In this month’s World of WordPress, we are going to take a look at a virtual summit hosted by WP Feedback and the first-ever virtual WordCamp.
Additionally, we are going to look at keeping your Zoom rooms secure and a few courses you can take for free.
Buckle up partner; this is the World of WordPress Roundup.
WP Feedback launches Summit in April
The team at WP Feedback has decided to host a virtual conference. Jan Koch, the new CTO, has taken his expertise in hosting virtual conferences to help his new team.
The conference takes place April 27 – May 1, 2020, and the event is free.
“Join us now for a FREE online event, 20 interviews and presentations from some of the top WordPress professionals, sharing their experience and best strategies.” Source: WP Feedback
Earlier this year, Vito Peleg advocated for a WordCamp to become virtual, but it didn’t come to fruition.
WordCamp San Antonio hosts first virtual WordCamp
Speaking of virtual conferences, WordCamp San Antonio pulled it off.
“And let me tell you, pivoting from in-person to virtual in just 2.5 weeks is nothing short of a miracle. (BIG shout out to all my fellow organizers, volunteers, WordCamp Central, and our sponsors. You all rock!)” Source: WordCamp San Antonio
According to a blog post on the WordCampSATX website, they used Crowdcast and Zoom to deliver the camp. By all accounts, it worked pretty well.
Donata Kalnenaite gave the keynote address on Sunday.
It was an absolute pleasure to give the keynote on the three things all web professionals need to know about privacy at WordCamp San Antonio! Thank you to everyone who joined us at this awesome virtual camp! #WordCampSATX #WCSATX #WordCamp #WordPress pic.twitter.com/sGSHvc2QHd
— Termageddon (@termageddon) March 30, 2020
WordCamp San Antonio 2020 will now be fully virtual. Join us from the convenience of your own location/device. Get your tickets here! https://t.co/gAE22Bj3jY #WordCampSATX #WCSATX
— WordCampSATX (@WordCampSATX) March 13, 2020
The Keynote Speaker on Saturday was Jocelyn Mozak.
I don't think I've felt this good in a while.
Speaking and attending @WordCampSATX, all be it virtual vs in person, is the closest I've felt to "normal" in a while
Thank you ❤️#WordCamp #WordPress #WCSATX
— Jocelyn Mozak ???? #RCS20 ???? | Coach & Agency Owner (@JocelynMozak) March 29, 2020
The conference has the distinction of being the first 100% virtual WordCamp.
Congratulations to the team at WordCamp San Antonio.
WordPress 5.4 is out
It’s highly unlikely you will notice a lot of differences if you don’t use Gutenberg. If you do, however, you will see changes “includes new blocks, clearer navigation, a faster editor, privacy improvements, and developer additions…” according to an article at VentureBeat.
The update promises a faster load for the editor and better user experience.
According to the article, improvements in privacy include “personal data exports now include user-session information and user location data from the community events widget. You can also see the progress as you process export and erasure requests through the privacy tools.” source: VentureBeat
Have you updated your WordPress installs? What notices have you seen?
ZoomBombing
Several articles have come out in recent weeks warning users about ZoomBombing. What is ZoomBombing?
ZoomBombing is when “uninvited attendees break into and disrupt your meeting.”
Note: I have seen it spelled as Zoom Bombing, ZoomBombing, and Zoom-Bombing. I guess you can take your pick.
Stories have popped up across the land about these ZoomBombings, and they are disturbing.
Why did so many people get Zoombombed? Some have suggested it might be a security flaw, but it may be more of a “user error.”
As Jill Duffy says at PCMAG,
“It wasn’t a technological weakness in Zoom that allowed these events to occur. It was a matter of the host not knowing all the features of the tool and how to use them.” Source: PC Magazine
Duffy explains how to keep your meetings secure from ZoomBombing. Keep your meetings private and the settings locked to keep unwanted visitors out.
Take a free course and expand your skills
So many of us have more time on her hands right now than ever. I have seen several companies offering free or reduced fee courses. There are several, and The Marketing Department gathered a list of some the best.
At the top of the list is Blogging for Business by Ahrefs. Another course is by Siege Media, who is a leader in the content marketing industry.
Need video and branding tools? Wistia has you covered for those in education, healthcare, or the not-for-profit sectors.
I noticed a Content Marketing strategy course from the University of California. I investigated and discovered a jewel. The course teacher is Sonia Simone of Copyblogger fame.
Moz has opened up its academy, while Yoast has made available its All-around SEO Training for free.
Wrapping it up
For now, with the pandemic the world is experiencing, we have a new normal that includes Zoom chats, virtual conferences, and learning new skills.
One day, we will be back to how we were, but hopefully, we will be better business owners.
We need to be in a world where we can interact with people in person, but it is nice to know we have the technology to remain connected.
Just make sure you guard your Zoom chats.
