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Where Next for Joomla development?
19.11.10
With Joomla 1.6 nearing completion the thoughts of many have been turning to "the next step":
- What features would you like to see in the next version?
- Where do you see Joomla heading over the next release cycle and beyond?
- What do you think Joomla should look like over the next several iterations? And so on.
There are two extremes on the scale of viewpoints about how open source projects should be run. At one extreme, we have the "benevolent dictator" approach where a single leader decides, in isolation, what will be incorporated into the codebase and what will not. At the opposite extreme, we have a project where all decisions are taken in the democratic tradition of a majority vote.
Of course, Joomla has never been, nor should it ever be, at either of these extremes. But it's fair to say that the gradual evolution of the project has seen us move further from the dictatorial towards the democratic end of the spectrum. We have always sought to be a community-led project; our leadership teams are drawn from the community and as leaders, we manage the project on behalf of the community. There is no large corporation or individual dictator with an overwhelming influence on us and the commercial prosperity of the Joomla ecosystem is in large part due to the decentralised, non-profit nature of the organisation.
So how should we steer the future development of the software that we create? Over the 5 years or so since the project's inception, we have been systematically lowering barriers to participation and today we are launching a new process for gathering suggestions for future versions of Joomla that will make it even easier for members of our global community to help shape the future development of the software. This new process comes in two parts, the first of which is aimed at collecting ideas for new features and assessing their popularity through a voting system, while the second is a formal procedure for monitoring and tracking feature suggestions.
New ideas come from many places and can come from anyone in the community. We like to use the Google Group mailing lists for the CMS since it's a great place to brainstorm, but the Joomla People site also works well; or indeed anywhere Joomla folks congregate. The Joomla Idea Pool (JIP), which is based on UserVoice, is a way for anyone in the community to make their voice heard and help set priorities. Each user has ten votes to cast on the various ideas, which will help make clear what future features the community really wants.
It is important to understand that not all features will be added to Joomla. This may happen for a number of reasons. For example, there may be a great feature proposed but either nobody volunteers to take it on, or the PLT decides it is better implemented as a separate extension rather than part of the core CMS or Platform. Our hope is that many or all of the most popular features on the JIP will have a strong chance of attracting energetic development talent to complete them. Once a feature has moved to the implementation stage, it starts its journey along the second part of our new process by getting added to the Joomla Feature Tracker.
The Joomla Feature Tracker (JFT) is the team's way of tracking the progress of a feature and encouraging more collaboration during development. Once an idea has reached the point where it has some level of support and is ready for more serious discussion, or even coding, then it can and should be added to the JFT. This allows it to be tracked more easily and acts as a focal point for activity regarding a new feature. There is more detailed explanation of how items will be moved through the JFT process on the Joomla Developer Network site.
To get this new process started the PLT has seeded the JIP with the feature suggestions that we discussed at the San Jose Summit and which together comprise our vision for the next Joomla release. You can read our vision statement in an announcement on the main joomla.org site.
So, for those asking the question "where next for Joomla development?", we say remember what Alan Kay famously said:
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
So get on over to the Joomla Idea Pool now and help us invent the future of Joomla.
Brian Clark and Jon Morrow over at Copyblogger just released an interesting free 31 page report about outsour [...]
Joomla Project coordinator Wilco Jansen recently updated the Joomlaverse about the status of Joomla 1.6, the next version of Joomla. Joomla 1.6 is expected later in 2009, but is currently in pre-alpha stage.
Writing on the Joomla Project's Coordinator Blog, Jansen takes the reader through the thought process and development roadmap for Joomla 1.6. He outlines the updated list of features
that are certain to be in this next version of Joomla, including more
granula access control lev [...]
During the past years the amount of Joomla community channels grown substantially. New ideas were developed and many of them came with a new subsite somewhere in the joomla.org family of sites. Today actual Joomla information can be found on many places, you possible need to visit several sites to keep yourself up to date, maybe too many meanwhile...? And are all these subsites still needed and relevant? Or do we need to combine them in a new improved channel that fit all our needs?
Doing Keyword research and Using the right tools to get the keyword information you need is essential if you want to build a successful website. Keyword Research Keywords are the most essential part of website creation, especially if you want your website to out perform your competitors. And Since you are here reading this Blog, you must be [...]
You are reading a post from: Joomla SEO Blog by PathosSeoBlog.com
How To do Keyword Research to Build a Keyword List
Incase you didn't catch the heads-up on joomla.org yesterday - a new security patch for and full version of Joomla 1.5x has been released.
Apparently a bug in 1.5.5 was allowing unscrupulous fellows to change people's login passwords... which is quite a big deal in my book. Typically the error is reported to leave the main site admin account open to editing! You can read more on this issue in the Joomla Developer Blog .
Security bugs are always a little scary but one thing to note with Joomla in general is that the loopholes always get closed very quickly - in fact, when you cruise through the Joomla forums its hard to find many posts reporting sites being hacked due to security flaws in Joomla core.
I recommend upgrading your Joomla 1.5.x site immediately to 1.5.6 - there are simple patches available on joomlacode.org (scroll down to the 1.5.6 upgrades section) which you can download and just upload on top of your current install; a process which takes just a couple of minutes.
After just having a chat with my brother about the growth of Joomla usage, and overall size/scope of Joomla's user-base I came across the following screenshot which Johan posted on flickr :
Yesterday, a number of media outlets reported on the release of the latest product from Adobe, Adobe Muse. This is a new WYSIWYG editor, which claims to allow creating and editing websites without knowledge of code. (Yes, just like Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage and other tools you may know about.) But before talking about Muse, let's talk about its target audience — print designers who build websites.
This new project will bring some blogposts that will suite as a Case Study for building a Search Engine Optimized website with Joomla 1.5.x or any other CMS as well...
Post from: Joomla SEO Blog by Pathos-Seo.com
September has been Joomlashack's BIGGEST, busiest and most successful month so far in its 5-year history. It's our customers have made us so successful and we want to thank you all!
In appreciation of our wonderful customers, we'd like to extend a discount voucher coupon code for 15%-OFF EVERYTHING at Joomlashack this week; good until Friday, Oct 1 at 11:59 pm EST.
Go ahead and load your cart up; enter this coupon code at the checkout, and your 15% off discount will be instantly calculated: 15OFFJS
Joomla with its standard well thought out structure will give you a perfect platform to get your keyword clusters together and boost your website into the search engine ranking of your main keyword, just read here on how to set things right...You are reading a post from: Joomla SEO Blog by PathosSeoBlog.com
How to Optimize your Joomla site with Keywords | Joomla Keywords
Joomla 1.6 and 1.7 introduced some new features regarding search, which may be helpful to you when building websites. From now through Thursday night, you'll save 20% on both of the Developer Template Clubs at Joomlashack, thats $119 off their Lifetime Dev Club Membership. For 3-Days-only, you can get..
Last week at Simplweb we blogged about adding module positions to your offline page to make the content more useful and to add a Mailchimp signup form. The technique was being used at the Waterbury Vet Hospital, a new veterinary clinic in Waterbury Vermont.
The domain for this site was only purchased 8 days ago, but using these techniques and a Joomla powered website from Simplweb, the customer's site, www.waterburyvethospital.com, is already ranking #5 in Google!
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The Only Joomla Template Club with Lifetime Access
15.10.09
The driving mission of Joomlashack is to provide high quality professional Joomla templates at affordable prices.
Today we are changing the landscape of how template clubs are offered. We are combining the lifetime updates of our regular templates with the unlimited domains of our developer club.
Our Professional Joomla Developer Club now is lifetime access!!
SourceSetting up a Joomla 1.5 website The Case Study
09.05.09
This new project will bring some blogposts that will suite as a Case Study for building a Search Engine Optimized website with Joomla 1.5.x or any other CMS as well...
Post from: Joomla SEO Blog by Pathos-Seo.com
SourceMarlboro Marketing Class Websites
08.07.09
A few months ago I posted about a new Web 2.0 Marketing with Joomla Graduate Course I was going to teach with Jen Kramer McKibben at the Marlboro Graduate School.
Student assignments have included doing keyword research, optimizing their sites for Google, implementing link building campaigns and developing on line advertising plans.
We have 24 students in the class, and I'd thought I take a quick opportunity to show you some of the websites that are being worked on:
D[...] SourceOpen Source Matters at JandBeyond
21.05.11
Left to right: Phil Locke, Robert Deutz, Alice Grevet, Jacques Rentzke, Javier Gómez, Marijke Stuivenberg, Andy Tarr, Ryan Ozimek, Dianne Henning. Attending JAB but not in the photo: Paul Orwig
From May 6 - 8 in Kerkrade, The Netherlands, 220 Joomla! community members gathered at the unforgettable JandBeyond conference. Among them were 10 members of the Board of Open Source Matters (OSM). We came as community members to connect, network, and meet again or for the first time many of the people who make the Joomla! Open Source project such an exciting place to be.
The large turnout of OSM members allowed us to share experiences and goals as a group with the attendees, and to talk as a group about impressions and lessons learned from this event. I think everyone will agree that JandBeyond was an invaluable experience in every way!
A high point for all of us was standing together during Ryan's well-attended "State of OSM" session. After he presented achievements from the past year, various members shared OSM goals for 2011.
The goals included increased revenue sources, a new online shop, trademark team streamlining and improvements, upcoming conferences, a Joomla! Supporters club, PR and awareness initiatives, and the simplification and documentation of processes. The presentation was followed by questions from the community about revenue spending and leadership dynamics.
The following is a summary of the question and answer time:
Community: What is the purpose of raising money? What are the plans for that money?
OSM: We want a cushion so that when good ideas come up we will be able to respond in a timely manner. We want to be able to enact good ideas coming out of the community.
Community: Some ideas for the spending of increased revenue:
A Summer of Code funded by Joomla
Getting all of OSM, CLT, and PLT together in one place for the world community to talk about the goals of Joomla
Pay a consulting firm to do an analysis for security and performance
Give a portion of surplus to charity. (OSM: We donated money to SFLC this year)
Do a targeted prize contest with specific requirements with a cash prize to the winner
Community: Would you consider contracting paid development work again?
OSM: We would not do it the way it was done before. If we do consider it again, it would be only for a very specific task.
Community: Congratulations on your structure and leadership but who is going to influence the other parts of the leadership?
OSM: We can use leadership by example. There are processes being put into place that give opportunities to understand, influence and encourage. There will also be a joint summit in July.
Community: There is a perception that OSM can give active guidance.
OSM: It’s not OSM’s role to be the teacher and the others to be students. We can only lead by example. The theme of the weekend is community. The community has to come together and work together.
Community: The community feels excluded.
OSM: The leadership is working on getting better communications and clearer channels.
Community: OSM went through organizational training but what about the other teams? Did they get anything from that? It should be that if you are going to be a part of the leadership then you should have professional development.
OSM: OSM was fortunate to be offered a training opportunity. Gunner will be working with leadership skills at the summits.
Community: The way the groups are growing is positive because it spreads out the work and reduces the perception of cronyism. It would be good to see that happening with the CoC.
A common theme that we all came away with was appreciating the chance to interact with so many community members and to listen and be heard.
It was a privilege also to have Louis Landry attend from the Production Leadership Team (PLT). He made himself available to talk at length with many attendees. There was much positive feedback about interaction between the community and the leadership throughout the weekend.
An energizing spirit of innovation, passion, communication and respect characterized this event.
The State of OSM Address - Ryan Ozimek from jandbeyond on Vimeo.
To post a comment on this article please visit the thread on the J!People site: http://people.joomla.org/groups/viewdiscussion/1198-Open+Source+Matters+at+JandBeyond.html?groupid=579
Joomla Users Donate to Doctor's Without Borders
15.01.10
Back in November, Joomlashack was preparing for its annual Charity Contest, we saw that an effort had started to raise donations from the Joomla community for Doctor's without borders. We decided to match $1000 in donations from Joomla users! We are excited to say that the Joomla community has been able to match our donation and last week we donated our $1000 to Doctor's without Borders. If you'd like to start out 2010 with helping 200 children with a high energy meal, head over and donate just $35 right now!
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