Joomla! Community Magazine™

One of the big challenges in Joomla is we don’t have enough volunteers to do the work. Or rather: the volunteers we have are often overloaded with work, and no one is available to help new people find their way, so they don’t know what’s expected from them and just start working nevertheless. This is a vicious cycle we can’t seem to break out of. As a result, not every contribution gets the friendly reception it deserves. To put it mildly.

It's been six months since Crystal Dionysopoulos started her term as President of Open Source Matters (the not-for-profit organization facilitating Joomla). Time for a mid-term evaluation: what's happening, and what's to expect in the coming months?

“fyi now that the main joomla.org site is on j4. my next target is the magazine”. That was the first sentence of the very first direct message I ever got from George Wilson. Followed by a link, and “i've got a backup here that i'll be working on over the next few weeks. don't need anything from you either (for now). but just to make you aware so that when the moment comes it isn't a total surprise”.

Sigrid Gramlinger loves to contribute to Joomla. In her opinion, her role as newly elected Production Department Coordinator entails: making sure everyone in the department does their work the best way possible, providing them with a safe and pleasant place where they can excel and grow together, and keep improving Joomla so it remains the best CMS to create websites with. 

What is our marketing strategy? How are we going to increase our volunteer base? What will we do to make Joomla more popular? These are just a few of the issues on the plate of Joomla’s Outreach Department. Right up the alley for Louise Hawkins, who was the Marketing Team Lead until she got elected as Outreach Department Coordinator.

Maybe you’re wondering if volunteering for Joomla is your thing. You might be uncertain about your English or your knowledge, or about what would be expected in terms of commitment and time. I get that. I was really hesitant about all these things myself. But I did it anyway, I found a team that suits me, started working, and soon discovered that volunteering can be rewarding in ways I had never expected. And I’m not the only one: in this article, five Joomlers tell us what volunteering brings for them! 

She has been passionate about Joomla since version 2.5, and over the years become more involved in the Joomla Community. After her first term as Joomla’s treasurer on the Board of Open Source Matters, she got re-elected for a second term. It very much looks like together is her favorite word. Here’s Nadja Lamisch!

You probably knew Open Source Matters, the organization behind Joomla, has a Board representing all volunteers. We also have a group of experts who help Joomla grow and achieve its goals, by lending us their skills, advising us, guidance, and knowledge. These wonderful people form our Advisory Board, and a brand new one has just started their term. Let’s find out who these people are and where they come from, what skills they bring to Joomla, how they can help Joomla forward and what ideas they have for Joomla’s future!

The future of Joomla looks bright and sunny, if you ask our new Vice President, Philip Walton. In his capacity as Marketing / Outreach Department Coordinator, he put lots of effort into making Joomla grow. He is and has been working on making our community more welcoming and safer for everyone. What else does he want to achieve in his new role as VP? Read this interview and you know!

After our special showcase article for Joomla’s 18th birthday last month, we got messages from more Joomla-enthusiasts willing to show their work in the Joomla Community Magazine. Check out these websites, all built with love, passion, craftsmanship and Joomla!