, the WordPress DC Meetup, and the DCFemTech coalition in Washington, DC. In her session she will explore the fundamentals of CSS transforms, transitions, and animation.

If you are up for a quick snack, here are three more talks on design which will be in the 10-minute format:

There are dozens more sessions planned, including more design sessions, at WordCamp US 2015 — check out the full schedule and buy your tickets now!

Introducing — Benpuu

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If you’ve been to many WordCamps in the past you may have noticed an interesting little character has made its way into WordCamps around the globe and at the same time secured a special place in many of our hearts. Wapuu is the WordCamp mascot craze circling the globe and we at WordCamp US couldn’t miss the chance to create our very own. But before the unveiling we thought you should know a little more about Wapuu and where it comes from.

Wapuu History

From The Wapuu Fan Club Site

original-wapuuIt all started when Matt Mullenweg (the co-founder of WordPress) went to Japan in 2009. While there the Japanese WordPress community asked him if they could create a mascot. Matt said yes as long as it was GPL licensed and designed by an illustrator who understands the open source community. The community asked Kazuko Kaneuchi, who had experience in creating the Japanese NetBeans mascot, Neko-bean.

Once the design was done a vote was held to decide the name. 67 different names were
proposed and the voting began on August 2, 2011. Over 530 votes were cast and “wappy” was the winner. However, it was discovered that there was already a Japanese company using the name wappy so the second place name was chosen, wapuu (わぷー). wapuu was officially unveiled at WordCamp Fukuoka 2011. The WordPress world has never been the same.

 

BenpuuIntroducing Benpuu

Benpuu is a new iteration of one of the WordCamp Philly Wapuus. He comes dressed in his finest duds with his very favorite book and he’s available exclusively at WordCamp US.

Thanks to StickerGiant we even have a sneak peek of the Benpuu stickers in production!

Want a Benpuu sticker of your very own? Tickets are still available, grab yours now.

 

There’s no party like a WordCamp After Party!

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No WordCamp would be complete without an amazing after-party, and WordCamp US is no different. It’s hard to tell if using the word “amazing” is right, or if “epic” is more fitting. Either way, we’ve got it covered and we’re really excited to tell you about it!

The perfect after-party isn’t just about drinking and eating. It’s about having fun with your friends, nurturing old connections and making new ones. It’s about community. The after-party is a good time to chat about the things you learned during the day, find out more  about your fellow WordCampers, and make plans for the next meetup, WordCamp, or world domination.

We’ll be hosting our EPIC after-party within walking distance of the Convention Center, right in Center City Philadelphia. There will be some passed appetizers and a beer and wine open bar, but that’s just the start.

Let’s go bowling!

The WordCamp US after-party will be held at Lucky Strike!

1336 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19107

Saturday, December 5th 7pm-10pm

UntitledYou can expect lots of things, including a few awesome surprises:

  • Unlimited bowling (including shoe rental)
  • Billiards
  • Ping Pong
  • Shuffleboard
  • Open Bar (beer and wine, only)
  • Rock Band (the game)
  • Passed Appetizers
  • Good conversation
  • Connect-4
  • WordCampers-only (We have both floors – One to party and one to chill!)
  • A few surprises

Of course, if you haven’t purchased your ticket yet it’s time to make that happen! Tickets are only $40 for the full weekend, including the EPIC after-party, and you’ll need to have your badge to be admitted.

Making the Most of the Happiness Bar

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happinessWordCamp US is going to be loaded with amazing talks, workshops, and experiences. It’s a place to exchange ideas, learn new things, and connect with different members of the WordPress Community. And to add to those experiences WordCamp US, like most WordCamps, will have a Happiness Bar!

For those not in the know a WordCamp Happiness Bar is great place to get hands on help and answers to your pressing WordPress questions. It’s not where we hand out stickers and swag. It’s not the place where we serve refreshments, though it is just a stone’s throw from the coffee and tea. It’s the place for you to get the WordPress solutions you need from people who genuinely want to help.

One of my favorite things about the WordPress Community is how we help each other. We volunteer our time to help new users setup a site, design cool themes that we give away, help out with questions about web hosting, create a great plugin that anyone can use for free, and so much more. At many WordCamps, the Happiness Bar is the place to get hands on help for your WordPress site. It’s an opportunity to sit down with WordPress experts to discuss challenges, troubleshoot problems, and learn about cool WordPress tips and tricks. WordCamp US will have dozens of volunteers staffing this year’s Happiness Bar. The volunteers themselves are as diverse as the WordPress Community, with backgrounds in: blogging, technical support, photography, WordPress plugin development, WordPress theme development, web design, teaching, and more. With their combined skills we’ll be available to assist every attendee of WordCamp US on December 4th and 5th in need of some WordPress help.

If you plan to come see us at the Happiness Bar this year, here are some tips to help you make the most of your experience:

It is totally cool to bring your laptop, tablet, or mobile device of your choice. We like to be hands on and walk you through issues as we work on them.

In fact, we recommend bringing your laptop, tablet, or smartphone when you come to the Happiness Bar. Volunteers will be hands on, potentially walking you through different settings on your site, or showing your articles to resolve your issue. But if you don’t have access to a mobile device don’t worry, we’ll have pen and paper available at the bar if you’d like to take notes.

There is no such thing as a “dumb question.”

You should feel comfortable asking any question you like at the Happiness Bar, as long as the question is WordPress related. We cater to users of all skill levels. If you have a question about your site that you do not know how to solve, don’t hesitate to ask us for help! At the Happiness Bar, there is no such thing as a dumb question.

We may not have all the answers, but we know someone who does.

Not every member of the Happiness Bar will have all the answers, but we know how to tap each other on the shoulder to ask for help. We’re comfortable combining our expertise to find that tough solution. Many of the volunteers also know a lot of people within the WordPress Community, and we aren’t above chasing people down to get you some outside help (unless they are in the middle of a talk, then we may let them finish).

Don’t hesitate to share your story.

My favorite thing about volunteering at the Happiness Bar is hearing how different people use WordPress. Hearing how you use WordPress can sometimes help us better understand your question or problem, so please share!

Bring your friends.

If you overhear someone at the WordCamp talking about problems with their site or questions they have about WordPress, refer them to us! You may not have any questions yourself, but maybe you have someone who needs help, but is too afraid to ask. Drag them to The Happiness Bar so they can get some help!

No problem is too small, but some solutions may be too big.

Some problems can only be solved with long term solutions, i.e. developing a new site, changing the design of your site, etc. While you can get some great advice from the bar, and we will be as hands on as possible, the Happiness Bar isn’t a good place for new design or development. It also may not be the best place for an urgent issue. For example if your site is down it might be a simple fix, but there might be more involved than our volunteers can fix then and there. But if you need assistance with a long-term solution and we can’t fix it, we will do our best to connect you with someone who can help.

Let us know in comments if you have any questions about the Happiness Bar, and we sure are looking forward to seeing all of you at WordCamp!

 

Let’s talk about t-shirt sizes!

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It’s widely known that as far as conference t-shirt sizing goes there is no standard. It can make it downright impossible to get a shirt that fits the way you want. While we can’t work miracles on the t-shirt front, we can do our best to provide you with the information needed to make an educated decision when it comes to selecting your t-shirt size.

Following the excellent example set forth by WordCamp SF 2014, we’re offering three shirt styles this year. For women there are two options: a Bella slim cut and a Bella “Missy” cut. And the men’s and unisex option is the Canvas “Unisex” Tee.

Decide which style and size are right for you and update your registration by Sunday!

The Community Summit at WordCamp US

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For many people, this year’s WordCamp US will be the first time attending such a major WordPress-focused event. While you may already know that you can expect a lot of great content at the main event over the weekend, you may have also heard about a few other events surrounding it. If you are confused, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered!

Yesterday we brought you up to speed on Contributor Day, an event open to any WordCamp US attendee who would like to get involved. Today we’ll let you know a little more about the Community Summit which takes place on December 2 and 3.

Community Summit

The Community Summit is a small event that brings together many of the people who actively contribute to the WordPress open source project. From event organizers  to core developers, each team brings and discusses the pressing issues for the year. Think of it as two days of planning, strategy, and work meetings for the WordPress open source community.

Community Summit attendees, or folks who are just curious, can find out more about the details of this year’s confab on the Community Summit pages.

Join us for the WordCamp US Contributor Day

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Many many many of you indicated when purchasing tickets that you’d be interested in participating in the Contributor Day at WordCamp US, which is well on its way to becoming the largest contributor day ever held at a WordCamp!

So what is a contributor day?

A contributor day is an event dedicated to giving back to the WordPress project, often paired with a WordCamp. It’s for both seasoned contributors and people making their first foray into getting involved.

What: WordCamp US Contributor Day

When: Sunday, December 6. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. for a 10:00 a.m. start.

Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center

Change your mind? If you indicated you’d be attending in error or have changed your mind or you didn’t sign up to attend but now you want to give back, you can opt in or out by following the link in your ticket confirmation email. If you’re not sure if you signed up to attend Contributor Day you can check on the Contributor Day Attendees page.

Here are some of the things you’ll be able to do:

  • Contribute your first patch to core
  • Fix bugs
  • User testing
  • Translate WordPress or WordPress plugins or themes
  • Write documentation
  • Help out on the support forums or IRC
  • Get involved with accessibility
  • Review themes
  • And more!

For those of you who are new to contributing to WordPress, we’ll be sending out information soon about how to get set up for each team. The hope is to start the ramp-up process in advance so we can all spend more time actually contributing!

Stay tuned for more information on who will be leading teams at the WordCamp US Contributor Day, and if you haven’t already, join us on the “Making WordPress” Slack in the #wcus-contributor-day channel.

The Cheesesteak Post

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What is a cheesesteak?

Cheese steak Wapuu
Cheesesteaks are a Philly thing. A cheesesteak is thinly sliced steak, chopped and grilled, served on a long roll (usually an Amoroso roll) with cheese. A cheesesteak “wit” includes diced grilled onions. The most common types of cheese used on a cheesesteak are American, Provolone and Wiz.

There are a few variations on cheesesteaks:

  • Pizzasteak: Cheesesteak with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce (my favorite as a kid).
  • Chicken Cheesesteak: Same as a cheesesteak, but with chicken instead of steak.
  • Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak: Chicken Cheesesteak with Buffalo wing sauce.
  • Cheesesteak Hoagie: Yup, a hoagie and a cheesesteak all mixed together. It’s more delicious than it sounds and you really can’t get a more Philly sandwich than that.

Where’s the best place to get a cheesesteak in Philly?

A cheesesteak in Philly is like a latte in Seattle – almost anywhere you go is going to be pretty decent. However, everyone in Philly who enjoys cheesesteaks has their favorite place.

We’ll have every WCUS organizer with an opinion weigh in:

  • Tracy

    Joe’s – 1 West Girard Ave. (Frankford & Girard), 19123, Fishtown.
    Four WCUS organizers walk into a cheesesteak shop. One is a vegetarian, another gluten-free, the third dairy-free and the last an omnivore – and they all enjoy a delicious cheesesteak. At Joe’s, you can get a vegan cheesesteak, or a real steak sandwich with vegan cheese or vegan steak with real cheese on a gluten-free roll – any combination you want! And, they don’t mess up the order! Joe’s is also across the street from my office in Fishtown, a really fun neighborhood to explore. Hop on the El, get off at Girard Ave. and walk just a couple blocks East to get to Joe’s.

  • Alx

    Blackbird Pizzaria – 507 s 6th St. Philadelphia, 19147, Society Hill.
    Philadelphia is home to many vegans and vegetarians and doesn’t disappoint when it comes to options and variety. Cheesesteaks are no different. You can find vegetarian cheesesteaks in diners and restaurants throughout the city, but Blackbird in South Philly wins the prize. The all vegan “meat” is tender and full of flavor and the vegan wiz just brings it home. It’s one chewy, flavorful, savory, melty, delicious bundle of awesome. While you’re there be sure to try the Vegan Root Beer BBQ wings and a Blueberry Soda.

  • Brad

    Dalessandro’s Steaks – 600 Wendover St. Philadelphia, 19128, Roxborough
    One of the highest rated cheesesteaks in the city, Dalessandro’s Steaks is where the locals go for awesome steaks and hoagies. There is nothing better than washing a wiz wit cheesesteak down with an ice cold lager. Dalessandro’s Steaks is not to be missed.

  • Reed

    Dalessandro’s Steaks – 600 Wendover St. Philadelphia, 19128, Roxborough
    Yeah. I have to second Brad’s pick – and it was a favorite with most of the people I knew when I lived nearby. But not a wiz wit, though…’Murican witout, I say.

  • Jodie

    Jim’s Steaks – 400 South St., Philadelphia, 19147, South Street
    I’ve lived near South Street since I came to Philadelphia over 15 years ago. My first Philly cheesesteak was at Jim’s many moons ago. You can’t walk down South Street without getting a whiff of their delicious concoctions and there is always a line on the weekends. I get mine with provolone and plenty of fried onions because I’ve never really liked wiz. I’m not sure if there is anything better on a chilly fall day than watching the Eagles while eating a Jim’s steak.

  • Doug

    DiNic’s Roast Pork – Reading Terminal Market
    I’m going to play against type here and suggest an alternative to the cheesesteak: the roast pork sandwich. Awesomely tender pork with provolone and the addition of broccoli rabe make this sandwich a great alternative (some would say “better!”) for those who have been cheesesteak’d out. And, conveniently, the Reading Terminal Market is mere steps from the convention center!

  • Liam

    Sonny’s – 228 Market Street, 19106, Old City
    Drifting into the city from the suburbs, I’m always drawn to Old City. Its history, its architecture and more enthrall me on every trip. When I arrived in Philly in 2009, Sonny’s was the first place I went for cheesesteaks. I’ve loved it ever since. Just a short stroll from the Convention, Sonny’s can be the home of your cheesesteak memories on your first visit to  Philly.

  • Cami

    Joe’s – 1 West Girard Ave. (Frankford & Girard), Fishtown.
    I’m west coast dweller so I was hesitant to make a suggestion. At first. Under the guidance of this great team I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about how to enjoy a cheesesteak and I’ve eaten at a couple of the establishments on this fine list. But my vote goes out to Joe’s. I was one of the four organizers who walked into that cheesesteak joint and I have to say that a little bit of my heart stayed there. They made ordering a gluten free cheesesteak wiz wit seem like the most normal thing in the world, and wow was it delicious. Plus bonus points for having a pickle bar.

And now, we shall leave you with this informative video from Visit Philly on how to order a Philly Cheesesteak.

Editor’s note: This was the most hotly contested post of the WCUS planning process. For Philly folks the perfect cheesesteak is serious business.