Organizers

Thinking about attending WordCamp Canada but not sure what to expect? New to WordPress and wondering if you’ll feel out of place?

Let me tell you about my first WordCamp.

I get it, some tech conferences can feel formal or even a bit intimidating. But a WordCamp? It’s more like hanging out with a couple hundred passionate, friendly folks who speak your language, whether you’re a designer, developer, blogger, or just curious.

Back in May 2009, I went to my very first camp, WordCamp Toronto. I’d only just started working professionally with WordPress at Carleton University earlier that year, and I was still finding my way after being introduced to it in late 2007.

I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I was eager to learn as much as I could. I’ll be honest. I don’t remember many of the actual sessions, it was 16 years ago, after all, but what’s stuck with me are the people, the vibe, and a few memorable moments that made the experience special.

Star Trek

The Star Trek reboot with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto had just been released, and one evening a few of us, including a couple of guys we just met who were working at an Ottawa agency, decided to grab dinner and catch the movie. I wasn’t a huge Star Trek fan, I’ve always leaned more Star Wars, but that didn’t matter. What stood out wasn’t the film, it was the chance to relax and connect with others outside the venue. Moments like that highlight one of the best parts of WordCamp: the community.

Accordion Guy

One talk I do remember was by Joey deVilla, better known as Accordion Guy. He spoke on Living Better Through Blogging, but what made it unforgettable was his energy. Joey wasn’t just engaging, he was fun. He played his accordion. He cracked jokes. He had me remembering my grandfather, who also played when I was a kid. It’s funny how something small like that can stick with you after all these years.

Bonus Swag

At the end of Joey’s talk, during the Q&A, he started handing out Xbox games to people who asked questions, a fun and unexpected perk. There was also a small booth selling WordCamp Toronto t-shirts. I still remember picking one up and thinking every camp should do this. It’s a simple thing, but having something you can wear home makes the experience feel even more memorable. I wish more camps offered shirts like that today, they make great keepsakes and conversation starters.

Ready for Your First WordCamp?

Sixteen years later, what I remember most about my first WordCamp isn’t the tech or the talks, it’s the people, the conversations, and the unexpected moments in between. WordCamps are built on community, and that’s what makes them special.

If you’re on the fence about attending WordCamp Canada, take the leap. Whether you’re brand new to WordPress or have years of experience, you’ll find a welcoming space to learn, share, and connect. You never forget your first, make this one yours.

I’m publishing this post on the WordCamp Canada site and the Edmonton WordPress Meetup site (WPYEG.org) via WordLand (wordland.social). WPYEG.org is federated with ActivityPub, so people following it on platforms like Mastodon will see this post too. (For example, edmontonian.social, mstdn.ca, ottawa.place, and wptoots.social.)

WordLand is the work of Dave Winer. Dave is our first announced WCEH speaker, the inventor of RSS, and a visionary for the web we hoped we’d get — and still believe we can create. 

Dave has blogged a lot about WordLand for several years — well before it had a name, as I recall. I remember him indirectly revealing the motivation behind WordLand (and also ActivityPub) last year in a post titled Why we’re lucky WordPress is here and other topics:

WordPress is, among other things, a perfect time capsule of open technologies from the early days of innovation on the web, and widely deployed and able to deliver all their benefits, if we widen our view of social media to be a social web, and simply create places where posts with and without titles are equally supported. It’s that simple. Without WordPress we would have to build all that, and wait for it to deploy in numbers, to matter in the market. All we have to do now is make the connections. #

That stuck with me. 

We do need to make the connections, now more than ever. 

Here’s Dave’s “big vision” for WordLand, a more technical “how-to” dive into it, and his thoughts about why it makes sense to bring this to WordCamp Canada.

What do you think?

*Canadians may recognize my title riffs on John Ralston Saul‘s brilliant 2017 essay “The Bridges Canada Must Build, Right Here at Home.” I used to have my students read and respond to it at MacEwan University. It’s relevant, on other levels, to the kind of web we want and our conference themes. You should read it if you haven’t. Thanks to the Wayback Machine you can.

Update: Dave recorded his thoughts and published a small account of the history of WordLand’s (and his own) relationship with WordPress.