The day after WordCamp Dhaka, I attended my first-ever WordPress Contributor Day, held at AIUB University.
The event started right on time, and the registration process was smooth—a refreshing contrast to the previous day’s rush. The atmosphere was calm yet full of focus; everyone there seemed genuinely intent on giving back to WordPress.
Joining the Teams
I came in with a plan: contribute to the Documentation, Plugins, and Core teams.
I started at the Docs table, ready to edit and submit a couple of pages for review. That’s when I learned that documentation contributions aren’t immediate—you need to go through an approval process and wait for editor access. It was a bit slower than I expected, but a good insight into how structured the WordPress documentation workflow really is.
Next, I checked in with the Plugins team, only to find that plugin contributions weren’t available that day. So, I moved over to the Localization table, where things finally clicked.
Translating & Applying for PTE
Since I already had a Translation Contributor badge, I decided to translate a few strings for one of my own plugins. That gave me a sense of small but meaningful progress.
Afterward, I submitted a post on Make WordPress requesting PTE (Project Translation Editor) access — another step toward contributing in a more official capacity.
Wrapping Up the Day
By mid-day, I started to feel a bit disengaged — not because the event lacked value, but because most contribution processes take time to set up, and I couldn’t do much hands-on work right away. I skipped joining the Core team and considered leaving early, but one of the organizers encouraged me to stay for lunch.
I’m glad I did. The food was good, the community vibe was friendly, and I even received some nice WordPress swags to remember the day by.
A Notable Observation
One thing that stood out was the presence of a good number of women contributors. It’s great to see more women engaging with the WordPress community — proof that the ecosystem is becoming more inclusive and diverse.
Final Thoughts
While I couldn’t contribute as much as I wanted on my first try, the day gave me valuable perspective. Contributor Day isn’t just about code or translations — it’s about learning how the open-source contribution process works and connecting with people who make WordPress better every day.
I’ll be more prepared next time — and hopefully, I’ll make a few real contributions of my own.