This document outlines how to manage a local WordPress community, including both online and offline aspects. It discusses establishing an online presence through blogs, forums, documentation and translations. It also covers growing an offline community through meetups and conferences. Specific recommendations are provided for keeping translations up to date, managing plugin and theme translations through WordPress.org, moderating support forums politely, developing documentation, and organizing WordPress meetups. The overall goal is to build and nurture a thriving local WordPress community.

1. Managing a Local WordPress Community
Sergey Biryukov
WordCamp Europe 2016

2. Sergey Biryukov
● WordPress Core Contributor at Yoast
yoast.com
● Co-founder of Russian WP community
ru.wordpress.org
● Polyglots, Support, and Meta teams
sergeybiryukov.com
@SergeyBiryukov

3. Community Structure
● Online community
– Rosetta blog
– Support forums
– Documentation
– Translations
● Offline community
– Meetups
– WordCamps

4. Rosetta Blog

5. Localized Theme Directory

6. Localized Plugin Directory

7. Support Forums

8. Codex

9. Translations

10. Keeping WP Translations Up-to-date

11. Keeping WP Translations Up-to-date
● 162 locales
● 67 locales up to date
● 0 locales behind by minor versions
● 10 locales behind by one major version
● 15 locales behind more than one major version
● 61 locales have a site but never released
● 9 locales don't have a site

12. Keeping WP Translations Up-to-date
● Translate current trunk
● Translate beta versions and RCs
● Saves you time on the release week

13. Managing Plugin & Theme Translations
.pot→Poedit→.po/.mo→email
translate.wordpress.org

14. Managing Plugin & Theme Translations
● 13 000+ plugins
● 2 000+ themes
● Oh, my!

15. Managing Plugin & Theme Translations
● GTE (General Translation Editor)
● PTE (Project Translation Editor)
● Translator

16. Managing Plugin & Theme Translations
More PTEs→more sanity

17. Managing Plugin & Theme Translations
● Monitor the Polyglots blog for PTE requests for your locale
● Set up a notification for the locale code in your WP.org profile
● Create a translation guide for new PTEs
● Document your team’s best practices
● Find a way to provide feedback to translators

18. Keeping the Forums Friendly & Helpful

19. Keeping the Forums Friendly & Helpful
● Support is great for troubleshooting skills
● You are now the face of WordPress
● Try to see the bigger picture
● Always keep a respectful attitude
● Recognize active contributors and expand the team

20. Keeping the Forums Friendly & Helpful
● Have a Forum Welcome and FAQ pages in your language
● Read the Support Handbook on make.wordpress.org/support/
● Empty the spam queue regularly
● VisualPing for Chrome
● Distill Web Monitor (formerly AlertBox) for Firefox
● Participate in Support Team meetings (#forums on Slack)
● Create your own Slack team

21. WP Documentation In Your Language

22. WP Documentation In Your Language
● Codex→HelpHub (wphelphub.com)

23. WP Documentation In Your Language
● Codex→HelpHub (wphelphub.com)
● Codex→Code Reference (developer.wordpress.org)

24. WP Documentation In Your Language
● Codex→HelpHub (wphelphub.com)
● Codex→Code Reference (developer.wordpress.org)
● Theme Developer Handbook
● Plugin Developer Handbook
● Docs Handbook
● Meta Handbook
● Polyglots Handbook

25. WordPress Meetups
“Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get
together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly
once a month). Anything that brings together 2 or more
people to share their WordPress experiences counts —
there’s no minimum number of attendees or required format.”
— make.wordpress.org/community/meetups/

26. WordPress Meetups
“If there is no WordPress Meetup in your city yet,
you are the one to organize it.”
— Taco Verdonschot

27. WordPress Meetups
● Find a venue
● Invite people
● Have a great meetup!

28. WordPress Meetups
● Check out the existing resources in your area
● Pick a regular day every month
● Avoid clashes with other IT events
● Host collaborative events with other meetups
● Create a Slack team or channel
● Create a website
● Advertise

29. WordPress Meetups
● Choose the most suitable format
● Have an agenda
– Invite external speakers
– Let everyone talk about their cool WordPress projects
– Fix issues on someone’s site
– Have a contributing evening
– Whatever works
● Just do it

30. The best thing about WordPress is community.

31. @SergeyBiryukov
Thanks! Questions?