Yeah, I was talking to Tak in the last episode. And he mentioned that we can safely call it a festival of WordPress.

Yes, this is true. It is a festival of the WordPress community, basically. It’s not only about WordPress. It’s WordPress related, but you will see that word comes in general. Either locals, other the flagship events, don’t only have talks, for example, or presentation, only about WordPress, you will see business related topics, design related topics, community related topics. It’s not only about WordPress, but it’s for the whole ecosystem around it, and that’s really interesting.

Alright, so what was your process look like when you were planning in the PR and communications team till now?

I will tell you this, that really makes me excited. At first I have to say a big thank you to my team members, because I had an amazing team to lead this year and they made it really easy for me because leading a team is indeed difficult, and I, I never liked, you know, leading a team. I wanted to work with them, so whatever they do, I do too. The thing is that all my team this year were people that haven’t done this before. It was their first time, and that’s even more exciting because they stepped in, they applied to the call for organizers, and I was like, OK, it’s their first time. We have to have new people in the team. We have to see the community to grow. I don’t want to see the same faces all over again, you know, it doesn’t make feel people represented because if I was someone that was just now getting started, I would like to see someone in an organizing position, in a volunteering position. That made me feel represented so I can try to do it to the next event, for example, if I always see the same faces, I might feel intimidated and I don’t want to do it. Yes, this is something that happens. So what we do as a team is arranging, having a call for media partners, selecting the media partners. we try to find the medias that can give most benefit to sharing the word out there. They have a bigger audience. They have, a difficult audience that we didn’t have before, like, we may have small media supporters or media partners that are from a very active community that is right now growing. For example, in 2020 when we started organizing World Camorto the first time. We had from North Macedonia a media er that wanted to become a media supporter, and they were selected, you know, North Macedonia is a small country and they had just started their work to press community and it was really active and they just had their first World camp. So we would like to make people understand and feel that, you know what, it doesn’t matter if you’re a small community, we love seeing you grow. You’re a part of WorldCom Europe. You’re part of the European Community, so yes, we want a media support and media partner that can share the world outside there with you.

And what is the difference between a media supporter and media partner?

Absolutely. OK, so let’s move on to our next question. what is the one thing that you love about WordPress?

I think it’s only one expression, and it’s all about the people. So the first time somebody told me that, I was like, finally I found my spot. Yes, because it’s, it is a community that keeps it active and alive. If WordPress doesn’t have a community behind it, it will just vanish.

You know what, I’m getting goosebumps as you speak.

Yes, I mean it is the truth, we have seen other CMS and not only CMSs, but other platforms, tools, either online or not online, whatever doesn’t have an active community. This is why it is growing because it has a really active community. The members are supporting WordPress to grow. If the members stop supporting it, if the members stop updating it, if the members stop saying their opinion, which is very important. It’s not only about finding a bag, but also about where do you see this platform growing in the future. So without the community everything can vanish, but this community is really strong, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

We are 40% strong, as they say,

42, I believe,

42%, yes,

I think it was 42 last time.

I mean, it’s really beautiful to see that all the people are coming here just to support the web we want to see as the future.

I will say something that I don’t know if we have said before. So when Porto was selected to be the host city, Athens was also applying. And it was a little bit competitive, not in a bad way, but you know, it was Athens or Porto or another city, so Porto won. But yet if you see the organizing team. There are many Greek members because it doesn’t matter. It’s not a bad competition. Oh, Porto won. We’re not going to support this event. Porto won. We want to visit Porto. We want to see this community that is active and was deserving of this WorldCom Europe, and we want to support them by being organizers or volunteers. So yes, it is all about the people.

Absolutely, I totally agree with you on that part. I mean, it was really beautiful to see all the 800 people yesterday. Sitting there just contributing to the platform without expecting anything because they’re helping to build the future of the web.

So you have been to multiple work camps, you have organized a few work camp Europes. So, just wanted to ask you how things have changed over time in the community and as well as in work camps.

Yes, I believe this is not a tricky question, but an easy one because it’s my own perspective. So when I first started organizing local work camps, I realized, for example, in my country, we didn’t have many women, not only er organizing, I was the only one for several years, but also we didn’t have many women attending. And that was like a pain for me, and I believe it was difficult for the rest of the organizing team because they felt really supportive towards me and that’s the reason why I’m here, because I was one girl among 15 men. And they were really pushing me to do something better, something bigger, and they were really supportive, so I wanted other women to feel like that. And right now the organizing team in Greece has more than 5 women. Awesome, yes, and this, I believe, is a win for the community because you see people attending, being happy, trying and finding the place they deserve in the community. They’re not afraid to step up, they’re not afraid to do things, and this is really refreshing. At the same time, I’m really happy to see that we’re growing better, for example, with our deaf community members. We had no idea at first that we have deaf community members in Greece, and then we do our first local world camp and we decided to offer sign language. So, yes, it’s something that we do for the past years, and then we realized that we had 12 applications of people to attend. I mean 12 tickets bought, so we had applications to have sign language, and it was it was really amazing seeing these people and the sign language interpreter, during a talk, it was really, really touchy that you, you gave these people the opportunity to be there and it was amazing. it was really amazing, teaching us how to say hi also in sign language. So I, I, I believe if someone wants to learn sign language, it’s an amazing thing to communicate through that.

I mean, I would recommend anyone to learn sign language, to communicate with, people who need help and And stuff like that. OK. So, let’s move on to the next question. So, I would like to ask you. what are your take on diversity and transparency in work camps, in applications of organizers as a speaker and other, other parts of work camps?

It depends, on the metrics you use to, you know, measure diversity, as we say, because, every community struggles with different things. I know in the US, people struggle about, people of skin color to have, a part in work camps, to, to feel included, to feel represented. And In Europe, it is a little bit different. Because for example, the US is one country. But in Europe you have 42 countries, therefore 42 different communities with different language, different customs, different cultures, so it’s kind of diverse already, but on the other hand, we’re struggling with other things like, as I explained previously, women in the communities. Our deaf people in the communities, like we said, blind people in the communities, people with a disability, and also people of skin color. There are countries like mine that we don’t have many people of skin color, or the people that are of skin color wouldn’t care about WordPress because they have more serious issues to deal with. It’s about survival. But there are bigger countries like Germany, like the UK, like Spain that have people of skin color in bigger amounts. So we will try to make these people feel that they are, they can find their spot in the community. They can apply, they can be part of the team. As a volunteer, as an organizer, as a speaker, because we don’t look people on their skin color or if they are a woman, or if they are a man or something like that, however, This is something we should look at at some point. And inviting people over from anti-represented communities to apply to these calls is really important. We decided that we are trying to make the procedure of the calls a little bit more transparent so people will know how we select speakers, how we select, how do we vet them and select the organizers, how do we do that for the volunteers. And we will have instructions and more details for people when we have a call published, so people know, and they don’t feel scared that, you know, we are going to pick the same people that were to the event last year. We would like to see new people. Coming over to the community, coming over as volunteers, as organizers, we have some, let’s say prerequisites. We would like people to have volunteered before so they know how the events work because for large scale events, we need people to be a little bit more experienced. But for volunteers, you don’t need to have any experience.

Absolutely. I totally agree to that. I mean, I also try my best to contribute to work camps as much as possible by speaking, by volunteering, or by recording interviews, with you as we speak. It’s also a way of, contributing to the community.

Yes, indeed, you mean, you say, contributing to the community, is not only, coding, which is something many people believe. Because they’re not aware, they cannot they can contribute to the WordPress community and WordPress itself in so many ways. There is a marketing team, design team, core team that is about coding, er, performance, so many teams that we can er. Get involved.

Absolutely.

And we are here and we’re expecting you to, to come and we are inviting you to come.

Thank you so much for the invitation. That’s why we’re here. All right. So another question is, what is the message or one thing that you would suggest to the user who have just entered to the World of WordPress?

Come and meet the community. And I will explain why I’m inviting people to come and meet the community, you know. When I first started, we have a Facebook group and a forum in the WordPress Group community. I see people asking things. And someone else is sharing the knowledge and skills with you. Which is very, very useful if we get it in a practical way. I am now starting with WordPress. I have a blog or I have a small local store that was closed during the lockdowns for COVID, and I need to have an online presence, so I decide to create an e-commerce shop, OK? I don’t know how to do that. It’s my first time. I have someone that I have hired to create a website for me. But then I have to add my products once in a while, and update things. And I realized something is strange. They have, let’s say, told me how to do that, but something feels strange. I have a problem, so I have someone to trust. I have the community, and the community will help me. Because they had the same problem before me, so they had to ask someone else that knew and helped them. Community is about helping each other. Community is about sharing. That’s why we say it’s all about the people. I’ve been there before, and you will be in my shoes at some point.

As we call it in our developing world, I would say, if you have, if you’re facing some issue, somebody would have already faced it, just Google it.
It’s not only that, it’s also cooperation. I mean, I am a developer. And I’m starting a company. I cannot do everything on my own. I will need a designer for the branding, I will need someone that handles HR things, I will need someone that does marketing. So it’s your chance to network and cooperate with people from the community that know exactly what you’re searching for.All right. So, we are almost at the end of the interview. We have a couple of questions left. So, next question is about life outside WordPress. Life outside WordPress, what is that you would like to do other than WordPress?Much WordPress, I have to say, other than WordPress, I have a nephew now, so I, I enjoy spending time with him, and I’m a crazy aunt, really excited. I enjoy reading a lot. I enjoy traveling a lot and work camps are an opportunity for travel. Visiting Porto is amazing, it’s one of the most beautiful cities I have seen. I was in the plane watching from the window before we landed and I was like, is it possible to be so green? And yet we are walking the town. We have been visiting museums and parks. And it’s so beautiful. It’s nature inside the city, and I haven’t seen that for years. Hm. It’s really a refreshing and a great quality of life for people in Porto.Yeah, the city is really beautiful. I, I saw the most beautiful sunset yesterday near, I think General Taurus.

It’s, it’s really beautiful.

Yeah. All right. So, since you’re working with the company and you have a working life, I’m sure we all have stress sometimes. How do you like to de-stress yourself?Oh, I like hand handmade things. I like creating things with my hands. So whenever I feel stressed, that’s something I do for many years now, not only now that I’m working remotely. If I feel stressed for any reason. I will try to to build something with my hands. I have tried knitting. I have tried making earrings. I, I prefer making things that I can give to someone. Yes, for example, what I’m wearing is my creation.

I mean, what is it about, I see a picture here.

It’s an old newspaper made on a sheet of metal

Metal, ok interesting, Wow, that’s really a skill

Yes it is you know, working with your hands, frees a little bit your mind, so makes you think more analytically.

Mhm. That’s, that’s really amazing. It’s, it’s really beautiful, I must say. I was noticing it. I’m like, I never saw something like this. Thank you, it’s beautiful. All right. So last question of this interview, which most of the our guests does not expect.

OK. Should I be scared?

No, it’s just fun.

OK.

So we would like to know what is your favorite song and what would you recommend to our listeners to

my favorite song. That’s a very difficult question. yeah, maybe people don’t expect that, to be honest, for with within an interview about WordPress. To be honest, I don’t have a favorite song. I never had a favorite band or singer. But I always loved traditional music, so, my friends make fun of me because my name is in one song of Greek folklore music, and when they hear this podcast, they will be laughing their hearts out with my reply, so my favorite song is Enna Nerokiravalo, I will translate it from my friend Tikis to have more more of a laugh with that. It’s asking a glass of water from an old lady called Vagelo. Vago is a kind of my name in Greek, if I was coming from a village is how people would call me if I was living in a village in some old times.

OK. So if somebody has to search on YouTube or another media platform, what, what do they search? can you spell it for them, it would be nice

oh my god, na means one, so you can use the number. Nero is the way you, you hear it, N E R 0 my god, that’s so funny. Tai it don’t kill me. so, Kyra means lady, it’s K Y R A. And Villo, the name is V A double G E L I O. That’s gonna be real fun for people.

I’m gonna try it just after the interview.

Oh my God, I’m really waiting to see this interview published so I can share this question with my friends. I believe it was the best question I have replied to in all my interviews so far. Thank you. That was, that was really good.

All of this was super fun so far. Thank you so much. Thank you for being part of the show. It was lovely hosting you.

Thank you for hosting me. I really appreciate the, the invitation.