Welcome to the official blog of the community/outreach team for the WordPress open sourceOpen SourceOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. project!
This team oversees official events, mentorship programs, diversity initiatives, contributor outreach, and other ways of growing our community.
If you love WordPress and want to help us do these things, join in!
Getting Involved
We use this blog for policy debates, project announcements, and status reports. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to comment on posts and join the discussion.
You can learn about our current activities on the Team Projects page. These projects are suitable for everyone from newcomers to WordPress community elders.
You can use our contact form to volunteer for one of our projects.
Communication
We have Office HoursOffice HoursDefined times when the Global Community Team are in the #community-events Slack channel. If there is anything you would like to discuss – you do not need to inform them in advance.You are very welcome to drop into any of the Community Team Slack channels at any time. four times a week in the #community-events channel on Slack: Mondays & Wednesdays 22:00 UTC, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 UTC.
We also have regular Community Team meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 12:00 UTC and 21:00 UTC in #community-team on Slack (same agenda).
Events WidgetWidgetA WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most WordPress events are online. Please refer to our
online events handbook.
For communities where COVID-19 has been more effectively contained or have easy access to COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing,
returning to hosting an in-person meetupMeetupMeetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. event is possible, with caution, using
the resources provided.
If you plan to move forward with an in-person meetup, you must use
the provided checklist
.
The WordPress community is diverse and global. The power of open sourceOpen SourceOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. is that anyone can contribute from anywhere at any time, regardless of their background.
Even more importantly, the more diverse our community is, the stronger it becomes. With different perspectives come new innovations, ideas, and solutions. Our diversity helps to create a more accessible user experience, whether that’s as a blogger setting up a site or a contributor to our community of in-person events and meetupsMeetupMeetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook..
However, the most inclusive environments don’t happen overnight, nor do they happen without effort. As our community grows, so have ideas and efforts to help welcome more diverse voices into the fold. This guide is a living document to collect those resources and to encourage others who are committed to diversity and inclusion to help lend a hand.
Code of ConductCode of Conduct“A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party.�? - Wikipedia#Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct (for in-person events and for virtual events) is a living, community document that has been adopted to help ensure safe meeting spaces for all community members. For those who are unfamiliar with the Code of Conduct, it is a helpful place to start in terms of understanding its benefit in contributing to more inclusive spaces. It is also a document that welcomes community input and questions, which you can always ask in the #community-team channel in the WordPress.orgWordPress.orgThe community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/..
The Diverse Speaker Training working group holds ongoing trainings for Meetup and other WordPress event organizers to teach them how to encourage members of underrepresented groups to speak at their events. Since the shift to online meetups and events, the group is currently running these workshops directly for potential speakers, as well.
For multilingual community members who would like to contribute, the Diverse Speaker Training working group also welcomes those who can help with translating the workshop into different languages. For some inspiration, the Italian WordPress community has resources from the Diverse Speaker Training translated (Building a Diverse Speaker Roster and Inclusive and Welcoming Events) into Italian, as has the Japanese WordPress community.
do_actiondo_actiondo_action hackathons are community-organised events that are focussed on using WordPress to give deserving charitable organisations their own online presence. Learn more on doaction.org.#do_action
do_action events are hackathons dedicated to helping charities in your local community. Through do_action, WordPress communities are able to give back to those around them by volunteering their time and expertise to help others develop an online presence so that local non-profits can be more impactful and effective in the work they do.
Five for the Future is a community initiative to encourage organizations to contribute five percent of their resources to WordPress development. Receiving sponsorship from an organization to contribute a certain amount of time to the WordPress community can help individuals from various backgrounds to participate in a way that may not have been accessible before.
If you’re an organization interested in donating time and resources to the community, check out the Contribute as an Organization page.
In 2019, the WordPress FoundationWordPress FoundationThe WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to further the mission of the WordPress open source project: to democratize publishing through Open Source, GPL software. Find more on wordpressfoundation.org. organized an Introduction to Open Source workshop in Ghana, India, Colombia, and St. Lucia. The workshops are organized to help educate and engage potential contributors in regions where there is less participation in Open Source Projects.
While there are currently no workshops planned for 2020, interested organizers and participants can watch the WordPress Foundation website for updates.
Youth Events are locally-organized events dedicated to engaging and educating kids and young adults about WordPress. They provide an opportunity for young adults to learn more about open source software, technology, and community organizing; they provide parents and organizers with an opportunity to engage the next generation in tech.
If you’re interested in organizing a Youth Event in your area, please follow the Organizer Handbook.
In addition to groups and community efforts, there are many other individuals and organizations dedicated to improving inclusion in the WordPress ecosystem and technology in general. Below you’ll find some helpful resources.
Two workshops on Creating a Welcoming and Diverse Space (Part 2) are available on WordPress.tv for Meetup, WordCampWordCampWordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., and other community organizers interested in ensuring that the spaces they create are inclusive and welcoming.
Big Orange Heart, an organization dedicated to mental health support for remote workers.
Women in WordPress, a bi-monthly podcast dedicated to highlighting women in the WordPress community.
Mulheres do WordPress is a public Facebook group for women based in Brazil who are involved in the WordPress open source project.
Balkan Women WP is an online meetup encouraging and empowering women to not only watch or attend a webinar, talk, Q&A session but participate actively, get involved, contribute & speak. You can find them on their Instagram Balkan Women WP account as well.
WordPress Women of Color connects cis and transgender women and non-binary people of color throughout the WordPress community.
Are you aware of any additional resources, efforts, or organizations dedicated to diversity in the WordPress community, global or local? If so, please share them in the comments or offer a suggestion via the #community-team channel in the WordPress.org Slack.