The world was shaken as the global pandemic arose last January 2020. What started as an infection in China became a COVID-19 virus that caused a global pandemic. This major event disrupted various aspects of society due to the worldwide lockdown. Unfortunately, the WordPress community is one of the affected groups that needed to make adjustments to save what they could during this tough time. Therefore, for safety, WordPress developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and publishers must postpone some in-person community events. However, besides that, you’re probably curious about what happened to the WordPress community after COVID.
What happened to the WordPress Community after COVID?
The worldwide pandemic has accelerated several trends and led many landscapes to change in 2020. Thus, face-to-face events were limited. The majority of individuals worked from home. Budgets and spending were reviewed, and processes changed.
During the start of the pandemic, the members of the WordPress community were scared. No one knew how long the pandemic would last, how it would affect their families, careers, and businesses, and how it would affect their daily lives. Today, things have improved, but it seems like it’s never the same as in the past. Despite the fact that we have survived, we are not the same individuals we were before COVID.
It is evident that members of the WordPress community have experienced a lot. Some lost their jobs, sold their companies, homeschooled their children, and discovered themselves. Although providing considerable extra paid leave was beneficial and widely implemented, it is not enough to calm down the mental state of everyone.
However, as months passed, people started to adapt to the so-called “new normal,” and things started to go well with the WordPress community. Therefore, the community got a glimpse of hope to continue their work and provide for their families. Launching new projects, some linked to WordPress and some entirely new, is now perceived.
WordPress Community Guidelines after COVID
Due to COVID-19 and organizer stress, many WordPress meetings worldwide have remained inactive for the past two years. However, a few proposals arise since active meetings are critical for the worldwide WordPress community. In relation to that, updated COVID-19 guidelines for official WordPress events were posted on the page.
There are still updates about the guidelines for COVID-19 across the world, and the Community Team’s COVID-19 regulations are keeping up. Note that all official WordPress events, including WordCamps, WordPress meetings in the chapter program, action events, and Open Source 101 workshops, are subject to these new restrictions.
The following guidelines were released last April 21, 2022:
For WordPress Community Event Planners
- Comply with all local laws. These are subject to change, so please ensure to have the most up-to-date information, especially as the event approaches. In addition, if the local hospitals are swamped, please cancel, postpone, or relocate the event online.
- Distribute masks and hand sanitizer around the venue. The WPCS will cover this cost if your venue does not provide it.
- WPCS will provide a sticker in swag packets to tell people to please wear it.
- Also, WPCS will include a sticker in swag bags to remind others to use masks when speaking with you.
If it is legal in the community, event organizers can choose to put extra security measures in place, such as required masks and inspections for evidence of vaccination or negative testing at the entry. Moreover, online event planning will remain an option.
For WordPress Community Event Participants
Attendees should take note of these specific suggestions. Organizers can assist by checking that these guidelines are in accordance with local laws and regulations.
- It is still a must to wear a mask while attending in-person WordPress events.
- If someone is wearing a sticker recommending that people wear masks around them, please wear a mask or keep your distance if you are within 6 feet.
- Please only attend in person if you have been vaccinated or have recently tested negative.
- If you are unwell or have just been in touch with someone sick, please stay at home.
These reminders will be posted to the purchase pages for WordCamp tickets.
The Community team will update the handbook pages with these modifications in the coming days. After years of developing COVID-19 recommendations, the admins hope these principles will have some long-term impact and assist in-person WordPress community gatherings in returning securely and comfortably.
How to Join the WordPress Community
The WordPress community, and its various local branches, are made to be accessible to users of all ability levels. Getting engaged is simple, and there are several methods to do it.
1. Join the Local WordCamp.
You may browse the upcoming conferences listed on WordCamp Central to discover one close to you. After that, you may access the conference’s blog once you locate a nearby conference. The additional details about the conference and tickets are there. You can also sign up for a newsletter at some WordCamps. Simply doing that allows you to participate. You will be allowed to participate in any further WordCamp events as well as conference sessions.
2. Create a Meetup for the local WordPress community.
You may use the WordPress.org chapter account to search for local chapters in your area if you’re interested in attending a local meeting. Here’s how:
- To view local gatherings, only choose the Groups tab.
- If you want to see future activities sponsored by your neighborhood chapter, you may also type your city into the search field.
- You may submit a group membership request from the event’s website. Because of this, it’s simple to discover meetups based on your region or interest in particular social events.
Participating in your local WordPress community opens up a world of potential for you. Moreover, WordPress events stand out from other platforms partly due to the chance to use these organizations’ massive resources and give back your knowledge and talents to the community.
However, remember that the world has just experienced two challenging years. Everybody is dealing with the pandemic in a unique way that is possibly extremely different from our reality. Therefore, it is important to keep your distance first and check other people’s comfort levels, even if you really want to embrace everyone you haven’t seen in a while.
Ending The Day With Hope for the WordPress Community
Indeed, COVID-19 continues to change the lives of everyone. But with the continuous efforts of people and the government, hoping to make things work again doesn’t seem so bad after all. As a matter of fact, despite COVID-19, many great things are coming in the WordPress community. A new WordPress core version has been published, and another is already in the works. So, stay tuned! And if you need help with your website, some people are willing to assist you.
SecureITPress is a team of professionals that can provide you with the WordPress support and maintenance you may need.
