As we approach International Women's Day, it's a moment for us to reflect on the incredible strength and contributions of women around the world. This day isn't just about recognizing the achievements of a few but about celebrating the resilience, determination, and diversity of all women, regardless of their roles or backgrounds.

I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that's me.

Whether she's in the workforce, leading teams in the corporate world, pursuing her passion in the arts and sciences, or staying at home nurturing families and communities, every woman contributes to the tapestry of our society in her unique way. This diversity of experiences and perspectives enriches our collective journey and propels us forward.

As we honour all women this International Women's Day, we also want to highlight the remarkable women within our Drupal community. Their dedication, expertise, and tireless efforts have played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing Drupal as a platform. From developers to designers, contributors to community leaders, women in Drupal have made invaluable contributions, often overcoming barriers and stereotypes.

Let's take this opportunity not only to celebrate but also to acknowledge the ongoing work needed to ensure equality, diversity, and inclusion within our community and beyond. Let's continue to support and uplift each other, amplifying women's voices in tech and beyond.

Now, let me share some featured interviews and news we covered last week.

Jon Stewart, an expert in Customer Experience Platforms (CXPs) and Marketing Technology (MarTech), shares his insights with Alka Elizabeth in the latest interview. Throughout the discussion, Stewart provides illuminating insights into his strategic decision to harness Drupal as the linchpin of ZenSource. He emphasizes its open-source, enterprise-scale capabilities and alignment with the evolving needs of clients seeking to avoid vendor lock-in and exorbitant maintenance costs.

In another Interview, Krishnan Narayanan, CEO of Gai Technologies, shares his unique journey with Elma John. From bustling city life to the serene hills of Himachal Pradesh, Krishnan reshaped the software development landscape. He delves into the 'Dharamshala Model', a philosophy intertwining quality of life with the craftsmanship of technology. Additionally, Krishnan discusses the transformative power of mentorship and continuous learning in building innovative teams.

Elma provided detailed information in her featured article about the Accessible Tableau Integration Module. This module serves as a pivotal bridge between Tableau's robust visual analytics capabilities and Drupal's versatile web framework, ushering in a new era of accessibility and inclusivity. Crafted by Emilie Young and Gautam Gottipati, with initial support from Kevin Reynen and the University of Colorado, the module's inception was driven by Emilie's idea. Kevin initiated the project on Drupal.org, while Gautam wrote the codes, contributing to its development and functionality.

Grzegorz Pietrzak presents a featured article on the trends of Content Management System (CMS) usage on official city websites. The comprehensive study spans 466 cities worldwide and delves into the prevalence of open-source solutions, highlighting the dominance of platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and others. The report categorizes findings based on city size, region, and EU membership, revealing intriguing patterns and insights. Through this research, essential questions about the adoption of open-source systems in the public sector are raised, shedding light on challenges and opportunities for promoting transparency and cost-efficiency in digital governance.

Binny Thomas, Senior Engineer at Axelerant, penned an article detailing his experience at DrupalCon Lille, where he volunteered as an onsite person for The DropTimes. His article provides insights into his overall journey at the event, offering valuable perspectives and firsthand accounts of his involvement.

Drupal enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to with several noteworthy updates and events: DrupalCamp Helsinki 2024 is set to take place on April 26, 2024, with a contribution day following on April 27. This event offers a platform for session proposals spanning various topics, catering to both beginners and advanced users, as well as technical and non-technical. Meanwhile, Drupal Iberia is accepting session submissions until March 31. This presents an opportunity for Drupal enthusiasts to share their expertise and insights with the community. 

Students have an excellent chance to participate in DrupalCamp Ghent 2024, as free tickets are being offered. Furthermore, it's worth noting that The Drop Times has become a media partner of DrupalCamp Ghent. DrupalCon Portland 2024 is looking for translation assistants who are interested in volunteering. It's a chance to contribute to the event's success and be part of a dynamic team. The detailed schedule for DrupalCon Portland has been released, allowing attendees to plan their itinerary and make the most of the event's offerings.

Additionally, Drupal Camp Asheville is making a return, calling for session proposals and training. It's an opportunity for individuals to share their knowledge and expertise with fellow Drupal enthusiasts. Session recordings from Florida Drupal Camp 2024 are now available online. This enables participants to catch up on missed sessions and benefit from the valuable insights shared during the event. The Drupal community has announced the opening of the Call for Papers for DrupalCon Barcelona.

The Drupal community is actively seeking applications for the Project Update Working Group, offering positions for both full and provisional members. Full members must possess the ability to opt-in for security coverage for Drupal.org projects, coupled with a proven track record in maintaining core or contributed projects. Further details can be found here.

We acknowledge that there are more stories to share. However, due to constraints in selection, we must pause further exploration for now.

To get timely updates, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Also, join us on Drupal Slack at #thedroptimes.

Lastly, Happy International Women's Day to all the incredible women! Your strength, resilience, and contributions inspire us every day.

Thank you,

Sincerely
Kazima Abbas
Sub-editor, The Drop Times

Drupal 10 is the latest and most advanced version of Drupal that has transformed the world of Drupal development services. Right from its release, it has been winning the hearts of users worldwide. Some numerous features and tools make Drupal 10 phenomenal, and its enhanced theming capabilities are one of them. Drupal developers and designers can take advantage of these theming capabilities to take the quality of their work to a whole new dimension. If you are still uninitiated about Drupal 10 theming, this blog will help you know everything about it in detail. 

What do the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and Princeton University have in common? The answer is simple - Drupal. The most well-known and respected universities have chosen this CMS to manage their websites. Drupal's scalability, customizability, and interoperability are just some of the arguments that often stand behind its choice. I’ve collected examples of top university websites to look at their features and design.

We sit down with Greg Dunlap, Lullabot's Director of Strategy, who not only shares his latest endeavor on Kickstarter but also discusses with us the art and science behind "Designing Content Authoring Experiences."

As we learn about content creation and management, Greg provides unique insights and practical advice, drawing from his extensive experience in the field. (He's been doing Drupal for almost 18 years!)

Also, we learn what Drupal is doing right (and wrong) when it comes to content authoring experiences.

Drupal is a popular CMS platform used by over a million users worldwide to build websites. It's free and doesn't lock users into a specific company, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes. 

With a vast amount of community-contributed code available at no cost, the implementation of Drupal is affordable for many. Its flexible and robust architecture makes it suitable for both small projects and large-scale enterprise solutions, offering versatility and scalability. And a whole lot of other perks. 

Top Five Reasons Why Drupal is the Top Choice as a CMS 

Does Drupal stand a chance against many other high-tech CMS in the market? 

And most importantly, is it a good idea to opt for Drupal? 

Well, there is only one simple answer to these many other questions - YES! 

And here are the 5 big reasons that keep Drupal a leading CMS even in 2024. 

Applications are sought for the position of Project Update Working Group member.

Interested parties should create a new issue in the Project Update Working Group issue queue.

Applications are sought for both full and provisional members. Full members must have the ability to opt-in to security coverage for Drupal.org projects (sometimes referred to as the 'Git-vetted' role). Full members of the group must have a record of maintaining core or contributed projects. Please indicate which level of membership you are applying for in the issue.

Applicants must seek two endorsements from other community members. Endorsements must be made on the relevant issue in the Project Update Working Group issue queue.

The initial membership of the working group will be vetted by the Core Committer Team and Security Team. The vetting criteria for membership to the Project Update Working Group is based on an applicant's prior contributions to the Drupal community and their conduct in the community including issue queues, Slack chat, and at Drupal events.

With Drupal 11 fast approaching we hope to have the working group up and running in the coming months.

Applications will close at midnight UTC March 31st 2024.