Meet NorrNext. Dmitrijs Rekuns (developer)

We are starting a cycle of articles about Joomla volunteers and enthusiasts from around the world — to show the diversity of cultures, how Joomla is represented in different regions, and the people behind it. This interview with Dmitrijs Rekuns was originally given for the Russian JoomlaPortal.ru, and we thought it was a good idea to create an English version and introduce the NorrNext team. The questions were asked by Sergey Tolkachyov. Let's start!

My main profession is in the banking sector, while Joomla began as a hobby — but today it’s much more. I’m involved in developing extensions at NorrNext, a team founded in 2015 (we’re already 10 years old!). Our extensions are used worldwide, and we strive for high quality, swift community responses, and regular updates. Among our most notable products are NorrCompetition (a contest system with voting), along with payment plugins for VirtueMart and Phoca Cart.

I’ve been using Joomla since 2007. I started with Joomla 1.0, using it as the foundation for a gaming community site I developed and maintained. I originally considered WordPress but found it limiting for my needs. On the first version of the site I used: the Content component for news, Fireboard for forums, Remository for file management, Datso Gallery for image galleries, and MamBlog for blogging.

That same year, I joined joomlaforum.ru and have been active there ever since — helping people solve issues, answering questions, and moderating the forum. Over 7,000 messages speak for themselves :-)

In 2009, I began learning Joomla development (hello, Joomla 1.5 era). During that time, I created many small but useful extensions for the aforementioned gaming site. Since 2011, I've been focusing more on developing a variety of extensions.

In the summer of 2012, I joined CMScafe.ru (formerly Joomlablog.ru) to share my development experience with a wider audience. This resource established itself as one of the most competent platforms in the Russian-speaking Joomla community, providing up-to-date information about the Joomla project, development, and translations of the most interesting articles on Joomla.

In 2013, I began contributing to the Joomla! Issue Tracking Application. My first commit is dated April 30, 2013 — a total of 180 commits and 20,000 lines. The result was issues.joomla.org.

That same year, 2013, I was among the first Joomla enthusiasts who tried to promote Joomla on the Stack Exchange platform. We worked hard and achieved our goal. Today, Joomla is represented at joomla.stackexchange.com.

The year 2014 started with me serving as one of the two mentors for the Joomla! Issue Tracking Application project within Google Summer of Code. The project turned out to be a success and significantly improved the application.

In 2014 and 2015, I took part in the J and Beyond conference as one of the winners of the JET program (Joomla Event Travel). This was an incredible experience for me. Moreover, meeting other Joomla developers in real life was a truly delightful thing :-)

At present, I am quite active in the Russian-speaking Joomla community: I support localization, write technical documentation for developers, prepare marketing materials (news on joomlaportal.ru), visit joomlaforum.ru, try to provide assistance in Telegram groups “Joomla in Russian” and “Joomla for Professionals”, and I am the author of the English-speaking group “Joomla for Professionals”.

Congratulating Joomla on its 20th anniversary is like congratulating an old, reliable friend with whom you’ve gone through fire, water, and dozens of releases. :)

Joomla is not just a CMS. It is a community, the idea of open source, a platform that from the very beginning was built on the principles of freedom, flexibility, and accessibility. Over 20 years it has witnessed the rapid growth of the web, multiple technological shifts, and changing trends — and yet it has remained true to itself and its users.

For me, Joomla is not only a tool but also a part of life. It is an opportunity to share knowledge, to create something useful and beautiful. Thanks to Joomla, I have met amazing people, taken part in global initiatives, and been able to contribute to the development of the project.

Just saying “thank you” is not enough. Joomla has given many of us far more than just code. It has taught us teamwork, systematic thinking, and respect for everyone’s contribution. And I hope it has many more years of growth, inspiration, and new achievements ahead.

Happy Birthday, Joomla! Long live the next 20 years!