The June 20th Joomla Workshop – our first – was attended by just a few, but still a resounding success. Traffic woes caused a drop in our numbers and a delay to the start, not to mention fantastic summer weather serving as quite the temptation to stay outdoors. Despite these impediments, the wireless connection at Ein-stein was nearly flawless, the beer was cold (and inexpensive) and service was great!
We covered a broad range of topics, both directly and tangentially related to Joomla. The discussion included:
Templates
- Template development and customization, including tips on how to read the main template index.php file and how to add module positions.
- The ever-popular ?tp=1 URL parameter (which displays template positions).
- Running a local Apache server, XAMPP and some issues with Vista.
- Customizing Artisteer templates to add an animated GIF header image, and how to avoid massive animated GIF files.
- Differences between the templates in the Joomla distribution (Milkyway, Purity, and Beez) and the advantages/disadvantages of using each of them as a base for a new template.
Content
- The advantages, disadvantages, and alternatives to Flash content.
- AllVideos Reloaded as a method for embedding video and audio content.
Extensions
- Someone mentioned Abivia's SocBook extension as a useful too, thanks!
- The state of e-commerce extensions in their open source, proprietary, and SaaS variations.
- How the Joomla Extensions Directory works, including the importance and value of reading reviews and ratings, the GPL license, and how commercial extensions work.
Backups
- Backup and restore with AkeebaBackup (formerly JoomlaPack), including how to move a site from server to server.
- The importance of regular backups... if you don't trust your host, make frequent backups. If you do, make less frequent backups.
- Backup solutions in Windows (backing up your original work).
Security and Upgrades
- Why applying security updates is essential.
- How to upgrade from much older 1.5 releases.
- The nature of security vulnerabilities.
- The Vulnerable Extensions List.
- The importance of a secure hosting environment.
Miscellaneous
- The Joomla documentation wiki as a reference resource.
- Installing Ubuntu / Kubuntu in dual boot mode.
- The basics of using Eclipse.
- The incredible Firebug extension for Firefox.
- Audio editing tools: Audacity (open source) for Linux and Windows.
- Using Twitter in touch with the Joomla / JUGT community.
There may be a few other items missing. Considering the meeting ran just over two hours, we managed to cover quite a bit!
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