Eligibility of Workshop Presenters

Anyone can be a part of planning, scripting and creating workshop videos on Learn WordPress. However, only people who embrace the WordPress trademark and licence can be presenters of the videos. To quote from the WordCamp speaker guidelines, the implication of this is:

  • They must embrace the WordPress license. This means that if they are distributing WordPress-derivative works (themes, plugins, WP distros), any person (or their business) should give their users the same freedoms that WordPress itself provides. Note: this is one step above simple compliance, which requires PHP code to be GPL/compatible but allows proprietary licenses for JavaScript, CSS, and images. 100% GPL or compatible is required for in order to present a Learn WordPress video workshop when WordPress-derivative works are involved, the same guidelines that are followed on WordPress.org.
  • They must respect the WordPress trademarks. This means they do not operate websites with the word “WordPress” in a top-level domain, they do not use the logo in a way that violates the usage policy, they do not use the trademark in AdSense/AdWords, and they do not promote people/businesses/entities that do.

This post includes more information about why embracing the GPL is important in the WordPress project.

Here are more details about how this will apply and play out on Learn WordPress:

  • Anyone contributing text-based content to Learn WordPress does not have to fulfil any GPL compliance requirements, this would apply to lesson plans and any other area that is text/image based.
  • Workshop presenters (i.e. people who appear in videos whether on video or audio) must continue to be GPL compliant just like WordCamp speakers need to be – presenters will be vetted at the time of their workshop application just like WordCamp speakers are vetted.
  • Anyone contributing to workshops who is not appearing in the video itself (i.e. helped to create the outline, script, slides, editing, or any other area) does not need to be GPL compliant.
  • Workshop presenters will still be listed on the workshop page with their name, avatar and bio as they are now, while anyone contributing to the workshop in any other capacity would be listed in a block titled “Other contributors” with their name that is linked to their WordPress.org profile, just like in the core release announcements.

This policy was discussed and finalised in September 2021.

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