Recently, I've been getting my feet wet with one of the most popular content management systems out there: Joomla!.  For those non-technical users out there, a content management system can be likened to a "website in a box."  More importantly, a CMS (as they're commonly called) provides a way for non-technical users to update website content.  So a "pretty, easy-to-use, easy-to-update website in a box" is a more accurate analogy I guess (how could a box be hard to use?).

One of the nicest parts of Joomla! specifically is the ability to easily install and configure new extensions.  Joomla's extensions.joomla.org website provides a directory of third-party extensions that website administrators can install to their sites.  The extensions vary in quality from amazingly good to extremely poor.  Occasionally, I'll come up with an idea that I don't see listed, or the ones listed for the particular function aren't very good (or they're really expensive).  In an effort to get around this, I will usually just cook something up that's quick and easy to use.  

The very best of my tinkerings will be posted here.  Some will be free (GPL'd), and some will cost money.  What separates the costly from the gratis is mostly the level of polish and my ability to provide support.  The bottom line is: if it costs money, it's worth it.  I spend more time packaging and testing extensions for public use than I do actually writing the functional parts oftentimes.

As always, feedback is welcomed.  If you need support with something you downloaded, feel free to send me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Maybe eventually I'll set up a forum or something; for now I'll just stick to answering emails.