The WordPress community is in shock after Jeff Chandler announced on the popular website WPTavern.com that he will be stepping away from the community due to personal reasons.
“… my time with WPTavern and everything that I’ve done in the WordPress world is coming to an end.”
I have to be honest in that I suspected this was coming for some time. As the trials and tribulations of real life took precedence, Jeff’s activity in the community began to lessen. Not only that, but he dropped a few hints here and there over the last few months that the end was inevitable. It was easy to see if one was paying attention.
Jeff first came to prominence with the creation of his very own WordPress-centric podcast called WordPress Weekly. Thanks to his relaxed and informal style the podcast quickly amassed a large following. It certainly was my personal favourite.
He followed that up with the launch of WPTavern where he covered all aspects of WordPress. The addition of a forum proved popular as it provided a safe haven for both developers and end-users alike. The forum really stood out because of its relaxed nature. It really did take on the characteristics of Jeff himself.
His long term goal was to take this passion for WordPress and turn it into an income, not just a few dollars here and there but something he could make a living at. Unfortunately things didn’t turn out the way he envisioned as real life got in the way.
Becoming a professional blogger is not an easy task. It’s a long and hard road with no guarantee of success. Jeff was certainly up to the task and more than paid his dues. But the reality of the situation is that while he was spending hours a day covering the news as it happened the payoff wasn’t enough to meet his financial obligations.
“The bottom line is, writing about WordPress, being a user and not a creator is not something that is going to put food on the table and is definitely not going to pay for things such as a new roof, driveway, windows, etc.”
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jeff for everything he has done in the community. Everything he did was first class from the podcast, to the website to the live reports from the various WordCamps he attended. Jeff really was the voice of WordPress.
I also want to wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours. Judging by his past accomplishments I have no doubt he will be successful in whatever he chooses to do.
As for WPTavern.com itself, it looks as if it will live on under new ownership.
“… the future is still bright for this domain and everything attached to it.”
The future is also bright for Jeff. He’ll be just fine in whatever road he chooses to travel. At the same time I can’t help but feel sad.
About Len Kutchma
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