Get Connected
When you first start at Automattic you’ll want to hook up with our internal communication networks right away.
Automattic email address
Your Automattic email address will be created automatically and login credentials emailed to the personal email address in your Matticspace profile. Please note that all of your username@a8c.com emails will show up externally as coming from username@automattic.com. You don’t need to explicitly authorize or configure your @a8c.com Gmail account to send emails from username@automattic.com. Having a company email address will also give you access to our calendars and other a8c product perks. We’ll tell you more about that later.
Safety first
The Interwebs are a dangerous place! To keep the bad guys out, we secure our connection by using a proxy. Proxy is a computer system or router that breaks the connection between sender and receiver. Functioning as a relay between client and server, proxy servers help prevent an attacker from invading a private network and are one of several tools used to build a firewall. We also deny access to some P2s and internal tools if you aren’t proxied. Simply follow these steps to activate the force field. In case you’re having any difficulties, you can reach our Systems team on the #opers Slack channel.
While you’re setting up your connection, be sure to read through these security best practices for a handy guide on securing your computer against threats.
Slack
Slack is our go-to internal instant messaging tool at Automattic. You should be signed into Slack (and IRC for deploy notifications and error logging) while working if you are committing/deploying/working on anything user-facing so that you can easily be reached if something breaks. In other words, if you are not actively committing code it is OK to minimize distractions by closing Slack. It has replaced much of the Skype and IRC use in the company. You can have public or private channels for teams and projects. Slack also is great for direct messages. Our Field Guide pages on Communication Methods and Slack tips have more about connecting to Slack.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
IRC, (Internet Relay Chat) was our primary system for chatting before Slack. It involves a set of rules and conventions and client/server software. It is used primarily now for developer error logging, alerts, and systems. If Slack goes down, we switch to IRC. You can get your IRC client set up too and ask a teammate which channels are best for you to join.
Gravatar
Gravatar is an abbreviation for globally recognized avatar, and is a service for providing globally unique avatars. WordPress associates your Gravatar with your email address. Once you configure your Gravatar, you’ll see it when you post to the forums, when you comment on blogs or P2s, and with any post displayed in WordPress.com’s community features. Go to en.gravatar.com/gravatars/new/ and upload a picture of yourself so we can recognize you at meetups. Don’t forget to add your new Automattic email address to your Gravatar profile so your photo appears on P2s and Matticspace.
Video Conferencing
As a distributed company, our ability to communicate effectively is key. In addition to P2 and Slack, we also rely on video conferencing to sync up when the need arises, usually on Zoom or Google Meet. Be sure to get video conferencing set up and familiarize yourself with these tools if you aren’t already.
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