This month we have with us another amazing woman of Joomla. The lady who, for more than a decade now has been the voice of Joomla’s social media, Alison Meeks. I always liked to call her the Angel of Joomla because Alison saved the day in multiple instances, a fact that serves as a demonstration of her dedication to her role and her love for Joomla. Alison has been one of the most valuable and devoted volunteers in the Joomla community.

Could you please introduce yourself?

Thanks for inviting me. You have interviewed some of my own Joomla heroines in this series and I'm honoured to be included. 

I’m Canadian and have lived all my life within a few hours of Toronto. In school I had my first taste of "data processing" coding Basic on cards and getting huge print outs back. While I didn't pursue it, I was delighted by this new technology and from my first office job hardwired to the mainframe, tech has been part of my life. 

My background is print purchasing, administration, print design, marketing administration, which in the past several decades has included website design/integration. I started with website updates at my last corporate gig where I also built my first small website for them using NetObjectFusion. I was still using it when I started my business 21 years ago. When I learned about Joomla and how much more I could do for my clients with it “pow” game changer. I was using Joomla for a number of years prior to finding my local JUG in Toronto. That was another milestone moment for me in my Joomla journey. Radek recruited me to volunteer with the Joomla FB group and then into the Social Media Team (SMT). 

Can you tell us about your role as a Joomla volunteer?

Until recently I was the emergency backup for Angelika Prox Dampha on the SMT as well as the main admin for the Joomla and Joomla Jobs Facebook groups. I also managed the Joomla Mastodon page. What did I do? For the SMT what I shared with many Joomla FB groups & Mastodon is breaking news (releases) etc. For the Joomla groups it is split between dealing with the mountain of scammers and spammers so the majority doesn't make it into the group and regular administration of the group. On Mastodon it was helping grow our following and interacting with comments and new followers. There is a large Open Source community there and it is my favourite network.

All that said, I reached the straw the broke the camels back as it were. That smallish act of aggression that cut the last thread of commitment. The act that had me say enough is enough. I closed all the many tabs in my browser I had open daily to be able to quickly monitor all the things. And I just was at peace.

What does Joomla mean to you?

Joomla is the CMS that enables me to build websites for my clients. Its design and flexibility allow me to combine speed and security with style and functionality.

It is also community and so many friends are here. Joomla has been a huge part of my day every day for well over a decade. 

What makes you particularly happy volunteering for Joomla?

It is my opportunity to give back to the project that allows my business to grow. Staying involved also pushes me to see the ongoing growth and trends and continued learning.

If you could change something about your whole Joomla volunteering experience what would that be?

Gratitude. Not the once a year thanks but just even a casual "hey nice job on that." When your volunteers spend hours per week giving to the project in many ways and the thanks is a graphic saying you were a volunteer and to get it you have to give up your email to some 3rd party. A thank you note with a pen or a sticker! I know the project is often short on funds so mailing stuff all over is pricey, but that sad jpg wasn't a winner idea. 

Do you think being a woman in the Joomla community makes a difference and how?

Often enough when answering a question in a group I'll get talked over to have a man give the same answer worded slightly differently and it will be given authority. It's pretty off-putting. That said, it isn't just a Joomla thing. There is a huge conversation on this topic in all walks of life. I'm grateful for the amazing supportive men all over.

Would you encourage women to volunteer for Joomla?

Absolutely! There are so many ways and areas that need a hand. Also, know your limits. I've seen far too many of us give their all plus more only to end up in burnout. Mind your boundaries as others won't. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with the world as a woman in technology?

Keep learning! Learn something new about any topic every day. True for everyone not just women. This journey we are all on has something to teach us every day. Be strong but be kind. Everyone has something going on you don't know about.

In closing

Thank you to the amazing Joomlers I've worked with over the years. You truly make all the difference. It has been my pleasure and honour to have worked shoulder to shoulder with you. Two years ago in January I had submitted my resignation from the SMT along with Sandra and Hans. Since I hadn't found another team to volunteer with and there were no replacements found yet I hung around to make sure important communications were still published. After some recent events I've made the decision to go ahead with that. 

It has been my honour and privilege to act, with other team members, as the voice of Joomla on social media. A responsibility I have taken seriously. 

At the end of February, I'm going to step back and take time for myself, my business, regroup and see where my path leads next. There is lots going on “motioning around at everything” and I've only got so much bandwidth. Thanks for all the fish.

I'd like to give a huge thank you to the awesome Joomlers who take the time to drop a like on our social posts and to those who take time to comment and share them. If you do any promo, you know that click and share makes the diff to get things seen. 

Thank you so much Alison Meeks for the beautiful Joomla heart, for everything you have done for Joomla until now, and for everything you continue to do. Your valuable contribution is greatly appreciated. Joomla’s social media team and community will miss you dearly. 

For everyone reading this column, it remains to be seen which one of the amazing women of Joomla will be next.