Topic: Javascript – Beyond jQuery
Tanner is a web developer and entrepreneur located in the small town of Granite Falls, Wa. He’s passionate about using technology to promote community. When he’s not tracking down new leads or coding, he loves playing music and spending time with his wife and 5 kids.
How did you get involved in WordPress?
My first “real” job out of high school was as a laser technician in a local startup company. We built a lot of cutting edge equipment (pun intended) and it was really interesting. But at the end of the day it was a manufacturing job and I soon realized that it wasn’t for me.
In high school, my best friends dad taught us how to code using Visual Basic and Microsoft Access. I knew that I really enjoyed coding but hated Microsoft Access. So I thought web development would give me a good opportunity to engineer code while also maintaining full control of the design and user experience.
I’d been exposed to Joomla! in the past and didn’t like it at all. All of the podcasts I was listening to said that Drupal was where IT was at but that WordPress was easier to work with. So I thought I’d give WordPress a try and then “graduate” to Drupal.
Starting my own company without any web experience is a whole other story, but suffice it to say that a few months in and I was confused and frustrated. That is, until I found the Seattle WP meetup group. They are an amazing community and helped me get my new career off the ground.
Now, I’ve been in WordPress for 5 years and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
What do you do with WordPress?
I own and run a small web agency with my business partner, Topher DeRosia, called iWitness Design. We specialize in complex WordPress development and specialize in BuddyPress and premium membership sites. We build and sell plugins for that niche at Skillful Plugins.
On the side I’m also starting a WordPress SaaS built to help church small groups engage online. It’s called StudyChurch and I built it with WordPress and BuddyPress.
What has your experience with the WordPress community been like?
The WordPress community has been wonderful and is the reason I am still around. A year after I joined the Seattle WP community I worked at 10up for a little over a year and that really helped me get exposure to a broader segment of the WP community, which was amazing!
I have really felt the encouragement and camaraderie from almost everyone that I’ve met… even those who should be my fiercest competition. We are all in this together.
Why did you want to speak at WordCamp DFW?
I have been dying to come visit Texas for a long time and I have a bunch of WP friends in the area too. Speaking at WordCamps helps me to improve my skills and is also a way that I meet new clients and partners.
Why did you decide to speak on JavaScript?
Javascript can be a bit of a black hole for a lot of developers. My goal is to help demystify and empower others to use it effectively in their own projects.
What do you hope the audience gets from your talk?
For the most part, I am a self taught developer (as I know are many developers in the WordPress community). As such, I had a lot of gaps in my understanding that took far too long to fill. I want to help lay a good foundation for my audience to help them get a better understanding of Javascript and hopefully answer questions and speak to issues that they might have.
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!