The Joomlashack Blog
Joomla User Survey early results
- Written by Tom Elliott Tom Elliott
- Published: 11 November 2009 11 November 2009
It's early yet, but the early results from the Joomlashack 2009 Joomla User Survey are already sparking conversation about who uses Joomla, and how.
Launched 10 days ago, the Joomla User Survey has already received more than 1,000 responses, yielding a rich pile of data about many important Joomla-related questions, including:
- How Joomla users view GPL vs Non-GPL Extensions
- How Joomla security and bug releases are perceived and handled
- Usage of free vs commercial templates
And many more questions. Read on to hear some early results and to comment on the survey!
Haven't taken the survey yet? Want to be entered to win over $1,000 in prizes! Then take the survey!
Joomlashack to Match your Charitable Donation
- Written by Tom Elliott Tom Elliott
- Published: 11 November 2009 11 November 2009
Joomlashack's annual holiday charitable campaign is back with a new twist: We'll match your donations!
For the fourth year, Joomlashack is rallying our community to support a worthy charity during the holiday season.
This year we're supporting the important humanitarian efforts of Doctors without Borders (aka Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF.)
For every dollar contributed by our community, Joomlashack will match up to a total of $1,000. Other partners may match even more!
What is Médecins Sans Frontières?
An Introduction to Joomla Security
- Written by Tom Canavan Tom Canavan
- Published: 05 November 2009 05 November 2009
As a security guy, I get asked frequently about Joomla, and if it's secure. I start to answer, and am always interrupted with something along the lines of:
"..I know it's not, I just want to know how insecure it is.."
As if security is measured on a 1 to 10 scale..Security is not a scale, but a total philosophy, a set of tools and actions. Yes, it can be measured, but taking Joomla and singling it out is foolish. Looking at Joomla as part of your total site security makeup IS the right answer. You must measure security holistically. Any part of your security that is weak,weakens the entire infrastructure.
So how do you answer it? To begin with, Joomla is only as secure as the platform it is on, the extensions installed on it and the proper safeguards that are put in place. In fact, many times if a Joomla site is hacked, it could be any number of things. But here's the part that is hard for some to swallow...It's not typically Joomla's fault. it's many times the administrators fault for failing in some basic areas. Now to be fair to the admin, security is an entire practice itself, and in this article I will lay out some basic concepts both Joomla and non-joomla to help you understand how to secure your site.
Joomla Security Primer
- Written by Tom Cannan Tom Cannan
- Published: 05 November 2009 05 November 2009
As a security guy, I get asked frequently about Joomla, and if it's secure. I start to answer, and am always interrupted with something along the lines of:
"..I know it's not, I just want to know how insecure it is.."
As if security is measured on a 1 to 10 scale..Security is not a scale, but a total philosophy, a set of tools and actions. Yes, it can be measured, but taking Joomla and singling it out is foolish. Looking at Joomla as part of your total site security makeup IS the right answer. You must measure security holistically. Any part of your security that is weak,weakens the entire infrastructure.
So how do you answer it? To begin with, Joomla is only as secure as the platform it is on, the extensions installed on it and the proper safeguards that are put in place. In fact, many times if a Joomla site is hacked, it could be any number of things. But here's the part that is hard for some to swallow...It's not typically Joomla's fault. it's many times the administrators fault for failing in some basic areas. Now to be fair to the admin, security is an entire practice itself, and in this article I will lay out some basic concepts both Joomla and non-joomla to help you understand how to secure your site.
How To Make Multiple Page Layouts Easily
- Written by James Hafner James Hafner
- Published: 04 November 2009 04 November 2009
This How To article piggy-backs off one of the recent articles, How To Change the Layout on the Frontpage. In that How To we discussed how changing a few parameters in the frontpage menu item could totally change the look and format of the frontpage. This How To will show you how Joomla! makes it just as easy to do the same thing on other pages as well.
How To Find Available Attributes for Parameter Elements
- Written by James Hafner James Hafner
- Published: 03 November 2009 03 November 2009
This how-to is aimed more at Joomla! developers than our beginner or intermediate Joomla! user crowd. When creating an extension (module, component, plugin, or template), it's often necessary to give users the ability to choose custom settings by giving them Parameter options. Interacting with parameters will be for another How-To, but today I want to show you how to find the available attributes for a particular parameter element.
Read more: How To Find Available Attributes for Parameter Elements
JomSocial 1.5 the must have Joomla extension
- Written by Tom Elliott Tom Elliott
- Published: 02 November 2009 02 November 2009
JomSocial is quickly becoming a "have to have" extension for Joomla 1.5.
In a time when "social networks"are becoming what we think of as "websites," JomSocial is a huge opportunity for almost any Joomla website owner.
When we first started experimenting with JomSocial almost a year ago, we were impressed with the potential of building your own social network inside your existing Joomla site. It seemed to us that Azrul and his talented team had developed something very cool, and very useful, that would really blossom over time.
Now, the flower has fruited, and JomSocial has really arrived.
Take the 3rd Annual Joomlashack Joomla Survey
- Written by Barrie North Barrie North
- Published: 30 October 2009 30 October 2009
Over the last couple of years, we have been conducting a survey about the scope and features of the Joomla community. Over 7,000 people have completed the our survey over the last few years, and this year we want to make it the biggest ever.
Complete our survey and you'll be entered to win prizes!
- Grand prize winner: Our new lifetime Developer club - $399 value
- First Prize: Three $100 gift certificates to Amazon.com
- Second Prize: Three Joomlashack University spots
- Third Prize: Five template giveaways
- Bonus prize: 3,000 person to take the survey, also a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate
Head to our survey now and tell us about how you use Joomla!
Joomlashack University matriculates full charter class
- Written by Tom Elliott Tom Elliott
- Published: 27 October 2009 27 October 2009
The much anticipated launch of our interactive learning environment for Beginner Joomla, Joomlashack University, did not disappoint last week. In less than 24 hours we sold out all 100 seats in the inaugural Shack U class of October 2009- and then some!
Joomlashack University is our attempt to make learning Joomla online a fun, interactive, affordable, and "at your own pace" experience. Instructors Forest Linden and Barrie North are guiding the first class through the very basics of getting a Joomla website installed, set up, and built with compelling content.
Read more: Joomlashack University matriculates full charter class
New Online Joomla Training Course
- Written by Barrie North Barrie North
- Published: 07 October 2009 07 October 2009
Since 2005 Joomlashack has been a leader in Joomla education. Hundreds of thousands have read our original free joomla tutorials, and many have taken our live classes, or attended our sessions at Joomla events. But one question we keep getting asked is:
"So when can I take an online Joomla training class?"
We are excited to start lifting the wraps off a project that has been in development for a while, an online Joomla training course we are calling Joomlashack University.