1. Developer Relations: job descriptions, areas of focus
2. Why do we need Developer Relations?
3. Looking ahead in Developer Relations
4. Let’s dig in to DevRel

Developer Relations (DevRel) is all about connecting tech companies with developers. It’s a key part of making sure techies have the tools they need and feel part of a community where their ideas and work are appreciated. DevRel pros build this important bridge, ensuring smooth communication and collaboration. Especially in open-source areas like WordPress, they play a huge role in bringing together different people to innovate and respect each other’s contributions, making tech better for everyone.

As highlighted by Joost de Valk in his article on the need for more DevRel within WordPress, there’s a gap in awareness and implementation of DevRel practices. Much like Community Management and other career paths, Developer Relations is a profession wider than the WordPress community. It is key within many technology companies and not limited to web development.

This is the first post in a blog series, aiming to illuminate the DevRel field, explaining its roles, impact, and how it can foster growth and innovation within WordPress. By doing so, I hope to bridge the knowledge gap and showcase the value of DevRel in nurturing the community and enhancing collaboration.

Developer Relations: job descriptions, areas of focus

• Developer Advocates/Evangelists: Promote technology via content, speaking at events, and social media. This is the broad job title, while the remainder of titles here are specific areas of focus.
• Developer Education: Offers resources for learning and effective product use.
  • Technical Writers: Create documentation, tutorials, and guides for developers’ understanding and use.
• Developer Marketers: Specialize in communicating within developer communities.
  • Event Marketers: Specialize in promoting and increasing event attendance, creating memorable experiences that align with developer interests.
  • Field Marketing: Engages directly with potential users or developers in the field, often at events or meetups, to build relationships and gather product feedback.
• Developer Experience Engineers: Enhance developers’ product interaction, focusing on SDKs, APIs, and usability.
• Program Managers: Organize DevRel activities like events and sponsorships.
  • Open Source Program Directors or Managers mix open source into company strategy, ensure rules are followed, boost community ties, and push for both internal and external open source contributions.

Why do we need Developer Relations?

Developer Relations is pivotal internally for fostering product innovation and understanding user needs, externally for building and nurturing a developer community around a product, and within an open-source ecosystem for encouraging collaboration, contributions, and shared advancement. It ensures that products are developer-friendly and meet community expectations, enhances brand loyalty, and drives technological growth through collective input and effort.

Contributing to WordPress as a Developer Advocate at GoDaddy aligns with my role’s core objectives: enhancing GoDaddy’s offerings and understanding WordPress better. It’s about engaging with the community, sharing knowledge, and directly contributing to WordPress’s growth. This involvement helps me gain insights into users’ needs and challenges, ensuring GoDaddy’s services remain relevant and beneficial for WordPress users. It’s a reciprocal relationship where both GoDaddy and the WordPress community benefit from shared expertise and improvements.

Looking ahead in Developer Relations

Throughout this series, I’ll cover topics like:

• A day in the life of a Developer Advocate
• Community Management within DevRel
• Developer Advocates contributing to WordPress and Open Source
• Developer Advocates working for WordPress hosts and extenders
• DevRel Strategies for Success
• DevRel Resources, Tools, and Technologies
• Building and Nurturing Developer Communities
• Contributing to WordPress: A Guide for Developer Advocates
• Future Trends in Developer Relations and WordPress

Let’s dig in to DevRel

As I wrap up this introduction to Developer Relations, I’m excited to delve deeper into its significance within the WordPress community and beyond. Together, we’ve explored how DevRel bridges the gap between tech companies and developers, fostering collaboration and innovation. Join me on this journey as we uncover the intricacies of Developer Relations and its profound impact on open-source communities like WordPress. Let’s continue to learn, grow, and shape the future of technology together.

Missed the earlier posts? Get them here:

The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source

Martin Fink

Business

Prentice Hall Professional

January 1, 2003

268

Open Source has become a buzzword synonymous with growth and change in computing. This book examines the Open Source movement, what’s worked and why, and explains the technology to the mainstream investor and manager looking to replicate the successes of the Open Source movement.

Prior to Linux, your choice was primarily a proprietary operating system on proprietary hardware, or a proprietary operating system on commodity hardware.

This enlightening quote underscores the limited choices that were once the norm in operating systems. Just as Linux revolutionized this space by offering an open-source alternative, Open Source CMS platforms like WordPress do the same for content management. It begs the question: How do open-source solutions stack up against proprietary ones in the CMS arena? To answer that, we’re diving deep into comparing WordPress, other Open Source CMS platforms, and their proprietary counterparts.

WordPress has had varying proprietary competitors in the Content Management Space. Here are several at different ranges:

Enterprise Proprietary CMS

1⃣ Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)

Features

• Highly scalable with robust content management capabilities.
• Offers digital asset management and deep analytics integration.

Target Market

• Large enterprises require extensive customization and high-budget solutions.

2⃣ Sitecore

Features

• Known for customer experience management.
• Offers web content management and multichannel marketing automation.

Target Market

• Businesses seeking a CMS that tightly integrates with marketing tools and customer experience optimization.

Small Business Proprietary CMS

1⃣ Wix

Features

• User-friendly, drag-and-drop website builder.
• Offers a range of templates and basic e-commerce capabilities.

Target Market

• Small businesses and individuals are looking for a simple, no-code solution to get online quickly.

2⃣ Squarespace

Features

• Design-centric with a focus on aesthetics.
• Offers built-in blogging and e-commerce functionalities.

Target Market

• Small businesses and creatives who prioritize design and want a straightforward way to manage content.

The Unstoppable Rise of Open Source CMS

In the evolving landscape of content management systems, open-source solutions like WordPress have emerged as a democratizing force. Unlike proprietary options such as Adobe Experience Manager or Sitecore, which cater to enterprise needs with high-budget solutions, or Wix and Squarespace that offer more confined ecosystems for small businesses, WordPress serves a diverse range of requirements. This flexibility invites everyone from freelancers to Fortune 500 companies into a community-driven space where the limitations are few but the possibilities are endless. In a digital world where customization, scalability, and community support matter, the argument for open source CMS becomes not just compelling but overwhelmingly persuasive.

Missed the last post? Get it here:

The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source

Martin Fink

Business

Prentice Hall Professional

January 1, 2003

268

Open Source has become a buzzword synonymous with growth and change in computing. This book examines the Open Source movement, what’s worked and why, and explains the technology to the mainstream investor and manager looking to replicate the successes of the Open Source movement.

What is Open Source?

Open Source – This term will generally be used in two contexts:

1. The marketing phrase for free software 
2. Development methodology 

Open source is not a license. It provides a common set of specifications to which licenses must adhere to be considered open source².

WordPress is open-source software. As such, let’s consider this quote in light of the various contexts and licenses.

Open Source as a Marketing Phrase

Market Positioning and Competitive Advantage

• Differentiator: In a saturated market of web development platforms, the term “Open Source” sets WordPress apart as a platform that prioritizes user freedom and community contributions.
• Trust Factor: Being open-source often instills trust among users, implying transparency and a lack of hidden, restrictive features.

Value Proposition

• Accessibility: The term signals that WordPress is accessible to anyone in terms of cost and freedom to modify.
• Innovation: It also implies a level of innovation and community involvement often lacking in proprietary solutions.

Open Source as a Development Methodology

Collaborative Development

• Community Contributions: WordPress thrives on contributions from its global community, aligning with the open-source ethos of collaborative development.
• Transparency: The open-source methodology ensures that development processes are transparent, allowing for peer review and collective problem-solving.

Iterative Improvement

• Versioning: WordPress undergoes regular updates, often contributed by various community members, embodying the iterative nature of open-source development.
• Quality Assurance: The open-source approach allows for rigorous testing and quality assurance, making the platform more robust and secure.

Technical Support

One of the raging debates about Linux is the issue of where support comes from.³

Let’s look at the various types of support most WordPress websites may need.

Domain Registrar

DNS Management

• Name to Numbers: Domain registrars manage the Domain Name System (DNS) settings that connect your domain name to your WordPress site.

Open Source Connection

• Freedom to Switch: Open source principles align with the ability to easily switch domain registrars, ensuring you’re not locked into a single provider.

Web Host

Server-Side Support

• Technical Backbone: Web hosts provide the server infrastructure where your WordPress site lives. They often offer specialized WordPress hosting solutions optimized for performance and security.

Open Source Synergy

• Compatibility: WordPress often prefers Open-source hosting solutions like Apache or Nginx, creating a seamless integration between the software and server.

Website Designer or Developer

Customization and Functionality

• Personal Touch: Designers and developers can tailor your WordPress site to meet specific needs, from aesthetics to functionality.

Open Source Collaboration

• Community Contributions: Many designers and developers actively contribute to WordPress, sharing themes, plugins, and code snippets with the community.

Plugin Company

Extended Capabilities

• Feature Boost: Plugins add specific functionalities to your WordPress site, from SEO optimization to e-commerce capabilities.

Open Source Ethics

• Transparency: Many plugin companies offer free, open-source versions of their products, allowing users to modify and extend them as needed.

Theme Company

Visual Identity

• Look and Feel: Themes define your WordPress site’s visual layout and user experience.

Open Source Aesthetics

• Community Designs: Many theme companies release free themes to the WordPress community, and some even contribute to the core WordPress theme repository.

Final Thoughts

To wrap up this part of our series inspired by “The Business Value of Linux and Open Source,” I hope you’ve enjoyed diving into the two key roles of Open Source within WordPress. It’s not just a catchy marketing term—it’s a core principle that influences everything from business decisions to community collaborations. I can’t wait to share more insights with you in our upcoming conversations about Open Source. Stay tuned!

The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source

Martin Fink

Business

Prentice Hall Professional

January 1, 2003

268

Open Source has become a buzzword synonymous with growth and change in computing. This book examines the Open Source movement, what’s worked and why, and explains the technology to the mainstream investor and manager looking to replicate the successes of the Open Source movement.

1. Fink, M. (2003). The Business of Linux and Open Source. In _The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source. essay, Prentice Hall PTR. Page 5. ↩︎

Hey, WordPress enthusiasts and contributors! Let’s talk about the importance of accurate terminology when it comes to WordPress contributor teams. Using the right words isn’t just about being picky; it’s about fostering clarity and unity within our community. So, let’s dive in and explore why getting WordPress contributor teams right matters!

Overview of Contributor Teams

Understanding the distinct missions and roles of each team empowers us to work together more effectively. By using accurate language, we can avoid confusion and foster greater collaboration within the WordPress community. Remember, each team has a unique mission and role, and using accurate language shows respect for their contributions.

Let’s begin with an overview of WordPress contributor teams. Each team has a specific mission and role within the WordPress universe. Understanding these distinctions empowers us to work together more effectively. Here’s a snapshot of teams:

WordPress Project Contributor Teams

Ready to start contributing? Visit the Get Involved quiz to help you find your team.

These teams play vital roles in WordPress development, community building, and project health.

Want to see the latest news from all the teams? Visit the Latest Make WordPress news.

Common Misconceptions

It is important to note that there is a common misconception among some members of the WordPress community that all teams fall under the “WordPress Core” umbrella. However, this is inaccurate and can lead to confusion and missed opportunities for collaboration. It is crucial to understand the distinct missions and roles of each team to work together effectively.

• Myth 1: “Everything is WordPress Core.”
  • Clarification (For Contributors): It’s essential to recognize that WordPress consists of various contributor teams, each with its focus and expertise. While the Core Team is central, there are many other specialized teams, such as the Design Team, Accessibility Team, and Marketing Team, actively working to improve different aspects of WordPress. Collaborating with these teams opens up opportunities for a more impactful contribution.
  • Clarification (For Community Members): For those new to WordPress, it’s crucial to understand that WordPress is a collaborative effort involving various teams. While the Core Team is at its core, many other specialized teams contribute to different areas. This diversity of teams means that there are multiple ways for you to engage and support WordPress beyond just the core development work.
• Myth 2: “The WordPress Core Team does everything.”
  • Clarification (For Contributors): While the Core Team plays a pivotal role in WordPress development, it doesn’t handle everything alone. Collaborative efforts involve specialized teams like the Design Team, Accessibility Team, and Marketing Team, each contributing their unique expertise to enhance different aspects of WordPress. Contributors should explore these teams to maximize their impact.
  • Clarification (For Community Members): It’s a common misconception that the Core Team handles all aspects of WordPress. In reality, WordPress relies on the collective efforts of various teams. This means that the WordPress community welcomes and encourages contributions from a diverse range of talents, not just coding. Whether you’re into design, documentation, translation, or community building, there’s a place for you to contribute and make a difference.
• Myth 3: “Contributing means only coding.”
  • Clarification (For Contributors): While coding is a valuable form of contribution, it’s far from the only one. WordPress embraces a wide range of contributions, including design, documentation, translation, and community building. Contributors should explore their interests and skills, as there’s a team that can benefit from their unique talents, regardless of whether they write code or not.
  • Clarification (For Community Members): Don’t be misled into thinking that contributing to WordPress is limited to coding. In fact, WordPress thrives on contributions from individuals with diverse skills and interests. Whether you’re a designer, writer, translator, or community enthusiast, your contributions are valued and can help make WordPress even better for everyone.

Importance of Accurate Terminology

Time for some real talk! Using the right words isn’t about being picky; it’s about fostering clarity and unity within our community. Here’s why it matters:

• Collaboration Magic: Accurate terms help us find the right teammates and work effectively.
• Avoiding Confusion: Clear communication minimizes misunderstandings.
• Building Trust: Using proper terminology shows respect for each team’s mission and role.
• Fostering Unity: Accurate terms help us recognize and appreciate the contributions of all teams.
• Encouraging Growth: Understanding the distinct missions and roles of each team empowers us to work together more effectively and achieve greater success.

By using accurate language, we can harness the full potential of the WordPress community and work together to achieve incredible results. So, let’s commit to using the correct terminology and strengthening our community to build clearer communication and greater collaboration!

Using Proper Team Names

We’re not just here to point out issues; we’re all about solutions! Let’s make a pact to use the correct team names:

• Example 1: Instead of “WordPress Core did this,” say, “The _______ Team achieved this.”
• Example 2: Replace “WordPress Core meeting” with “Core Team meeting.”
• Example 3: Say “Accessibility Team” instead of “WordPress Accessibility.”
• Example 4: When speaking of all contributor teams, say “the WordPress project.”

Conclusion

When it comes to WordPress contributor teams, accurate terminology is crucial. Each team has a specific mission and role within the WordPress universe, and understanding these distinctions empowers us to work together more effectively. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception among some members of the WordPress community that all teams fall under the “WordPress Core” umbrella. However, this is inaccurate and can lead to confusion and missed opportunities for collaboration.

By using the correct terminology, we can avoid confusion and foster greater collaboration within the WordPress community. Remember, each team has a unique mission and role, and using accurate language shows respect for their contributions. Let’s commit to using the right terms and building a stronger, more cohesive WordPress community!

1. Photos from WordCamp Europe 2023 Photo Gallery ︎

^^^ That link worked beautifully as it was embedded from a WordPress site into a WordPress site. WordPress understands how to embed this nicely. But what if you want to display a link as a preview card from a website that doesn’t import pretty previews? For that, the Bookmark Card plugin can really help. Below I have linked to a music service I use to listen while working. I tested the link without the Bookmark Card plugin and my site tried to just convert it to a plain link. Instead, I can make it look like this:

brain.fm

Music to improve focus, meditation and sleep.

my.brain.fm

Okay, that may not be a well styled example. That would be dependent upon the site to provide. Another example could look like this:

State of Continuous Delivery Report 2023: The Evolution of Software Delivery Performance – CD Foundation

Read the fourth State of Continuous Delivery Report, this one is about The Evolution of Software Delivery Performance.

cd.foundation

I love the simplicity of Bookmark Card.

I first installed WordPress on my own domain in 2006, I believe. At the time, WordPress was still exclusively a blogging platform. Pages were not yet introduced, nor were widgets or custom post types. I had to build the database and configure my config file manually. At the time, many folks opted to install WordPress within a folder of their website. At the time, I believe my site was configured to be courtneyengle.com/wordpress. The top site was built with, get this, Joomla. But the blog content portion was WordPress. What a crazy configuration.

The default theme was also commonly referred to as Kubrick. It appeared the way you see in the information below.

It would be at least several years until WordPress was truly ready to shine as a fully-fledged content management system (CMS), and shed the idea that it was just a blogging platform. By 2009 I had moved my WordPress subdomain install to the top level of my domain. I changed themes a few times and began blogging more consistently on the site. Traces of the original installation are still around on my site today. I have since changed my domain name a few times, but I keep the old posts to show how far WordPress and I have come in all that time.

My origins in WordPress

In 2006, I stumbled upon open-source software while teaching high school business, computer, and information technology. I was on the hunt for tools that could serve as an extension of my classroom. That’s when I discovered WordPress as the perfect solution for a blog for my students.

The four freedoms of open source, granted by the GPL, caught my attention and got me thinking about the potential of a new societal framework. As a teacher, it was crucial to have access to no-cost licenses for classroom use. On top of that, most of the software I used never let me peek at their code to study how they worked.

During my early years with WordPress, I found that documentation was pretty scarce. There were no handy five-minute installs back then! While I was comfortable teaching HTML and CSS, PHP was uncharted territory for me. I knew how to work with databases and write queries, but PHP code remained a mystery. It took me years to decipher the code and find helpful training materials. My initial challenge was registering sidebars to add widgets to a website using the Revolution theme, but soon, I became hooked on enhancing WordPress.

Contributing to WordPress

Fast forward to 2009, and I found myself attending two WordCamps. WordCamp Mid-Atlantic had just sold out of tickets, but I was eager to be there. I offered to volunteer at the event and ended up checking attendees in at the door, which turned out to be an amazing networking opportunity. A few months later, I attended WordCamp NYC, where I had the chance to chat with Matt Mullenweg.

In 2014, I was back at WordCamp NYC, this time participating in the contributor day. Although I felt intimidated by the discussions about the upcoming REST API, I decided to join the Marketing or Training teams. Having taught marketing as part of business education, I was torn but ultimately settled with the Training team. I learned how to keep attending meetings and began writing lesson plans on using post formats, later adding theme support and designs for developers. By 2015, I became a team rep.

Early in 2016, I had the fantastic opportunity to teach WordPress at a vocational career technical school for high school students. We built and modified websites, and students were assessed through projects and quizzes using WordPress as a learning management system (LMS). They learned to install plugins, rate and review them, and tweak the code to suit their needs. We also experimented with multiple themes.

Later, I joined The Events Calendar, working in support and marketing release communications. I managed the knowledgebase, product pages, and staff training on release changes. While creating technical documents, I got to test new features and report any bugs I found to the developers.

In the spring of 2020, I found myself teaching WordPress in a high school classroom once again. My students were paid interns learning to build websites, and they even presented at WordCamp Philly that summer. I continued with the same bootcamp, instructing a front-end developer curriculum that covered HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, Git, and WordPress. However, I still felt a need for better educational materials and standards for bootcamps funded by government organizations. I knew I needed to get closer to the source.

By 2022, I joined GoDaddy as a Developer Advocate. Now, my work involves contributing to Training and other teams, advocating for WordPress as open source software, sponsoring events, and communicating with developer-oriented customers and our internal developer staff.

WordPress origin story for the future

My WordPress journey has taken many twists and turns over the years, but it’s helped me acquire the skills I need for my current role. I’m passionate about onboarding contributors and supporting people at all skill levels in achieving their goals. Collaborating across teams and with friends around the globe is what makes it all worthwhile.

Over the past year, I have attended each of the international flagship camps, but find the local camps to really give me time to connect at length with attendees. I spent time in person with multiple friends that previously I’d only interacted with online. Whether over lunch, or in the hallway track, it is always so good to find out how others are WordPressing, what they are creating, and what brings them to a WordCamp.

I was honored to speak during several sessions yesterday. My solo talk was “Creating Inclusive Education Within An Open-Source Community:The WordPress Training Team ‘s Journey to Creating Accessible and Engaging Educational Materials.” This topic is the summation of why I have contributed to WordPress since 2009. You can find the content that our team creates at Learn.WordPress.org.

And my slides here:

What surprised me about this presentation most was that it really was an introduction to how one part of WordPress is made possible. I wasn’t teaching how to do something with WordPress the software, but rather sharing here is a wealth of educational resources, how these resources are made, and how you can contribute to them as well. I wasn’t sure if the talk resonated with attendees, but had quite a few questions after. Folks are seeing how they can share the specific content within Learn WordPress with their customers, use it themselves for personal learning, and even share it within their Meetup groups. Perhaps I am so close to the work happening on Learn WordPress that I forget what it is like to suddenly discover that this exists. The smiles on faces really is motivation to keep going.

When I wasn’t at the GoDaddy booth or speaking, I had my camera in hand and was popping by other presentations. The members of this community are absolutely its future and strength. Here are a few of the photos I got: