WordCamp US 2025 Recap  ## Metadata - Author: [[Jonathan Bossenger]] - Full Title: WordCamp US 2025 Recap - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #wordcamp - #wordpress - #developer-advocacy Author: Jonathan Bossenger Source: Personal blog Reference: https://jonathanbossenger.com/wordcamp-us-2025-recap/ date created: 2025-09-12 00:00 --- # Title: WordCamp US 2025 Recap — Jonathan Bossenger ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: - WordPress.tv recording of the workshop (referenced in article) - YouTube workshop recording (referenced) - PolyLang (plugin mentioned) - TimeShifter (jet lag app mentioned) - WP REST API documentation repository (access granted to author) - MCP Adapter (discussed on Twitter; PR submitted) ## 📝 Summary: Jonathan recounts his first US flagship WordCamp in Portland: a week of travel, community meals, and intensive contributor and conference activities. Highlights include co-leading the Training Team on Contributor Day, unexpected updates to the Abilities API that impacted his AI-focused workshop, spontaneous write access to the WP REST API docs from K. Adam White, and lively discussions about WordPress and AI. Despite jet lag and a slide error, community feedback, bug fixes, and follow-up conversations affirmed the workshop’s impact. He reflects on Portland’s vibe, booth shifts, and the need to improve how Core updates reach broader audiences. ## 📖 Main Content: The narrative moves chronologically from arrival to departure: - Monday: Long-haul arrival, TriMet into town, early hotel check-in, meetups with Automatticians and community members, dinner rooftop meetup, cultural biscuit/scone banter. - Jet lag reality: Time zone disruption hampered cognition; considers tools like TimeShifter for future mitigation. - Tuesday (Contributor Day): Co-led Training Team table using a streamlined MC-led kickoff format. Achievements: completed outdated thumbnails, tested PolyLang implementation, and recruited help for Learn codebase PR reviews. - Wednesday (Showcase Day): Meetings with internal folks and Matt + YouTubers revealed gaps in disseminating Core news; motivation to expand his YouTube content and leverage his role in 6.9 release squad. - Conference days: Sponsor area networking, Voodoo Doughnut indulgence, spontaneous write access to WP REST API docs, Creator Studio panel on WordPress + AI, and his workshop on using a local WordPress install as an AI coding assistant. - Workshop challenges: Abilities API changes caused slide adjustments and one requirements error; many attendees encountered setup/dev issues; he pivoted to discussion over demos and provided hands-on help. Key lesson: avoid basing workshops on rapidly changing software or plan robust contingencies. - Booth shifts: Light traffic late afternoons; swag popular; brief Studio demo to Daniel Bachuber. Skipped afterparty for rest. - Portland impressions: Felt safe, eclectic 90s-grunge vibe, friendly locals. - Saturday + Post Script: Gratitude from attendees, Slack follow-ups, MCP Adapter bug exposed and PR submitted, affirming DMs—all restoring confidence in the workshop’s effectiveness. Personal insights: - The community’s responsiveness (PRs, DMs) is a real-time feedback loop that strengthens advocacy and education. - There’s a persistent communication gap between Core progress and everyday creators; creators’ questions can guide content strategy. - Teaching technical topics at live events requires extra cushions: preflight env checks, offline demos, and modular examples resilient to upstream API changes. ### 🗒️ Notes - Monday: Arrival and community - TriMet convenience; early check-in; social gravity of hotel lobby. - Lunch at Burgerville; dinner at Metropolitan Tavern with colleagues (Nick Diego, Birgit Pauli-Haack, etc.). - Cultural note: “biscuit” vs “scone” humor builds rapport. - Jet lag and cognition - Strategy: stay awake until local bedtime; result: early wake-ups (05:00). - Impact: diminished cognitive performance across the week. - Mitigation: consider TimeShifter; plan lighter day-1 commitments. - Tuesday: Contributor Day (Training Team) - New format: central MC (Aaron Campbell) introduced teams/goals—faster start. - Full table (≈20 contributors); outputs: - Outdated thumbnails created. - PolyLang implementation tested. - Resourcing: Connect with Mitch Canter for Learn codebase PR reviews. - Thank You Dinner: Spirit of 77; DIY tacos/nachos; lighthearted signage. - Wednesday: Showcase Day - Abilities API update complicates Friday workshop dependencies. - Meetings: internal; with Matt + team + YouTubers. - Insight: YouTubers asked about Core basics—indicates broadcast gap. - Action: grow YouTube channel; emphasize Core news; leverage 6.9 release role. - Developer convos: WordPress + AI excitement; interest in AI-assisted block generation. - Conference days (Thu–Fri) - Sponsor hall networking; Voodoo Doughnut truck cameo. - Serendipity: asked K. Adam White for WP REST API docs access—granted on the spot. - Creator Studio panel with Ryan Welcher, Birgit, Brian Coords: AI future talk. - Workshop: “Turn Your Local WordPress Install Into Your AI Coding Assistant.” - Abilities API changes required last-minute slide updates—introduced one requirements error. - More attendee issues than expected (coding mistakes, missed steps, misplaced files). - Pivoted to discussing examples rather than live showcasing; provided hands-on assistance. - Lessons: avoid bleeding-edge dependencies; add prechecks; plan helpers. - Booth shifts: quieter late afternoons; swag popular (bags, caps); Studio demo to Daniel Bachuber. - Self-care: skipped afterparty due to fatigue; quiet dinner + rest. - Portland impressions - Safety perceptions vary; author felt safe; eclectic/90s alternative aesthetic. - Saturday + Post Script - Positive attendee thanks in lobby; Slack DMs; Twitter chatter about MCP Adapter. - Bug surfaced; attendee PR submitted—rapid improvement cycle. - Uplifting DM restored confidence despite slide hiccup. - Meta-lesson: workshops can be impactful even when imperfect. ## 📖 References: - WordPress.tv: Workshop recording (as mentioned in the article) - YouTube: Workshop recording (as mentioned) - PolyLang plugin: Internationalization support - TimeShifter: Jet lag planning app - WP REST API docs repository: Maintainer access granted to author - MCP Adapter: Discussed; PR submitted post-workshop ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1) Original idea: “The WCUS organisers were trying out a different format for Contributor Day… Aaron Campbell acted as MC… This meant the day was much more streamlined, and we could get working pretty quickly.” - Paraphrase: Contributor Day adopted a centralized kickoff where Aaron Campbell introduced each team and its goals, which cut down on overhead and got everyone contributing faster. 2) Original idea: “An update to the Abilities API… The changes required me to make updates to my slides… I inadvertently introduced an error… I left feeling the workshop wasn’t as effective… I need to plan better for these types of hiccups.” - Paraphrase: A last-minute Abilities API change forced revisions to my presentation, during which I accidentally added a requirement mistake. The hiccups reduced the session’s effectiveness, underscoring the need to plan contingencies when presenting content that depends on rapidly evolving software. ## 📰 Newsletter: Portland played host to a packed WordCamp US week brimming with learning, community, and a dash of doughnut-powered momentum. Highlights: a streamlined Contributor Day that boosted productivity (Training Team shipped thumbnail updates and PolyLang testing), a lively Creator Studio chat on WordPress + AI, and a hands-on workshop to turn your local WordPress into an AI coding copilot. Pro tip gleaned the hard way: when APIs shift mid-week, double your preflight checks! On the docs front, shout-out to K. Adam White for instantly granting write access to the WP REST API docs—expect faster fixes and fresher examples. If you’re leveling up web dev skills, keep an eye on Core updates and experiment with AI-assisted workflows in PHP/JS blocks. Community vibes were strong: questions from creators spotlighted the need to surface Core news better; we’ll be expanding educational content to bridge that gap. Watch the workshop replay on WordPress.tv or YouTube for takeaways you can use today, and if you’re building with multilingual sites, revisit your PolyLang workflows. New plugins and tools to explore next week; until then, hydrate, lint, and may your builds be green. Links: - Watch the workshop on WordPress.tv and YouTube - Explore PolyLang for multilingual workflows - Get started with the WP REST API docs ## ✅ Action Items: Strategic prompt for aligning articles with your Developer Advocate and OSPO trajectory: “Analyze how this article advances open-source advocacy, contributor engagement, and education within the WordPress ecosystem. Identify: - Advocacy: Which project updates, APIs, or governance topics are clarified for broader audiences? Note specific gaps in awareness (e.g., creators missing Core updates) and propose communication tactics (YouTube briefs, docs updates, release notes explainers). - Contributor Engagement: Document where contributors joined (Training Team, PRs to MCP Adapter), what workflows were used (MC-led Contributor Day, table goals), and how to replicate/scale (pre-event onboarding, pairing, mentored PR reviews). - Education: Extract teachable modules (AI-assisted block generation, local dev to AI assistant), and specify delivery modes (live workshops, asynchronous video, hands-on labs) plus mitigation for fast-moving APIs (version-pinned demos, preflight checks, offline fallbacks). - OSPO Readiness: Map actions to OSPO pillars: policy (licensing/docs access), enablement (templates for contributor days, doc triage), metrics (contributors, PRs, docs changes), and funding/recognition (support for maintainers). - DEIB & Transparency: Evaluate inclusivity in formats, accessibility of materials, jargon reduction, and clear pathways for newcomers. - Next Steps: List concrete follow-ups (publish Core update digest for creators, create env-check scripts for workshops, establish a docs access/ownership protocol, schedule contributor pairing sessions, propose sustainable funding experiments).” ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - H1: Centralized Contributor Day intros (MC-led) increase time-on-task and outputs vs. per-table intros. - H2: Proactive “Core updates for creators” content reduces repeated FAQs from YouTubers/creators by 30% over one release cycle. - H3: Workshops with version-pinned dependencies and preflight env scripts cut attendee friction by 50%. - H4: Granting write access to trusted educators accelerates docs improvement velocity without increasing error rates. - H5: AI-assisted block scaffolding improves developer throughput and learning retention in beginner-to-intermediate sessions. ### 📊 Methodology: - Data sources: Contributor Day logs, GitHub/GitLab PRs/issues, WP.tv/YouTube Q&A transcripts, workshop support tickets, docs repo analytics, survey data. - Designs: - A/B Contributor Day format (MC vs traditional), measure commits, issues closed, time-to-first-PR. - Pre/post intervention study for “Core for creators” series; track FAQ frequency and sentiment in creator forums. - RCT for workshops: control (no preflight), treatment (preflight + version pin + offline demo); measure completion and satisfaction. - Interrupted time series on docs repo after adding educators as contributors; measure PR throughput and review latency. - Analysis: Difference-in-differences for event formats; survival analysis for time-to-first-PR; NLP topic modeling of creator questions; chi-square on error rates. ### ❓ Questions: - Which channels most effectively deliver Core updates to creators who don’t follow Make/Core? - What minimal preflight checks would prevent 80% of workshop setup failures? - How can we formalize “ask and you shall receive” docs access into a transparent process without slowing velocity? - What’s the right cadence for AI-in-WordPress education to track safe, stable features? - How can booth staffing be optimized to maximize meaningful demos during low-traffic windows? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Creator-focused release notes: structure, cadence, and distribution impact. - AI-enhanced block generation pedagogy: curriculum patterns and guardrails. - Sustainable funding mechanisms that reward documentation and educational contributions. - Contributor Day facilitation patterns for remote/in-person hybrids. ### 💡 Implications: - Better Core communication could reduce misinformation and elevate creator practices. - Robust workshop ops increase learner outcomes and scale contributor onboarding. - Clear docs governance accelerates innovation while maintaining quality. - Funding and recognition for educational work fosters a healthier, more inclusive OSS ecosystem. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: - Readability: General audience technical narrative; likely Grade 9–11 readability. - Visual (spatial) - Present: Photos are referenced; standard blog structure. - Improve: Add flowcharts for workshop setup, diagrams of Abilities API architecture, contributor workflow maps. - Aural (auditory) - Present: Links to WordPress.tv/YouTube recordings. - Improve: Provide audio summary of the article; embed podcast snippet. - Verbal (linguistic) - Present: Descriptive narrative with concrete examples. - Improve: Add glossary for Abilities API, MCP Adapter; link to Core posts. - Physical (kinesthetic) - Present: Limited. - Improve: Include a hands-on checklist to set up the local AI assistant; downloadable starter repo. - Logical (mathematical) - Present: Cause-effect reflections on workshop issues and process changes. - Improve: Provide step-by-step troubleshooting trees; success metrics. - Social (interpersonal) - Present: Emphasis on collaboration; contributor table format. - Improve: Invite readers to join specific channels/events; study groups. - Solitary (intrapersonal) - Present: Personal reflections. - Improve: Add self-assessment prompts for workshop readiness. - Naturalistic - Present: Not applicable. - Improve: Analogies for systems thinking; sustainability note for travel and events. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - Screen reader compatibility: Unknown; blog likely uses semantic HTML but image alt text not stated. - Improve: Ensure meaningful alt attributes; headings in order; landmark roles. - Keyboard navigation: Unknown. - Improve: Test tab order; visible focus states; skip links. - Contrast/readability: Unknown. - Improve: AA/AAA contrast, scalable fonts, adequate line height. - Text resizing: Unknown. - Improve: Support reflow at 200% without loss; responsive images and tables. - Media: Provide captions/transcripts for embedded videos; descriptive link text. ### 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - Cultural relevance: Mentions global participants (e.g., Nigeria); otherwise US-centric. - Improve: Include diverse speaker highlights and contributor stories. - Inclusive language: Generally inclusive and friendly. - Improve: Add definitions for jargon; avoid assumptions about prior knowledge. - Neurodiversity support: Structure is linear; some long paragraphs. - Improve: More subheadings, bullet lists, and clear task lists. - Representation: Names several community members; limited explicit representation context. - Improve: Showcase contributions from diverse identities. - Psychological safety: Warm tone; admits mistakes; models growth mindset. - Improve: Add explicit invitation for feedback; content warnings if needed. ### ✅ Logical validity: - Strong reasoning: - Causal reasoning: “MC-led Contributor Day streamlined work” strengthens claim by observable outcome (faster start). Enhance by adding time-on-task metrics. - Inductive reasoning: Creator questions imply Core comms gap; suggests making more Core news content. Enhance by surveying creators and tracking FAQ declines. - Ethical reasoning: Avoiding live demos on unstable APIs respects attendee time/experience. Enhance with a risk register and contingency plan. - Logical flow: Chronological structure supports coherence. - Potential weaknesses: - Hasty generalization: Inferring broad communication gaps from one YouTuber meeting. Improve with wider sampling. - Post hoc risk: Workshop issues attributed to API update and attendee errors; could be multi-factor. Improve with structured postmortem and data. - Tone of voice: Reflective, collegial, humble; focuses on learning and community impact. 🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt - Deny: Not present. The author acknowledges mistakes (slide error) and impact on workshop flow. - Attack: Not present. No disparagement of attendees; issues framed as learning opportunities. - Reverse Victim/Offender: Not present. The author does not position himself as a victim; he appreciates feedback and PRs. - Notes: Tone is accountable and collaborative, counter to DARVO patterns. No rhetorical manipulation detected. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: 1) Keywords: Present naturally (WordCamp US 2025, WordPress, Contributor Day, Abilities API, WP REST API, AI, workshop). 2) Meta description: Add a concise, 150–160 char summary including “WordCamp US 2025,” “WordPress,” “AI workshop,” “Contributor Day.” 3) Title tag: Clear; consider “WordCamp US 2025 Recap: Contributor Day, AI Workshop, WP REST API Docs.” 4) Headers: Present by days/sections; add keyword-infused H2s (e.g., “WordPress + AI at WCUS,” “Contributor Day Wins”). 5) Content length: Adequate for a recap; could add resource links for depth. 6) Internal/external links: Add internal links to related posts and Learn WordPress; external to WordPress.tv, YouTube, PolyLang, TimeShifter, WP REST API docs, MCP Adapter repo. 7) URL structure: Good—short and descriptive. 8) Image optimization: Ensure alt text, descriptive filenames, compressed sizes, dimensions set. 9) Mobile optimization: Ensure responsive theme and fast load; lazy-load images. 10) Engagement: Embed videos, add CTAs to subscribe, comment, or join contributor events. 11) Schema markup: Add Article schema; potential Event or VideoObject for embeds. 12) Social sharing: Ensure Open Graph/Twitter Cards with compelling image and description; visible share buttons. ## 🎯 Conclusion: Jonathan’s WCUS 2025 recap chronicles a community-rich, learning-heavy week where small frictions produced big insights. A streamlined Contributor Day, new access to REST API docs, and an AI-centered workshop spotlight the intersection of advocacy, documentation, and education. Despite jet lag and an API-induced slide error, the rapid feedback loop—thanks, community!—turned issues into improvements (even a bug fix PR). The piece underscores a key gap: translating Core progress to everyday creators. Addressing that, along with sturdier workshop operations and inclusive, accessible formats, will meaningfully strengthen WordPress contributor engagement and developer education moving forward. - Summary: This year, I was fortunate enough to attend WordCamp US in Portland, Oregon. It was both my first time at a US WordCamp and a US flagship event. Monday: Arrival I arrived in Portland after approxim… - URL: https://jonathanbossenger.com/wordcamp-us-2025-recap/  This year, I was fortunate enough to attend [WordCamp US in Portland, Oregon](https://us.wordcamp.org/2025/). It was both my first time at a US WordCamp and a US flagship event. #### Monday: Arrival [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-08-25-07.28.36-scaled.jpg)[Sunrise at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-08-25-07.28.36-scaled.jpg) I arrived in Portland after approximately 23 hours of travel at around 10:30 in the morning and was met by a fellow Automattician, [Ojoma Emina](https://profiles.wordpress.org/geraltrivia/), at baggage claim (the power of the WordPress-branded laptop bag!). Ojoma (or OJ as he introduces himself) is from Nigeria, and it was his first WCUS as well. Someone had recommended trying the TriMet train from the airport to the [hotel](https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/pdxrp-hyatt-regency-portland-at-the-oregon-convention-center) so we grabbed the train and settled in for the 30 minute ride into town. The station stopped just outside the entrance to our hotel, and we were both pleased to learn we could check in early. After 24 hours in the same clothes, the shower was heavenly! In the hotel lobby, I met [Andy Fragen](https://profiles.wordpress.org/afragen/) and [Topher DeRosia](https://profiles.wordpress.org/topher1kenobe/), who had also arrived that morning, and after chatting for a bit we decided to grab lunch at the [Burgerville](https://www.burgerville.com/) around the corner. There, we were joined by [Jake Spurlock](https://profiles.wordpress.org/whyisjake/) and [David Baumwald](https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbaumwald/). I had no idea that Burgerville was a bit of a local brand, but the food was great, even if the diner area wasn’t that spectacular. After lunch I went back to my room to unpack and rest a little. After that I wandered down to the hotel lobby. This turned out to be a great place to hang out with many of the other [WordPressers](https://ma.tt/2025/09/wordpresser/) attending WCUS. While I know most Automatticians were staying at the Hyatt, it seems many other attendees were as well. There were WordPress folks everywhere! By dinner time more and more folks had arrived, including folks from my team, [Nick Diego](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ndiego/) and [Birgit Pauli-Haack](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/). At around 6pm we started thinking about dinner, and rounded up fellow Automatticians Robert Sreberski, [Manzoor Wani](https://profiles.wordpress.org/manzoorwanijk/) and [Mike Stott](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikemayhem3030/), as well as Andy Fragen and walked over to the [Metropolitan Tavern](https://mettavern.com/) on the rooftop of the hotel across the road. There we happened upon [Wes Theron](https://profiles.wordpress.org/west7/), who joined us for dinner. [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1000018080-scaled.jpg)[Wes, Andy, Mike, Manzoor, Robert, Me, Nick, Birgit](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1000018080-scaled.jpg) For dinner I had the fried chicken, which came with a [biscuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_(bread)). Having never had the American biscuit I was intrigued to try it out, only to discover it was actually just what I know as a [scone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scone). My refusal to accept that what I was eating was not a scone frustrated my American friends, but it’s a hill I’m prepared to die on! #### The realities of time zone travel One of the downsides of travelling across multiple time zones is the affect it has on your sleep patterns. Whenever I travel to different time zones, I try and stay awake the whole first day I arrive, and then go to sleep at my usual bed time, but in the local time. Unfortunately this means when I’m in the US, I’m going to bed close to the time I’m usually waking up at home. So means that my body keeps trying to wake up when I’m trying to sleep, and by 5 am Portland time every day I was wide awake. I could feel each day how my brain function was affected, and by the end of the week I was dead tired, and struggling to function properly. I need to see if I can do something to mitigate this if I ever travel across time zones for events in future. A number of folks I’ve spoken to have recommended [TimeShifter](https://www.timeshifter.com/) so it might be worthwhile trying this out. #### Tuesday: Contributor Day For Contributor Day, I had signed up as co-table lead with Wes Theron for the [Training Team](https://make.wordpress.org/training/) table. The WCUS organisers were trying out a different format for Contributor Day, which I think worked really well. Instead of having the table leads introduce each team, [Aaron Campbell](https://profiles.wordpress.org/aaroncampbell/) acted as MC, introducing each table, their table leads, and their goals for the day. This meant the day was much more streamlined, and we could get working pretty quickly. We had an excellent turnout at the Training Table, with a total of 20 contributors taking part — a full table! [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/training-01.png) Highlights of the day included completing the creation of all outdated thumbnails and having a contributor thoroughly test our PolyLang implementation. [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/img_5821-scaled.jpg) I also met and had a chat with [Mitch Canter](https://profiles.wordpress.org/studionashvegas/) from [WebDevStudios](https://webdevstudios.com/) about helping with reviewing PRs for the Learn codebase, which I’ve had to step back from in recent times. Mitch is keen to take over this role, and I plan to connect with him to follow up. Tuesday evening was the WCUS Thank You Dinner for organisers, speakers and volunteers. It was held at [Spirit of 77](https://www.spiritof77bar.com/), a local sports bar within walking distance from the hotel. Dinner was DIY tacos and nachos, which were delicious. I was also tickled by the sign they had hung up above the urinals in the men’s room! [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-08-26-20.34.16-scaled.jpg)[Official ball sizes and weights.](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-08-26-20.34.16-scaled.jpg) #### Wednesday: Showcase day On showcase day, I had planned to spend most of the day attending talks and talking to folks. However, I had a couple of unexpected side quests. Firstly, an update to the Abilities API threw me for a bit of a loop, as I was planning to use this in my Workshop on Friday. (more on this later) I was also asked to join two other meetings: one internal meeting, and another with Matt and folks from my team which Anne had organized with a group of YouTubers attending the event: I found the meeting with the YouTubers interesting, as they were (as Nick pointed out later) asking questions that anyone who follows Core updates would know. It made me realise there’s more work to be done around surfacing news and updates to WordPress Core and the project in general to the regular user base. One thing I’ve wanted to do is grow my own YouTube channel and include more content on WordPress Core news and updates. This meeting inspired me to kick off more efforts in this area, especially as I’m part of the [6.9 release squad](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/08/19/announcing-the-wordpress-6-9-release-squad/). After these meetings, I was able to connect and speak with several developers about WordPress and AI, and I found them to be mostly very interested and excited about how AI tools can enhance the developer experience. A number of them already knew me from my live streams, Learn videos, and online workshops, and were planning to attend my workshop at WordCamp. A couple even asked me about AI-assisted block generation. I hope they enjoyed [Matt’s closing on Friday!](https://telex.automattic.ai/) #### Conference days The two conference days were a bit of a whirlwind of activity. I spent Thursday morning doing the rounds of the sponsor area, meeting folks, chatting with sponsors, and just generally hanging out. A personal highlight was the [Voodoo Doughnut](https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/) truck, which I’m embarrassed to admit I had two of, before someone pointed out we were only supposed to take one per person! I love doughnuts. One thing I did not expect was walking away with write access to the [WP REST API docs](https://github.com/WP-API/docs). I had already chatted briefly with [K. Adam White](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kadamwhite/) at Contributor Day, but we bumped into each other again as he was walking past the sponsor area, and I was sat at a table checking an email. On a whim, I asked him what it would take to get me access to those docs, so I could update them without needing to ping him every time. Apparently, all it took was me asking, and he added me as a contributor to the repository on the spot! Friday morning, I joined [Ryan Welcher](https://profiles.wordpress.org/welcher/), [Birgit Pauli-Haack](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bph/), and [Brian Coords](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bacoords/) for a Creator Studio discussion about the future of WordPress and AI. This was a fun chat in which Ryan used AI to generate 10 questions, and we answered them. Straight after the Creator Studio chat, I presented my workshop, [Turn Your Local WordPress Install Into Your AI Coding Assistant](https://us.wordcamp.org/2025/session/turn-your-local-wordpress-install-into-your-ai-coding-assistant/). As I mentioned previously, an update to the Abilities API happened the same week WCUS. As I was using this API during my workshop, the unexpected update caught me off guard. I ended up testing the updates on the morning of Showcase Day, but it had me worried for a day or so. The changes required me to make updates to my slides, but in making these last-minute presentation updates I inadvertently introduced an error in the requirements slide that I missed during my last check. Fortunately, I was able to work around it during the workshop, but it’s a lesson to me to perhaps not present workshop content that’s based on software that’s actively being developed. During the workshop, things went fairly smoothly, although I did encounter many more attendees having issues than I expected. Instead of using the last half an hour to showcase some of my example Abilities, thereby hopefully sparking interest in what’s possible with Abilities, I ended up merely discussing them. Then I spent the rest of the time helping those who encountered issues. As it turned out, the main problems were related to their development experience, with folks making coding errors, missing specific steps from the workshop, or putting things in the wrong place. I left feeling that the workshop wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped. As I reflected on this afterwards, I need to plan better for these types of hiccups during technical workshops. If you want to watch the workshop recording, it’s available on [WordPress.tv](https://wordpress.tv/2025/09/05/turn-your-local-wordpress-install-into-your-ai-coding-assistant/) or [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZBTw2kBQGA). Some content could not be imported from the original document. [View content ↗](https://video.wordpress.com/embed/47pRcTLQ?hd=1&cover=1) Thursday and Friday afternoons were spent on my [WordPress.com](https://wordpress.com/) booth shifts. Given the nature of WordCamps, the last 2-3 hours of each day were very quiet, and we only had a handful of visitors to the booth. Those who did pop by were very interested in our swag, specifically the bags and caps, with several folks complimenting the bags as the best at the event. I didn’t really get much of a chance to demo Studio to folks, although [Daniel Bachuber](https://profiles.wordpress.org/danielbachhuber/) did stop by and ask for a demo to see what new features had been added. By Friday I was so tired that while everyone else was at the official after party, I opted to have a quiet dinner with Birgit, Ryan and Nick. I then picked up a few snacks from the hotel market, and spent a quiet evening in my room watching a movie. #### General thoughts about Portland During my time in Portland I didn’t really see a lot of the city. What did strike me was the number of folks who mentioned how they felt unsafe walking the streets. I’ll be honest, as a boy from Cape Town, I felt pretty safe. I did see some interesting folks out and about during any short walks I did take, but nothing that made me fearful for my life. I guess everyone has a different perspective. The city certainly was very eclectic, any many locals had a very 90s alternative/grunge appearance, which I guess to some folks could be considered alarming. Mostly, everyone was just friendly and helpful and I had no issues walking around the local area. #### Saturday On Saturday morning, Nick joined me for breakfast at Denny’s, and then we shared an Uber to the airport. On the flight home I thought about how wonderful it was to be able to connect with both Automatticians and WordPress community members I’ve worked alongside for many years, and never had the chance to meet. #### Post Script On Saturday morning, while waiting for the Uber in the hotel lobby, a workshop attendee came up and thanked me for presenting the workshop, and for the work Nick, I, and the other members of our team do. Several people also reached out to me via Slack afterwards with the same sentiment, and I’ve seen some attendees discussing the [MCP Adapter on Twitter](https://x.com/SethRubenstein/status/1961518716346384460). It also helped expose a [bug in the MCP adapter](https://github.com/WordPress/mcp-adapter/issues/35), for which a workshop attendee has already [submitted a PR to fix](https://github.com/WordPress/mcp-adapter/pull/36). The icing on the cake happened when I got back to work. I opened Twitter and saw I’d received a new DM, with probably the most delightful conversation about my workshop. [](https://jonathanbossenger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dustin-Hyle-X-09-08-2025_08_23_AM.png) After leaving WCUS feeling a bit annoyed with myself for the mistakes I made in the slides, all this activity afterward has left me feeling much better about the effectiveness of the workshop. After almost 5 years of doing them, there’s still a lot I can learn about presenting live demo workshops, but just knowing they had an impact makes it all worthwhile., WordCamp US 2025 Recap, Jonathan Bossenger, 01k4wsvz4hzasp8hw6rfnkf5em.