The aspect of community-powered support is definitely one of that factors that has lead to the popularity of WordPress, but despite millions of users, only a handful regularly volunteer in the support forums.
How can you support WordPress? What kind of questions will you encounter? What if you aren’t an expert?
These just a few of the questions that Automattic Happiness Engineer Sheri Bigelow answers in her WordCamp Portland 2010 session, How to Support WordPress.
I became a volunteer in the WordPress Support Forums six years ago, one week after installing WordPress. I was what some would call a “n00b,” but while I was waiting for an answer to my question, I noticed a few installation questions that I could answer. Fast-forward six years later, and everything that I know about WordPress today was learned from answering questions on the WordPress Support Forums. If a lack of knowledge is preventing you from volunteering in the support forums, just start answering questions and you’ll be an expert in no time. It’s really a great way to learn.
What are you waiting for? Head on over to the WordPress Support Forums and the WordPress.com Support Forums and start answering at least a few questions each day. Your community will thank you.
I do the occasional helping on the forums, must do more. Love WordPress. Dreaming up ways of moving sites to WP all the time 🙂 Anything from a message board/forum to a CMS based site.
I haven´t used wordpress much myself, gor a few multisites and a few regular blogs up, but coded a plugin for it a while back.
I feel that ppl who code plugins and design themes also help the wordpress community to grow since they make it possible to do so much more with it.
I have joined wordpress.org support forum a few years back, and tried to help people who are beginners just like myself.
I agree with Sheri, helping people is equal to learn ourselves.
This i learn from wordpress.org supoort forum and my own blog.
When people ask some questions which i am not sure the answer, i am so curious to find the solution, which at the end, most questions are answered.
Donate 10 bucks to the author of each plugin you use! 😀
I definitely donate to a few plugins that have made me money over the years. It’s kind of like tipping at a restaurant to me, just common sense if somebody has taken care of you.
I used to contribute to the Help Forum more than I do now, but I still help people I know in Real Life with WordPress pretty regularly. I’ve been known to customize themes and even setup personally hosted WordPress installations for people who have needed help. (For free, if that wasn’t clear.)
And, I’ve also written plugins, but that was more for me and to get a feel for how the system worked. In fact, I need to do that again because there have been so many changes. So far, I’ve never charged for those plugins, though I do ask for donations if people are so moved.
Personally, I’ll be eternally grateful to those kind souls who not only maintain the code, but also helped me in the Forums, and continue to when I need it. I appreciate everyone who’s posted something on their blog about WordPress that I’ve used in my own blogs, too.
There are thousands of ways to help out. And, I agree, the best thing is to jump in and start trying!