Tag: events

Announcement: In-person do_action hackathons are back!

As announced in the Make/WordPress Community blog, in-person do_action charity hackathons are back! do_action hackathons moved online in March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the past 18 months, we have had five do_action hackathons so far. As more and more people around the world are getting vaccinated and as the spread COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to bring back in-person do_action charity hackathons. While our online hackathons have been impactful, in-person do_action hackathons bring people volunteers, and non profits together in a shared space, helping to create a wonderful experience for everyone.

How do I organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon

Announcement: Returning to in-person do_action charity hackathons

Local WordPress Meetup groups can organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon if their region allows in-person events AND if their COVID cases are under control OR if vaccination/testing is freely available. The flowchart below describes the conditions for organizing an in-person charity hackathon.

If you wish to organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon, follow these steps:

  1. First, check if your local health authority allows in-person events. If local gatherings are not allowed, you cannot organize an in-person event in your region.
  2. If your local health authority allows in-person events, fill up the in-person meetup decision checklist in the Make/Community Handbook. (Here’s a direct link)
  3. If the checklist recommends that you organize a do_action hackathon, go ahead and fill up the do_action event application. A community deputy will get back to you with more details on how to organize the event.
  4. If the checklist does not recommend organizing an in-person event, you can still consider organizing an online do_action event.

The WordPress Foundation would like to highlight do_action events (whether they are held online or in-person) on the WordPress Foundation website (wordpressfoundation.org), through social media, and whenever possible, in local media. Send an email to info@doaction.org or ping one of the Community Deputies in Make/WordPress Slack if you would like help with organizing a do_action hackathon or if you need help with outreach.

Feeling inspired? Do you wish to organize an in-person do_action charity hackathon? Apply now!

do_action Nigeria coming up on November 29 – December 5!

The WordPress community of Nigeria is back once again to organize an online do_action charity hackathon from November 29 – December 5, 2021! For the last three years, local communities in Nigeria have organized in-person do_action WordPress Charity Hackathons in several cities, where they had spent an entire day building brand new websites for a selection of local charities and NGOs. This year, for the second annual regional do_action Nigeria event, the team aims to repeat the same in an online format, for a handful of charitable organizations! Learn more about the event by following the link below:

Nigeria 2021

Announcement: Online do_action hackathons in India and Nigeria

Following the success of online do_action events worldwide in 2020, the WordPress Foundation is doubling down on its mission by supporting more charity hackathons in 2021. Even as COVID-19 continues to wreck havoc around the world, our community organizers in India and Nigeria are working hard to empower local non profits by helping them build a stellar online presence. We are excited to announce do_action Karnataka 2021 and do_action Nigeria 2021!

do_action Karnataka (India) 2021

do_action Karnataka will be a week-long online hackathon which is being planned on: 07 – 15 Aug 2021. WordPress enthusiasts in the state of Karnataka, India are coming together to organize this event, and the efforts are led by the WordPress Bengaluru meetup group. Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka, has already seen a successful do_action event in 2019.

do_action Bengaluru 2019
A snapshot from do_action Bengaluru 2019

The hackathon has shortlisted three Non-profits: Luv Kush Foster Home (a foster home that aims to care for animals in need), Peacespark Foundation (which aims to support the education of underprivileged children), and Vridhi Foundation (Women and children welfare). The event has also put forth its call for participants/volunteers – if you would like to support non-profits by helping them build websites, simply fill up the form on the event website. Read the participant’s guide for more details on what is expected of you when you sign up. You can also support the event by signing up as a sponsor. Please email the organizers at: karnataka@doaction.org if you are interested in sponsoring the event.

You can find more details about the event in their website:

Karnataka 2021

do_action Nigeria 2021

Following the spectacular success of do_action Nigeria 2020, the vibrant WordPress community of Nigeria is back once again to organize an online do_action charity hackathon from October 25 through October 31, 2021! For the last three years, local communities in Nigeria have organized in-person do_action WordPress Charity Hackathons in several cities, where they had spent an entire day building brand new websites for a selection of local charities and NGOs. This year, for the second annual regional do_action Nigeria event, the team aims to repeat the same in an online format, for a handful of charitable organizations! 

do_action Lagos2019
Participants are building websites for non-profits at do_action Lagos 2019.

do_action Nigeria has currently opened up its call for non-profits. If you represent a non-profit based out of Nigeria which does not have an online presence, please submit the application on the event website. Applications close on the 15th September 2021. You can also support the event by sponsoring the event, please visit the do_action Nigeria website for more details. You can also email the organizers at: nigeria@doaction.org if you would like to support the event.

Nigeria 2021

Organize a do_action charity hackathon in your region

Are you excited about these upcoming do_action events? Would you like to support your local community by organizing a do_action event for your region? Send in your application right away! You can read more about do_action in the event handbook. Don’t  hesitate to ask any questions you may have in the comments. 

Thank you for all that you do to empower the global community through WordPress!

The Basic principles of Open-source Software

The WordPress Foundation aims to educate the public about WordPress and related open-source software (OSS). Towards that end, the WordPress Foundation created the Introduction to Open-source workshops, which shed more light on the potential of open-source software, particularly in countries where there is less participation in OSS projects. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these workshops have moved online. The WordPress Foundation hopes to see more open-source workshops held online this year to help spread awareness about the importance of open-source software.

What are open-source software and Free Software?

Open-source software is software whose source code is available for anyone to view, modify and enhance. Free software refers to software that complies with “four essential freedoms” – to use, study, modify and distribute software for any purpose without legal restraint. Open-source software is characterized by the public accessibility of its code, while free software focuses on the capabilities for using and sharing the software.

Advantages of Free and Open-source Software over Proprietary software

Proprietary software is distributed in executable files where the source code is encrypted and not available. Free and Open-source software enables users to read and modify the code, thus allowing a host of advantages such as little (or no) cost, faster distribution, greater customization, and easy availability of bugs and security patches, to name a few. 

The Introduction to Open-source workshops cover the difference between different software types, the history of open-source software, its advantages over proprietary software, and how this applies to WordPress. The workshop also explains the differences between free and Open-source software and highlights the different types of software licenses. 

Want to learn more about Free and Open-source software? Participate in an Introduction to Open-source workshop!

There are four ways you can participate in an Introduction to Open-source workshop! 

  1. You can attend the Introduction to WordPress workshop from the comfort of your home! Learn WordPress now features an Introduction to Open-source video workshop that you can watch at your convenience. 
  2. Community members can also now host or participate in Introduction to Open-source workshop discussion groups in the Learn WordPress meetup group for a global audience. Sign-ups are now open for the following two discussion groups:

If you would like to host an Introduction to Open-source discussion group for a global audience, please apply to become a discussion group facilitator. 

  1. WordPress Meetup groups worldwide are also encouraged to organize an Introduction to WordPress watch party + discussion group (based on the Learn WordPress workshop on Introduction to Open-source) as part of their meetup (it does not need any prior approval). 
  2. Lesson plans for the Introduction to Open-source workshops are available! Meetup group organizers can plan their live open-source workshop based on the lesson plans. 

The WordPress Foundation invites community members across the world to join these open-source workshops and to organize workshops and discussion groups in their communities to help spread our mission of serving the public good with the help of Open-source software.

Meetup groups organizing Introduction to Open-source workshops will be featured on this website. All you need to do is to reach out to us with a brief write-up about your workshop along with pictures, and we’ll publish them here!

WordPress Meetups

In our October update, we mentioned the WordPress Foundation has an official Meetup.com account through which it covers costs of organizer dues.

As of this month, 23 meetups are now under this central account.

There’s a lot of cool stuff in the works for the Meetup.com Program:

  • Making WordPress Events is a discussion forum for WordPress event news and updates, as well as an online resource for organizers and volunteers (including, most recently, a series on meetup best practices).
  • Buying and sending out items like projectors and video cameras to meetup groups that need them.
  • A variety of training sessions, with the help of the Support and Community teams, to bring professional WordPress education to more people. As curriculums are tested and approved, they will be available online for use by meetup groups running official training sessions.
  • A core team of volunteers to work on meetup guidelines for organizers.
  • Other plans to expand the program, from a monthly email that suggests and provides possible content to groups, to meetup starter packs with fun stuff like flyers, table signs, buttons, stickers, sign-in sheets, and a T-shirt for a new organizer to wear to their first meetup.

As you can see, 2013 is already a busy year for WordPress meetups. We expect more groups to join in this spring — if you’re looking to add your meetup group to the WordPress Foundation account, please visit and follow along at Making WordPress Events for what’s happening with meetups.