BizzThemes Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 1 Comment

BizzThemes are giving away 10 themes to our WordCamp attendees on the day.

In order to win one of these themes, you have to do the following:

  • Follow BizzThemes on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone which is your favourite BizzThemes theme, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @bizzthemes @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find BizzThemes online here:

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Bugherd Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 1 Comment

Bugherd are giving away 3 of their “1 year studio plan” ($600 value each).

In order to win one of these subscriptions, you have to do the following:

  • Sign up for the Bugherd service
  • Like Bugherd on Facebook
  • Follow Bugherd on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone how easy Bugherd makes your life, in the following format:

                              “Your Tweet @bugherd @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find Bugherd online here:

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GitHub Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

GitHub are giving away 5 vouchers for their micro plan to our WordCamp attendees on the day.

In order to win one of these themes, you have to do the following:

  • Follow GitHub on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone why you love GitHub, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @GitHub @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find GitHub online here:

Posted in Competitions | 2 Comments

AppThemes Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 1 Comment

AppThemes are giving away 2 Developer Memberships to a pair of lucky WordCampers, valued at $349.

In order to win one of these Developer Memberships, you have to do the following:

  • Like AppThemes on Facebook
  • Follow AppThemes on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone what you will use your AppThemes Developer Membership for, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @appthemes @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find AppThemes online here:

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Super Single Vineyards Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

Super Single Vineyards are giving away 1 x mixed box of wine and 1 x Top100 Wines of SA book.

In order to win one of these prizes, you have to do the following:

  • Like the Super Single Vineyards group on Facebook
  • Follow Super Single Vineyards on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone what’s your favourite wine from Super Single Vineyards, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @ssvineyards @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find Super Single Vineyards online here:

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Sucuri Security Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 1 Comment

Sucuri are giving away 3 Premium Memberships, each to the value of $89.99.

In order to win one of these licences, you have to do the following:

  • Like Sucuri Security on Facebook
  • Follow Sucuri Security on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone how Sucuri Security makes the web safer, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @sucuri_security @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find Sucuri Security online here:

 

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BraveNewCode/WPtouch Competition

October 4, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

BraveNewCode are giving away 2 single licences for WPtouch Pro, their leading mobile theming plugin.

In order to win one of these licences, you have to do the following:

  • Like BraveNewCode on Facebook
  • Follow BraveNewCode on Twitter
  • While at WordCamp, write a tweet explaining to everyone what you like the most about BraveNewCode’s plugins, in the following format:

“Your Tweet @bravenewcode @wordcampct #WCCT”

  • Tweet and comment on this post linking to the tweet

Winners will be drawn based on this criteria after the event and announced in the following week or two.

Find BraveNewCode online here:

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Sponsor Spotlight: LightSpeed

October 3, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

LightSpeed WordPress Development is a Cape Town based WordPress Web development studio. Specialists in WordPress, BuddyPress, WooCommerce and Mobile Development, we build WordPress websites and scalable social networks focused on User Experience, Functionality and Aesthetics.LightSpeed’s latest product offering is The Publisher Suite – A bundled solution of themes and plugins that incorporates social sharing tools and on-site social networks to meet the specific demands of online publishers and magazines. Notable brands that have used our Publisher Suite include: MTN/PayD, Sports Illustrated, Clickatell, Bicycling Magazine, Fairlady Test House  and Runner’s World

Website

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WordCamp Cape Town Registration and General Info – Please Read This!

October 3, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

This Thursday at Kirstenbosch Gardens we have WordCamp twice as big as last year! To ensure a smooth run and a successful WordCamp, we’ve compiled some basic information you’ll need.

Registration times

Registration starts at 07:30, nearly two hours before the rest of the day’s preceding, which start promptly at 08:50. Of course there will be coffee, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

We urge that you come early not just to get all 300+ campers registered. The time before the first session is brilliant for meeting other campers.  Networking is part of the fun.

Goodie Bag – SWAG

RSAWEB, the WordPress Foundation, StickerGiant and WordCamp Cape Town have put together an awesome goodie bag for every attendee, available when you register. The goodie bag contains everything you’ll need for a day of WordPress fandom:

  1. 1 x Tshirt
  2. 1 x name tag sponsored by Clickatell
  3. 1 x WordPress Button compliments of the WordPress foundation
  4. 1 x Water from RSAWEB
  5. 1 x RSAWEB pamphlet with Lindt Chocolate
  6. 1 x Sheet of stickers compliments of StickerGiant
  7. 1 x pen & notepad from RSAWEB
  8. 1 x pen from Kri8it

What else to bring

The goodie bag and our food sponsors are taking care of most of our needs on the day (Thanks again guys!), but bring your digital devices. Not your desktop machines though, it’s not a LAN fellas.

  • Mobile phone
  • Tablet computer
  • Laptop (Remember to charge all your devices before hand)
  • Chargers for your devices
  • Business Cards (leave 1 at the registration desk to enter a competition.)
  • Cash and in-kind donations for DARG

Tea Breaks, Lunch and the After Party

MOYO Restaurant is catering during every break with lunch sponsored by FNB and Butler’s Pizza supplies pizza at the after party. There will be plenty to eat!

SirJuice manages our thirst and Super Single Vineyards will host a wine tasting during the after party.

  1. LightSpeed will be sponsoring snacks and drinks during tea breaks
  2. FNB is sponsoring lunch
  3. After-party pizza slices from Butlers
  4. After-party juice by Sir Juice
  5. After-party Glass of wine/wine tasting by Super Single Vineyards

Due to the rules of the venue we will have no music at the networking after-party, but we hope to see everyone hang around for the after-party networking session. It gives everyone a chance to cement some new friendships and relationships forged during the day and continue conversations.

We can’t wait to meet you all at WordCamp Cape Town 2012!

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Cape Town’s Open Device Lab

October 3, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Cape Town’s Open Device Lab

Mobile and testing

With the meteoric rise of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, and ways of dealing with them such as Responsive Web Design, it’s a very interesting (and challenging!) time to be in the pixel business.

One of the biggest challenges we face is reaching as many people as possible: most South Africans aren’t accessing the web on the latest high-end smartphone. Making sure that our web sites look good on as many devices as possible isn’t easy. Hands down the best way to test is to get hands-on with actual devices, and see how your web site feels.

In April this year, Jeremy Keith set up a Test Lab at ClearLeft in Brighton. In the months that followed, more labs cropped up, and they found a sort of official name: Open Device Labs. Last week Smashing Magazine published an article about Establishing your own lab.

nomad device lab logoA few weeks ago, after many months of prodding and poking, I launched Nomad Device Lab in Cape Town. The approach is a little different to some of the other labs, and is more like design testing than device testing, as Andy Clarke has recently written about. You can read more about what’s in the lab, and why, on the Lab page.

WordCamp

WordCamp’s schedule is tightly packed with WordPress goodness, so squeezing in some testing on the day would be tricky. Instead, hot on the heels of WordCamp, the next session of the Device Lab is Tuesday 9th October. Drop me a line if you’d like to come along!

On the day I’ll be volunteering at the Happiness Bar, so come at me with any questions about the Nomad Device Lab, testing on mobile devices, or anything else that takes your fancy. See you there!

Who am I?

I’m Steve Barnett: a one man web development shop working with small businesses to establish or improve their web presence; a lot of the time that means using WordPress. I’m passionate about One Web, Progressive Enhancement, Responsive Web Design, UX, Content Strategy, and Typography. Often all at the same time.

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WordCamp Cape Town Social Media guidelines #WCCT

October 3, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on WordCamp Cape Town Social Media guidelines #WCCT

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide a venue for conversation before and after any conference or networking event. Twitter especially has become the default secondary communication channel at events, and WordCamp Cape Town is no different. During WordCamp there is always a lot of conversation going on on Twitter, and we’ve compiled some of the best Tweets from 2011 here.

Remember to follow and use our hashtag #WCCT for the latest news and updates from the event.

We’ve compiled this short list of guidelines and tips on best practice for everyone engaging with WordCamp Cape Town through Twitter and Facebook.

DO

  • Follow us on Twitter @wordcampct
  • Use the hashtag #WCCT for WordCamp related tweets.
  • Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WordCampCT
  • Blog or tweet about WordCamp and the speaker sessions
  • Engage with other attendees
  • Provide feedback to WordCamp Volunteers and crew – discuss topics of interest, comment on the sessions and format, etc.
  • Be respectful in tone and content — remember, your posts are public and live forever.
  • Consider sitting near the back of the room if tweeting or blogging to avoid distracting session presenters or other participants.
  • Mute your mobile/laptop/tablet volume to avoid embarrassing disruptions.
  • Leave room for retweets!

DON’T

  • Stray off topic. Keep the discussion using the hashtag #WCCT contained to WordCamp Cape Town and WordPress related topics
  • Engage in rudeness or personal attacks.
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Thank You for Volunteering

October 2, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Thank You for Volunteering

The WordPress community is notorious for its enthusiasm and a willingness to share time and knowledge. This has been certified by all our eager attendees and especially our volunteers.

We want to take a minute to single out the volunteers and thank you for your contribution.

Registration

Happiness Bar

Audio Visual

Social Media Marketing

  • Marsello Monk
  • Dwain Maralack
  • Hilgard Bergstedt

A big thank you to all our volunteers for making your unique talents available and to all the attendees for your support and enthusiasm.

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Sponsor Spotlight: Clickatell

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Sponsor Spotlight: Clickatell
Founded in 2000, Clickatell is a global leader in providing the ability for its customers to alert, interact and transact with their customers, business partners and communities. Utilizing its global footprint, Clickatell can deliver short message services (SMS) through its Clickatell Mobile eXchange (CMX) to nearly every mobile phone user in the world. In addition, with Clickatell Transaction eXchange (CTX), the company is providing the essential link between the mobile consumer and their financial institution through such services as airtime top-up. With its ongoing investments, Clickatell is uniting customer communication, community creation and transaction services for over 15,000 customers.

Website

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Sponsor Spotlight: RSAWEB

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Sponsor Spotlight: RSAWEB
RSAWEB is an established and rapidly expanding Internet Services Provider, specialising in True Cloud, CDN, Internet access for business and home, hosting and enterprise-class data centre solutions. Established in 2002 by Rob Gilmour and Mark Slingbsy – RSAWEB has now grown to become of one of SA’s most respected business solutions ISP’s with clients such as Pick n Pay, Remax, Levi, Money Web and Native. RSAWEB has an extensive network, with custom built, world-class Data Centres across SA and POP’s across the world.

We use WordPress extensively in our business even our own website is built using wordpress.

Website

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Show your support for DARG

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Show your support for DARG

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Sponsor Spotlight: Inkfish Design Studio

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • 2 Comments

INKFISH is an established design studio with a solid reputation for creating visually compelling websites, email newsletters, brochures, logos and business stationery. With experience in beauty, arts, architecture, NGO, property, education, tourism and food & beverage industries there is hardly anything we haven’t touched in the last 15 years.

So if you’re looking for a highly skilled design agency, with a proven track record, INKFISH offers value for money to clients who would like to take their branding and marketing to the next level or who are tired of spending a fortune with the big agencies. You’ll enjoy our no-nag policy that ensures 24-hour response time to all requests.

We understand design. We understand the web. We understand what you need.
And we understand the importance of delivering on time and to budget.

Inkfish Design Studio have been an incredible help. I have been working closely with Neil McCreadie’s team on full designs for the WordCamp Cape Town event. They have committed to help me with all design aspects for the event, which is a massive contribution.

WordCamp organiser, Ashley Shaw

Website

When we started organising WordCamp I published a blog post on this site about the first draft ideas for this year’s WordCamp Cape Town event. We had a flurry of comments, suggestions and ideas. This input helped us choose a direction for the final logos.  Neil McCreadie took charge and after numerous rounds of tweaks his team delivered a perfect final product. I am very grateful for their contribution to WordCamp! Take a look at all the WordCamp branding this year below and read the interview with INKFISH.

Continue reading Sponsor Spotlight: Inkfish Design Studio →

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Schedule Updated

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Schedule Updated

We added a few tweaks here and there, just to neaten it up, nothing major. But this is a good opportunity to remind you to bookmark the schedule page. You’ll want to keep coming back to it time and again, more on this further down.

If you look at the bottom of the schedule, we have revealed who will be part of the panel discussion and they are all industry heavy weights. However, we are still not disclosing the discussion topic, that’s still being kept under wraps until next week.

The schedule is awesome because of it’s usability, we hope you will find it valuable before and during the event. Each session slot looks something like this:

All the links open in a new window, we decided to break this web convention, because you’ll most likely want to keep coming back to the schedule. I’ts just HTML and CSS, but the page has a very dynamic feel to it. It’s nice to have the little bit of JavaScript coming in from Gravatar, quite slick. To go there now click here.

Print Version

Download your PDF version or see the image of the printed version below:

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Volunteer Spotlight: Amanda Devine

October 1, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Volunteer Spotlight: Amanda Devine

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Volunteer-Amanda-DevineI am a marketing and social media consultant for a diverse range of clients. This means that no two days are ever the same, I could be writing about wine one day and photographing sharks the next. I have a particular interest in small business development and am always looking for ways to help make starting and sustaining a business a little bit easier, which I share through my website and with my clients.

Not many people know this but I used to be a florist, for almost 15 years in fact. I sold my business and changed career when I moved back to Cape Town from London. These days I satisfy my creativity with other artistic endeavours and although it is not the same, web design certainly appeals to my creative side.

In addition to my qualifications in advanced floral design, I also have a diploma in Shopping Centre Management and I am currently studying ‘Foundations of Business’ with the Louis Group Business Academy.

Website

Why did you volunteer for WordCamp?

Having started to explore WordPress as an alternative website platform, I attended WordCamp 2011 and I really learned a lot, but the atmosphere and community support was what really impressed me. I was grateful for the contribution of time and expertise that others had made and decided then and there that I would also like to contribute in any way I could.
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Sponsor Spotlight: PriceCheck

September 28, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Sponsor Spotlight: PriceCheck
PriceCheck.co.za, a part of the MIH Internet Africa Group, is South Africa’s leading comparison shopping destination and the user-base increases daily as more and more people turn to comparison shopping. On a monthly average, PriceCheck receives in excess of 600 000 unique shoppers searching for products on its website (with more than 10% already just on mobile). With in excess of 30 million products, 6000 categories and a range of comparative services; it is an effective and targeted lead-generation service and provides a highly regarded service for the man in the street that needs guidance with making a purchasing decision. With the recent upgrade of PriceCheck’s mobile offering, it now offers a mobile application that brings the mall to your smartphone. This new version now puts even more power into the hands of the consumer. With your compatible smartphone you are able to check and compare prices of products you are interested in, from wherever you are.

website Blog

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Sponsor Spotlight: Kri8it

September 27, 2012 by Ash Shaw • Comments Off on Sponsor Spotlight: Kri8it
kri8it is a full-service digital marketing agency with the expertise to act as a strategic digital partner to our clients. We pay close attention to our clients’ business objectives and ensure that all your web-based activities are aligned, and that your digital marketing investments deliver value.

WordPress is the framework on which we build all our websites regardless of size or complexity. We have used many other platforms, langauges and even have our own system but have found over the last years that you simply cant beat it.

Our strategy is an integrated one with the focus on ensuring that we remain on the cutting edge in our industry, keeping in touch with an ever-changing online landscape and user demands. We provide relevant strategic advice and solutions, focusing on client relationship management and cost effective solutions. We focus on 5 key areas – that is: Reach, Interact, Convert, Engage and Retain.

Website

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