Attending WordCamp Philippines 2012 at Asian Institute Management

Matt Mullenweg’s visit here in the Philippines last month ignited the reawakening of my WordCampPH2012 memories. Gosh! It has been 2 years already. Time flies! Gee. That’s how long I procrastinated for this post. Hah! Thanks Matt for coming! By the way, for those who don’t know, Matt is the founder of Automattic which made WordPress. 

October 27, 2012, was the 4th WordCamp Philippines wherein WordPress enthusiasts, from beginners to WordPress ninjas, gathered together at Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center Manila, Makati City.

I was a first time camper accompanied by fellow first timers: Carl Erik Cortez of Carlfinity Web Solutions, Freddie Lore of Rushly Written, Paul Gardson, and Florelie Lascuna. 

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What is a WordCamp?

A WordCamp is an informal and a volunteer-organized event by WordPress users to converge the WordPress community where users of all level can get together to learn more about the well-loved software, WordPress. It is held throughout the world various times in a year. The first WordCamp was held in San Francisco, USA last 2006 and it was organized by Matthew Charles Mullenweg.

Why attend a WordCamp?

WordCamps are vital to the WordPress Community. Attending a WordCamp is beneficial because it allows you to:

  • Socialize and network with fellow WordPress users, both local and international
  • Whether you are a noob or a guru, there are sessions for all skill levels
  • Learn from the industry leaders on how to maximize your usage of this platform and go home with enhanced skills
  • Be hired or hire a talent
  • Be updated with the latest and even future developments in WordPress 

What to bring?

Note: Some organizers require the participants to register every gadget they will bring to the event for security purposes.

Camerafor the guiltless selfies! What else could it be used for? Kidding! 😀 Don’t forget to bring a camera with you to capture moments and immortalize memories. 

Laptop, smartphone, tabletto write notes, to update your social media accounts, and to save the contact details of new found friends. Don’t worry about your gadgets’ battery running out of juice. The venue has enough electric plugs per table and there’s also a WiFi connection. 

WordCamp Ticket – this is your pass to gain access to the event; and to claim your ID, meal and goodie bag with SWAG (depends on the organizers).

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WordCamp SWAG

 

What is the event flow? (This is a round-up of my track: Beginner)

The learning sessions in a WordCamp is divided into tracks (beginner, intermediate, advanced; designer, publisher/blogger and developer). 

I. Keynote – Manuel L. Quezon III talked about some government websites and it’s evolution from a Jurassic style. He expressed his hopes that someday government websites will be an interactive interface with updated content in the future so that it is the reference for discussions and database of information by the general public.

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Manuel L. Quezon III delivering his keynote speech

II. Learning Sessions

Track 1: Your Personal Brand by Jayvee Fernandez

He is a tech blogger and an underwater photography hobbyist who made a discussion about how to establish a stellar personal brand that defines your identity and individuality. It is your uniqueness that will make you memorable.

He also emphasized the importance of having a media kit as a professional blogger and he laid out a guide on how to make your own media kit.

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Track 2: WordPress and SEO by Kim Tyrone Agapito

Here’s the lecture deck:

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III. Lunch break

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While we were having our lunch, Japanese representatives of Amazon gave a talk about their services. They also explained the cloud and internet storage with Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3).

 

IV. Mozilla Firefox Talk

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V. The Power of Your Story by Kimanzi Constable

He shared his struggles in entrepreneurship and how he used WordPress to effectively grow his business.

 

VI. Blogging Ethics and Standards by Danilo Arao

Prof. Danny Arao made a funny presentation about the present day blogging, social media, plagiarism, cyber bullying, and the much hyped cybercrime bill. He made a point that the work ethics in media journalism also applies to the blogging community. He also reminded us that what you won’t do in person, don’t do it online too.

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VII. Townhall and Question and Answer with Chelsea Otacan

She is a Filipina user interface designer for WordPress. She shared what it is like to work with Automattic and how to become a volunteer to make WordPress better.

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Kudos to the organizers of WordCamp Philippines 2012 for this successful event! Fellowshipping with like-minded people is a wonderful experience. It’s comfortable to be around people whom you can relate to. We’ve got an awesome WordPress Community here in the Philippines. Aside from being a great software itself, it is the WordPress community that makes it extraordinary.

If you are a visual person, you may want to check out this infographic by wpbeginner explaining what a WordCamp is and the benefits of attending one. (Click the image below to view full infographic).

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Aside from an improved knowledge about WordPress and everything else that works along with it, you will also be inspired by the success stories of those whose lives have been changed by WordPress.

Have you attended a WordCamp before? How was it? Was it worth spending your time on?

Thanks for your time Thrifty Looker! God bless you!

sarj, thrifty look, thriftylook

Other WordCamp Philippines 2012 article:

Are you Attending WordCamp Philippines 2012?

Sarj

Sarj is a medic, web architect, and a data nerd at ThriftyLook.com

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