Across the pond

It’s been a thrilling couple of weeks for UK enthusiasts of WordPress, the program which brings you this blog. Last July Tony Scott and a small band of pioneers got the first UK camp held in Birmingham off the ground at very short notice. That led to the formation of several reigional groups, notably in London and the northwest, which have been meeting regularly.

So it was no surprise that London and Liverpool were proposed for this year’s camp on 18/19 July. First out of the trap was Dave Coveney riding on the back of Liverpool’s new reputation as the capital of culture. He was soon trumped by Jeff van Campen of the London mob. He found a venue underneath the arches, much patronised by poker playing suits from the City and a shortish walk from London’s summer playground on the South Bank.

It was a battle royal between the Beatles and Flanagan and Allen, or so we all thought. But, like in all the best fables, it was the tortoise, not the hare, wot won. On the day before the deadline Haley Marsden-Niuserre put in a highly detailed bid from Cardiff. While the other two had been canvassing for support Holly kept quiet and spent her time negotiating to get the costs down, doing a lot of checking .

So we’re off to the Future Inn, which is a short walk from the Millenium buildings which house the Government of Wales on Cardiff Bay. The venue name hits the right note for the wonderful world of the web, which seems to produce millionaires young enough to be my grandchildren.

The location has brought an unexpected bonus. We’re to have a blog site in two languages. And, if I have not got my emails mixed up, it is Dave Coveney who is going to supply the expertise to make sure this happens.

Which is as it should be. Because WordPress is an Open Source program, dedicated to making the internet available to those who cannot afford expensive software. WordPress developers have to pay the rent by working in a world governed by the gospel of competition. But, like all Open Source folk, they work as a non-hierarchical collective.

For those who want to know more here is the link to the wiki.