Topic: The Future: Why Open Matters
Aaron is the WordPress Security Team lead, has been a regular contributor to WordPress for more than ten years, and is currently funded by GoDaddy to work full time on the WordPress open source project. He has over seventeen years of web development experience and worked with clients ranging from small local businesses to Google, Yahoo, Disney, and Harvard. He’s been called both a coffee snob and a beer snob, but considers both to be compliments. When not buried in code, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, riding his motorcycle, and reading sci-fi/fantasy books.
How did you get involved in WordPress?
In 2007 I had been building client sites on WordPress for a couple years, when I ran across an issue in WordPress core that I had to patch for a client. In order to avoid the site breaking again on every update, I decided to learn how to get the fix into WordPress itself. When my code got committed, I was hooked. I’ve contributed to every release since.
What do you do with WordPress?
I lead the WordPress Security Team.
What has your experience with the WordPress community been like?
It’s changed a lot over the last ten years or so, but overall it’s been amazing. I love the way the community shares, encourages, and trains others rather than just competing against them.
Why did you want to speak at WordCamp DFW?
DFW is my local camp since there isn’t one in Oklahoma and I think that everyone has something to share. Something that they’ve learned from experience, a perspective they have that others don’t, or maybe a problem they faced and solved (or didn’t).
Why did you decide to speak on the open web?
I’m extremely passionate about the future of the web. I think it’s effect on the future of mankind is going to be enormous, but only if we can keep it open and accessible.
What do you hope the audience gets from your talk?
I hope they share some of passion and help keep the web open forever.
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s WordCamp DFW held on Nov. 11-12. There are also plenty of opportunities to sponsor the event or help run it. We hope to see you there!