CodePoet is an effort by Automattic to provide more resources to people who build WordPress sites. The site includes articles ranging from HTML & CSS to theme development to security. No matter your experience level CodePoet improve your WordPress skills and know how.
Getting the word out about these resources includes sponsoring WordCamp SLC 2012, for which we are very grateful.
At WordCamp SLC the word ‘Bluehost‘ has become synonymous with lunch. This year is no different, with Bluehost picking up the tab for our BBQ lunch.
Lunch at WordCamp SLC is something I consider a vital part of the event. Not just because we get hungry around that time, but because it a great time for people to sit and talk together. When we draw up the schedule for the day I make sure we carve out a solid 1.5 hours for lunch, so that everyone has plenty of time to get their food and make new friends.
If you enjoy being able to have lunch included as part of a low cost $20 ticket be sure to thank our friends at Bluehost. I know many of you already have sites hosted at Bluehost, they’ll have staff members attending WordCamp SLC so this is a good time to ask any questions you may have.
As we enter the last week leading up to WordCamp SLC 2012 it is time to thank our sponsors, they play a large part in making this event come together.
For the third year in a row we are thrilled to be holding WordCamp SLC at the University of Utah. They have been very gracious in letting us use the Skaggs Biology building auditorium rooms. I knew from the first time I saw them then I wanted to use those rooms. The size, the proximity to one another, power outlets every where, projectors and large screens, it all just clicked. I don’t want to jinx it, but the wifi has also worked out great each year.
The campus itself is also wonderful, worth wandering around if you haven’t done that before. Not bad for a place that that has been around for more than 160 years.
A huge thank you to the UoU for welcoming us back for another year!
Jake is a former Utah native now living in California and working for MAKE magazine. “The big site that I work on all day is makezine.com but there are a few others too like MakerFaire.com and others…When I started working at MAKE, we did a lot of incremental updates, about six months ago, I got to do an overhaul, and with a blank slate, every line of code on the site is new, and written by me.” Jake got his start with WordPress in 2005 when he was building a podcasting network in iWeb. “I quickly grew beyond that software and used WordPress, knowing that I could have category-specific RSS feeds. Boom! Haven’t turned back since.”
Jake’s favorite thing(s) about WordPress came in list form:
List of favorite functions/classes/APIs/things:
1. WP_QUERY
2. register_post_type()
3. Transients API
4. update_post_meta()
5. WordPress VIP program
6. Awesome community
Jake will be talking about responsive development with the Twitter Bootstrap framework. “In the last nine months I have been using Bootstrap for a variety of projects at work. It’s been a fun platform to build on top of, and as a form of evangelism, I wanted to share the good news of the project.”
When he isn’t working at MAKE, Jake loves the outdoors. “Cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing and camping. Been working on my Jeep for the last six months or so turning it into a rock climbing rig.” While Jake doesn’t listen to jazz most of the time, he does dig some Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
This is our last speaker profile. I sincerely hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about our speakers, and I encourage you to visit our schedule if you haven’t had a chance to learn about everyone and what they are presenting. There’s an awesome bunch of folks coming to this years WordCamp SLC and we’re excited to have them.
Joe works for small newspapers in California and is responsible for all aspects of technology and digital publishing. “My goal there is to replace as [many] of the legacy computer systems as possible with WordPress.” He started with a home-brew PHP-based CMS built “the hard way” and switched to WordPress in 2010. Joe’s favorite thing about WordPress is the community. “Without the type of people who make and attend WordCamps, WordPress would not be what it is. I credit @mitcho and @nacin for inspiring me to get involved.”
Joe’s favorite project that he’s been involved with was for The Davis Enterprise. “Forward looking newspaper design, not just the aesthetics but the business logic behind the design. In my un-humble opinion, this is a model for the future of local news publishing.”
Joe’s presentation is about WordPress’ profound effect on journalism. “I hope people will think differently about what WordPress can do as a application platform, specifically it’s use by the publishing industry. My dreams would come true if someone used this technology to help other newspapers evolve and grow.”
When he’s not working with WordPress, Joe loves outdoor activities (“the more extreme the better”) and spending time with his family. While it isn’t what he listens to most, his favorite jazz musician is Sonny Rollins.
Dustin works at SEO.com where he does SEO all day as his career, and hack WordPress sites at night and on weekends. “I’m an entrepreneur by nature, and enjoy coming up with business ideas.”
Dustin knew about WordPress but had always considered it “blogging software”. “When I started working with a friend on some projects in early 2010, he turned me on to WordPress despite my resistance. After we worked on a joint project for a client, I bought dustinnay.com and started building a blog. Later that year I attended my first WordCamp, founded the WP Meetup SLC group, and just kept learning and experimenting.”
Dustin wanted to share his story and insight to share the resources he’s found and show that everyone can learn WordPress. “I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed when they first start with WordPress, particularly non-developers (like me!).” Tolkien fans may have already picked up on the sly reference to The Hobbit in his presentation’s title, and warns that the presentation “will be peppered with references to Middle Earth, and possibly other geeky things.”
Though jazz isn’t what he listens to most of the time, Dustin’s favorite jazz performer is Tommy Flanagan. You can find him blogging on his new home at Oh Wise Geek.
Here’s a preview of some of the fun stickers we’ll get at WordCamp this year, thanks to our official Sticker Sponsor, Sticker Giant. I don’t know about you, but my kids are going to love them. So here’s a shout out to John and Amy at Sticker Giant for making this work… thank you!
Laura is a full-time writer and contributor to multiple blogs who writes every day. Before she used WordPress, she ran her blogs on a homebrew software that was a NIGHTMARE to maintain and use. “I love that I have the power to add HTML code whenever I want. As much as everyone loves WYSIWYG, I prefer to have the freedom to add whatever code I need and see it.”
Her favorite blog that she contributes to is Starling Travel. “I’m proud of all of my blogs, but Starling Travel is my favorite because it’s where I go to dream about my next vacation. I think a lot of people are chained at work, wishing they could escape. I like to imagine that Starling Travel gives them that chance to escape.”
Laura’s presentation is about blogging and how to get your mojo back. “I feel so grateful to the WordPress community for making my life easier. WordPress lets me WRITE instead of worrying about HTML code or security holes. I created this presentation as a way to give back to the community that has helped me so much.”
When she’s not writing, Laura loves to camp, and when she can’t camp, she’s restoring trailers to camp in. Laura does not listen to jazz; she prefers electronica and pop.
To make sure the shirts are ready and here by the 21st we have to place our order for them tomorrow, on September 5th. To ensure we have a shirt in the size you want you’ll need to signup before the end of the day tomorrow. We’ll be ordering extra, so we’ll likely have a shirt for you even if you register after the 5th, but we can’t be sure it will be in the size that you want.
Our 2012 WordCamp SLC speaker schedule is now available. There are still tickets available, register now so we can be sure to have a t-shirt in your size when you get here. Check out our schedule and we hope to see you there!
WordCamp Salt Lake City 2012 is over. Check out the next edition!