Speaker: John O’Nolan

John O'Nolan

We are very excited to announce our next speaker, John O’Nolan who is joining us all the way from the United Kingdom. John is an interactive designer who works with companies all over the world, from Microsoft to Virgin Atlantic Airways. John is a WordPress Core UI group contributor, was heavily involved in the WordPress 3.0 and 3.1 release cycles, and is coming over to speak at WordCamp Gold Coast all the way from sunny (*cough*) shores of the UK.

John is also providing us with a T-Shirt Design by the end of the month which we’ll also be using for inspiration for our official logo for the event! 🙂

Australia is a long way from home for you, what are you most looking forward to doing or seeing when you arrive in Australia?

Well, the big difference here for me is that I’m not actually leaving again after the conference is over!

I made the decision a couple of months ago that this will be the starting point for me traveling indefinitely. I’ve packed all my stuff, sold all my possessions, and after WordCamp Gold Coast – there’s no go going back! I’ll be spending a couple of months with friends in Sydney, so I’m looking forward to seeing the standard tourist attractions… but also more obscure things – For example I’d quite like to wrestle a Crocodile or start a fight with a Kangaroo. You know, stuff real-live-Australians do!

You have made a conscience decision to use WordPress as your main platform when creating websites. Is there anything in particular that lead you to making that decision and sticking with it?

I started using WordPress when it was still at version 2.3, if I remember rightly. It’s come a very long way since then and I truly believe that it’s the best all-round content management system in the world at the moment.

Traditionally one would cite ease-of-use at this stage, but I’m going to go a slightly different direction. I think one of the biggest strengths of WordPress is its unbelievably flexible and powerful templating system.

I’m a designer with a basic knowledge of PHP and based on how WordPress works, I can essentially build entire applications using the platform. Five years later I’m still regularly discovering new use cases for stuff I thought I already knew.

What do you like most about the WordPress community?

My favourite thing about the WordPress community is actually the sheer diversity which it embodies. It’s amazing how a single platform can unite so very many different cultures, industries, communities, niches, and… well… people!

I love that one day I can be working with a Fortune 500 company in the UK and the next day I can be working with a 17yr old girl in South Africa – both of whom are using the exact same technology. I really love that.

You’ve been to plenty of WordCamps, what is your favourite thing about these events?

That’s an easy one – the attendees make the event.

The speakers, for me at least, are always secondary. It’s the people who show up that really make the event. The best events I’ve ever been to (both WordCamp and others) have always had a great group of people in attendance who are happy to chat and get to know everyone else at the event.

While we all socialise all-day-long on the internet, there’s really no replacement for socialising with like-minded people in real life, and events like WordCamp Gold Coast are an absolutely ideal place to do that.

You can follow John on Twitter. You should also follow WordCamp Gold Coast on Twitter.