Tag Archives: wordpress

Take two…

05 Friday Feb 2016

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A while ago I mentioned going to the local WP Meetup and how I had nothing in common with the folks there. As much as I am the techie geek among my circle, these folks spoke a completely different language.

Growing up I was always the weird kid. I was the only Jew in my school. I went away every summer to a Jewish summer camp with kids from big cities like Memphis (ha!), New Orleans, and Little Rock. I’d come home listening to new music (Depeche Mode and REM), wearing funny clothes, and doing strange things to my hair (I’m not going there).

When I moved to Oregon, once again, I was the oddball. I wore matching outfits and khaki shorts with loafers. My jeans had a crease in the front. Slowly I assimilated and got my first pair of Birkenstocks and stopped shaving my legs (to my mother’s horror).

Eventually the weirdness of Oregon got old as I did too. Now back in the south, I am an alien once again.

So back to tonight’s gathering of geeks. The organizer of this group, who I’d tried several times to reach out to, and was rebuffed each time, recently stepped down. Somehow she got the idea that something isn’t computing when you have 500+ members, but only 10 who attend regularly. The fella who stepped up to take her spot reached out to the group through a series of emails and I was encouraged enough to check this out again.

Tonight was a brainstorming event where it was discussed what do you want to see from this group and how can we get more people involved. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. Hi I’m a developer. Hi I’m a web designer. Hi I’m a developer and self hosting is the only way to go. Hi I do multisite. On and on and on. Then it’s my turn…

Hi. I’m taking a left turn here.  I don’t care about any of that stuff.  I’m a blogger and photographer who uses the free wordpress.com site as my medium. I’m looking to meet other creative types who want to talk about blogging.  (I know, I’m such an asshole… she giggles)

They thanked me for coming and really want to get more bloggers involved in the group. A few of them asked if I really wasn’t interested in developing and programming. I don’t need to know how to change the oil in my car to be able to drive. I just want to get behind the wheel and hit the open road.

This group really like the format of “fireside chats” where someone makes a presentation and then they discuss it. I told the previous organizer I was certain no one there cared about what I had to say and I told the guy tonight the same thing. I think the proof is in the pudding. I spoke to half of the people there, and they all asked what do you blog about. Cooking, crafting, and cocktails. Oh. I like cooking. Not one of them asked what my site was.

I’m going to go back.  Especially now that I think I have an opportunity to draw some other bloggers out of the woodwork without the fear of the geek firing squad. I’m going to come up with something interesting to present, and I’m taking suggestions. I thought about a discussion and demonstration of the difference between a biscuit and a scone. Or why we shake some cocktails and not others.  The impact of butter versus margarine in cookies…  oh the possibilities..

What do you think I should present to this group of folks?  I’m dying to hear your thoughts on this.  Such fun!

Label me this

02 Friday Oct 2015

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A friend of mine hassles me a bit when I call myself a geek, dork, or a nerd.

But for me I’ve been to so many different labels, they really don’t really mean anything anymore.

I wrote before about the power we give words. That’s kind of what I think of labels. They only have the power that we give them. I’ve been (I am) black sheep, tomboy, preppy, treehugger, feminist, leftist, hippy, loudmouth, bitch, know it all, asshole, sister, daughter, friend…. It’s an endless list.

One thing I learned very early one in my current job is stereotypes exist for a reason. They aren’t always accurate, they may be outdated, and horribly offensive. But they have developed over time because there is some “thing” in all cultures or societies that has fed this.

I’ve been a cheerleader of WordPress since I first found it. I love WordPress. The community, the ease, and the support (the app… so-so). I’ve connected in the real world to other WP users and tonight I reached out to some here in Memphis. Holy Moly! What a bunch of geeks. I sat there for an hour and half and I have almost NO idea what the hell these people were talking about. They were all developers and programmers, not bloggers and writers.

Do you remember the old Saturday Night Live skit where Eddie Murphy disguised himself as a white man to get a loan at a bank? That guy was at this meeting! Also in attendance was the comic book store guy from the Simpsons. That stereotype that nerds have no social skills? Well, the woman leading the gathering didn’t introduce anyone. She acknowledged there were new people there, and asked if the new folks had a rudimentary understanding of WP, but jumped right into a slideshow about plugins and php. I giggled when I was telling my friend about this meeting and her response was, but you’re a geek. I am a wee tadpole of a geek compared to these fellas.

Just so you don’t this this is a judgemental rant about geeks. It’s not. I’ve always been an interloper and a bit of a chameleon. I used to manage a software and video game store long before I owned my first computer. My regulars would buy a new game on day one. When they’d come in the next day, I ask them about their favorite parts and they’d tell me in great detail. I’d then use that nugget to tell the next customer that would come in and ask me about the game.

Gratefully, the gathering didn’t last as long as scheduled. I knew going in I wasn’t going to make it to the end since my alarm goes off so early. But, I am now fully prepared for the next cocktail party when someone ask me what my thoughts are on multisite, smush, or the best plugins for site optimization. I can answer that.

Our Community

13 Thursday Aug 2015

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I know I’ve gone on long enough about how much I miss my community in Portland. Slowly but surely, I’m building a new community in Memphis.  Additionally, I’m building a community online.

I’ve written before about the community I’ve connected with on WordPress. As part of my rejuvenation of myself and my blog, I am actively connecting with other bloggers.

While I’ve been a little bit of a negative Nancy, more often than not (I think) I’m a sarcastic goofball and hope my writing and voice expresses that.

This week I have enjoyed finding and connecting with other writers whose tone and voice have a similar, slightly twisted bent, have a positive outlook on the world, take great pictures, or write about various goings-on.

While this is just a small sampling of the awesome and creative folks I’ve connected this week, I hope you enjoy them as I have.

Heres to another another beautiful day!