There’s a unique kind of joy, quiet, yet deeply satisfying, that comes when I stumble across a website on my digital wanderings and instantly recognise the fingerprints of Joomla beneath the surface.

It could be the structure of the URL, a particular way the menu is structured, or even familiar layout patterns that give it away. I pause, smile, and dig just a little deeper to confirm my suspicion. And when it's true, when I realise that this site was built with Joomla, it’s like unexpectedly running into an old friend in a foreign city.

And then it hits me: I helped make this possible.

Nearly 20 years ago, when we founded Joomla, we had a vision of empowering people around the world to build their own digital spaces. It wasn’t about chasing trends or flashy tech. It was about open-source freedom, community collaboration, and putting powerful tools into the hands of everyday people. We wanted to make web site creation accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or skillset.

So when I stumble upon a Joomla-powered site in the wild, whether it’s a local business in a small town, a government portal, or a vibrant community blog, I feel an immense sense of pride, not just in the software itself, but in the people behind those sites. Because Joomla is not just a CMS. It’s a testament to what people can create when they’re given the right tools and the freedom to use them.

I think of the thousands of contributors, the passionate community, and all the late nights and long discussions that went into shaping Joomla into what it is. I think of the site owners who maybe had no formal training, but built something meaningful with Joomla, something that’s serving their community or their business every single day.

The web is filled with billions of pages. Most are ephemeral. But when I find a Joomla site, I see a bit of continuity. A bit of history. A bit of us.

That’s the magic. That’s the joy.

It’s not ego. It’s a quiet pride. The kind that comes from knowing that something you helped build, something born from a community’s shared values, continues to power creativity, connection, and purpose across the world.

And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.