WordPress training offered at Scranton area’s first WordCamp – Scranton Times

DICKSON CITY — At the Scranton area’s first WordCamp training session, bloggers, online publishers and developers honed their mastery of the software that powers nearly a quarter of the world’s top 10 million websites.

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, 31, was at Johnson College Wednesday to speak with the 120 attendees who signed up to learn more about the open-source platform.

Open-source software designers make the language at the root of their product available for anyone to tweak. That leads to a community of ad-hoc developers that Mr. Mullenweg called a “do-ocracy,” where those who do the most work have the most influence on its direction. WordPress’s mission is to “democratize publishing,” he said.

“Any single person in this room can have an influence on a platform that 1 billion people can touch,” he said.

While WordCamps happen all over the world, several local developers worked together to put on Scranton’s first. Organizer Joseph Casabona said he knew of many WordPress developers in the area who had yet to come together.

“I hoped this would bring them out of the woodwork to meet each other,” he said.

Attendees could pick two tracks for the symposium, user or developer. The “user” track focused on WordPress basics, with some add-on features. The other track delved far deeper into the platform. They provided useful training for experienced WordPress users and newbies alike.

Wilkes-Barre resident, NEPA BlogCon co-founder and Web entrepreneur Karla Porter said she learned about a few new plugins, or software add-ons, during one session.

Michael Acharuya said he only started working with WordPress a couple of weeks ago. He wants to use it to develop a resume website to showcase his skills and experience in finance. He said his favorite session explored teaching WordPress to others.

“I would love to be able to have that power and use it for good,” he said.

He had high praise for the session, which cost $20 and offered free food and high-value training.

“It’s pretty much free, you just have to get here,” he said. He drove from New Jersey to attend.

After the sessions, Mr. Mullenweg held a question-and-answer session where he discussed some of the intricacies and changes underway in the platform.

With a smile, he expressed his enthusiasm for the power his software can give to ordinary people.

“It’s like your hidden talent,” he said. “It’s like you take your glasses off and you’re a WordPress hero.”

Contact the writer:

bgibbons@timesshamrock.com, @bgibbonsTT on Twitter

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