A Year After  ## Metadata - Author: [[Crossword]] - Full Title: A Year After - Category: #podcasts - URL: https://share.snipd.com/episode/d24167b0-e878-47fa-96c9-7324f1d66968 ## Document Notes ## Highlights - **Safety Concerns Impact Travel Plans** - Luke shared feeling uneasy about traveling to Basel due to current safety concerns for Jews there. - Jonathan gained a deeper appreciation of cultural perspectives through Luke's experiences traveling in Europe. Transcript: Jonathan We were planning to go to WordCamp Europe. Neither of us are going to be there this time around for various different reasons. And I'm disappointed that it didn't work out. And we're still figuring out what we're going to do as far as the special episode. We have some ideas in mind for that. But yeah, what are you currently thinking and feeling about WordCamp Europe as a whole? I'm bummed I'm not going to be there, but looking forward to the next. But I want to talk about WordCamp Europe specifically first. Luke I think it's going to be great. I'm not too disappointed on missing out this year because I was just in the neighborhood for CloudFest. I wish that WordCamp Europe and CloudFest were closer together. And I mean, geographically, they are very close together, but I mean, temporarily. So it's always nice to travel a new part of the world that's part of the draw to word camp europe isn't it yeah um also uh in basil there's been some like uh let's say let's say it's uh not the Safest place in the world for jews just at the minute And so I'm like, I received notice, you know, in the various private WhatsApp groups that it's not a great place to be traveling to Right now. So kind of happy to leave that off the list. But I am excited to go to WordCamp US. Jonathan Also not the safest place in the world. It's interesting too. Like I, I appreciate when we were in, um, uh, we were in Europe for CloudFest together, we ended up driving to Heidelberg, if I'm recalling, if that was the correct, like a city in Germany. And it was interesting for me to look at it through the lens of like your experience as part of the Jewish faith community and just gave me a deeper appreciation that I hadn't had prior. Like there were things that didn't mean that all that much to me, but looking at it through your lens and perspective. ([Time 0:01:10](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a4c619a4-2946-4408-9206-8caac3e03e05)) - **WordPress Builds Cultural Appreciation** - WordPress connects people from diverse backgrounds, making contributors more well-rounded. - Exposure to different cultures and perspectives creates invaluable learning opportunities. Transcript: Jonathan WordPress. But it's part of who we are, though, right? Yeah. It's been an aspect of the WordPress experience that I've had that I've really appreciated and valued. It's brought me into close contact with people with very different backgrounds and perspectives than I have. And at least from my point of view, it's made me a much more well-rounded person. I think I'm less ignorant than I was before. And part of that comes from even uncomfortable conversations where you're exposed to things that you wouldn't readily have been otherwise. ([Time 0:04:10](https://share.snipd.com/snip/950ad0d8-dc4c-451c-b568-ee6cb79f961d)) - **WordPress Embraces Open Ideals** - WordPress culture values inclusivity and individual expression. - This openness in open source creates a unique ideal seldom seen elsewhere. Transcript: Luke And I think we both come from a part of the world that is more right-leaning right and uh in politically I mean sure yeah and so being involved in in WordPress has been really like, because I've been in WordPress my whole career, it's put me at a huge advantage just socially, because there is a baked in fundamental appreciation for all cultures, for all walks of life, for Individually you know to be able to be themselves and express themselves that's sort of part of the nature of open source yes right this this is the open web idealism that we all signed Up for that we all uh grew up with is you know you can be whoever you want to be so long as you're doing the work, so long as you're capable of contributing. ([Time 0:04:53](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a8ed11be-a7be-4e02-a0f6-66ff0f28a6f1)) - **Perspective Differences Within WordPress** - Americans and Europeans interpret concepts differently, like insurance. - Such perspective differences would be unknown without cross-cultural exchanges in WordPress. Transcript: Jonathan See almost anywhere else. So you mentioned WordCamp US, and it's funny to me that you joked, but also you're serious about not feeling all that safe in my country here in the States. And the first couple of times you said it, it struck me as like, what do you mean? I feel perfectly safe here. But it's a good example of like how perspectives can just be warped. And this hit me just recently, where on the Gildenberg front, we've been thinking about how to position the nature of the offering that Gildenberg does for its clients. And someone brought up the idea of insurance. And to me, as an American, I had a particular perspective on what the word insurance meant that I saw it more as a negative. And to a European, and in this case, an English person, it was actually quite the positive. And because at first I was like, no, that's not really that great of an idea. But then as I as I listened and thought about it more, I'm like, ah, actually, it's my American perspective that has me thinking insurance isn't really a positive thing. And that's just something I wouldn't have been exposed to if it weren't for the fact that we're working in the community and in the ecosystem. Even where we have the same language, which most of us don't, there's a lot of differences. And it's very difficult at times, but I found it to be invaluable. ([Time 0:06:10](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4bafb6c2-78d3-44ae-9b04-7d981bf39457)) - **Perceptions Shape Travel Caution** - Luke's caution about US safety stems from hearing Americans' concerns about big cities. - Personal experience differs, but community voices strongly influence perceptions. Transcript: Luke You can be who you should be able to be yourself inside of WordPress and in theory and open source projects. For what it's worth, the only reason why I feel nervous about traveling to the United States is because it's because Americans have told me they feel unsafe in the big cities. It's not, I'm not reading news. I'm not, you know, things like that, that it's not a political opinion. It's, it's Americans telling me I felt unsafe in Portland. I felt unsafe in San Francisco. And that makes me think, well, maybe I should be worried too, because I don't know the bad, I have no concept personally of the sorts of parts of town you want to stay out of. ([Time 0:07:31](https://share.snipd.com/snip/5668e7c1-9349-4898-81f8-a1527dfecc03)) - **New WordCamp Organizers Step Up** - Many previous WordCamp organizers were Automattic employees who have since left. - New organizers, often inexperienced, are stepping up with community mentorship, sustaining events like WordCamp Brisbane. Transcript: Luke And it's not just the organizers having to shift because they used to be automaticians. It's also a lot of organizers have been burnt out by previous WordCamps or burnt out by the drama and are just, you know, not as excited or motivated. We've had a really similar thing happen here in Brisbane. The Brisbane WordCamp is just a few weeks away. I'll be there. If you're going to the Brisbane WordCamp, let me know in the WP Australia Slack or however else you want to get in touch with me and come and say hi. And the same thing has happened. A lot of the organizers or some of the core organizers were automaticians and no longer able to contribute to that. And completely new people have stepped in and not everybody, but I think at least the lead organizers and some others have never organized a WordCamp before. Now, they're getting a lot of mentoring from the community. I think it's going to be a great event. I think it's going to go really nicely. ([Time 0:09:23](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4b2940cc-8af9-4242-9ddd-9260f7e5f297)) - **Connect With Organizers At WordCamp** - If attending WordCamp Brisbane, connect with Luke via WP Australia Slack to meet and network. - Engaging with community facilitates better event experiences. Transcript: Luke It's definitely subjective, but it's always my favorite. It's usually the biggest in Australia, by the way, the WordCamp Brisbane. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. Jonathan So for WordCamp US, just a shout out to – there's a lot of people who get involved in a WordCamp. This time around, there are the lead team has four folks. So Megan's the only one that I know of the organizing team. But I'm noticing that there are two that are they're doing this for the first time. Nicholas was on the team back in 2022, and Gail's had continuity for the past couple of years. It's a lot of pressure, and it's also, I'm kind of excited to see what they pull off. And yeah, I'm quite looking forward to it. Luke Yeah, it's especially a lot of pressure because I ([Time 0:10:36](https://share.snipd.com/snip/5633921f-a41a-4442-8072-39a6a2a8f4c8)) - **WordCamp US Faces Community Pressure** - WordCamp US faces pressure due to recent organizational shifts and drama. - There is growing interest in alternative events like PressConf and CloudFest among WordPress users. Transcript: Luke If WordCamp US doesn't pull it off this year, and certainly there's been, I mean, there was problems last, there was a big issue last year. What are you talking about? And there's been problems with WordCamp US in the past. If it doesn't really work, if there's some reason why people aren't all that interested this year. Jonathan There were some people who attended WordCamp US who left early and had no idea what you're talking about. But for those who stuck around for the last keynote is when, like, oh, wow, there's a lot going on. So I think there's going to be some pressure. And I'm hoping, presuming that Matt does the keynote again, ([Time 0:12:18](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6ccfbfc4-a36e-4334-9407-1ce9c9aa500e)) - **Weekday WordCamps Benefit Attendance** - Schedule WordCamp US during weekdays to increase accessibility for religious observance. - Contributor days are a highlight worth planning around at WordCamp US. Transcript: Luke Yeah, I mean, that's a nice bookend, though, isn't it, Jonathan? The getting it away from the weekend because for me with my religion, I don't attend WordCamps on a Saturday, and I know the same is true for you with your religion. So I think that's a nice sort of accessibility thing for us. We'll be able to attend more of it. Other than that, I really look forward to the contributor days every year. Yeah, I think the contributor day at WordCamp US will be hot. ([Time 0:13:59](https://share.snipd.com/snip/ec219244-568f-4dba-9854-f16e4e594b8e))