Topher DeRosia – He Will Make You Smarter

I’ve learned that you can learn a lot from Topher DeRosia. That’s a lot of learning in one sentence but once you meet him, you’ll see it’s fitting. Let’s get to know him.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

I love teaching. I love helping people understand things.

What is your session about?

Intro to HTML and CSS

Where can people find more about you?

http://topher1kenobe.com

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

Nothing, it’s perfect. 🙂

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

People of color.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

A project involving ElasticSearch to catalog hundreds of thousands of data points.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

We built a Law site and interconnected Cases, Staff, Updates, and two other posts types seamlessly.

Video Sponsor Interview: Devin Sears – Bluehost

Devin Sears is one of the coolest guys I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with at WordCamps in the past. He works for Bluehost and finds himself at a lot of events. Along with a few colleagues he made it out last year for WordCamp Ann Arbor and has some very kind comments to share about our event.

In this video I connect with Devin to chat about what he and Bluehost are up to lately and what attendees can expect from them at WCA2 2017.

Seth Alling – The Next James Bond?

Seth Alling just might replace Daniel Craig for the name James Bond franchise. He also is a talented designer, developer and tight ropewalker. Let’s get to know him!

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

My path to WordPress development would be easier if I knew what I know now when I was starting out. No matter where someone is with their experience in WordPress, the knowledge of others can help. I hope I can contribute to that and make things easier for others.

Where can people find more about you?

https://sethalling.com

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

I would like it to be easier for people to just start using. To me, it’s simple, but I’ve been using the software for years. Posts vs. pages, unlimited plugins, countless themes, etc. It all gets confusing for someone who is just starting out. I want to see it become more streamlined so someone can have and manage their own site with an almost nonexistent learning curve.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

People with disabilities. Accessibility is being mentioned more and more in the community, but it’s still an afterthought on many people’s minds, myself included.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

I developed a custom importer that would take a CSV file containing almost 20,000 entries and turn them into custom post type entries, and then creating a relationship between them and other custom post type entries.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

I built a membership site that would add members to a public, searchable directory with all of their desired info immediately after payment. Once their subscription expires or is cancelled, they are removed from the directory.

Mary Baum, Master of CSS and Jokes

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

  1. My husband, if it’s more than six hours or so in the car. Oh, wait. That’s a who, not a what.
  2. I’m pretty sure CSS jokes don’t go over too well at Open Mic Night. So WordCamp is my comedy store.
  3. I really think it’s possible to render in CSS almost any design we can conceive of, subject to browser support and its limitations.

AND I think it’s possible for any designer to learn to render their vision in CSS and template PHP, irrespective of age, temperament, education or professional background.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

The Media Library. I’d like to be able to upload media files with FTP or push them from version control, with their meta data intact.

I love that Core automagically makes images responsive (shout-out to fellow STL peep Joe McGill on that!)

And happy as I am with the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin, which keeps going and going and going, shouldn’t that functionality be part of Core at some point?

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

Fat Jewish tennis ladies over 55, of course! Tennis pros and other athletes …

In my experience of the STEM space, the two most welcoming communities for white women and people of color are probably WordPress and aerospace (or at least Boeing fighter programs).

Now, my real experience is of WordPress. My perception of aerospace is skewed by who shows up at Taco Tuesday here in the high desert of Aerospace USA in California.

So I don’t have much standing to say either way, and we can always do better.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

The most fun I’ve had recently was building a Genesis child theme that uses Flexbox every which way from Sunday. It’s called GardenFlex, because I used some shots of flowers and leaves as the featured images.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

I’m still working on it at stltennishall.org – in the Inductees category, I want each archive to show only its immediate subcategory archive (there’s a plugin letting me add featured images to the categories, so I can make pretty layouts on the archive pages).

Right now, I’m hiding things I don’t want with hacky CSS. I need to write a better function, with better array arguments, to control those archive pages properly.

Where can people find more about you?

racquetpress.com is the product/service site I’ve been soft-launching for two years now 😜 ; marginhancers.com has endorsements and some non-tennis case studies.

I live on Twitter, basically, unless I’m on the court or doing something halfway productive. There’s my somewhat pathetic Github account – my Genesis child themes live there. I’m marybaum both places and on wordpress.org.

And if you’re in the mood for lame comedy mixed into somewhat more solid CSS and templating how-tos, check out my speaker page at wordpress.tv/speakers/mary-baum.

Video Sponsor Interview: Andy Melichar – A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting has sponsored WordCamp Ann Arbor for four straight years and for that, we’re so grateful. They’ve been incredibly supportive of our event in so many ways since the very beginning.

This year, A2 Hosting is a top level sponsor and will be sending numerous staff members to the event.

In this video I chatted with Andy Melichar (who is also speaking and helping organize WCA2!) about the super cool stuff A2 Hosting is up to, what they’re doing to help WordPress users succeed, why they are investing so much in the WordPress community and what we can expect from that at WordCamp Ann Arbor this year.

Definitely make sure you make some time to both thank the folks from A2 Hosting at the event and get to know them better. They’re awesome people and they’re helping make this event possible.

Boiling Pot Media Sponsor Interview

Boiling Pot MediaDescribe your company in one sentence?
Boiling Pot Media is an origin for tailored brand, message and web solutions.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
WordPress has given a lot to Boiling Pot Media. Since WordPress is open source, we could begin a relationship with the software and the WordPress community. Since WordPress is intuitive, we could build systems that we, and our clients, can use. Sponsoring WordCamp Ann Arbor appealed to us because it presents an opportunity to help grow the community that has been so helpful to us.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
This question feels almost impossible to answer! WordPress has so many tools, extensions, and resources available that are all so desirable, and so necessary each for it’s own purpose. It’s like asking a builder to choose one tool from their belt and explain why it’s the best. Here’s how we’ll answer: We rely heavily on, and relish reading from Codex, and WordPress-related discussions on StackOverflow.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
We’re eager to meet and connect with a wide swath of folks who represent the diversity of web developers.

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
The generosity and nonjudgement of the WordPress community inspires us. We’ve rarely, if ever, seen WordPress developers unduly withholding or disparaging others. We appreciate how, in this community, beginners and experts show mutual respect and foster knowledge and best practices among each other in a kind and productive manner.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
We would advise: “It will change your life – phenomenally – for the better. You will have, or will feel like you have superpowers after attending WordCamp. You may emerge with a new surname that reflects your brilliant, honed identity – like ‘Code Shot’, ‘WP Poet’ or simply ‘Maestro’ … ” because, we enjoy very dry humor. Really, though, we’re sure everyone would enjoy WordCamp, and are confident that they will take home knowledge and relationships that will be valuable for many years to come.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Kalamazoo (our city) is an indigenous word (from Native American Algonquian) that means Boiling Pot. It referred to some of the Kalamazoo River rapids. Besides having exciting imagery, we chose Boiling Pot Media for our name to remember that there were people and landscapes that came before us.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
Boilingpotmedia.com
Facebook.com/boilingpotmedia
Github.com/JRyven

Thomas Stirling, The Worlds Most Interesting Man?

Thomas Stirling is an interesting man. If you do any client services you need to attend his talk and meet him afterward. His knowledge and insights will help change the way you approach the web design process.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

WordPress has such a wonderful community of people behind it and I feel honored to be a part of that. My talks focus on process and passion, exploring things I have learned running a creative agency that is growing. I like sharing some of the things we have tried and have helped other people like me who are starting out. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone else out.

What is your session about?

In this talk, I share how to improve the quality of the websites you build by simply changing your approach to the design process. The outcome is a stronger relationship with your client, a repeatable method for continued website improvements, and an outstanding experience for both the client and its users.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

I look forward to seeing how people leverage WordPress for its REST API as it continues to be used more an application framework. Anything we can do to empower users to do more with less expertise is a good thing because it exposes more people to the underlying technology out there. Beyond that, as more of a wishlist – I am excited to see how WordPress evolves to meet the needs of its users as we move into the VR and IR web experiences of tomorrow.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

I think the community could benefit from two things, a more comprehensive job board and some mentorship programs. I think some of this exists in some of the larger cities in the form of meetup groups, but a centralized place.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

Working with local Governments has posed new challenges. We are doing some creative stuff with WordPress multi-site, along with advanced modules and custom pages for departments.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

Transitioning larger institutions with thousands of pages into WP can be challenging. We are doing a lot with custom post types for categorizing, displaying and filtering data across a wide array of use cases with the goal of making it easier to update and edit these larger sites.

Where can people find more about you?

I am pretty easy to find, add me on social and ask away if you can’t find an answer to the question you are looking for. There is a lot of good content about me and my team on our website at stboston.com. My social media presence is pretty tame, but there is some good content on Facebook and Instagram.

The Infamous Kevin Lane Skarritt

You never forget a Kevin Skarritt presentation. He’s smart, funny and engaging and his talks always both teach and entertain. Let’s get to know him a little better.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

Making connections and meeting new peeps.

What is your session about?

Going “Social” with “Word Press” ….. Exploring the possibilities of managing, enhancing and integrating your social media activities into your WordPress site.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

More flexibility

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

The UI/UX Industry. There are several groups here in Michigan (IXPA, MiUPA, MichiCHI, various MeetUps, etc.) but I rarely encounter them at Word Camps.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

A site with a complex CPT where the client had poor communication skills. Bad combo.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

Boosting SEO in a site by creating a robust Project Gallery CPT.

Where can people find more about you?

http://linkedin.com/in/skarritt

Nexcess Sponsor Interview

NexcessDescribe your company in one sentence?
Managed web hosting with a fully trained support team ready to help you 24 hours day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
The short answer is that we’re always looking for ways to get better. The landscape changes quickly, so we also value this event as a way to maintain our support team’s expertise. Staying knowledgeable about current events and breaking trends in the community also helps us continue to deliver innovative products that make our clients’ lives easier.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
I have to say I’m biased, but blog.nexcess.nethas provides a wealth of information, not only on WordPress but also on WooCommerce. Second to that, I spend a lot of time at https://winningwp.com. Run by WordPress enthusiast Brin Wilson, it’s pretty much the equivalent of the Library of Congress for WordPress.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
You! We want to meet you: the creators, the bloggers, the designers, and the developers. You are the foundation behind one of the biggest open source communities, and everything you do pushes the Internet into new territory!

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
The community’s hunger to find solutions to every problem, no matter the size or scope. Also, the possibilities that come from simple discussions in the community that tease what’s coming next!

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
This is a place to learn from like-minded people who accomplish great things using tools available to everyone in the community.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
In 2001, we were a single rack of server in CEO Chris Wells’s garage, and he was hosting family and a few brave friends. Today, we design and build our own data centers, have a global presence, and host over 40,000 eCommerce sites

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
Either visit our blog at blog.nexcess .net, or head to our website at www.nexcess.net.

If you’re more of a social media person, we’re also active on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nexcess/) and Twitter (twitter.com/nexcess).

LiquidWeb Sponsor Interview

liquidweb logoDescribe your company in one sentence?
Liquid Web is a $100 million dollar hosting company focused on providing the best managed hosting experience to web professionals, site and store owners that are running mission critical sites by offering an array of managed hosting options, including managed WordPress, and by being the most helpful humans in hosting.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
We choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor as a way to continue providing our local community with a great group of speakers that represent both local and national WordPress talent.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
For beginners that are just getting started with WordPress we recommend checking out WP101 and WPBeginner. Both are excellent resources that help beginners get started with WordPress.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
We like to meet everyone!

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
No other community has such a desire to learn than the WordPress community. We have representatives that participate in other communities and when we discuss internally the differences of our communities, it always comes back to the WordPress community’s desire to learn. Nearly everyone we meet is looking to learn something new, whether it’s a developer that wants to have time to interact with the REST API or a beginner that is looking for the best place to get a theme. We’re always willing and excited to hear the stories of successes from the community.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
You will never find a conference, individual, or resource that is a bigger bang for your dollars than a WordCamp. At a WordCamp there is something for everyone, and it’s not just all about the sessions. Yes, you will learn something in any session you attend as WordCamp Ann Arbor has a terrific lineup of speakers. But you will also get to learn from other attendees that are walking the halls.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Liquid Web does a lot more than just WordPress. If you are looking for domain registration, hosted email, or hosting for sites other than built with WordPress, Liquid Web can handle all of your hosting needs without needing to use multiple providers depending on what your site is built with.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
You can find Liquid Web at www.liquidweb.com