David Skarjune is lead consultant for Word & Image providing content publishing for authors, artists, publishers, and orgs with WordPress, and he’s a WordPress instructor at Takoda Institute. Skarjune is speaking on Content Production for Bloggers, Writers, and Editors at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What got you into working with WordPress?

I’ve used Open Source CMS for 15 years starting with the Zope framework. Used Mambo and then Joomla when it forked. Used Drupal. Wrote PHP web apps. Started with WordPress Version 2 for blogs. Saw Toby Cryns present on WordPress as a CMS at Minnebar 2008 and took notice. Since Version 3 in 2010 my web work centers on WordPress.

What do you like best about WordPress?

Reliability is number one. Software migrations can be painful, but WordPress provides seamless upgrades and support. For users it’s a fast track on the learning curve to productivity. For designers and developers it’s an extensible platform.

What WordPress project has been your favorite?

I founded Public Art Review as editor decades ago, and now am web consultant to publisher Forecast Public Art for the PAR website. We leverage free NPO and GPL services, we use Salesforce for constituent tracking, WordPress for web content, plus Google for Nonprofits services. Working on a project from old-school paper publishing to cloud enabled distribution is like living in a sci-fi story.

What’s your WordPress design preference?

○ Starter Theme   ○ Free Theme   ○ Premium Theme   ○ Framework   ○ Other

Free Theme

What would we not guess about you outside of WordCamp?

My career began as an art critic, photographer, and rock musician before wandering into the morass called IT. More and more I work with cultural clients, and am a huge fan of local arts, crafts, and music. See me at jazz and newgrass concerts swigging craft brew and stomping my feet.

What do you like about WordCamps?

Minnebar 2006 was my first barcamp, and I’ve attended, participated, and supported barcamps since, plus DrupalCamp and WordCamp. The WordPress community is smart, fun, and totally inspired in work and mission. Life should be so good. 😉