The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had  [[3. Resources/Readwise/Full Document Contents/Articles/The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had|Full Document Contents]] ## Document Notes --- tags: - #WordPress - #WCUS - #Community Author: Brian Coords Source: [Brian Coords Website](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) Reference: [The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) date created: 2024-09-23 14:00 --- # Title: The WCUS Closing I Wish We'd Had ## Table of Contents:  - [[#📝 Summary:]] - [[#📖 Main Content:]] - [[#🗒️ Notes]] - [[#📰 Newsletter:]] - [[#✅ Action Items:]] - [[#🧪 Hypotheses:]] - [[#📊 Methodology:]] - [[#❓ Questions:]] - [[#🔮 Future Research:]] - [[#💡 Implications:]] - [[#🧠 Learning Styles Assessment:]] - [[#📊 Accessibility Assessment:]] - [[#🌍 DEIB Assessment]] - [[#✅ Logical Validity]] - [[#🔍 SEO Evaluation]] - [[#🎯 Conclusion]] ### References: - [The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) ## 📝 Summary: In this reflective article, Brian Coords shares his thoughts on the missed opportunities during the closing keynote of WordCamp US (WCUS) 2023. He argues that the event lacked a true focus on community, transparency, and future goals for the WordPress project. The article explores what Coords believes should have been addressed, including community collaboration, inclusivity, and recognition of the contributors’ work. He emphasizes that WordPress, as an open-source platform, needs to honor the collective efforts of its users and foster more open communication. ## 📖 Main Content: The main argument centers around the shortcomings of the WCUS closing keynote, where Coords expected a stronger focus on the future of WordPress and the recognition of the community's efforts. He points out that the event didn’t adequately address the challenges faced by the community or present a vision for the future. Coords calls for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to WordPress leadership, urging more transparency in decision-making and better communication with contributors. ### 🗒️ Notes - **Lack of Focus on the Community**: - Subpoint: The closing keynote of WCUS 2023 did not sufficiently emphasize the contributions of the community. - Subpoint: Coords wished for more recognition of the hard work by contributors, and the importance of inclusivity. - **Missed Opportunity for Transparency**: - Subpoint: The keynote could have been a platform to address ongoing challenges in WordPress. - Subpoint: Coords highlights the need for a roadmap for the future of WordPress and its community-driven ethos. - **Call for Leadership to Improve**: - Subpoint: Leadership in WordPress should be more open and responsive to the needs of the contributors. - Subpoint: Coords advocates for a stronger focus on collaboration between leaders and the community. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase:  1. Original: "The closing keynote could have been a perfect moment to rally the WordPress community around a shared vision for the future. Instead, it felt disconnected from the reality of the challenges contributors face daily." - Paraphrase: "The final keynote had the potential to unite the WordPress community with a collective future goal, but it missed the mark, failing to address the daily struggles of contributors." 2. Original: "I believe what was missing was a clear acknowledgment of the incredible work the community has done and an honest conversation about the challenges ahead." - Paraphrase: "What lacked was a genuine appreciation for the community's contributions and an open dialogue about the upcoming obstacles WordPress will face." ## 📰 Newsletter: In this week's WordPress newsletter, we explore an insightful reflection by Brian Coords on the missed opportunities during the WCUS 2023 closing keynote. Coords highlights the absence of community recognition and meaningful discourse on the challenges facing WordPress as it grows. His call for more transparent leadership and stronger collaboration is a reminder of the essential role the community plays in shaping the future of WordPress. To read the full article, check it out [here](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/). ## ✅ Action Items: As a Developer Advocate with a commitment to open-source advocacy, this article aligns with my focus on ensuring that contributors are recognized and valued within the WordPress ecosystem. The discussion around transparency and inclusivity is particularly relevant to my goals of supporting sustainable funding for contributors and advocating for a more collaborative leadership approach. As I continue to engage with the WordPress community, fostering these principles will be key to promoting a healthy and inclusive environment for all contributors. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Increasing transparency in WordPress leadership will improve community engagement and contributor satisfaction. - Public acknowledgment of contributor efforts will boost morale and lead to higher levels of contribution. ## 📊 Methodology: To explore these hypotheses, surveys of WordPress contributors could be conducted to gauge their perception of transparency and recognition within the leadership structure. A content analysis of past keynotes could provide insight into how often community contributions are recognized and discussed. ### ❓ Questions: - How can WordPress leadership ensure that contributors feel valued and heard? - What are the most effective ways to improve communication between leadership and contributors? ### 🔮 Future Research: Future studies should investigate the relationship between leadership transparency and contributor retention in open-source projects. Additionally, research could examine the impact of contributor recognition programs on long-term community engagement. ### 💡 Implications:  Improving transparency and acknowledgment of contributions could strengthen the WordPress community, leading to more active involvement from contributors and a healthier ecosystem overall. This may also influence how other open-source projects approach leadership and community collaboration. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: 1. **Visual Learners (Spatial)**: - **Present**: The article lacks visual aids. - **Improve**: Incorporating flowcharts that represent community feedback loops or leadership structures could enhance understanding for visual learners. 2. **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Providing an audio version of the article or linking to related podcasts could help auditory learners engage with the material. 3. **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)**: - **Present**: The article is well-written with descriptive language and thoughtful reflection. - **Improve**: Add more storytelling or analogies to explain the relationship between leadership and community in an engaging way. 4. **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Suggest interactive activities like workshops or meetups to explore community-driven decision-making. 5. **Logical Learners (Mathematical)**: - **Present**: Arguments are structured logically but could use more data to support claims. - **Improve**: Introduce data-driven examples or statistics on contributor satisfaction and community growth. 6. **Social Learners (Interpersonal)**: - **Present**: The focus on community engagement supports social learners. - **Improve**: Encourage readers to participate in forums or discussion groups about WordPress leadership. 7. **Solitary Learners (Intrapersonal)**: - **Present**: The article encourages reflection on personal involvement in the WordPress community. - **Improve**: Add journaling prompts to help readers think through their own contributions to WordPress. 8. **Naturalistic Learners**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Use nature-based metaphors to describe the balance between growth and sustainability in open-source communities. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: The arti > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: > - #WordPress > - #WCUS > - #Community > Author: Brian Coords > Source: [Brian Coords Website](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) > Reference: [The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) > date created: 2024-09-23 14:00 > > # Title: The WCUS Closing I Wish We'd Had > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## Table of Contents: 1. [📝 Summary](#summary) 2. [📖 Main Content](#main-content) 3. [🗒️ Notes](#notes) 4. [📰 Newsletter](#newsletter) 5. [✅ Action Items](#action-items) 6. [🧪 Hypotheses](#hypotheses) 7. [📊 Methodology](#methodology) 8. [❓ Questions](#questions) 9. [🔮 Future Research](#future-research) 10. [💡 Implications](#implications) 11. [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#learning-styles-assessment) 12. [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#accessibility-assessment) 13. [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#deib-assessment) 14. [✅ Logical Validity](#logical-validity) 15. [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#seo-evaluation) 16. [🎯 Conclusion](#conclusion) ### References: - [The WCUS Closing I Wish We’d Had](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/) ## 📝 Summary: In this reflective article, Brian Coords shares his thoughts on the missed opportunities during the closing keynote of WordCamp US (WCUS) 2023. He argues that the event lacked a true focus on community, transparency, and future goals for the WordPress project. The article explores what Coords believes should have been addressed, including community collaboration, inclusivity, and recognition of the contributors’ work. He emphasizes that WordPress, as an open-source platform, needs to honor the collective efforts of its users and foster more open communication. ## 📖 Main Content: The main argument centers around the shortcomings of the WCUS closing keynote, where Coords expected a stronger focus on the future of WordPress and the recognition of the community's efforts. He points out that the event didn’t adequately address the challenges faced by the community or present a vision for the future. Coords calls for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to WordPress leadership, urging more transparency in decision-making and better communication with contributors. ### 🗒️ Notes - **Lack of Focus on the Community**: - Subpoint: The closing keynote of WCUS 2023 did not sufficiently emphasize the contributions of the community. - Subpoint: Coords wished for more recognition of the hard work by contributors, and the importance of inclusivity. - **Missed Opportunity for Transparency**: - Subpoint: The keynote could have been a platform to address ongoing challenges in WordPress. - Subpoint: Coords highlights the need for a roadmap for the future of WordPress and its community-driven ethos. - **Call for Leadership to Improve**: - Subpoint: Leadership in WordPress should be more open and responsive to the needs of the contributors. - Subpoint: Coords advocates for a stronger focus on collaboration between leaders and the community. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. Original: "The closing keynote could have been a perfect moment to rally the WordPress community around a shared vision for the future. Instead, it felt disconnected from the reality of the challenges contributors face daily." - Paraphrase: "The final keynote had the potential to unite the WordPress community with a collective future goal, but it missed the mark, failing to address the daily struggles of contributors." 2. Original: "I believe what was missing was a clear acknowledgment of the incredible work the community has done and an honest conversation about the challenges ahead." - Paraphrase: "What lacked was a genuine appreciation for the community's contributions and an open dialogue about the upcoming obstacles WordPress will face." ## 📰 Newsletter: In this week's WordPress newsletter, we explore an insightful reflection by Brian Coords on the missed opportunities during the WCUS 2023 closing keynote. Coords highlights the absence of community recognition and meaningful discourse on the challenges facing WordPress as it grows. His call for more transparent leadership and stronger collaboration is a reminder of the essential role the community plays in shaping the future of WordPress. To read the full article, check it out [here](https://www.briancoords.com/the-wcus-closing-i-wish-wed-had/). ## ✅ Action Items: As a Developer Advocate with a commitment to open-source advocacy, this article aligns with my focus on ensuring that contributors are recognized and valued within the WordPress ecosystem. The discussion around transparency and inclusivity is particularly relevant to my goals of supporting sustainable funding for contributors and advocating for a more collaborative leadership approach. As I continue to engage with the WordPress community, fostering these principles will be key to promoting a healthy and inclusive environment for all contributors. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Increasing transparency in WordPress leadership will improve community engagement and contributor satisfaction. - Public acknowledgment of contributor efforts will boost morale and lead to higher levels of contribution. ## 📊 Methodology: To explore these hypotheses, surveys of WordPress contributors could be conducted to gauge their perception of transparency and recognition within the leadership structure. A content analysis of past keynotes could provide insight into how often community contributions are recognized and discussed. ### ❓ Questions: - How can WordPress leadership ensure that contributors feel valued and heard? - What are the most effective ways to improve communication between leadership and contributors? ### 🔮 Future Research: Future studies should investigate the relationship between leadership transparency and contributor retention in open-source projects. Additionally, research could examine the impact of contributor recognition programs on long-term community engagement. ### 💡 Implications: Improving transparency and acknowledgment of contributions could strengthen the WordPress community, leading to more active involvement from contributors and a healthier ecosystem overall. This may also influence how other open-source projects approach leadership and community collaboration. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: 1. **Visual Learners (Spatial)**: - **Present**: The article lacks visual aids. - **Improve**: Incorporating flowcharts that represent community feedback loops or leadership structures could enhance understanding for visual learners. 2. **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Providing an audio version of the article or linking to related podcasts could help auditory learners engage with the material. 3. **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)**: - **Present**: The article is well-written with descriptive language and thoughtful reflection. - **Improve**: Add more storytelling or analogies to explain the relationship between leadership and community in an engaging way. 4. **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Suggest interactive activities like workshops or meetups to explore community-driven decision-making. 5. **Logical Learners (Mathematical)**: - **Present**: Arguments are structured logically but could use more data to support claims. - **Improve**: Introduce data-driven examples or statistics on contributor satisfaction and community growth. 6. **Social Learners (Interpersonal)**: - **Present**: The focus on community engagement supports social learners. - **Improve**: Encourage readers to participate in forums or discussion groups about WordPress leadership. 7. **Solitary Learners (Intrapersonal)**: - **Present**: The article encourages reflection on personal involvement in the WordPress community. - **Improve**: Add journaling prompts to help readers think through their own contributions to WordPress. 8. **Naturalistic Learners**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Use nature-based metaphors to describe the balance between growth and sustainability in open-source communities. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: The article uses proper HTML tags but lacks alt-text for images. - **Improve**: Add alt-text descriptions to any visual elements to enhance accessibility. - **Keyboard Navigation**: Functional. - **Contrast and Readability**: The contrast is acceptable but could be optimized for better readability. - **Improve**: Use high-contrast color schemes for enhanced legibility. - **Text Resizing**: The text is responsive to resizing. - **Improve**: Ensure that resizing doesn’t break the page layout or disrupt functionality. ### 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance**: The article touches on general principles of inclusion and community but doesn’t directly address diverse cultural perspectives. - **Improve**: Introduce more diverse examples of how different communities contribute to WordPress. - **Inclusive Language**: The language is gender-neutral and inclusive. - **Improve**: Continue avoiding exclusionary terms and provide explanations for any technical jargon. - **Neurodiversity Support**: The article is structured clearly but could use more breaks between sections for easier readability. - **Improve**: Break up long paragraphs and add subheadings to make the content more digestible for neurodiverse readers. - **Representation**: The article focuses on community but could benefit from more explicit representation of underrepresented groups in WordPress. - **Improve**: Highlight the contributions of diverse groups within the WordPress ecosystem. - **Psychological Safety**: The article creates a positive tone but could include trigger warnings if sensitive topics are discussed. ### ✅ Logical validity: - **Sound Deductive Reasoning**: Coords effectively presents logical arguments for transparency and community involvement. - **Improve**: Strengthen by including more specific examples or data points to support claims. - **Appeal to Facts/Evidence**: The article could include more empirical evidence or case studies. - **Improve**: Cite specific examples where increased transparency improved community engagement in similar open-source projects. **Identified Fallacy**: - **Hasty Generalization**: Coords implies that increased transparency will automatically solve community challenges without providing enough evidence. - **Improve**: Provide case studies or research to support this claim. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: - **Keywords**: The article could include more targeted keywords, such as "WordPress leadership" and "contributor recognition." - **Improve**: Integrate long-tail keywords naturally within the text. - **Meta Description**: Missing. - **Improve**: Add a concise meta description summarizing the article and including a primary keyword. - **Title Optimization**: The title could be optimized for SEO by including specific keywords like “WordPress Community” or “WordPress Leadership.” - **Headers (H1, H2, H3)**: Effective use of headers but more H3 subheadings could enhance readability. - **Internal Links**: The article lacks internal links to other related WordPress content. - **Improve**: Include links to relevant articles or blog posts on leadership in open-source communities. - **Alt Text**: Missing alt text for images. - **Improve**: Add descriptive alt text for SEO and accessibility purposes. ## 🎯 Conclusion: Brian Coords’ reflective piece on the closing keynote of WCUS 2023 emphasizes the need for greater community recognition, leadership transparency, and a more collaborative future for WordPress. As the WordPress ecosystem continues to grow, addressing these issues will be essential to maintaining a healthy and engaged contributor community. <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ## Highlights - There’s a few truths to get out of the way. In terms of substance, Matt is completely correct about WP Engine. As a longtime customer who has launched hundreds of sites on the platform, the squeeze from private equity, the “[enshittification](https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/)“, is clearly setting in. The massively decreased performance. The recurring downtimes. The dip in support quality. The constant, aggressive emails to our clients trying to scare them into ever more expensive plans. It is happening. He’s not wrong. And yet, no one is really is really focused on that, they’re distracted by just how off-the-mark Matt’s presentation was. Let’s be frank: his WCUS speech did not achieve its goal. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8gx4a18qc6fvjqx0y86spqp)) - let’s workshop a few things so that it goes over well instead of completely alienating your intended audience and leading to yet another massive backlash. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h3zg9h9vhjkwxt6781ddsc)) - You see, in the broader ecosystem, there’s already a dominant view that Automattic is profiting off of WordPress, that you’re raking in the cash, making a ton of money off of the contributions of the open source community. So let’s start by addressing that. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h4007txrnpwq2saa42ne6d)) - Then, we have to address the fact that you were seen visibly upset at their booth during the conference. It’s gossip, yes, but it’s a thing that happened. You take the high road. You admit the mistake and say that you know the people at the booth *are not* the people who are setting these aggressive financial goals, they’re the people who came here because they love and support the community. Just like all the amazing Automattic employees, and people from all sorts of companies that came here to help. You thank them and let them know that they’re always welcome as attendees AND as sponsors. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h420vsb83wmfgw0s8qr9by)) - ask the audience to amplify our request- that WP Engine commit to putting more resources back into core. Let’s request it on social media. If you’re a customer, request it from your account managers and your contacts. Tag the leadership and ask them to chip in. Let’s put the social pressure on them to pitch in, because we know **all of their employees want this**, and as their customers, **we want this too**. We’re giving their employees ammunition to use internally as they advocate for more contributions. Let’s ask them to make a statement dedicating their commitment to core. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h42xg82073bj6eejgs5g6m)) - We don’t bring up specific features like “post revisions” as if we’re unzipping our pants and pulling out a ruler. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h43ecs0ec6qvs9e4c42rb5)) - What is a project lead? What is a leader? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h44835dkegkgk81ce8b3nb)) - At the end of the day, what I would like is that the person who *is* running Automattic- that amazing team that attracts many of the smartest people in the ecosystem and shines as a beacon for open source- I would like that person to step back into the community, to come to WCUS to listen and not just preach, to be willing to admit that there’s a big divide, but that we come to bridge divides, not encourage them. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j8h456sjm9pzg8cqfjhdypk6))