Category Archives: WordPress

We are all WordPress

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I learned something today. WordPress isn’t really a web development platform or content management system.

It’s a community.

People at the WordPress booth at South by SouthwestToday I had the great honor of representing WordPress Austin at the WordPress booth at South By Southwest Interactive, and I played the part of “WordPress Genius,” explaining what WordPress is, hearing how people use it, describing to them how it can help their business, and offering technical and other advice.

Some people who stopped by the booth weren’t very familiar with WordPress, so I explained that it’s free, it’s open source, it’s easy to use, and it allows people to build anything from a small personal blog to a giant news site like CNN. And in response, a number of them didn’t understand how WordPress can be a free product. They asked about the “enterprise level” (there isn’t one) or “what’s the catch?” (again, there isn’t one).

I suppose in this day and age it’s hard to imagine a product that is so powerful, and so widely used, but has so few strings attached. It’s something anyone can use however they want (and even modify!). And therein lies its power. Because it’s so easy to use, and free, it creates tremendous passion among its users.

But it’s more than just a product as well.

By working at the booth, I discovered that the people at Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com that employs some of the most active WordPress contributors) really do want to hear from the community. Case in point: Jane Wells took to heart my comments about WordPress and accessibility. She said they worked hard to make the default theme Twenty Ten accessible, and are aware of, and have plans to fix, the accessibility issues in the WordPress backend/admin panel. She encouraged me or anyone else to submit patches to address any problems.

I also met Ian Stewart, the lead developer for Twenty Ten, a great theme to use as a starting place when developing custom themes that meet accessibility standards, because it has solid, clean, semantic code. Ironically, I mentioned my previous post about his Thematic theme and how it was difficult to modify for accessibility; he immediately pulled out a business card and had me promise to email him after the conference with my comments.

What this says is that WordPress cares about accessibility, but even more, they care about their users.

And that reinforces is a feeling I’ve had for some time: WordPress isn’t just code, or a product, or a CMS – it’s not just a thing. It’s a community.

It’s a group of people that includes people who work for Automattic; freelancers; open source contributors; third-party hosting and service providers; plugin and theme developers; meetup groups and WordCamps; and most of all, the users themselves.

We all use it, we love it, and we want to learn it, teach others, and help WordPress become even better.

In other words, we are all WordPress.

Craigslist realtors, get a clue

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Recently I was in the market for a new apartment. Like all people, I checked Craigslist first to see what I could find.

In the process, I learned two things.

First, I found out that Craigslist is not the way to go. There are some wacky people out there. Instead, even if you’re just looking for an apartment or duplex, find yourself a good realtor.

Second, and more apropos to this blog, I discovered that many realtors on Craigslist (and some who aren’t) have terrible skills in the following areas:

  • photography, especially when it comes to images of apartment interiors (one actually posted photos of the corner of a closet);
  • photo editing (these folks need Aspect Ratios for Dummies);
  • making their contact information easily available (I want copy/pasteable text, not one huge blurry jpeg);
  • client interaction (seriously, if I don’t call you right back, it’s not a good idea to call, text and email constantly like a jilted lover);
  • effective communication (don’t tell me you “called 100s of places” in a single afternoon, because I’m not going to believe you);

and the worst offense of all:

  • atrocious web design

Holy HTML Batman. These people are in sales?

Admittedly, there’s a certain grassroots style that comes with Craigslist. Long ago I came to the conclusion that having good grammar and correct spelling in a Craigslist ad goes against tradition. Maybe it’s meant as a rejection of corporate, slick sales sites, I don’t know. So I can handle weak CL postings. But if I click on a business URL, I do expect the quality to improve. I expect, at the very minimum, to be directed to a site that explains the realtor’s services, the kinds of properties/clients they handle, and basic contact information. Bells and whistles like property searches, photos, or MLS listings are nice, but not essential.

Sadly, most of the Craigslist realtors failed on even basic navigation and information, and design was apparently something they put on their Amazon wish list.

So I guess this is a lesson to all entrepreneurs of any profession. If you’re trying to win over clients, spend a few minutes (and maybe a few bucks) on your web presence (p.s. WordPress is free!). Oh, and don’t act clingy and desperate when potential clients call.

That’s not too much to ask, is it?

By the way, if you’re looking for an apartment in Austin, I recommend Nanette at Rock ‘N’ Realty, who does not resemble in any way the people I just described. She’s awesome, and does everything right… including saving you from crazy Craigslist realtors and finding you a great place to live!