Earlier this year we featured the /r/ProWordPress subreddit on a post exploring various WordPress watering holes. If you’re not familiar with subreddits, they are essentially focused topics where where registered users can vote article submissions “up” or “down.” Subscribing to a subreddit allows you to hone in on specific topics where you have an interest.
/r/ProWordPress was started by Brad Williams, CEO of WebDevStudios and author of Professional WordPress Plugin Development. As a developer, Williams has a strong interest in exploring more technical topics surrounding WordPress. The group recently passed 1,000 subscribers (currently at 1,027 readers) and continues to grow.
“I started the r/ProWordPress subreddit to focus on more advanced WordPress topics,” Williams told the Tavern. “r/WordPress is great but will always have more beginner users, so it’s hard for the more advanced topics to surface. r/ProWordPress is a smaller, more focused subreddit with a focus on advanced WP topics.”
As the subreddit has grown, r/ProWordPress has become one of William’s main sources of news on WordPress development. More subscribers translates into a wider reach of advanced topics as well as more voting users to curate the quality of articles that float to the top. Williams has the ability to moderate the topics submitted but reports that, unless you have a highly active subreddit, very little work is required.
With WordPress now powering more than 23% of all websites online, the community surrounding the software is growing at breakneck speed. People are working with WordPress every day, building businesses on top of it, and are seeking out places online to learn from each other. Matt Mullenweg recently jumped in on the Advanced WordPress group on Facebook, which has accrued more than 9,000 members. This group explores a wide range of WordPress-related topics but may not appeal to everyone.
While some WordPress users enjoy interacting on Facebook, others are taking to forums such as WP Chat. Different kinds of groups are popping up, reflecting the various interaction styles that WordPress community members use to connect.
“WordPress has such a large user base that it’s hard to have a one size fits all area for all topics,” Williams said. In his corner of the internet, he hopes that /r/ProWordPress will continue to be a nice place to share and read about more advanced topics. In some ways Reddit combines the best aspects of both Twitter and forums, in that you can share articles, vote, and comment to enter into discussions with other members. If advanced WordPress development falls within your wheelhouse, make sure to drop by the /r/ProWordPress subreddit and subscribe to new topics.