Before I got my current job as Coordinator Communications & Digital, I ran my own company for 25 years. The first 15 years I was a writer / editor / journalist / writing coach. 

In 2009 I started working with Joomla, not knowing anything about webdesign. I joined a JUG in 2012, two months later I was co-organizer :) (and stayed co-organizer for about five years).

I loved working with Joomla so much that I started projects, just to be able to create a website for them. That's when I thought: hey, maybe it's time for a career switch. In 2014 I decided to go pro with Joomla and switch to webdesign instead of writing. 

Volunteer work

I already mentioned the JUG. After that I did a number of other things over the years:

  • Writer: I wrote articles about Joomla in a Dutch webdesigner magazine.
  • Speaker at JUGs and JoomlaDays.
  • Member of the Dutch JoomlaDagen team for three years.
  • Member of the team that organized all three editions of Joostock (a Joomlacamp/unconference event).
  • Editor of the Dutch Joomla web agency brochure, a brochure webdesigners can use to convince their potential clients that Joomla is the right choice for them.

In 2020 I've started contributing to the Joomla Community Magazine, first as an author, and since 2022 I'm Team Leader of the wonderful Joomla Community Magazine Team. 

Why I contribute to Joomla

To many people Joomla is just a tool. But if you look a little closer, you'll notice it's much more than that. It's a living system, raised and nourished by a community of volunteers dedicating their time to make it the best CMS ever. Without volunteers, Joomla wouldn't exist. It's not 'just a product'. Everyone who uses Joomla, can do so because someone, somewhere, contributed to it. I want to give back to the community that keeps Joomla alive.

And, probably needless to say: I love being part of that community. 

Contributing to Joomla by volunteering brought me so much: valuable experience, more knowledge and a better understanding of Joomla and its community, and the opportunity to work together with a crowd of lovely people all over the world.

Joomla Community Magazine’s Top 20 articles from 2023

2024-01-Poll-Results

Last month we asked you to share the links to your favorite articles from the Joomla Community Magazine in 2023. And you did! Turns out you really love tutorials, and a lot of you also like the articles about leadership and communication. From the articles you submitted, we've managed to make a top 20. Let's dive into the most valued articles of 2023!

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Elections for Joomla's Leadership coming up!

2024-01-Election

Elections are coming up again! This time, four board positions will be open for election. If you've always wanted to be in Joomla's leadership, this is your chance to help shape the future of Joomla. Read more and discover how you can become a candidate for Joomla's Board of Directors, and which positions are up for election!

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What was your favorite Joomla Community Magazine Article this year?

2023-favourite-articles

At the end of the year, magazines like the Joomla Community Magazine often publish lists with the highlights of the year. This year, we’d like to do it differently: you’re in charge! Share links to your favorite JCM articles with us, and tell us why you chose those particular articles!

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Language! How to comment and be heard

2023---JCM-November-Language

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.

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Interview with Joomla’s President: six months in, how is it going?

November-Crystal

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?

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Thank you George Wilson - the Great Migrator!

George Wilson

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”.

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Leadership interview Sigrid Gramlinger, Production Department Coordinator

Sigrid-Gramlinger

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. 

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Leadership interview Louise Hawkins, Outreach Department Coordinator

Louise-Hawkins

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.

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Volunteering for Joomla: what’s in it for you? 

Volunteering for Joomla

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! 

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Leadership interview - Nadja Lamisch, Treasurer

Nadja-Lamish

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!

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