![\"\"](\"https:\/\/2012.vegas.wordcamp.org\/files\/2012\/08\/ben_lobaugh_large.jpg\")
<\/a>Tell us a bit about yourself and how you use WordPress:<\/strong>\nI started creating static HTML websites back in 1996 and slowly graduated up to PHP and MySQL sites over the years as the internet evolved. Back in the day I built fully customized PHP content management systems for wide range of clients, from mom and pop shops to large international corporations. In the early 2000s I tentatively put a client who needed some pages and a newsletter on WordPress instead of building my own solution. Since then WordPress has only continued to mature and for the past several years I have almost exclusively used WordPress for all my client site. I am currently working at the premier WordPress shop in Seattle, freshmuse, where I am head of development and have the pleasure of overseeing great projects with a great team.<\/p>\n
What will you be speaking about?<\/strong> Who is your target audience?<\/strong> What do you hope the WordCampers will get out of your session?<\/strong> What is your favorite WordPress Plugin?<\/strong> Do you have a WP hero?<\/strong> Do you have a “Stays in Vegas” story to tell?<\/strong> In the first of our speaker spotlights, I’d like to introduce you to Ben Lobaugh. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Ben at WordCamp Portland a few weeks back, and I’m excited to have him speaking at WordCamp … Continue reading Speaker Spotlight: Ben Lobaugh<\/span>
\nInteracting with external APIs to bring together resources far beyond what is normally possible is the wave of the future. In my talk I will show developers how to tap into several powerful libraries that already exist inside WordPress for interacting with external sources.<\/p>\n
\nDevelopers, developers, developers, and anyone interested in learning some WordPress internals. This talk will be technical and for those of you with a weaker constitution I warn you ahead of time that some code will be shown on slides.<\/p>\n
\nA greater respect for the existing WordPress libraries and a thirst to seek out and implement new libraries in the core wherever they may exist<\/p>\n
\nI do not know that I have a particular favorite. I know that I install WP Slimstat on nearly ever client site thought. I am currently tickled with the Ship’s Log plugin (that I am developing ). It will keep track of vital stats surrounding all the boats you own, as well as provide a log entry form to track every voyage.<\/p>\n
\nThere is no single hero that I have in the WordPress world. Anyone who freely gives of their extra time to contribute to WordPress, be it through plugins, documentation, core update, whatever, is a hero in my eyes.<\/p>\n
\nHonestly, this is my first time in Vegas! Ask me again after the WordCamp \ud83d\ude1b <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"