Open Source softwares like WordPress are a result of thousands if not lakhs of people doing their bit in making them happen.
We are a digital agency with a strong focus on developing websites and apps using WordPress. Earlier this year and when I got out of the rut of working out of home like a lone ranger to set up a team and an office. I knew for sure that I would build a team of individuals who understood this culture of contributing to Open source software.
I feel that we don’t really have a culture here in India that appreciates open source and it isn’t easy to get your staff to attend Meetups or WordCamps or Even spend time online contributing to WordPress especially when you want this to be their contribution and not something that the job requires of them.
Since we started operations in this new office, I’ve made it point to spend 2hrs a week if not more doing something for the WordPress Project this was going over and above things like managing our WordPress India FB Group, Helping out in WordCamp Mumbai and WP Mumbai Meetups. I wanted this to be a lead by example kind of thing.
Today is a new milestone in this journey I took up, of contributing to WordPress which started of with just spending some time helping people on the WordPress Forums, I am one the 469 people who have props in the latest version of WordPress.
While contributing to WordPress is good thing in itself, it also gives back in different ways, I was able to Speak at a WordCamp this year and even be part of the WordCamp Deputy team. I was also able to test out my marathi skills, by translating a few string in the WordPress Marathi Project and collect yet another cool badge on my WordPress Profile.
We’d like to have more of our props in future versions of WordPress, not just from me but others at Ink my web.
By the way, we are looking for Frontend/WordPress developers to join our team!