Matt Lipscomb on Joomla! 1.6 and the Joomla Extensions Directory [Interview]

Will there be any changes to the Joomla Extensions Directory now that Joomla 1.6 has been released?

The 1.6 compatibility tag has already been added, but more than that, the JED is being reborn the way that Joomla has - more power, more features. With a larger team of volunteers already at the wheel, 2011 in the JED will be exciting.

Is there anything developers should know about submitting extensions for Joomla 1.6?

During the next couple of months as the new volunteers are trained and 1.6 is deployed for more sites, there will be slightly longer delays. To help with that, the new enhanced approval process has been implemented, so make sure to check out the blog post.

The launch of Joomla 1.6 has involved a lot of people not already involved in the project. Was it easy getting people to sign up to help?

Since version 1.5 was released, the community has grown exponentially and the volunteer opportunities have changed and evolved into what we have today.

With Joomla 1.6, even more steps were taken to lower the 'barrier of entry' for volunteering. There is a very vibrant community and people have volunteered without even being asked many times!

As with the JED Volunteer Call, you'll probably see a more structured and open volunteer process to make sure that those that want to help and contribute can in a way that makes them happy and benefits everyone involved.

Why do you think people spend hours and hours of their own time to help the project in different ways?

Being a volunteer is very rewarding. Simply considering the millions of people your contributions impact, the jobs that the Joomla eco-system create, the non-profits that serve great causes and the friendships you create - that makes it infinitely 'worth it.'

Thanks for your time, Matt!

Check out the Joomla 1.6 extensions list at the JED