Joomla in Faces. Nadja Lamisch (former Joomla treasurer)

I didn’t plan to contribute at first, it just happened gradually. My first step was helping with the backend template for Joomla 4 when someone asked me if I could support the project.

From there, more opportunities came along, and in the Summer of 2022, I even took on the role of treasurer for Open-Source Matters. That was a big responsibility and a great experience. My term has ended now, and I’m currently looking for new areas where I can help.

Why do I contribute? There are several reasons. First, I really enjoy the Joomla community. Over the years, I’ve met so many amazing people, and some have become close friends. Second, Joomla is the system I use to earn my living, and it’s free of license fees. To keep it strong and reliable, it needs people who care for it—and I want to be one of them. Third, contributing gives you deep insights into Joomla. You learn things that are useful for your daily work, and you have the chance to help shape the future of the system.

At the beginning, it was really challenging. There was almost no handover, so I had to figure everything out on my own. Luckily, the president, Robert Deutz, supported me during that time. One of the hardest parts was getting access to the bank account—it took a lot of effort and coordination.

Because of that experience, it’s very important to me to train my successor properly and to support them during their first steps. I want to make sure they don’t face the same difficulties I had.

My main advice is to start planning as early as possible. For example, we began organizing the next JoomlaDay even before this year’s event had taken place. Early planning gives you enough time to secure a venue, coordinate speakers, and handle all the details without stress.

Create a clear timeline and think about what needs to be done and when. A structured plan is essential to keep everything on track.

If it’s your first JoomlaDay, it’s a great idea to reach out to experienced organizers for advice. They have valuable experience and can share tips that help you avoid common mistakes and make the process much smoother.

In my opinion, JoomlaDay and JUG events unfortunately don’t attract as many new people as we would like. Most of the participants are long-time Joomla enthusiasts who return year after year. For many of them, it’s about meeting the community again, catching up with friends, and enjoying the familiar atmosphere. And honestly, that’s one of the things that makes Joomla special—the strong sense of community and connection.

I believe JoomlaDay is something you really have to experience to understand. It’s not just about presentations or workshops; it’s about the people, the conversations, and the feeling of being part of something bigger. Every year, we put effort into reaching new attendees, and we’re always happy to welcome anyone who joins us. But it’s a challenge to break out of this “closed loop” and bring fresh faces into the community. Still, we keep trying because we know how valuable these events can be for anyone starting with Joomla.

Yes, there is definitely room for improvement. One of the biggest challenges is that we need more volunteers. Joomla relies heavily on people who contribute their time and skills, and without enough active contributors, it’s hard to keep up with all the tasks and new developments.

Another important point is visibility. Joomla needs to become better known outside the existing community. Many people don’t even know what Joomla is or what it can do, and that limits growth. If we manage to raise awareness—through marketing, social media, and partnerships—we can attract new users and, hopefully, new volunteers.

Both aspects go hand in hand: the more people know about Joomla, the more likely we are to find motivated contributors. This is essential for the future of the project and for keeping Joomla strong and innovative.

That’s a really good question, and honestly, I’ve been thinking about it for years. Unfortunately, there’s no simple solution yet.

I think the key is to make contributing as simple and welcoming as possible—clear onboarding, small tasks for beginners, and good communication. And of course, Joomla needs more visibility so that people even know the platform exists and feel motivated to join.

In short: more volunteers and better support for them would make a huge difference.

One of the biggest advantages of Joomla is the flexibility it offers, even with the core functions alone. Features like custom fields and template overrides give you incredible possibilities to adapt a website exactly to your needs—almost anything is possible without installing dozens of extensions.

At the same time, despite all these options, the backend remains clear and well-structured. It’s easy to navigate and doesn’t feel overwhelming, which makes working with Joomla efficient and pleasant. This combination of flexibility and usability is something I really appreciate.

I think one of the most important things is to make Joomla more visible again. Over the years, the platform has lost some of its presence compared to other systems, and that affects growth. If we manage to increase visibility—through marketing, social media, and showing what Joomla can do—we will also attract more volunteers, which is essential for the project.

Another point is to clearly highlight Joomla’s strengths. Accessibility is a big advantage that sets Joomla apart from many other CMS solutions. It’s something we should communicate more strongly, along with the flexibility and customization options Joomla offers.

Turning 20 is a huge milestone for Joomla, and I think it’s something to be really proud of. Staying relevant and strong in the fast-changing web world for two decades is not easy. It shows the power of open source and the commitment of the community behind Joomla.

I’m excited to see what the next 20 years will bring and how Joomla will continue to grow and adapt.