I was looking at the WordCamp schedule the other day, trying to figure out which one I could go to. I pinpointed WCCBUS in Columbus, Ohio, August 26-28. I thought “Ok, I am in New York. My flight back to Paris is on September 2nd. This is doable.”
I submitted the idea to Florian, the CEO of Vinubis: “This is my last chance to promote your plugin, Vinubis Video Editor, among the US WordPress Community until… Who knows? Maybe WCUS.”
Apparently, my argument was convincing since, one week later, I was riding a bus to Columbus, with, in my awesome WCTO16 bag pack, an iPhone, a tripod, a selfie stick, a micro and my pink laptop. The only tools I need to shoot short interviews, take pictures, post, share, tweet and retweet almost non stop for a three-day event.
While there, I looked at everybody as a possible victim. Indeed, anybody who comes to a WordCamp must have something to say about WordPress. Hence, I was running after speakers, organizers, volunteers, attendees…. Some of them must have thought I was crazy!
But, the WordPress community, like any open source community, is always willing to listen and help. Thus, most of the time, people were really receptive to my “can I get a two-minute interview?” Some of them were even so curious that they directly approached me: “Hey, what are you doing all around the place with your camera and your mic?” That was my opportunity to pitch the 30-second elevator speech about Vinubis Video Editor and right after, to hand off business cards.
However, my trip to WCCBUS was not only about promoting the plugin. It also was, like every WordCamps I attend, about connecting with a great community. A community that, like me, believes in the power of sharing ideas to benefit everybody and make the world better!
Thanks to all my “victims:” Adam W. Warner, Thom Leiter, Steve Grunwell, Tom Cottrill, Dustin Hartzler, Andy Melichar, Jeff Long, Ryan Sharrer and all my WordPress Women: Mary Baum, Angie Meeker, Maria Averion, Megan Morsie, Deborah Edwards Onoro and to the keynote speaker Rich Robinkoff. I did not get the privilege to interview him, but we should all thank him for his moving talk about community. Hopefully we’ll get to watch it soon on WordPress TV because this is the only shot I got….
isabelle garcia 