Piermario Orecchioni receives the Yoast Care fund for his contributions to WordPress

Today we’re interviewing Piermario Orecchioni, who received a nomination for our Yoast Care fund from Luisa Ravelli. Luisa nominated him because of everything he contributes to the community. In addition to his involvement in WordCamps and Test contributions, Piermario is also a valuable contributor to the Italian Polyglot Team. Let’s find out more about Piermario and his contributions to WordPress!

Nominator Luisa Ravelli: “Piermario is a great contributor to the WordPress community. He’s very reliable and supportive! He works hard for the Italian Polyglots team. In addition, he’s also an organizer for WordCamp Italia for the second time. He is not only active in our Italian community but also in the international one, for the Polyglots team and the FSE project.”

Let’s get to know Piermario Orecchioni

Thank you for your convincing nomination, Luisa! Now, let’s get to know Piermario Orecchioni even better by asking him some questions about his work and passion for WordPress:

Hi, Piermario! How do you know about WordPress?

I started using WordPress in 2007, and shortly after, it became my go-to tool for building websites. Before that, I used to fiddle with HTML and CSS, mostly on static websites. I have always had a soft spot for web standards and accessibility, and WordPress felt like a tool I could trust. Over the years, building websites became my main gig. Now I’m a freelance web designer who loves WordPress and Open Source projects (as well as whales, lighthouses, and pear juice, to name a few).

Why did you start contributing? Could you share your first contribution with us?

I started contributing in 2017, though my first contribution should be filed under “RTFM.” I had created a WordPress.org account and rushed to translate strings for a plugin I used on a customer’s e-commerce website. Everything was pretty cool, except I didn’t even consider getting in touch with the Italian Polyglots team to learn what was next and request the Project Translation Editor status for the plugin I started translating. Those strings had to wait quite a bit to be approved. Whoops!

It eventually hit me that Slack was a thing, getting in touch with the other folks in the community was a thing, asking for mentorship, and that reading the handbook does help and saves you lots of time. I now highly recommend it! :)

Out of curiosity, I began contributing and the thrill of being part of one of the most important Open Source projects ever. I came for translated plugins and stayed for a beautiful, supportive, fun community that now I’m thrilled to be part of.

Who is your WordPress hero?

Oh boy! I have quite a few, starting with the Italian GTEs folks I met while contributing to the Polyglots Team. If I have to pick somebody, I’d say that my current WordPress hero is the ever-amazing Anne McCarthy. She runs the Full Site Editing program.

I connected with her while translating the FSE program calls for tests into Italian. Her work and contributions are priceless and truly inspiring. From listening and replying to user feedback to exploring new ways to involve the community in making Gutenberg and WordPress better every day. I think she embodies the best spirit of our community: dedication, inclusion, enthusiasm, and a kind, caring way of communicating with everyone involved. (Thanks, Anne!)

What contribution or moment are you most proud of?

One moment I’m both humbled and very proud of is my recent appointment as GTE for the Italian Polyglots team. That was announced during the contributor day at WordCamp Italia 2022. It was a beautiful surprise. It came as the reward of a steady path of contributions and involvement in the community that happened naturally without cutting corners. I’m pleased as the decision came from a group of friends I admire and to whom I owe a lot. They made me feel welcome since day one when I joined the Polyglots team some years ago.

Where may people find you? Online, WordCamps, other meetups?

It looks like I caught the WordCamp bug! If you didn’t recently meet me at WordCamp Italia. You’re most welcome to meet me at WordCamp Torino in April 2023. I’ll be part of the organizing team there.

I can also be found on the interwebs on Twitter (as long as it lasts), Mastodon (as soon as I start to use it), LinkedIn, and my work website.

Thank you for this interview, Piermario. And for all of your contributions to the WordPress community! Do you know someone like Piermario Orecchioni who also deserves to be in the spotlight? Go to our Yoast Care page and nominate them right away.