It’s official, Do the Woo is now OpenChannels.fm
Welcome to a very special episode coming to you directly from the first day of WordCamp Europe in Basel, Switzerland. Today, host BobWP shares some exciting news that marks a big milestone for the podcast and its community—the official rebrand from Do the Woo to OpenChannels FM. Bob takes listeners through the journey of how the show has evolved from its early days focused solely on WooCommerce, to now embracing a wider conversation about WordPress, open source, and the open web as a whole.
As part of this new chapter, Do the Woo will continue as one of five core shows on the new OpenChannels FM platform, keeping its WooCommerce focus while making it even easier for listeners to discover content that matters to them.
Tune in as Bob explains what this transformation means for you, the listener, and sets the stage for an upcoming series that will introduce each of the new shows under the OpenChannels FM umbrella. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the journey, there’s never been a better time to be part of this vibrant community amplifying diverse voices across the open web.
Takeaways
- Rebrand Announcement: The podcast is officially rebranding from “Do the Woo” to “openchannels fm.”
- Reason for the Rebrand: The new name better reflects the podcast’s expanded content and mission. What started out focusing on WooCommerce has grown to cover a wider range of topics, including WordPress, open source, the Open Web, and platforms like the Fediverse.
- Open Web Focus: The show aims to explore all things related to the Open Web, specifically tools, platforms, and communities based on open source values such as collaboration, transparency, and belonging.
- Do the Woo Continues: The original “Do the Woo” isn’t disappearing—it’ll remain as one of five core shows within the new “openchannels fm” umbrella, but with a tighter focus on WooCommerce.
- Content Experience: Listeners shouldn’t expect any major changes to the content. However, the listening experience is designed to be even better, with an improved website that makes it easier to discover and follow different shows based on your interests.
- Community Voices: All shows are hosted by volunteers who work in the space and are passionate about the topics. This brings a diverse set of perspectives and thoughtful, sometimes unexpected, conversations.
- Mission: The underlying mission is to amplify a wide range of voices shaping the open web, particularly those who don’t always get heard.
- Series on the Rebrand: This episode is the first in a seven-part series about the rebrand, with the upcoming episodes introducing each core show and culminating in a wrap-up.
- Thank You to the Audience: There’s gratitude expressed for listeners, whether they’re long-time followers or new to the podcast.
- How to Listen: The new site is open at openchannels.fm, and the podcast will continue to be available wherever you listen to podcasts as more feeds go live.
Episode Transcript
BobWP:
Welcome to Bob WP Unplugged. Today I’m actually at the first day of Word Camp Europe in Basel, Switzerland. And yes, I’m at my booth, but that’s not what I’m here about. Today’s episode is a bit different and honestly, kind of special. Want to take a few minutes to talk about something that’s been in the works for a while now, and that’s our official rebrand from do the Woo to open channels fm. If you’ve been with us for a while, you know do the Woo started back in 2016. I think I did the first two, three, four shows or whatever by myself. I mean, I was the only host and then I brought Brad Williams in. We were just behind the mic chatting about WooCommerce. Now, over the years, it’s grown in ways I could have never imagined. We brought on new hosts and started new shows and the conversation expanded from WooCommerce to WordPress to open source to the Open Web, things like the Fediverse. And that growth is really what sparked the rebrand. So why the name open channels fm? Well, it reflects what we truly have become, a media channel made up of different voices and shows, all exploring the open web in some way.
And by Open Web, I mean all those tools, platforms and communities that are built on open source values like collaboration, transparency and belonging. And you’ll hear about some of those different platforms mentioned here and there. In fact, they’ve always been mentioned in one way or another. Now, the change doesn’t mean do the Woo is going away. This show still exists as one of our five core shows, now with a tighter focus on WooCommerce. So what’s changing for you as a listener? Honestly, not a real lot in terms of content, just a better experience. The new site makes it easier to find and follow shows that speak to you. Whether you’re a developer, product builder, content creator, or someone just curious about where the Open Web is heading, you’ll find something here. And one of the things I’m most proud of, and this has been the way since the very beginning.
All of our shows are hosted by people in the space who have volunteered their time. These are people who care deeply about the topics they’re talking about. They bring their own flavor, their own perspectives, and they create space for thoughtful, honest, and, as you know, or you’ll come to learn, sometimes unexpected conversations at the heart of it all. Our mission is pretty simple, to amplify the voices shaping the open Web, especially those who don’t always get the mic, but should because we believe that when more voices are heard, the open web becomes stronger, more creative and yes, more human. So yeah, it’s just still us here, just with a name that better fits who we are now and where we’re headed now.
This is the first of seven in the series on our rebrand, so expect for the next six days beyond today. You’ll be hearing a little bit about each show and then kind of a wrap up. I want to thank you for being on this journey with us. Whether you’ve been listening since day one, found us somewhere along the line in the last seven years, or just found us last week, I’m glad you’re here and I can’t wait to show you what’s coming next so you can check out the new site at open channels fm. And as I get more feeds in place and getting everything working, yes, you’ll be able to follow us wherever you get your podcasts. So until tomorrow, keep doing what you’re doing and keep sharing your voice. Take care.
