If you are using Google's Search Engine Console (and you should be), Google announced the release of the new interface out of beta. The interface looks similar to the changes in Google Ads (formally AdWords). The new Search Console brings with it some new features, they are:Sixteen months of search traffic data, versus three months in the old productDetailed information ab...

We hope that you have a great long weekend, this Labor Day holiday.  The office will re-open on Tuesday, September 4th. 

Joomla 3.8.12 is now available. This is a security release for the 3.x series of Joomla which addresses 3 security vulnerabilities and contains over 20 bug fixes and improvements.

Today marks the 13th birthday of Joomla!  I personally have been using it for 10 years.  Wow!  Just saying that (or writing it) just seems unreal, like I just started yesterday.  I found Joomla on accident looking for a simple to use, but flexible, system for a non-profit that I was donating my time to.  They want to create a stronger web presence ...

For more information on Joomla, a top Content Management System (CMS), go to: joomla.org To see our mentors and find out more information, go to: joomlacampchicago.com Are you a Joomler and want to interact with like minded individuals, or are you interested in becoming one?  JoomlaCamp Chicago is the place for both. Maybe you're wondering what Joomla! is. Joomla...

For many years, I've worked with InfoPath and SharePoint Designer to build systems and processes for clients that use SharePoint, a web-based collaboration tool that is integrated into Microsoft Office, for their customer relationship management system and project management repository.  In the last couple of years, it has been transitioning to SharePoint Online ...

Tonight in downtown Arlington Heights is Flamingo Friday! An event ideal for getting together and strolling through the local shops. It's a great chance to get to know the owners and see all that they offer. In addition to getting reacquainted with businesses that have been here awhile, it's also a great time to be introduced to new ones such as Sedona by Manzano Jewelers....

For the past several years we've had the privilege of providing our services to Palatine-based non-profit organization, The Bridge Youth & Family Services, for their annual golf fundraiser.  This event helps The Bridge raise funds to provide services to children and their families, regardless of their ability to pay, to keep them happy, he...

Following the release of Joomla 4.0 Alpha 3, the Joomla 4 Working Group has published below a status update on the anticipated release of Joomla 4.

The Joomla Project and CloudAccess.net are equally excited to announce the launch of launch.joomla.org, the brand new platform to launch a free Joomla website and test upcoming releases to support the project by helping make our CMS the best it can be.

Google announced new AdWords features today at SMX which are all designed around two things: increasing sales and measuring results.

There’s new innovations for local advertisers, brick and mortar retailers, as well a new feature that all advertisers will be able to take advantage of.

​This Wednesday, June 13th we will be presenting at Joomla User Group Chicago North or JUGCN.  The topic is CALENDAR BATTLE.  This session was inspired by the questions we receive from clients regarding the different calendar extensions for Joomla!  We looked quite a few and thought others might benefit from our work.  There are some favorites like RSEv...

image credit: Search Engine Land

Google has announced that the Google My Business Agency Dashboard is launching today. We had heard that this feature was coming a month ago, and now it is live.  

Read more on Search Engine Land

​In honor of the Memorial Day Holiday, our office will be closed on Monday, May 28th.

Joomla 3.8.8 is now available. This is a security release which addresses 9 security vulnerabilities, contains over 50 bug fixes, and includes various security related improvements.

image credit: MailChimp.org

MailChimp's new Data Protection Officer introduces new MailChimp tools to help prepare for the GDPR.

As you most probably know, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will enter into force on 25 May, 2018.
Joomla, listening to its users, intends to integrate a Privacy Tool Suite in the Joomla CMS to facilitate the compliance of your sites and to make developers’ life easier to get their extensions compliant.

During National Small Business Week, April 29-May 5, 2018, the U.S. Small Business Administration(SBA) shines a spotlight on our nation's 30 million small businesses. Through community events across the country, we honor entrepreneurs whose achievements over the past year stand out. National Small Business Week includes in-person events, an educational virtual conference o...

Siteground, our preferred hosting company, held a webinar on how they are preparing for GDPR. Here's the webinar and the Q&A.

Joomla 3.8.7 is now available. This is a bug fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla including over 70 bug fixes and improvements. Click here for more information

The 8th Annual Palatine Paints the Town Green is this Saturday, March 17th in downtown Palatine.  The Parade kicks off at 11a.m.  The festivities begin at the Irish market under the tent outside of Durty Nellie's at 180 North Smith Street in downtown Palatine from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.  New this year is a scavenger hunt through the town.  It's a great...

Joomla 3.8.6 is now available. This is a security fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla addressing one security vulnerability in the user notes. and including over 60 bug fixes and improvements.  Click here for more information

 The December issue of Joomla Magazine included a look at the web design trends for this year.  Recently, I went back to the list looking for inspiration for a site we're working on.  Take a look at the list put together by Jason Nickerson, a Joomla powerhouse.  Two designs trends that brought me back were the hamburger less navigation and the mobi...

Joomla 3.8.4 was released today.  This new version is a security release which addresses four security vulnerabilities and includes over 100 bug fixes and improvements. While these security vulnerabilities are listed as Low.  It is still a good idea to update your site.You can read the announcement here and/or visit GitHub for the full list of bug fixes

 At the first meeting of JUGCN (Joomla User Group Chicago North), this question came up, "What's a Sprite?"   A Sprite is not a clear, cool refreshing drink.  It is a large image that combines all images into one.   Why would you want to do this?  When your looking at improving performance, this may be an option. How do you use it? To show the...

 Our office is closed today, for assistance contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Image Credit: tharun15 / 123RF Stock Photo

RSJoomla has a major release of one of our favorite extensions - RSFormsPro! 2.0. I'm excited to check out the new features.  If you've been following us for awhile or attended our Joomla User Group Chicago North (JUGCN) Favorite Extensions session, you know that RSFormsPro makes the list regularly for adding forms to Joomla! websites.  

Check out their blog post on the changes.  We will be trying it out soon.  If you've tried it, let us know your thoughts.

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. 

Wishing you great success in the coming year.  Happy New Year from all of us here at Danico.

Happy Holidays!  May the season bring you peace, joy and happiness.  

You may have heard that on December 15th, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) voted to repeal Net Neutrality. If you are unclear what Net Neutrality and what it means to you, this Fortune Magazine article, Net Neutrality Explained: What It Means (and Why It Matters) is a great place to start.  

As someone who depends on the internet for my livelihood, I'm watching these events very closely.  Having been was once affected by throttling, prior to the 2015 changes, I worry that I will be affected once again, probably worse than before.

This year we are witnessing a steady growth in the number of extensions, and the JED has surpassed the 8K mark. Find extensions for your Joomla site in the Joomla Extensions Directory, the official directory for Joomla components, modules and plugins.

Joomla 3.8.3 is now available. This is a bug fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla which includes over 60 bug fixes and improvements.

Joomla!, one of the leading Content Management Systems (CMS) and SiteLock, a leader in site security are partnering "to expose our users to the fast, affordable website vulnerability detection, automatic malware removal and threat prevention service that SiteLock offers."

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.

HubSpot CTO Dharmesh Shah gave a Keynote Address at #INBOUND2017 and in it he recounted meeting Elon Musk (I'm a big fan!).  During that meeting he talked about growing your business by aligning your vectors.  I admit I had to read this a couple of times to fully comprehend.  Halfway through the second read, a lightbulb went off.  I get it. Sum of parts, aligned vectors, everyone rowing the same way is necessary for growth.  Mr. Shah has shared both a video and the slides of his keynote address on LinkedIn in a post called, What Elon Musk Taught Me About Growing a Business. Check it out, what do you think?   

The latest release of Joomla is available today.  it is bug fix release 3.8.1. Click here to view the announcement and details on the bug fixes.

Got your editorial calendar figured out and you're publishing out quality content to your site that you're sharing to your social media channels.  So how's it working for you?  I'm guessing that you're not quite sure because you're not monitoring it. You glance at the likes, shares and clicks and may even reply to comments but are you monitoring you social media?  

This eBook on How to Monitor Your Social Media in 10 Minutes a Day is a guide to help you keep on top of your social engagement.

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

This International Day of Charity, we'd like to encourage you to take time to give back through a charity of your choice either through the giving of your time, through donation or participating in an event.  Public 501(c)(3) organizations do extraordinary work often on tight budgets with dedicated staff and volunteers.

Not sure how to help?  Hear are a few organizations to consider.

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.

It's getting close to JoomlaDay Chicago and I'm excited. We're at a new location and we're offering the Joomla Certification Exam. In talking with members of Joomla User Group Chicago North (JUGCN) and the JoomlaDay Chicago committee, we were trying to find resources to help those looking to take the test. I started reading this book, Joomla 3 Explained, by Steve Burge and OSTraining.

I like it a lot, both for its structure and content.

I've been using Joomla for about a decade and I still learned a lot. It's because I enjoyed this book so much that I thought it would be a good idea to give away a copy to a fellow Joomler in time to read BEFORE JoomlaDay. So, anyone who is registered by September 1st (including those who registered some time ago - thank you) are eligible to win. You will have your choice of digital or paperback.

Go to JoomlaDayChicago.com to register today

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!.

In case you missed it with all of the fireworks and barbecue, Joomla 3.7.3 was released. It includes security patches and bug fixes. If you need help updating your site, we're happy to help.