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Leveling Up: From Bashful Beginner to WordPress Warrior Courtney OCallaghan @courtneydawn Beth Soderberg @bethsoderberg Al...
COURTNEY & BETH INTRODUCE THEMSELVES Hello Drupal DC, still feeling the WP love ...
WHY ARE WE HERE?
Courtney’s Story.
Beth’s Story.
AND WE KNOW HOW TO SHARE! Disclaimer: we wrote down all of the things …
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
You are new to WordPress.
You want to be a developer, but you don’t know how to get there.
You are the only “insert minority group here.”
You are afraid everyone thinks you can’t do this.
YOU think you can’t do this.
There are too many places to begin.
You majored in creative writing of poetry.
WHY HAVEN’T YOU LEFT YET?
This is NOT a suggestion.
Seriously.
Someone like ME can’t do THAT.
Someone like ME can’t do THAT. I SUCK.
Someone like ME can’t do THAT. I SUCK. I am a fraud. One day … someone will find me out.
YOU ARE AWESOME!
Someone like ME can’t do THAT. YOUR FRIENDS THINK YOU ARE AWESOME!
Did I mention I don’t look like anyone here?
Maybe I don’t belong here.
You are NOT imagining things. In 2005, women made up 24% of computer science students. By 2010, that figure had dropped to...
So What! You BELONG here.
I know I am a White/Asian Male.
I know I am a White/Asian Male. How do I promote diversity?
Be AARON JORBIN!
I didn’t study Computer Science.
I didn’t study Computer Science. Women’s Studies Poetry Psychology
I didn’t study Computer Science. WE DIDN’T EITHER! Women’s Studies Writing Poetry Psychology
I might break things.
I might break things. You WILL break things.
I might break things. You WILL break things. It is FUN!
I might break things. You WILL break things. It is FUN! The key to the kingdom: always back it up.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming. -Alice Walker
HOW ARE YOU GETTING THERE?
Ask for directions.
It doesn’t always have to be BOB Courtney - 2001 Beth - 2011
Ask your computer.
WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING?
WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Advanced Travel Tips
The End
RESOURCES - IMPOSTER SYNDROME Worksheet: Understanding Imposter Syndrome https://github.com/hypatia/virtuoso/blob/master/P...
RESOURCES – BEING A “UNICORN” Comic: “whenever someone says women can’t program I grow more powerful” http://www.smbc-comi...
RESOURCES – RECOGNIZING PRIVLEDGE Article: Programmer privilege as an Asian male http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/...
RESOURCES – WP COMMUNITY WordCamps Congratulations! You are already here. Go to sessions that you think will challenge you...
RESOURCES – LEARNING The Codex This is the official documentation for WordPress. http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Starte...
QUOTES WE LIKE “Writing code for a living isn't like being a Navy SEAL sharpshooter. Programming is seriously not that dem...
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WCNYC - Leveling Up: From Bashful Beginner to WordPress Warrior

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You’ve been managing content in WordPress, maybe you’ve dabbled with modifying a file, but you’re not sure where to go from here (other than total failure). In this session we’ll cover how to transition from dabbler to budding developer, learning opportunities around the web, and issues that can impact your learning, ranging from impostor syndrome to gender and generalism to non-computer science educational backgrounds.

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WCNYC - Leveling Up: From Bashful Beginner to WordPress Warrior

  1. 1. Leveling Up: From Bashful Beginner to WordPress Warrior Courtney OCallaghan @courtneydawn Beth Soderberg @bethsoderberg All resources at the end of the presentation
  2. 2. COURTNEY & BETH INTRODUCE THEMSELVES Hello Drupal DC, still feeling the WP love ...
  3. 3. WHY ARE WE HERE?
  4. 4. Courtney’s Story.
  5. 5. Beth’s Story.
  6. 6. AND WE KNOW HOW TO SHARE! Disclaimer: we wrote down all of the things …
  7. 7. WHY ARE YOU HERE?
  8. 8. You are new to WordPress.
  9. 9. You want to be a developer, but you don’t know how to get there.
  10. 10. You are the only “insert minority group here.”
  11. 11. You are afraid everyone thinks you can’t do this.
  12. 12. YOU think you can’t do this.
  13. 13. There are too many places to begin.
  14. 14. You majored in creative writing of poetry.
  15. 15. WHY HAVEN’T YOU LEFT YET?
  16. 16. This is NOT a suggestion.
  17. 17. Seriously.
  18. 18. Someone like ME can’t do THAT.
  19. 19. Someone like ME can’t do THAT. I SUCK.
  20. 20. Someone like ME can’t do THAT. I SUCK. I am a fraud. One day … someone will find me out.
  21. 21. YOU ARE AWESOME!
  22. 22. Someone like ME can’t do THAT. YOUR FRIENDS THINK YOU ARE AWESOME!
  23. 23. Did I mention I don’t look like anyone here?
  24. 24. Maybe I don’t belong here.
  25. 25. You are NOT imagining things. In 2005, women made up 24% of computer science students. By 2010, that figure had dropped to 19%, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency. A 2012 report from Creative Skillset found that only 29% of the interactive media industry in the UK is female, and the majority hold positions in art and design and communications rather than engineering. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/women-in-tech- female-representation
  26. 26. So What! You BELONG here.
  27. 27. I know I am a White/Asian Male.
  28. 28. I know I am a White/Asian Male. How do I promote diversity?
  29. 29. Be AARON JORBIN!
  30. 30. I didn’t study Computer Science.
  31. 31. I didn’t study Computer Science. Women’s Studies Poetry Psychology
  32. 32. I didn’t study Computer Science. WE DIDN’T EITHER! Women’s Studies Writing Poetry Psychology
  33. 33. I might break things.
  34. 34. I might break things. You WILL break things.
  35. 35. I might break things. You WILL break things. It is FUN!
  36. 36. I might break things. You WILL break things. It is FUN! The key to the kingdom: always back it up.
  37. 37. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
  38. 38. Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming. -Alice Walker
  39. 39. HOW ARE YOU GETTING THERE?
  40. 40. Ask for directions.
  41. 41. It doesn’t always have to be BOB Courtney - 2001 Beth - 2011
  42. 42. Ask your computer.
  43. 43. WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING?
  44. 44. WHO ELSE IS GOING?
  45. 45. Advanced Travel Tips
  46. 46. The End
  47. 47. RESOURCES - IMPOSTER SYNDROME Worksheet: Understanding Imposter Syndrome https://github.com/hypatia/virtuoso/blob/master/Part_1_worksheet.en.md Video: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome by Ada Initiative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZg9rax-ky4 Wiki: Geek Feminism http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Impostor_syndrome Quote “Unlike learning other skills where one can expect to be reasonably competent after sufficient practice, programming largely consists of constantly failing, trying some things, failing some more, and trying more things until it works. One of the biggest differences between experienced and novice programmers is that experienced programmers know more things to try. “ https://medium.com/@aliciatweet/overcoming-impostor-syndrome- bdae04e46ec5
  48. 48. RESOURCES – BEING A “UNICORN” Comic: “whenever someone says women can’t program I grow more powerful” http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2516#comic Specialty Groups (incomplete) Women who Code - https://www.womenwhocode.com Black Girls Code - http://www.blackgirlscode.com Allstar Code (young men of color) - http://www.allstarcode.org/ Lesbians who Code - http://lesbianswhotech.org/ MotherCoders - http://www.mothercoders.org/ Girl Develop It - http://www.girldevelopit.com/ Girls who Code - http://girlswhocode.com/ Ladies who Code - http://www.ladieswhocode.com/ FemTechNet - http://femtechnet.newschool.edu/ DC FemTech - http://dcfemtech.github.io/ Ada Initiative (women & allies in Open Source) - http://adainitiative.org/ Tech Lady Mafia - http://techladymafia.com/ Ada’s List - http://adaslist.co/
  49. 49. RESOURCES – RECOGNIZING PRIVLEDGE Article: Programmer privilege as an Asian male http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/programmer _privilege_as_an_asian_male_computer_science_major_everyone_gave.2.ht ml Wiki: micro inequities vs micro affirmation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microinequity Allies: Workshop Resources (see end of page) http://adainitiative.org/what-we-do/workshops-and-training/
  50. 50. RESOURCES – WP COMMUNITY WordCamps Congratulations! You are already here. Go to sessions that you think will challenge you, but likely won’t be too far above your head. Ask questions! Absorb as much information as you can. http://central.wordcamp.org/ Local Meetup There are tons of local meetup groups where developers, designers, and bloggers of all skill levels gather to learn more about WordPress AND get to know each other. If there isn’t a meetup near you, you can start one yourself! http://wordpress.meetup.com/ WordPress Forums The forums are great places to ask questions or to search for questions similar to the one you have. Forum people are usually very nice. http://wordpress.org/support/ IRC I know, you’re thinking “IRC, what is that!?!?” IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat and it’s really just an earlier version of AIM, Google Chat, etc. The WordPress IRC channels are a great way to get help quickly and also a place to hang out and get to know the community. This is also an acceptable place to lurk. http://codex.wordpress.org/IRC
  51. 51. RESOURCES – LEARNING The Codex This is the official documentation for WordPress. http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress WordPress TV This is a collection of videos at all levels from past WordCamps. http://wordpress.tv/ WordPress Blogosphere Favorites tuts+ - http://code.tutsplus.com/categories/wordpress WP Tavern - http://wptavern.com WP Beginner - http://www.wpbeginner.com/ Take a Course Code Academy - http://www.codecademy.com Coursera - https://www.coursera.org Stanford University Online - https://class.stanford.edu/ MIT OpenCourseWare - http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm CreativeLive - https://www.creativelive.com/
  52. 52. QUOTES WE LIKE “Writing code for a living isn't like being a Navy SEAL sharpshooter. Programming is seriously not that demanding, so you shouldn't need to be a tough-as-nails superhero to enter this profession.” http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/programmer_privilege_as_an_as ian_male_computer_science_major_everyone_gave.2.html “technical entitlement: It discourages diversity.” https://medium.com/tales-from-the-front/on-technical-entitlement-cc9ed433ec3c “Getting into IT without a degree isn't necessarily common or uncommon. It's a thing that happens, the way that life happens.” http://www.techrepublic.com/article/do-programmers-still-need-a-computer-science-degree-to- land-a-great-job/ “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.” Eleanor Roosevelt “Leaders don’t create more followers, they create more leaders.” Tom Peters “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates

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