The WordPress Mindset Problem Education and Community Understanding

The WordPress Mindset Problem: Education and Community Understanding ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6Xdnh3l-768/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [The WordPress Mindset Problem: Education and Community Understanding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xdnh3l-768) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: #wordpress #education #community #onboarding > author: [MISSING] > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xdnh3l-768 > date created: 2024-12-19 15:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: The WordPress mindset problem: Education and community understanding >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Create WordPress prerequisite onboarding materials for product developers — missing foundational education #education - [H2] Develop clear WordPress.org vs WordPress.com explainer resources — community confusion #community - [H3] Document WordPress governance structure for external stakeholders — university approval struggle #governance ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [[#📝 Summary]] - [[#📖 Main Content]] - [[#🗒️ Notes]] - [[#📚 References]] - [[#🗣️ Paraphrase]] - [[#📰 Newsletter]] - [[#✅ Action Items]] - [[#🧪 Hypotheses]] - [[#📊 Methodology]] - [[#❓ Questions]] - [[#🔮 Future Research]] - [[#💡 Implications]] - [[#🧠 Learning Styles Assessment]] - [[#📊 Accessibility Assessment]] - [[#🌍 DEIB Assessment]] - [[#✅ Logical Validity]] - [[#🛡️ DARVO Analysis]] - [[#🎯 Conclusion]] ### 🔗 References - [WordPress Foundation](https://wordpressfoundation.org/) - [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/) ## 📝 Summary - WordPress products assume users understand WordPress fundamentals but don't teach those prerequisites - Community members lack understanding of WordPress governance, organizational structure, and key stakeholders - Real-world example: university struggled to understand WordPress Foundation vs Automattic when approving WordCamp thesis - This creates barriers for both product adoption and community participation - Bottom line: WordPress ecosystem needs better foundational education at multiple levels ## 📖 Main Content The speaker identifies a critical gap in WordPress education that affects both product development and community understanding. From a product perspective, WordPress services and tools focus on teaching their specific functionality (like WP Bakery page building) while assuming users already understand core WordPress concepts. This creates onboarding friction when users lack foundational knowledge about how WordPress operates. The problem extends to community understanding, where people don't grasp basic organizational distinctions like WordPress.org versus WordPress.com, or the roles of different entities like the WordPress Foundation and Automattic. The speaker provides a concrete example of a student writing a bachelor's thesis about WordCamp Europe, where university administrators struggled to understand the nonprofit structure, financial organization, and relationships between various WordPress entities. This educational gap creates barriers for deeper engagement and can complicate external partnerships or academic recognition of WordPress community activities. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=0) — [H1] WordPress products skip foundational education - Key idea: WordPress products assume users understand WordPress basics but don't teach prerequisites - Evidence: "They all have some sort of onboarding... but you do need to have that knowledge about WordPress" #### ⏱️ [00:30](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=30) — [H2] Product teams assume WordPress knowledge is obvious - Key idea: Many product creators mistakenly think WordPress understanding is universal - Evidence: "Many product people think that you know people understand WordPress. It's so obvious" #### ⏱️ [01:00](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=60) — [H2] Community governance understanding is lacking - Key idea: People don't understand how WordPress community operates at foundational level - Evidence: "Many people actually don't know how WordPress community operates as such" #### ⏱️ [01:15](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=75) — [H3] Basic organizational distinctions confuse newcomers - Key idea: Fundamental differences between WordPress entities aren't clear to users - Evidence: "What is WordPress.org and what is WordPress.com so those basic differences" #### ⏱️ [01:30](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=90) — [H1] Real example: WordCamp thesis approval struggles - Key idea: Student's WordCamp thesis faced university approval challenges due to organizational confusion - Evidence: Student doing bachelor thesis on WordCamp Europe with supervisor guidance #### ⏱️ [02:00](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=120) — [H2] University administrators struggled with WordPress structure - Key idea: Academic institutions don't understand WordPress Foundation and community organization - Evidence: "Huge struggle for them to actually understand okay so what is foundation?" #### ⏱️ [02:30](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=150) — [H3] Financial and organizational questions create barriers - Key idea: Questions about nonprofit status, event organization, and company relationships complicate approval - Evidence: "Who is organizing word camp? Is it like nonprofit or profit or where is the financial part?" #### ⏱️ [02:45](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=165) — [H3] Automattic's role adds complexity - Key idea: The relationship between Automattic and other WordPress entities confuses outsiders - Evidence: "So what is Automattic? And who are those other people? So those other companies" #### ⏱️ [03:00](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=180) — [H2] Complex explanations required in short timeframes - Key idea: WordPress ecosystem complexity is difficult to explain quickly to stakeholders - Evidence: "You need to kind of be able to explain it within you know several minutes" ## 📚 References - [WordPress Foundation](https://wordpressfoundation.org/) - [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/) - [WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - WordPress products jump straight to their specific features without teaching the WordPress fundamentals that users need as prerequisites - Community members and external stakeholders lack basic understanding of WordPress organizational structure and governance - Real-world consequences include academic and institutional barriers when trying to explain or get approval for WordPress-related work ## 📰 Newsletter **WordPress Education Gap Identified: Products and Community Need Better Onboarding** A WordPress community member highlighted a critical education gap affecting both product adoption and community growth. WordPress products often assume users understand core concepts, while community members struggle to explain basic organizational structures to outsiders. **Why This Matters**: When universities can't understand the difference between WordPress Foundation and Automattic, or when users can't grasp WordPress.org vs WordPress.com, we're missing opportunities for deeper engagement and recognition. **Action Steps**: Consider how your WordPress products, content, or community involvement can include foundational education alongside advanced features. Resources: [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/), [WordPress Foundation](https://wordpressfoundation.org/), [Community Handbook](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/) ## ✅ Action Items #### WordPress - Training: Develop WordPress 101 curriculum covering ecosystem structure, key entities, and governance - Documentation: Create clear explainer content distinguishing WordPress.org, WordPress.com, Foundation, and Automattic - Community: Build onboarding materials for new community members explaining organizational structure - Marketing: Develop institutional outreach materials for academic and corporate stakeholders #### Community - Maintainers: Include prerequisite knowledge sections in plugin/theme documentation - Contributors: Create simplified governance explanations for external presentations - Sponsors: Develop clear organizational charts and relationship maps for stakeholder communications #### OSPO - Education: WordPress ecosystem complexity training for enterprise stakeholders - Community Engagement: Support clearer governance documentation initiatives ## 🧪 Hypotheses - WordPress products with foundational education modules will have higher user success rates than those assuming prior knowledge - Community growth correlates with availability of clear organizational structure explanations - Academic and institutional partnerships increase when WordPress governance is easily explainable - Product onboarding completion rates improve when WordPress basics are included ### 📊 Methodology - Survey WordPress product users about prerequisite knowledge gaps and onboarding effectiveness - A/B test product onboarding flows with and without WordPress fundamentals sections - Interview community members about barriers they face explaining WordPress to outsiders - Track academic thesis approvals and institutional partnerships before/after improved documentation ### ❓ Questions - What specific WordPress concepts do new users struggle with most across different product categories? - How can the WordPress community create standardized educational resources that products can reference or embed? - What governance documentation would most help external stakeholders understand WordPress organizational structure? ### 🔮 Future Research - Comprehensive audit of WordPress product onboarding flows to identify educational gaps - Development of shared WordPress fundamentals curriculum that products can adopt - Creation of institutional stakeholder communication toolkit for community members ### 💡 Implications - Practice: WordPress products should include or link to foundational WordPress education in onboarding - Policy: Community needs standardized resources explaining governance and organizational structure - Education: WordPress training should address both product-specific and ecosystem-wide knowledge - Community: Better foundational education could reduce barriers to participation and external partnerships ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th-9th grade (accessible to general audiences) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: None mentioned in audio content - Improve: WordPress ecosystem organizational chart, relationship diagrams, visual comparison of WordPress.org vs .com #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Audio format available - Improve: Structured audio explainer series on WordPress fundamentals #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear examples and analogies - Improve: Glossary of WordPress terms, story-driven explanations of community structure #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: None mentioned - Improve: Interactive WordPress ecosystem explorer, hands-on community participation guides #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear problem-solution structure - Improve: Decision trees for WordPress vs alternatives, logical progression through ecosystem complexity #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Community context - Improve: Mentorship programs pairing experienced community members with newcomers #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual learning challenges identified - Improve: Self-paced WordPress fundamentals course, reflection prompts about ecosystem understanding #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem terminology - Improve: Analogies to natural ecosystems, sustainability aspects of open source communities ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Audio content available - Improve: Structured headings in any written materials, descriptive titles #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Audio format accessible via standard controls - Improve: Ensure any supplementary materials are keyboard navigable #### Contrast and readability - Present: Audio format doesn't require visual elements - Improve: High contrast visual aids if developed #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Audio format scales with device controls - Improve: Responsive design for any visual materials #### Media and captions - Present: Audio content - Improve: Transcript provided, captions for any video versions #### Forms and interactions - Present: No interactive elements mentioned - Improve: Accessible feedback forms for educational content ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: International context (WordCamp Europe) - Improve: Global examples of community structures, multilingual educational resources #### Inclusive language - Present: Academic and technical language defined in context - Improve: Plain language alternatives for complex concepts #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure and specific examples - Improve: Multiple format options, chunked information presentation #### Representation - Present: Student perspective included - Improve: Diverse stakeholder voices in educational materials #### Psychological safety - Present: Acknowledges learning challenges without judgment - Improve: Emphasize that confusion is normal and expected ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: If products assume knowledge users don't have, then onboarding fails (supported by examples) - Inductive strength: University approval difficulty suggests broader institutional understanding problems - Causal reasoning: Lack of foundational education causes barriers to adoption and participation - Analogical strength: Product onboarding parallels community onboarding challenges #### Fallacies - Hasty generalization: Single university example may not represent all institutional challenges - Appeal to obviousness: Claiming product makers think WordPress knowledge is "obvious" without broader evidence #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Problem-focused but constructive, using specific examples to illustrate broader systemic issues ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns present - Attack: No attacks on individuals or groups - Reverse victim/offender: No victim-blaming present - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Constructive problem-identification tone, collaborative rather than accusatory ## 🎯 Conclusion WordPress faces a foundational education gap where products assume user knowledge that doesn't exist and community members struggle to explain basic organizational structures to outsiders. The concrete example of university approval difficulties for a WordCamp thesis illustrates how this affects real-world WordPress community recognition and growth. Addressing this requires systematic development of prerequisite education materials and clearer governance documentation that can serve both product onboarding and institutional communication needs. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] WordPress products assume foundational knowledge without teaching prerequisites > [!quote] The WordPress mindset problem: Education and community understanding by [MISSING] via YouTube. Published [MISSING]. Accessed 2024-12-19. > "Many product people think that you know people understand WordPress. It's so obvious." Product teams skip WordPress fundamentals in onboarding, creating barriers for users without prerequisite knowledge. [view highlight](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=30#H1) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_wordpress_education_gap ### [H2] WordPress governance structure confuses external stakeholders > [!quote] The WordPress mindset problem: Education and community understanding > "Huge struggle for them to actually understand okay so what is foundation? Who is organizing word camp?" University administrators couldn't approve WordCamp thesis due to organizational complexity and unclear entity relationships. [view highlight](https://youtu.be/6Xdnh3l-768?t=120#H2) #xref ID:rw_wordpress_governance_clarity --- ### 🔖 Atomic Split Pad (Zettel Candidates) Purpose: Promote reusable claims into Atomic notes. Split level: H4 #### [Z1] Product onboarding should include prerequisite knowledge - Applies to complex ecosystems where foundational understanding enables feature adoption - Pointer to 00:00-01:00 timestamp - Links: [[User-Education]] [[Product-Onboarding]] [[WordPress-Ecosystem]] #### [Z2] Community governance transparency reduces external barriers - Relevant for open source projects seeking institutional partnerships - Pointer to 01:30-03:00 timestamp - Links: [[Open-Source-Governance]] [[Institutional-Relations]] [[Community-Education]] --- ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue Purpose: Capture quick actions for Fleeting notes. - [F1] Research WordPress product onboarding flows for foundational education gaps — comparative analysis #fleeting #inbox - [F2] Create WordPress.org vs WordPress.com explainer template — community confusion #fleeting #inbox - [F3] Document WordPress Foundation governance for external stakeholders — institutional clarity #fleeting #inbox --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] the the problem is the mindset is um [00:05] if you look on on WordPress services, [00:08] WordPress uh products uh that that are [00:12] there on the market uh they all have [00:16] some sort of onboarding. Yeah. So they [00:18] need to educate uh let's look at the [00:20] example of of WP bakery. You need to [00:23] educate uh your users, your customers [00:26] how to use the product, how to build [00:28] pages using WP bakery. Uh but you do [00:33] need to have that uh knowledge about [00:36] WordPress. Yeah, those users need to [00:38] have that prerequisites. Yeah, [00:40] understanding how WordPress operates. [00:43] And uh what I've seen is that that many [00:46] products, many product people think that [00:49] you know people understand WordPress. [00:51] It's so obvious. So we are getting [00:53] straight to our product. So they are [00:55] missing that huge part introducing [00:58] people to WordPress, how it works, how [01:01] it operates. Yes. And uh that's that's [01:04] more from the product perspective. But [01:06] if we look on the community perspective, [01:09] many people actually don't know how [01:12] WordPress community operates as such. [01:15] What are the foundational pieces? who is [01:18] doing what you know what is WordPress or [01:21] and what is WordPress com so those basic [01:24] differences I have I have a clear [01:26] example there is a student who is also [01:28] part of the WordPress credits program so [01:31] he is doing something really unique now [01:33] uh for WordPress his bachelor thesis [01:36] will be around uh work camp yeah so more [01:39] specifically work camp Europe u [01:43] >> yeah so it happened that I'm his [01:44] supervisor since I know a little bit [01:46] about those things [01:48] Yeah. Yes. [01:51] All characters are fictional. So, but uh [01:55] yeah. So, and and uh we kind of we [01:57] prepared the basis for the the teases, [01:59] the application and and uh presented [02:02] that to uh to the university [02:05] administration to get the confirmation [02:07] and uh there was a huge struggle for [02:10] them to actually understand okay so what [02:13] is foundation? [02:15] Who is organizing word camp? uh is it [02:18] like nonprofit or profit or where is the [02:21] how the financial part is being [02:23] organized? Okay. So what is automatic? [02:26] Yeah. And and and who are those other [02:29] people? Yes. So those other companies. [02:32] So it just it's a lot. So of course uh [02:36] and you need to kind of be able to [02:39] explain it within you know several [02:41] minutes. And that that's a struggle we [02:43] don't sometimes pay attention to.  📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/The WordPress Mindset Problem Education and Community Understanding.md|The WordPress Mindset Problem: Education and Community Understanding by YouTube]] ## Highlights - need to have that uh knowledge about WordPress. Yeah, those users need to have that prerequisites. Yeah, understanding how WordPress operates. And uh what I've seen is that that many products, many product people think that you know people understand WordPress. It's so obvious. So we are getting straight to our product. So they are missing that huge part introducing people to WordPress, how it works, how ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kpgx9dyk0cw4pq376pvgzad2)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted