Topic: Keeping Your Themes and Plugins Separate
Writing. Web Development. Storytelling. These are a few of my favorite things. I first loved writing stories, specifically sports stories, and it eventually became my major in college. But along the way, I began to fall for web development, and finding ways to help others tell their stories through websites. I’ve created a couple of WordPress plugins and themes and currently work with Faith Growth, Inc., and as a freelancer.
How did you get involved in WordPress?
I first got started in WordPress in 2009 when I joined my high school’s newspaper staff. That year we went from printing one issue every six weeks to fully online with a WordPress website. Naturally, I became interested in how it all worked.
In the summer after I graduated high school, I learned all of the web development basics and began to develop WordPress themes and plugins. The rest, as they say, is history.
What do you do with WordPress?
I currently work as a freelance developer. My primary gig is working with Faith Growth, Inc., building websites for churches.
What has your experience with the WordPress community been like?
My experience with the WordPress has been nothing short of amazing. I attended my first WordCamp DFW in 2016 and joined the Ft. Worth WordPress User’s Group Meetup shortly there after and I have always felt welcome in the space.
Why did you want to speak at WordCamp DFW?
I love this community and really wanted to give back to a community that has helped me a lot.
Why did you decide to speak on your topic?
As someone who has submitted themes and plugins into their respective WordPress directories and someone who had trouble when switching themes, I wanted to help people not make those same mistakes and/or understand some of the risks when using a theme that adds functionality it really shouldn’t.
What do you hope the audience gets from your talk?
I hope non-developers are able to better understand what themes and plugins really are and why that matters in WordPress so that they can make better decisions when picking the right theme. And for developers, I hope they make sure that they respect the difference between the two so that their products work for the user.
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s WordCamp DFW held on Nov. 10-11. There are also plenty of opportunities to sponsor the event or help run it. We hope to see you there!