Recently, I had the opportunity to help a colleague teach teens Joomla! It was a great experience, being able to share with newbies what Joomla can do.  Below is the write-up that appeared in the July 2020 edition of the Joomla Community Magazine.

So what do you do when the state of New Jersey is on quarantine, and 15 teens want to learn web? You teach them Joomla!

At the 2017 JoomlaDay Chicago event during the welcome address, I shared with the attendees a bit about the interns we’ve had the pleasure of working with. I also mentioned that I would like to do more, perhaps at the community college level. I wanted to help others understand the power of a CMS, especially one like Joomla.   

Well, since then an amazing opportunity fell into my lap, the chance to be an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University in the Chicago Loop. The subject is Content Management Systems.  While all the students will walk away with a strong sense of how much I love working with Joomla, they will also walk away (hopefully) with knowledge of how to evaluate and select the right tool for the right job - in this case the right CMS for the content that will be presented. 

Wednesday, November 8th is the Extensions We're Thankful For meeting at Joomla User Group Chicago North or JUGCN.  This is one of my favorite meetings.  It's a chance for everyone to chime in on the extensions that have made their site development easier.  There are of course some that are included year after year such as AkeebaBackup and RSForms, but it is also a chance to discover new extensions.  With nearly 8,000 (7,948 the last time I looked at extensions.joomla.org) there is bound to be an undiscovered gem of a favorite.  

Check out the 2016 Favorite Extensions, share yours and join us Wednesday, November 8th at 11 am online or in-person (we provide lunch and great conversation) to go over this year's 2017 Joomla Extensions We're Thankful For.

It was a GREAT day at this year's JoomlaDay Chicago.  The temps were over 90 degrees, a rarity in Chicago, especially in September.  This year the event was at a new home, DePaul University O'Hare Campus.  The staff was very nice and worked with us to create the event.  A quick recap of the event can be found in the October issue of Joomla Magazine.  There presentations and photos are available on joomladaychicago.com. I'm already looking forward to the next one which will be in 2019.

Check out the JoomlaDay Chicago 2017 Recap

September 6th is Read a Book Day. 

One well-known thing about me is my love of reading.  I read anything I can get my hands on.  I get that from my parents who are voracious readers themselves.  Reading is a great way to keep on top of trends or changes in the industry as well as escaping for a couple of hours.  I’m currently in the middle of reading two books, Joomla 3 Explained and Beach Lawyer.  You may recognize the first title.  A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a contest to win the book with the winner being pulled from those who registered for JoomlaDay Chicago.  The contest came from my reading the book and finding it helpful as it reminded me of the power that core Joomla!, without a lot a of extensions or plugins, can be. It is also great prep for the certification exam.

At least twice a week I'm posed the question "Why use Joomla!?"  Ok, really that's the follow up question to "Do you develop WordPress sites?"  While the correct answer is that I use the technology most appropriate to the task, it is true that more times than not, I use Joomla!.

So by now hopefully have heard that JoomlaDay Chicago 2015 is coming September 19th to the Donald E. Stephens Center.  This is a great event to connect with open source technology enthusiasts, both in the area and beyond.  The event includes many sessions on Joomla! (obviously) but also information that is helpful no matter the technology.  2015 marks the 4th time this event has been held in Chicago and I can tell you it is truly a labor of love to put this event together.  

The team behind this event has been working hard to bring to you some of the top speakers around.  Last year's event included David Hurley (WebSpark and joomla.org), Michael Babker (Joomla.org), Steven Pignataro ('corePHP'), and many more.  This year's event is shaping up to be just as spectacular.

The saying is New Year, New You.  What about New Year, New Joomla! Site?  Dec 31st not only marked the end of 2014 but also marked the end of support for Joomla! 2.5. For those keeping up with updates, there was a reminder in the administrator panel so you would not forget. While unpleasant flashbacks of the experience migrating from 1.5 to 2.5 gripped some. Others were in denial and disbelieve that a migration is needed.  I, however, looked at it with cautious optimism.  While my experience from 1.5 to 2.5 was far from a piece of cake, I’d been following the development and thought perhaps things would be different for the migration to 3.x and you know what?  I was right.  

This year, I had the privilege of working with the volunteers for the JoomlaDay Chicago event held August 9th at the Microsoft Technology Center in the AON Center building in downtown Chicago.  It was also my first time attending.  Going into the event I didn’t know what to expect and I have to admit I was a little awestruck.  I have been using Joomla for many years and a lot of the speakers and guests were names I’ve seen over and over on whitepapers, articles, extensions, etc.  To see them in-person was a little surreal.  

If you want to know why Joomla! is a favorite Content Management System (CMS) attend JoomlaDay Chicago hosted at the Microsoft Technology Center, located in the Aon Building at the north end of Grant Park in downtown Chicago.  JoomlaDay Chicago is Saturday, August 9th, a full day of Joomla! discussion, panels and presentations from top Joomla experts and community leaders.  

It is a great why to get acquainted with what Joomla! can do and meet a great bunch of people, local and beyond.  This event is brought together by a group of passionate volunteers and brings together all levels from newbies to experts.  

Fun Fact Friday - Joomla! is the only non-corporate backed community driven CMS

Yup, it’s true!  Joomla! is the only non-corporate backed community driven content management system (CMS).  This and other fun facts about the popular CMS were shared at this month’s JoomlaChicago North User Group meeting held at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine, IL on Wednesday, July 9th.  This group of Joomla! enthusiasts, newbies, users, and experts meets on the second Wednesday of each month to share and connect with all things in and around Joomla!  The topics vary by month and are listed on the JoomlaChicago website.  Sign-up is available to join the nearly 600 subscribers who receive meeting information not only for the JoomlaChicago North group but the sister group in the Loop as well in the email newsletter.  If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them, as I have recently undertaken the privilege of coordinating the monthly meetings for the JoomlaChicago North User Group, with lunch generously sponsored by Aluent Group.