As WordCamp US approached, I began considering how I wanted to spend Contributor Day at the WordPress conference. I reviewed the different options available through the WordPress Community and decided that Support would be a good fit for my skill set. I also thought it would be a manageable way in: answer a few tickets, see if I like the work, and meet a few people on the Support Team. It looked to be just the right amount of commitment. A good way to test the waters, as it were.
On late Saturday afternoon, I stopped by the swag table at WCUS to check on the volunteers working there. I spent the next hour or so chatting with and getting to know Bet Hannon. Bet is active in the WordPress Support Forums, spending most of her time helping people who have multisite questions. Over the course of our chat, Bet’s personable approach and welcoming attitude convinced me that I should give the Support Forums a try.
Contributor Day: Not So Much Contributing
As the final day of WordCamp US 2016 dawned, I was excited to meet up and get involved with the Support Team. However, my responsibilities as a co-organizer of the conference forced me to help with this little task or to see to that concern. In the end, I think I answered maybe a single ticket or two. I didn’t get much chance to chat with the Support Team and actually provide help.
A screenshot of the WordPress Support Forum
Helping People All Over the World
Since my decision to answer tickets on the WordPress Support Forums, I’ve now answered just about 100 tickets. While I am still very new to this effort (there are some moderators, contributors and active participants who have answered tens of thousands of tickets), I find the whole experience rewarding.
In answering tickets, I stick to the English version. Yet even there, I find there are people from all over the world (and not just the English speaking world), asking questions about their respective websites or sites they are working on for clients. It’s cool to think that from my happy little corner of the world that I can provide real help to real people.
Working with People All Over the World
Although I didn’t get much chance to hang with the support team at WordCamp US, I did go to lunch the next day with a few member of the team, including Jon Kenshino and Marius Jensen. Jon hails from Singapore and Marius from Norway. There are other Support Forum contributors from practically every corner of the world. It’s wonderful to become more involved with such a culturally diverse and geographically spread out group of people.
Finding a Way to Fit In and Help Out
In reflecting on a pretty active year for me within the WordPress community, becoming active in the Support Forums is definitely one of the highlights. As 2017 stands before us, I invite you to find your place within the WordPress community. You belong here.
