As mentioned in March, we’ve got a growing team of WordPress.tv moderators, who review and publish WordCamp and event videos. As we continue on with our Meet the Moderators Q&A series, we’ll learn more about these volunteers and how they got involved with WordPress, and their tips on submitting video content.

Please say hello to WordPress.tv moderator Ben Lobaugh, from the beautiful shores of Puget Sound.

Ben Lobaugh
Seattle, Washington

How did you get involved with WordPress?

I started using WordPress in the early days because it seemed I was never able to get around to completing the CMS I was writing. WordPress gave me the power and flexibility I needed, and as it grew and matured, I fell more and more in love with it. With version 2.8, I almost exclusively put clients on WordPress, and as of 3.0 I’ve abandoned all other CMS platforms in favor of the powerhouse WordPress has become.

Why did you decide to become a WordPress.tv moderator?

Well, first off the videos of me were not being published as quickly as I wanted! 😉 The videos on WordPress.tv have been useful to me, and the community has given me so much. Moderating videos on WordPress.tv is a simple and enjoyable way of giving back to this community.

Got any essential tips for people interested in creating high-quality content for WordPress.tv?

I highly recommend ensuring the camera will interface into your existing hardware before shooting anything; I ran into a hardware incompatibility issue when trying to pull WordCamp Seattle video from the camera. Another very important tip is to get an external (probably shotgun) microphone to ensure the speaker’s voice is crisp and clear.

There are some great videos on WordPress.tv! What are your favorites?

I get giddy if I see Morten Rand-Hendriksen, Tony Perez, or Zack Tollman on a WordCamp speaker list! These guys are incredibly fun and engaging speakers that can make any technical subject easy to understand. I highly recommend watching their videos. Even if you don’t know anything about the subject, you’ll enjoy watching their antics.

Thanks for chatting with us, Ben!

Interested in getting involved? Apply to be a WordPress.tv moderator. For more on WordPress.tv video best practices, read our submission guidelines.