On November 5 and 6, 2026, I attended WordCamp Canada 2026 at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver. It was my first WordCamp, and an opportunity to meet some of the people behind a platform that has been part of my life for nearly 20 years.

WordPress is a free, open-source content management system that allows people like me to easily create, maintain and customize websites without the need to do everything from scratch.

It powers a wide variety of websites, from personal blogs like this one to major publications and government websites. One prominent example is the official White House website. According to W3Techs, WordPress is used by 39.4 per cent of all websites and 59.2 per cent of websites whose content management system is known to them.

WordCamps are volunteer-led conferences dedicated to “everything WordPress.” They attract people who use, develop, design, support and contribute to WordPress including casual bloggers as well as power users and highly accomplished developers. It’s an accessible and casual opportunity to share ideas and connect with like-minded people.

I started my first personal website in 1997 and moved to this domain in 2001. I had a less than ideal childhood and, as a gay teenager frequently felt misunderstood and unheard. My personal website became a place where I could spend time on the computer, explore my interests and express myself on my own terms.

While many early bloggers eventually moved much of their online activity to social media, I continued to maintain and update my own website. I’ve always felt it was important to have a place online where I could express myself with complete creative freedom without advertising or the nefarious interests that increasingly shape many social media platforms.

I first installed WordPress on this site in February 2008. More accurately, it was Housemate who installed it for me. The version was WordPress 2.3.3. At the time, I was updating my website using a combination of Adobe GoLive and some rather janky HTML. It was tedious work, and I wanted a better way to manage my content. I was also keen to introduce comments.

I couldn’t remember exactly why we settled on WordPress, so I went back to the source and asked Housemate.

“As I recall, it was easier to update new blog entries as well as insert inline images,” he says. “Also, it was easier to add or edit themes for an overall consistent look and feel. I do vaguely recall asking around back then about blogging software and learning about WordPress.”

I managed to find the original email he sent me back in February 2008 when he was preparing to install WordPress for the first time:

I’ve continued to use WordPress because it’s easy to use and maintain, but also because of the talented developers who continually update and improve it. Its free and open-source nature aligns with my own deeply held convictions about the importance of a free and open internet.

Another thing I’ve always appreciated is its backwards compatibility. Over the years, WordPress has continued to evolve without breaking my older posts. Even posts published in 2008 still work today.

While I’m an avid WordPress user, I’ve never developed a plugin or contributed to the code, and for many years I never attended a WordPress community event. Frankly, it never occurred to me that this was something I could or should do.

WordPress is much more than a piece of software. It’s an active of people from all walks of life and all corners of the world. According to the WordPress website, there have been more than 56,000 events since 2006, with 711 groups currently active in 100 countries.

Community involvement is so important to WordPress that event listings are even featured right on the WordPress dashboard. That’s how I discovered the Vancouver meetup, organized by Jonathon Leathers, an instructor in BCIT’s Front-End Web Developer program.

In recent years, I’ve experienced periods of social isolation and made a concerted effort to step outside my comfort zone and meet new people. One of those efforts was attending the Vancouver WordPress Meetup Group, which I started going to in 2024. It seemed like an easy and accessible way to connect with people around an interest I already had.

I want to stress that the community philosophy of WordPress made this possible for me.

Many of the attendees are current and former BCIT students, as well as people who use WordPress as part of their businesses. To date, I haven’t met another person at these meetups who primarily uses WordPress for personal blogging.

I sometimes feel a little awkward explaining that I’m a civil servant who uses WordPress for a personal website, and I find myself questioning how much I have to contribute to this community. As an autistic person, I’ve often struggled to feel that I fit in socially, particularly in unfamiliar settings. I can be quite self-conscious and sometimes find myself questioning whether I really belong.

That said, most people have been extremely welcoming, and I’m grateful for that. This was one of the things that informed my decision to attend WordCamp.

I went to meet new people, have conversations, learn new things and become more involved in the WordPress community.

Over the two days, I had conversations with 25 people, by my count.

The conference featured 18 sessions, a Contributor Day on November 4, along with breaks, lunches and opening and closing remarks.

I didn’t attend everything because I didn’t want to overextend myself. I skipped Contributor Day and made a point of attending the opening and closing activities on the two main conference days. In total, I attended six sessions. For me, the highlights were those that explored how people use WordPress to connect with one another and contribute to their communities.

A considerable amount of conversation also focused on the role of artificial intelligence in WordPress and its implications for coding and web development as a viable career path. I heard some attendees express concern that AI had effectively brought their careers to an end. I found that quite depressing.

The overall impression I took away, however, wasn’t one of fear or apprehension towards some scary new technology. Instead, I sensed a willingness to adapt to the growing prevalence of AI and find ways to make it work within the WordPress ecosystem.

In his keynote address, “The New Front Door,” product engineer Andy Peatling explored the emerging challenges facing websites as AI agents increasingly influence how people discover, select and interact with them.

Peatling is the creator of Miles, an AI agent designed to help people design and build WordPress websites. He previously spent 17 years in product leadership at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and several other WordPress-related products and services.

To investigate this, he developed a benchmarking tool to test whether AI agents would independently choose WordPress when asked to build a website without being given a specific platform. The agents were presented with everyday requests, such as creating a website for a bakery, and the benchmark examined what they actually built. In the results Peatling presented, none of the tested agents chose WordPress.

Peatling believes WordPress needs to rethink how it attracts new users in a world where AI agents increasingly make technology decisions on their behalf. Rather than relying primarily on people recommending WordPress to one another, the project needs to make itself visible and appealing to AI agents. His suggestions included making it easier for agents to launch WordPress websites, providing practical examples of what they can build with the platform and developing more open ways to deploy WordPress across different hosting providers. The underlying goal is to recreate the kind of awareness and word-of-mouth growth that helped WordPress become so successful over the past two decades, but in a world where AI agents are becoming the new intermediaries.

Peatling concluded his talk on a hopeful note, emphasizing that the strength of WordPress lies in the people involved. Having been part of the WordPress community for more than 20 years himself, he suggested that while AI is becoming more common, so too is the need for human connection and support.

“As sites grow, owners want advice, accountability, and someone to call on. That means new opportunities,” read one of his slides.

While Peatling looked at how AI might shape the future of WordPress, Alexanne Laplante’s presentation, “Stop Building Alone: How Smart Freelancers Use Collaboration to Take On Bigger Projects Without Burning Out,” focused on the value of working with other people.

Laplante has worked as a freelance WordPress developer since 2017. When she started out, she was inclined to say “yes” to every project that came her way. However, after becoming a parent, she realised she needed to find a healthier work-life balance.

She wanted to work fewer hours, enjoy her work and maintain her income. To achieve this, she began delegating some tasks to other freelancers in her network. She explained that this approach increased both her revenue and motivation, while giving her the freedom to focus on projects in which she had developed particular expertise. This, in turn, made her skills more valuable to clients.

Laplante encouraged freelancers to identify their “zone of genius”: the tasks they do best and where they can offer the greatest value. She also emphasized the importance of building a network of collaborators and establishing clear structures for working together.

For example, freelancers can focus on tasks they excel at, particularly those that come easily to them but may be difficult for others, while delegating work they find draining, unpleasant or challenging. Laplante refers to these less enjoyable tasks as “irritants.” However, what one person finds irritating may be another person’s strength, which is why she recommends developing a strong network of collaborators.

She suggests looking for people whose company you enjoy, who share your values and approach to problem-solving, and who genuinely want to support your success, just as you want to support theirs. She particularly emphasized the value of meeting people for coffee and making yourself accessible through social media and your website.

Laplante reminded me that some of the skills required to succeed in a career are the same skills we need to develop to become healthy, well-rounded human beings.

Laplante reminded us that we can all find ways to survive and thrive in this rapidly changing world by making a conscious effort to collaborate with others and recognize and promote our own strengths. I was grateful for her presentation and for the opportunity to speak with her afterwards.

Another session that I enjoyed was “Building Community: A Conversation with Organizers,” presented by Karen Arnold, Head of Operations and Events for the WordPress project. She was joined by several of the people who helped organize WordCamp Canada 2026, including Jonathon Leathers.

Mary Baum, who joined the WordPress community at the age of 51, reminded me that there’s no upper age limit to involvement in this community. Although I’ve been involved with WordPress as a user since my 20s, I waited until my 40s to take the next step. Her words encouraged me.

Reece Burborough spoke about how joining a community of people with similar interests encouraged him to contribute. Having learned a great deal through his involvement in organizing events, he now hopes to pass that knowledge on to a new generation.

Miriam Goldman, who has been involved with WordPress events in Ottawa since 2013, also spoke about the importance of giving back. Having spent many years organizing meetups and WordCamps, she now sees herself as a more senior member of the community and wants to help others find their feet. She also offered a reminder that organizing community events can be demanding, particularly for introverts. Although she enjoys the enthusiasm and energy of the people involved, she acknowledged that socializing can be exhausting. She also noted that her local meetup has sometimes struggled to attract new users and students, with many of its regular attendees being experienced WordPress users.

Jonathon Leathers spoke about taking over the Vancouver WordPress meetups in 2018. He emphasized the importance of showing up and meeting people, particularly for freelancers who may not have colleagues to exchange ideas with. He also sees the meetups as an opportunity for people to make professional connections. While acknowledging the difficult job market and growing uncertainty about the future of web development because of AI, he encouraged people not to assume that the profession has no future. After all, he pointed out, the room was full of people who make their living working in web development.

The conversation also touched on the contributions that make an event feel welcoming. Alleanna Barrera, who was responsible for the graphic design of WordCamp Canada, explained that her work was intended to reflect the enthusiasm of the people who contributed to the event and help create a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Towards the end of the session, Leathers asked the audience what they would like to see from the WordPress community. There were some practical suggestions, including a request for more variety in the food! Leathers explained that catering options depend in part on what sponsors are willing to provide. That said, I thought the food was excellent. The sandwiches were delicious, as were the burritos and nachos, and I thought there was plenty of variety.

One of the final questions was how someone might go about starting a WordPress group. Leathers suggested keeping it simple: invite a few friends and meet at a local coffee shop. Arnold added that even two people getting together to talk about WordPress can be the beginning of a user group.

I also want to give a special mention to Karen Arnold, who moderated the discussion. I may not be a coding guru, but as a former journalist who covered many conferences and conventions, I know a good moderator when I see one.

Arnold demonstrated exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. She was articulate, expressed her ideas clearly and was particularly good at summarizing both her own thoughts and those of the other panellists for the audience. She also made a conscious effort to ensure that everyone on stage had an opportunity to contribute. She guided the discussion without ever dominating it.

What stood out to me most was the empathy, kindness and patience she brought to the conversation. At 45, I’ve come to appreciate these qualities as something of a superpower. I value them enormously, perhaps even more than cleverness or mastery of technical skills. They are qualities that help people feel heard, respected and included, and they’re essential to building a healthy community like the WordPress community.

Earlier, I mentioned that I’m autistic and have a number of niche interests, including WordPress. One of the things I liked about WordCamp was recognizing familiar autistic traits and ways of thinking in several of the people I spoke with. One person even shared with me that he was autistic. It was encouraging to find myself in an environment where autistic people are not only included but also have positions of leadership and stewardship within the community.

There were also some unexpected reminders of my past. Between 2005 and 2017, I worked as a freelance journalist in Vancouver. As I moved between sessions at WordCamp, I found myself taking notes and reaching for my DSLR almost instinctively. It was a little like rediscovering muscle memory. I have no desire to return to journalism, but there was something strangely comforting about going through those familiar motions, even if it’s just to document the event for this website.

I also noticed someone on the attendee list who shared another of my niche interests: geographic information systems (GIS). I reached out by email before the event and asked whether he might have time to chat. He kindly agreed, and our conversation at WordCamp turned out to be one of the highlights of the two days. It was a reminder that our interests and experiences can intersect in unexpected ways, creating opportunities to connect with people we might otherwise never have met.

Looking back, I think that’s what I appreciated most about attending WordCamp. It reminded me that I have things to contribute. I don’t have to be a developer or run a WordPress business to have something worthwhile to share. I can draw on my own experiences, my curiosity and my interests to connect with others and perhaps help people who share some of those interests.

I’ve been using WordPress for nearly 20 years, but for much of that time my relationship with it was a fairly solitary one. Attending my first WordCamp gave me an opportunity to step outside the dashboard and meet some of the people behind the platform. I’m glad I made the effort, and I hope it’s the beginning of a more active relationship with the WordPress community.