Joomla 3.9.6 is now available. This is a security fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla which addresses one security vulnerability and contains over 25 bug fixes and improvements.

What's in 3.9.6?

Joomla 3.9.7 is now available. This is a security fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla which addresses three security vulnerabilities and contains over 40 bug fixes and improvements.

What's in 3.9.7?

Joomla 3.9.7 includes three security vulnerability fixes and several bugs and improvements, including:

Joomla 3.9.8 is now available. This is a bug fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla which addresses one bug introduced into 3.9.7 which affects web sites using the French Help Server.

What's in 3.9.8?

Joomla 3.9.8 is fixing one bug introduced into Joomla 3.9.7, due to the removal of the French Help Server.

With the new Search Console experience the Preferred Domain setting is being sunset.

Following a server level compromise of the Joomla! Extensions Directory (JED), we would like to provide our community a postmortem summary of the events leading to this issue, the response from the Joomla project team members, and a plan of action moving forward to prevent a similar type of issue in the future. In summary, this was a preventable compromise, and after analy...

Some PPC guides suggest you could get a successful PPC program up and running in just a few hours. But the reality isn't so simple.

The post Why You Can’t Build a Successful PPC Program in Just a Few Hours by @GrpTwentySeven appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

For the March 13th JUGCN meeting the topic is MyJoomla, a well-known go-to service for site recovery when thought to be hacked. They also provide other services that are fantastic for monitoring and overall site health that helps prevent the need for site recovery. MyJoomla is multiyear award winning software. It is a great place for learning and then applying best practic...

Everyone wants their site to be FAST.  Caching helps.  So you log into your Joomla site's administrator panel.  You go to your Global Configuration and then.... you don't know what to do next.  There are more options than just 'Yes - cache'.  Check out this: The Beginners Guide to Joomla Cache Options This JoomlaShack blog post, walks through what ...

Joomla 3.9.1 is now available. This is a bug fix release for the 3.x series of Joomla including over 40 bug fixes and improvements. 

​Originally posted joomlachicagonorth.com where SD is the group leader.​ The end of 2018 is almost here. Looking back at JUGCN, we've covered some great topics and held our first JoomlaCamp Chicago. We are looking forward to even better 2019, with more great topics and JoomlaDay Chicago. JUGCN Joomla User Group Chicago North has been around for many years, perhaps with dif...

 A few days a go, the Joomla 3.9 Privacy Suite was released. GDPR went into effect a few months ago.  The Joomla team responded developing: An easier way to get user consent for recording their dataThe ability to manage user data requests through a new componentThe ability for extension developers to report data collection via a new API The consent is a plug...

The other day I was speaking with a client about the upcoming JoomlaCamp Chicago event that is this Saturday, September 22nd at DePaul University's Loop Campus. I was giving him some lighthearted ribbing about not having registered and his reply caught me a bit off-guard. He asked me, "What would I get out of coming?". It was a great question. Many answers collided in my h...

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...

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.

​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...

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.

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.

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

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...

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. 

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.

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.

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.