In Case You Missed It – Issue 26

photo credit: Night Moves – (license)

There’s a lot of great WordPress content published in the community but not all of it is featured on the Tavern. This post is an assortment of items related to WordPress that caught my eye but didn’t make it into a full post.

Birgit Olzem Could Use the Community’s Help

Birgit Olzem has encountered some financial hard times due to multiple illnesses and paying for acupuncture treatments and osteopathic therapy which are not covered by her insurance. Olzem fell ill earlier this year which prevented her from generating income as a self-employed person.

Dear #WordPress community!

Today I turn to you with a request that I find very difficult to make.

Over the last 7 years, I've invested a lot of time and money in the contributions for WordPress. Despite five children, part-time jobs and chronic diseases. #Thread

— Birgit Olzem (@CoachBirgit) June 13, 2019

If my contributions to #WordPress have helped in any way over the years, or you just like me as a person, I'd be happy if you would help me become healthy again.https://t.co/wfmJ3WOXMn

My eternal thanks will come to you.

7/7 pic.twitter.com/i98dU1EC1S

— Birgit Olzem (@CoachBirgit) June 13, 2019

Olzem has translated WordPress, compiled release packages for de_DE, organized Meetups, WordCamps, answered support questions and has been part of different make/WordPress teams, some of them as a team-rep. She’s also contributed to WordCamps as a Speaker, Volunteer and Contributor day team-lead.

To learn more about her story and to donate, please read her request to the community.

Liam Dempsey’s Take on Gutenberg

Liam Dempsey describes what he likes and doesn’t like about the new WordPress editor.

Defending the Right to Publish Open Source Software in the UK

The EFF and Open Rights Group have submitted comments to the UK government defending the right to publish open source software.

Moreover, source code is a form of written creative expression, and open source code is a form of public discourse. Regulating its publication under anti-money-laundering provisions fails to honor the free expression rights of software creators in the United Kingdom, and their collaborators and users in the rest of the world.

Why Is It Important to Give Back to Open Source?

JC Mae Palmes on Twitter asked, why is it important to give back to the WordPress community? Here are a few responses. To see all of the responses, check out this Twitter thread.

WordPress powers 34% of the web, it's a career advantage, the community is awesome, the product is used by students and enterprises alike, you can directly talk to incredibly knowledgeable people and learn a ton

— Mario Peshev (@no_fear_inc) June 13, 2019

Open Source projects live and die by the willingness of those who benefit from the project giving back to the project.

— Morten Rand-Hendriksen is elsewhere (@mor10) June 13, 2019

You realize you’re not alone. The mistakes you make are normal, that everyone’s figuring it out as they go. It gives you access to experience at all levels and people to brainstorm with who have unique perspectives.

— Cate DeRosia (@mysweetcate) June 13, 2019

WordCamp US Speaker Selection Process

If you’re wondering how speakers are being selected for WordCamp US this year, check out this post by the Programming Team. The team is using a new process that includes, limiting the number of submissions per speaker to two instead of unlimited, reviewing submissions based on the organizer’s sphere of experience, and using blind reviews. Speakers who are chosen are scheduled to be notified by the end of this month.

An Easy Way to Make an Impact in The WordPress Community

David Bisset shared the following idea on Twitter and while a few companies have started doing this, I think it will catch on with individuals more than businesses.

Are you a company that wants to make an impact in the #WordPress space but doesn’t have alot of $$$?

Buy some tickets for people to attend WordCamps. Especially people (youths, non-profits, not privileged) that wouldn’t normally consider going.

— David Bisset (@dimensionmedia) June 14, 2019

That’s it for issue twenty-six. If you recently discovered a cool resource or post related to WordPress, please share it with us in the comments.