What Will Happen at WordCamp RI 2016?

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Lydia

WordCamp RI is two days loaded with information and tips and tricks for using WordPress. It takes place at New England Tech in East Greenwich on Friday and Saturday, September 30 and October 1.

Here’s what’ll happen:

Workshop Day – Friday, September 30 – Bring your laptop

There’s a beginner’s workshop that will take you from no-website to Your Website!
- Great for those who want a portfolio,
- A blog, or a
- Website for small businesses and non-profits.
The intermediate track is for those who already have a website and want to have it noticed by Google.
The Contributor Day’s workshop is for those who want to work on projects to make WordPress even better.

Happiness Bar (aka Help Desk) – Both Days

Volunteers will be at your service at the Happiness Bar, giving you one-on-one help with your WordPress website. Bring your laptop and your questions!

Keynote – Saturday, October 1

We are very excited to have John Maeda, former President of RISD, as the Keynote Speaker at the 5th Annual WordCamp RI. His talk is ” From STEM to STEAM to Startups and Dreams.” He’ll talk about bringing advanced design to the advanced technology of WordPress. He’s in a position to know about that. Maeda is now the Global Head of Computational Design + Inclusion at Automattic, the people behind WordPress.

Seminar Day – Saturday, October 1 – (Bring your favorite note-taking device(s) – be it laptop or pen and paper)

Check out the sessions for beginners on how to improve your website, portfolio or blog
Come to a more advanced session for intermediate WordPress users
Learn ways to make sure Google notices you
Absorb best-practices for your business
Attend a session on making your site look good

After-Party

We’ll have a private tent on the waterfront of East Greenwich at Finn’s Harborside. Need we say more?

Get your tickets! – $20 gets you

Admission on both days
Lunch on both days
Access to the Happiness Bar both days
In-depth Workshops on Friday
Seminars on Saturday
The After-Party on Saturday

Really – can you afford to stay home??? See you at the 5th Annual WordCamp RI!

Walk in with Your Laptop – Walk out with a Website

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Lydia

Create a portfolio in one day at WordCamp RI on September 30.

WordCamp RI has a variety of sessions lined up for the 5th annual WordCamp RI on Friday and Saturday September 30 and October 1.

Google Analytics Boot Camp

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Lydia

Are you wondering how to get the most traffic to your WordPress website? Wonder where the traffic you have is coming from?

You need to attend the two-hour workshop “Keeping Your Website/Blog Looking Fresh!” and “Analytics: Gaining Meaningful Data from Your Audience” on Friday, September 30 at New England Tech in East Greenwich. Ajay Coletta, Assistant Professor at the New England Institute of Technology, along with Patrick Gleavey will be helping you maximize your internet audience.

Ajay teaches multiple courses in WordPress and enthusiastically uses the platform in his personal life as well. Bring your laptop and an eagerness to learn. You’ll be getting a lot out of this morning’s workshop.

WordCamp RI is just $20 for both Friday and Saturday, including lunch each day and the After-Party on Saturday evening. Get your ticket at:

https://2016.rhodeisland.wordcamp.org/tickets/

Create Your Portfolio, Your Blog, Your Website at WordCamp RI

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Lydia

WordPress is the perfect internet platform for you, but you are not sure how to begin. WordCamp RI to the rescue! During the Friday workshop sessions, on September 30, there will be two beginner workshops. One is geared to the person who likes to have some hands-on control over the coding of their website and the other workshop focusses on creating what content you need and leaving the maintenance to WordPress itself.

WordPress.ORG Basics: Setup and Installation is being offered by Daniella Norwood of Ella J Designs. Daniella has taught at past WordCamps and is always well-received. You’ll be able to set-up a website in this workshop or make improvements to the site you currently have.

WordPress.COM Basics: Setup and Installation is for the person who wants to create a website, blog or portfolio and does not want to worry about security updates and maintenance. Lydia Rogers will show you how to get your website up and running with the focus on what content you’ll be putting on the internet.

Both Workshops will run for 4 hours, with a break for lunch. Bring your laptop; WiFi will be available.

Before you arrive on Friday morning think about:

What is the purpose of this website/blog?

Your work/academic portfolio?
Ecommerce?
Classroom or nonprofit website?
Personal blog?

Now there is only one thing left to do – get your ticket to WordCamp RI! Friday September 30 and Saturday October 1 at New England Tech in East Greenwich. Friday is workshop day and Saturday offers you a choice of 45-minute seminars on varying topics.

$20 gets you both days of WordCamp RI with lunch included each day. You cannot afford not to come!

Our Fifth Year of WordCamp RI

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Lydia

This year marks the fifth annual WordCamp RI. Can you believe it? Here are some #Throw Back and #Flash Back highlights.

2012

2012 WordCamp Providence logo

Our first WordCamp was held in 2012 at the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media in downtown Providence. The lead organizer was Luke Gedeon. Jesse Friedman was on the WordCamp organizing committee.

The first year we held a one-day WordCamp, on a Saturday at the end of October. There were three seminar tracks: beginner, developer, and education.

Some of the sessions and speakers were:

“Plugin Development – Stirred not Shaken” by Jon Desrosiers
“From Employee, to Freelancer, to Business Owner (An Unnatural Progression)” by Aaron Ware
A “Panel: The use of WordPress at The Harrington School of Communication and Media, URI” led by Jonathan Friesem.

The After-Party was held at Congress Tavern.

2013

WordCamp 2013 was expanded to a 2-day weekend of learning all things WordPress. The co-lead-organizers were Luke Gedeon and Jesse Friedman. There were four tracks in 2013: beginner, intermediate, advanced and marketer.

The all-day Friday in-depth sessions focused on mobile strategy, WordPress templates, and starting a WordPress website for beginners. Saturday sessions offered topics such as:

“How We Built the Harrington School Website with WordPress” by Renee Hobbs
“Real-Time Site Personalization” by Jesse Friedman
“Plugin Development” by Jon Desrosiers.

In 2013 the After-Party was held at Local 121’s Speakeasy.

2014

2014 found WordCamp back at the Harrington School of Communication with Jesse Friedman as the lead organizer. During the last weekend in September, WordCamp started with three all-day sessions on Friday: WordPress Basics, Plugin Development, and Security.

Saturday had sessions on a variety of topics: beginner, advanced user, developer, business, education, and design. They included:

“WordPress Security: Fundamentals for Professionals” by Joseph Herbrandson
“You Will Never Be Good Enough” by Aaron Ware
“Flexibility of WooCommerce ” by Danny Santoro.

This year the After-Party was at Trinity Brewhouse.

2015

In 2015 we stayed with the two-day format, but changed locations to the New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich. The organizing committee wondered if WordCampers would be happy with a change in venue from downtown Providence. We need not have worried. The new location was an instant hit. WordCamp RI was held the last weekend in September. Jennifer Kusiak and Aaron Ware were the lead organizers.

The Friday boot-camp sessions were WordPress Basics, Getting to Know SASS, and Contributing to WordPress Core.

Some of the Saturday sessions included:

“Child Themes” by Ajay Coletta
“The World Of WordPress: Roles, Tasks, and Skills in WordPress Development” by Colin Murphy
“Content is King, but You Don’t Have to be its Slave” by Aileen McDonough.

The After-Party was held at Chelo’s Waterfront Bar & Grille.

2016

What’s in store for our fifth WordCamp in Rhode Island? Stay tuned to this space for developments. WordCamp RI 2016 will once again be at New England Technical Institute in East Greenwich. The dates are Friday and Saturday September 30 and October 1.

What are some of your best memories of WordCamp here in the Ocean State?

Let us know in the comments section!

Also tweet us @WordCampRI and like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wordcampri/

Design from the Content Out

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Lydia

Today’s Flash Back Friday memory from WordCamp RI 2015 is almost a philosophy talk. John Eckman posits that many developers create websites using a design that was made for books, then try to reshape content to fit that design. He argues website developers should start by knowing what the content will be and then come up with the best design. He outlines approaches to achieve that.

Fascinating talks like this will be part of WordCamp RI 2016 at New England Tech in East Greenwich on September 30 and October 1.

In the meantime, here’s a look back at John’s talk:

Data is not Knowledge

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Lydia

So your website is generating all kinds of statistics and pie charts. What do they mean? What does this information tell you would be a good next step for your website? Today’s Flash Back Friday memory is the talk given at WordCamp RI 2015 by RC Lations: “Tracking Meaningful Moments on Your Site.” He outlines some tips so you’ll be able to tell if the data indicates you are on a good course or if you should take some corrective action. RC quotes Albert Einstein “Information is not knowledge.” However, with RC’s suggestions, you can start to translate that information into knowledge.

Come back to WordCamp RI 2016 for more great sessions like this. We’ll be at New England Tech in East Greenwich once again. The dates are September 30 and October 1.

Going International

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Lydia

Many WordPress websites could benefit from, or would like to attract, both local and international audiences. How can you achieve that? Today’s Flash Back Friday memory from WordCamp 2015 takes a look at the coding behind the scenes. Dave McHale shows how to use many of the more common translation functions. He hopes sessions like this will get more developers to use such functions in their products in the future.

Make sure you attend this year’s WordCamp RI at New England Tech in East Greenwich, September 30 and October 1.

How to Execute on Big Projects

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Lydia

Today’s Flash Back Friday to WordCamp RI 2015 involves a look at the business side of WordPress projects. How do you find good clients and give them the follow-through they want on their project(s)?

Brett Cohen gave an interesting talk “Moving up the Food Chain- How to Find, Land, and Execute on Big Projects.”

There will be more great sessions this year at WordCamp RI 2016 at New England Tech in East Greenwich on September 30 and October 1. Meanwhile, here’s a look-back at one of last year’s popular sessions:

“Coffee is for Closers”

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Lydia

On this Flash Back Friday, we re-visit a talk from WordCamp RI 2015 given by Adam Lamagna. His session’s title references the movie Glengarry Glen Ross. This WordCamp seminar outlines a business process for those who develop WordPress websites. The straight-forward tips Adam gives apply to big agencies as well as entrepreneurs.

This year WordCamp RI will once again be at New England Tech in East Greenwich. Save the dates: September 30 and October 1.

Meanwhile, enjoy this flash back moment:

WordCamp Rhode Island

Sept 30 & Oct 1, 2016

Category Archives: Sessions