Brad Griffith – 
Brad is a PHP developer for Delta Systems. Delta specializes in developing custom themes and plugins to expand the capabilities of WordPress for large projects. We’re currently working on an open source project called Dewdrop that makes it easy to use Zend Framework components for WordPress plugin development.
Brad will be speaking on ECommerce Functionality on Friday and Writing high-quality WordPress plugins on Saturday.
Interview with Brad:
Why do you use WordPress?
I use WordPress because there is a large community that cares about user experience and produces lots of useful open source plugins and themes.
What do you like best about WordCamps?
This will actually be my first! I’m hoping to meet some more people enthusiastic about WP development and get involved in some open source projects.
What is your favorite tip or resource for a new WordPress user?
Write tests! Sometimes WP code can get kind of sloppy. I really want to promote good testing and coding practices in the community.
What is a common problem you see in WordPress sites, and how would you avoid it?
I see a lot of sloppy backend code in plugins and themes. WP core doesn’t enforce good object-oriented programming and testing practices, so I think the community needs to work hard to fill those gaps and improve as a group.
How do you stay up to date with new information about WordPress?
I read (and write for) Smashing Magazine. I participate in user groups and share with my co-workers. I read a variety of blogs and follow several core devs on Twitter.
Share an example of a really great (creative, cool, unusual) use of WordPress you’ve seen recently.
I’ve been really impressed by the P2 theme that is used for WP core blogs and community sites. It makes WordPress far more social and interactive than many people realize is possible.
Do you have any advice for a person who’s building a business around WordPress design/development?
Don’t be afraid to write plugins and custom themes. It’s not that hard and it wins you a lot of freedom.