I normally celebrate my commitiversary, the anniversary of the day I made my first commit to WordPress, but right now I am instead celebrating my propsevarsary since it’s a fun one, it’s 15 years of my code being a part of WordPress core.

One of the greatest things about open source is that contributions come in many shapes and sizes. Anyone can contribute regardless of skill set, experience, time zone, or background. There are countless ways for someone to get involved with open source projects.

Contributor Attribution (“Props”) – WordPress Core Handbook

Contributor stats were a lot messier in the early days, so I can’t tell you that I was the 1,326th person to contribute or anything fun like that. And I shared some lessons from my first props when it was much fresher in my head. So instead, let’s look back at these 15 years a different way.

I asked an AI assistant to analyze WordPress Core and the make WordPress blog for the 15 biggest contributions I have made to WordPress. Here is what it came up with:

1. Becoming a WordPress Core Committer
2. Leading Automated Testing Improvements
3. Building the grunt-patch-wordpress Tool
4. Raising WordPress’s Minimum PHP Requirement
5. Spearheading Compatibility with Modern PHP Versions
6. Helping Integrate the REST API into Core
7. Enhancing WordPress Build and Deployment Tools
8. Maintaining WordPress Security and Handling Urgent Fixes
9. Deputy Release Lead for WordPress 4.7
10. Leading Numerous WordPress Minor Releases
11. Advocating for Coding Standards and Quality Control
12. Modernizing WordPress’s JavaScript Infrastructure
13. Organizing Developer Training & Mentorship Programs
14. Speaking at WordCamps and Tech Conferences
15. Actively Engaging in Make WordPress Core Discussions

Like with most AI, it’s important to verify if these are actually true. I wouldn’t give myself credit for “Modernizing WordPress’s JavaScript Infrastructure” or “Organizing Developer Training & Mentorship Programs”. While I did serve as a GSoC mentor twice, I have never otherwise been involved in any formal mentorship programs inside WordPress. And while I did early work on the JS infrastructure, the real modernization efforts have taken place inside Gutenberg.

The contribution that AI missed the most is the human piece. It was the years organizing WordPress DC and helping create a community that led to many folks being happier, both with WordPress and with their Career. It’s the countless times I helped prevent time in a rabbit hole by being able to bring some historical context to a situation.

I’m off to celebrate this the best way I know how, by contributing to WordPress. I hope you’ll join me (or if you can’t join me, maybe you can help sponsor my continued contributions?)