You Have Something to Say
You Have Something to Say
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you-have-something-to-say
Slides for my WordCamp Lancaster 2016 talk.On Github taupecat / you-have-something-to-say
You Have Something to Say
WordCamp Lancaster March 5, 2016
Tracy Rotton
- @taupecat
- Front-End Architect forRP3 Agency in Bethesda, Maryland
- Doin’ the #webdev thing since 1994
My Story
Like a lot of people, I started with WordPress by using it to create a simple, personal blog. I had years of web development experience, but had never used WordPress before. When I built my first WordPress blog, I found a theme I liked on the WordPress.org repository. I didn't feel like my blog really needed categories, so I didn't use them. But then all my posts had a "Filed under: Uncategorized" line at the bottom. It seemed silly. Since I knew PHP, I decided to go in and remove that line from the template. But there was a problem: I was afraid whoever wrote the theme would discover it and get mad at me. (No one is going to get mad at you if you modify a theme, although there better ways to do it than others.) Later, my career took a turn—as careers often do—and I found myself starting to develop WordPress sites professionally. I went to my first WordCamp (WordCamp Mid-Atlantic) and learned more about WordPress in one day than I had the previous six months. Later on, I joined a meetup group and started learning from the incredible community I didn't even realize was around me. After awhile, I felt like I had enough confidence to share some things I had been learning along the way. I had recently finished my first client responsive design project, and I was doing even more WordPress custom theme development. In the process, I thought of ways to combine the two. So I approached Andy Nacin and said I wanted to speak at a meetup. It went well.Why Am I telling you all of this?
I share all of this not to bore you with my speaking résumé, but in the hopes that maybe you recognize yourself at some point along a similar journey.Your Story…
Why Are You Here?
Not in the grand, metaphysical sense of things. Why did you come to WordCamp Lancaster? You might be new to WordPress (or you might have years of experience). Are you transitioning from another career? Or maybe you're just shifting from one area in tech to another.
How many people are attending their first WordCamp?
Tweet it!
Everyone in this room has something that they know more about than anyone else.
Tweet it!
Find your passion and build on it. Find your niche.
Is it theming? Building plugins? Content? Accessibility? What is it about WordPress, about web development, that drives you?Tweet it!
Own What You Know
Tweet it!
Research, Research, Research
- Presentation-driven development
- Agency site; still got some things wrong
Tackling Imposter Syndrome
No one, not you, me, or even Rami Abraham, knows everything about anything.
It's okay to not have the answer to every question. Use it as a springboard for further learning.
Aim to teach everyone in your audience at least one thing that they didn't know before.
Even more ways to contribute…
There are opportunities for you to learn about WordPress by researching the answers.
make.wordpress.org
write a lesson planwordpress.tv
Caption a WordCamp talk.wordpress.org/support
Answer questions in the forum.Developer Documentation & The Codex
Write documentation.Learn By Helping Others Learn
You Have a Voice
- Take your experiences, take your skills, and make something great.
- Learn something new. Share what you learn.
Thank You
Share your story:#MyWPJourney