{"id":2610,"date":"2017-08-29T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T11:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2017.toronto.wordcamp.org\/?p=2610"},"modified":"2017-09-01T11:59:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T15:59:36","slug":"how-to-get-started-as-a-wordpress-contributor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toronto.wordcamp.org\/2017\/how-to-get-started-as-a-wordpress-contributor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Started as a WordPress Contributor"},"content":{"rendered":"

First published on the <\/span>DreamHost blog<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Megan Hendrickson<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re DreamHost fan, you probably know that <\/span>we freaking love open source<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"image
People Meeting Brainstorming Business Plan Startup Concept<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And WordPress \u2014 the behemoth that powers 28 percent of the internet \u2014 is the ultimate <\/span>open-source project<\/span><\/a>. That means it\u2019s developed and maintained by a dedicated community of contributors \u2014 awesome people like you and me \u2014 rather than a for-profit company. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even better? Becoming one of those stalwart <\/span>WordPress<\/span><\/a> contributors and shaping the future of the platform is easier than you might imagine. Plus, there are many excellent avenues for contributing. Along with the obvious coding and development roles, you can get involved in design, translation, community outreach, and much more.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s first talk about what contributing to WordPress <\/span>actually<\/span><\/i> means (no, you\u2019re not going to be pressing words, Amelia Bedelia) and why you should do it. Then I\u2019ll walk you through the step-by-step process of finding your niche and making the right connections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why You Should Consider Contributing to WordPress<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"imageWordPress\u2019 community is what made it the flexible, powerful platform it is today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

WordPress.org is a totally free and <\/span>open-source platform<\/span><\/a>. This means that instead of being run by a large company, WordPress is developed and maintained by a dedicated community of users.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWait, rewind! What about WordPress.com?\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n

Great question! WordPress.org offers free software that anybody can use to create a <\/span>self-hosted website<\/span><\/a>. WordPress.com uses the same platform but is run by a for-profit company. If you really want to get into the nitty gritty about WordPress, both the .com and .org sites, check out our <\/span>WordPress Differences Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019re just talking about WordPress.org \u2014 the open-source, free-to-use software. <\/span><\/p>\n

Okay, back to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WordPress relies on this community of users to keep it updated, add new features and functionality, provide testing and support, and much more.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Of course, you don’t need to know anything about the larger world of WordPress to use the platform for your own websites \u2014 you can literally <\/span>set up a WordPress website in just a few minutes.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

However, it may be worth your while to get involved in the platform\u2019s development, and here\u2019s why:<\/span><\/p>\n