Organizing your website’s content into categories is easy and intuitive, thanks to Drupal’s taxonomy, one of its best built-in tools. But what if your website has hundreds or even thousands of categories — especially in multiple languages — and you need to update or reorganize them frequently?
Fifteen years ago, I laid out a theory about the future of Open Source. In [*The Commercialization of a Volunteer-Driven Open Source Project*](https://dri.es/the-commercialization-of-a-volunteer-driven-open-source-project), I argued that if Open Source was going to thrive, people had to get paid to work on it. At the time, the idea was controversial. Many feared money would corrupt the spirit of volunteerism and change the nature of Open Source contribution.
In that same post, I actually went beyond discussing the case for commercial sponsorship and outlined a broader pattern I believed Open Source would follow. I suggested it would develop in three stages: (1) starting with volunteers, then (2) expanding to include commercial involvement and sponsorship, and finally (3) gaining government support.
I based this on how other [public goods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good) and public infrastructure have evolved. Trade routes, for example, began as volunteer-built paths, were improved for commerce by private companies, and later became government-run. The same pattern shaped schools, national defense, and many other public services. What begins as a volunteer effort often ends up being maintained by governments for the benefit of society. I suggested that Open Source would and should follow the same three-phase path.
Over the past fifteen years, paying people to maintain Open Source has shifted from controversial to widely accepted. Platforms like [Open Collective](https://opencollective.com/), an organization I invested in as an angel investor in 2015, have helped make this possible by giving Open Source communities an easy way to receive and manage funding transparently.
Today, Open Source runs much of the world's critical infrastructure. It powers government services, supports national security, and enables everything from public health systems to elections. This reliance means the third and final step in its evolution is here: governments must help fund Open Source.
Public funding would complement the role of volunteers and commercial sponsors, not replace them. This is not charity or a waste of tax money. It is an investment in the software that runs our essential services. Without it, we leave critical infrastructure fragile at the moment the world needs it most.
### The $8.8 trillion dependency
A 2024 Harvard Business School study, [*The Value of Open Source Software*](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4693148), estimates that replacing the most widely used Open Source software would cost the world $8.8 trillion. If Open Source suddenly disappeared, organizations would have to spend 3.5 times more on software than they do today. Even more striking: 96% of that $8.8 trillion depends on just 5% of contributors.
This concentration creates fragility. Most of our digital infrastructure depends on a small group of maintainers who often lack stable funding or long-term support. When they burn out or step away, critical systems can be at risk.
Maintaining Open Source is not free. It takes developers to fix bugs, maintainers to coordinate releases, security teams to patch vulnerabilities, and usability experts to keep the software accessible. Without reliable funding, these essential tasks are difficult to sustain, leaving the foundations of our digital society exposed to risk.
Addressing this risk means rethinking not just funding, but also governance, succession planning, and how we support the people and projects that keep our society running.
### When digital sovereignty becomes survival
Recent geopolitical tensions and policy unpredictability have made governments more aware of the risks of relying on foreign-controlled, proprietary software. Around the world, there is growing recognition that they cannot afford to lose control over their digital infrastructure.
[Denmark recently announced a national plan](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/denmark-embraces-open-source-software) to reduce their dependency on proprietary software by adopting Open Source tools across its public sector.
This reflects a simple reality: when critical public services depend on foreign-controlled software, governments lose the ability to guarantee continuity and security to their citizens. They become vulnerable to policy changes and geopolitical pressures beyond their control.
As [Denmark's Ministry for Digitalisation explained](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/denmark-embraces-open-source-software), this shift is about control, accountability, and resilience, not just cost savings. Other European cities and countries are developing similar strategies. This is no longer just an IT decision, but a strategic necessity for protecting national security and guaranteeing the continuity of essential public services.
### From Open Source consumption to contribution
Most government institutions rely heavily on Open Source but contribute little in return. Sponsorship usually flows through vendor contracts, and while some vendors contribute upstream, the overall level of support is small compared to how much these institutions depend on said projects.
Procurement practices often make the problem worse. Contracts are typically awarded to the lowest bidder or to large, well-known IT vendors rather than those with deep Open Source expertise and a track record of contributing back. Companies that help maintain Open Source projects are often undercut by firms that give nothing in return. This creates a race to the bottom that ultimately weakens the Open Source projects governments rely on.
As I discussed in [*Balancing makers and takers to scale and sustain Open Source*](https://dri.es/balancing-makers-and-takers-to-scale-and-sustain-open-source), sustainable Open Source requires addressing the fundamental mismatch between use and contribution.
Governments need to shift from Open Source consumption to Open Source contribution. The digital infrastructure that powers government services demands the same investment commitment as the roads and bridges that connect our communities.
### Drupal tells the story
I have helped lead [Drupal](https://www.drupal.org/) for almost 25 years, and in that time I have seen how deeply governments depend on Open Source.
The European Commission runs more than a hundred Drupal sites, France operates over a thousand Drupal sites, and Australia's government has standardized on Drupal as its national digital platform. Yet despite this widespread use, most of these institutions contribute little back to Drupal's development or maintenance.
This is not just a Drupal problem, and it is entirely within the rights of Open Source users. There is no requirement to contribute. But in many projects, a small group of maintainers and a few companies carry the burden for infrastructure that millions rely on. Without broader support, this imbalance risks the stability of the very systems governments depend on.
Many public institutions use Open Source without contributing to its upkeep. While this is legal, it shifts all maintenance costs onto a small group of contributors. Over time, that risks the services those institutions depend on. Better procurement and policy choices could help turn more public institutions into active contributors.
### The rise of government stewardship I am certainly not the only one calling for government involvement in Open Source infrastructure. In recent years, national governments and intergovernmental bodies, including the United Nations, have begun increasing investment in Open Source. In 2020, the UN Secretary General's [*Roadmap for Digital Cooperation*](https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/) called for global investment in "digital public goods" such as Open Source software to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Five years later, the UN introduced the [UN Open Source Principles](https://unite.un.org/news/sixteen-organizations-endorse-un-open-source-principles), encouraging practices like "open by default" and "contributing back". At the European level, the [EU's Cyber Resilience Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Resilience_Act) recognizes Open Source software stewards as "economic actors", acknowledging their role in keeping infrastructure secure and reliable. In Germany, the [Sovereign Tech Agency](https://www.sovereign.tech/) has invested €26 million in more than [60 Open Source projects](https://www.sovereign.tech/tech) that support critical digital infrastructure. Governments and public institutions are also creating Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) to coordinate policy, encourage contributions, and ensure long-term sustainability. In Europe, the European Commission's [EC OSPO](https://ec.social-network.europa.eu/@EC_OSPO) operates the [code.europa.eu](https://code.europa.eu) platform for cross-border collaboration. In the United States, agencies such as the [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services](https://www.cms.gov/digital-service/open-source-program-office), the [United States Digital Service](https://www.usds.gov/), the [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency](https://www.cisa.gov/), and the [U.S. Digital Corps](https://digitalcorps.gsa.gov/) play similar roles. In Latin America, Brazil's [Free Software Portal](https://softwarepublico.gov.br/) supports collaboration across governments. These efforts signal a shift from simply using Open Source to actively stewarding and investing in it at the institutional level. ### The math borders on absurd If the top 100 countries each contributed $200,000 a year to an Open Source project like Drupal, the project would have a twenty million dollar annual budget. That is about what it costs to maintain less than ten miles of highway. In my home country, Belgium, which has just over ten million people, more than one billion euros is spent each year maintaining roads. A small fraction of that could help secure the future of Open Source software like Drupal, which supports public services for millions of Belgians.For the cost of maintaining 10 miles of highway, we could secure the future of several critical Open Source projects that power essential public services. The math borders on absurd.
### How governments can help Just as governments maintain roads, bridges and utilities that society depends on, they should also help sustain the Open Source projects that power essential services, digitally and otherwise. The scale of investment needed is modest compared to other public infrastructure. Governments could implement this through several approaches: - **Track the health of critical Open Source projects.** Just like we have safety ratings for bridges, governments should regularly check the health of the Open Source projects they rely on. This means setting clear targets, such as addressing security issues within _x_ days, having _y_ active maintainers, keeping all third-party software components up to date, and more. When a project falls behind, governments should step in and help with targeted support. This could include direct funding, employing contributors, or working with partners to stabilize the project. - **Commit to long-term funding with stable timelines.** Just as governments plan highway maintenance years in advance, we'd benefit from multi-year funding commitments and planning for critical digital infrastructure. Long-term funding allows projects to address technical debt, plan major updates, and recruit talent without the constant uncertainty of short-term fundraising. - **Encourage contribution in government contracts.** Governments can use procurement to strengthen the Open Source projects they depend on. Vendor contribution should be a key factor in awarding contracts, alongside price, quality, and other criteria. Agencies or vendors can be required or encouraged to give back through coding, documentation, security reviews, design work, or direct funding. This ensures governments work with true experts while helping keep critical Open Source projects healthy and sustainable. - **Adopt "Public Money, Public Code" policies.** When taxpayer money funds software for public use, that software should be released as Open Source. This avoids duplicate spending and builds shared digital infrastructure that anyone can reuse, improve, and help secure. The principle of ["Public Money? Public Code!"](https://publiccode.eu) offers a clear framework: code paid for by the people should be available to the people. Switzerland recently embraced this approach at the federal level with its [EMBAG law](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland), which requires government-developed software to be published as Open Source unless third-party rights or security concerns prevent it. - **Scale successful direct funding models.** The [Sovereign Tech Agency](https://www.sovereign.tech/) has shown how government programs can directly fund the maintenance and security of critical Open Source software. Other nations should follow and expand this model. Replacing widely used Open Source software could cost an estimated 8.8 trillion dollars. Public investment should match that importance, with sustained global funding in the billions of dollars across countries and projects. - **Teach Open Source in public schools and universities.** Instead of relying solely on proprietary vendors like Microsoft, governments should integrate Open Source tools, practices, and values into school and university curricula, along with related areas such as open standards and open data. This prepares students to participate fully in Open Source, builds a talent pipeline that understands Open Source, and strengthens digital self-reliance. ### Keeping the core strong Concerns about political interference or loss of independence are valid. That is why we need systems that allow all stakeholders to coexist without undermining each other. Government funding should reinforce the ecosystem that makes Open Source thrive, not replace it or control it. Companies and volunteers are strong drivers of innovation, pushing forward new features, experiments, and rapid improvements. Governments are better suited to a different but equally vital role: ensuring stability, security, and long-term reliability. The most critical tasks in Open Source are often the least glamorous. Fixing bugs, patching vulnerabilities, updating third-party dependencies, improving accessibility, and maintaining documentation rarely make headlines, but without them, innovation cannot stand on a stable base. These tasks are also the most likely to be underfunded because they do not directly generate revenue for companies, require sustained effort, and are less appealing for volunteers. Governments already maintain roads, bridges, and utilities, infrastructure that is essential but not always profitable or exciting for the private sector. Digital infrastructure deserves the same treatment. Public investment can keep these core systems healthy, while innovation and feature direction remain in the hands of the communities and companies that know the technology best. ### Conclusion Open Source has become public infrastructure. Like roads and bridges, it needs public investment to remain safe and reliable. Fifteen years ago, I argued that Open Source needed commercial sponsorship to thrive. Now we face the next challenge: governments must shift from consuming Open Source to sustaining it. Leaving critical infrastructure dependent on too few maintainers is a risk no society should accept. The solution requires coordinated policy reforms: dedicated funding mechanisms, procurement that rewards upstream contributions, and long-term investment frameworks. *Special thanks to [Baddy Sonja Breidert](https://www.drupal.org/u/baddysonja), [Tim Doyle](https://www.drupal.org/u/tim-d), [Tiffany Farriss](https://www.drupal.org/u/farriss), [Mike Gifford](https://www.drupal.org/u/mgifford), [Owen Lansbury](https://www.drupal.org/u/owenlansbury) and [Nick Veenhof](https://www.drupal.org/u/nick_vh) for their review and contributions to this blog post.*I've been slow to try out AI tools even as they've grown in popularity. Part of it is the pedant in me bristling at the fact that we're all now calling "AI" what we used to call "machine-learning" on "big data." But I can get past that to admit that turbocharged predictive text generation applied to coding is actually pretty neat.
Recently I've been exploring AI assisted development by switching from VS Code to Cursor and trying out different chat prompts and models while working on Drupal Commerce. I haven't been tracking the myriad tools and models too closely, so I opted for the tool that required the least amount of change for me. All my extensions and my fine-tuned custom theme transfered over without issue, so I was happy to move forward with Cursor. ☺️
I've had a few "Aha!" moments while working in Cursor along with some natural frustrations. Before relaying the former, I can illustrate the latter. Cursor uses AI to make code suggestions in the editor based on what it thinks you want to do. Once it makes a suggestion, you hit tab to apply it, which means quickly roughing out a simple function is an exercise in whack-a-mole as it continually expands suggestions where you just wanted to indent. Easy enough to train myself around, but perhaps I can find a setting to make this less aggressive.
Last week I turned up the need for a minor improvement to the Commerce Recurring module. This module defines a subscription entity type and a related entity trait that will create a subscription for a customer based on their purchase of a given product variation. The module supports a wide variety of use cases for subscription billing - pre vs. post-billed subscriptions, fixed price vs. metered usage, prorations, etc. - and it lets you determine the billing cycle based on fixed dates or rolling intervals.
Read more🚀 Dive into August 2025 with DDEV! 🌟
This month: v1.24.7 release, Contributor Training starts up again, ddev-hostname security, new Windows installer, VS Code extension, DrupalCamp Colorado, Laracon US highlights, Passbolt environment, Tailscale troubleshooting, Magento 2 setup, DrupalCon Vienna, Ollama AI, and Board nominations.
ddev-hostname — Recent improvements securing host-file updates and future plans → Read more↗We're going to do training again this season, all are invited. Some sessions are more focused on contributors and maintainers, and others at all users. First up this month will be a session on using Claude Code to implement a DDEV feature or fix a bug. This will be using DDEV as an example, but probably anybody who works with code anywhere will profit from the approach.
See the full schedule below.
August 21, 2025 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CEST — Using Claude Code AI in DDEV Development
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September 18, 2025 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CEST — Hostname Resolution and Debugging for DDEV Users
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October 9, 2025 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CEST — How and Why to Contribute a Blog to ddev.com
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November 20, 2025 at 10:00 US ET / 16:00 CET — Using DDEV in Windows WSL
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Nonprofits and higher education institutions often manage a large volume of content — programs, departments, research articles, donation campaigns, volunteer opportunities, and more. As the site grows, keeping everything organized becomes essential.
The digital landscape continues to evolve, and artificial intelligence is now a present reality. The Drupal Association is excited to announce a focused approach to AI development within the Drupal ecosystem: the Drupal AI Initiative.
To ensure Drupal AI delivers a significant and strategic impact, we must move beyond traditional volunteer-based contribution models. We need a coordinated, highly dedicated effort to make sure we don’t miss the connection with the market. To build a powerful and competitive AI ecosystem for Drupal aligned with the community’s values, we need a professional team focused exclusively on this task.
We are accelerating Drupal AI innovation: Strategic initiatives like the Drupal AI initiative require consistent, dedicated effort that often exceeds the capacity of volunteer contributors.
If we are too slow, if we’re not coordinated, if we cannot ensure quality, Drupal will be left behind. An analogy we’re not used to in the U.S., “we need to take the bullet train, otherwise we will not arrive in time.”
In some ways, Drupal is ahead of many other CMS’s and other platforms. A scattershot approach in this environment will not put and keep Drupal in the lead. Nor will it do it in a manner consistent with our values of openness, innovation, and community benefit.
The proposed path to success centers on creating a sustainable funding structure that compensates dedicated contributors for their work. This model is designed to attract sponsors by delivering immediate, tangible value through quick feature development and marketing, ultimately creating a self-sustaining cycle of innovation and investment.
The core of the strategy is to fund a team of full-time contributors to accelerate AI innovation within Drupal. Our goal is to secure approximately $400,000 - $500,000 USD each six months to fund a team of four to ten full-time contributors. To do this, we are working to attract 10-25 "Drupal AI Sponsors" with a proposed minimum sponsorship of $10,000 to $20,000, indexed to the size and country of the sponsoring company.
In addition to the financial contribution, Drupal AI Sponsors are expected to:
We’ve more than doubled the sponsoring companies: the five Founders and one Maker announced in June, FreelyGive, Acquia, 1xINTERNET, Dropsolid, Salsa Digital, and amazee.io, are being joined by: ImageX, Axelerant, QED42, Morpht, Joshi Consulting, Elevated Third, Zoocha, and SeeD EM.
These companies know that being part of the Drupal AI Initiative positions them strategically to:
We’re assembling a dedicated team of full-time Drupal AI contributors, funded through sponsorships tailored to your organization's size and region. Our inclusive sponsorship model ensures every company, large or small, can play a role:
This funding program creates a win-win scenario: you invest in Drupal’s AI future, and Drupal invests back in your business growth. Sponsors will also receive:
The Early Access Program is designed to accelerate the development of AI features for Drupal. It provides committed partner companies with early access to new AI capabilities before they are released to the broader Drupal community. This approach helps us innovate faster, deliver immediate value to our partners, and support the health of our community.
Participants of the Drupal AI Initiative will have early access to these specialized features. After a defined period, these features may be released as open-source contributions to the broader community.
We are committed to transparency throughout this program. The Early Access program is designed to accelerate innovation while ensuring that all final developments eventually become fully available to the broader Drupal community. We will provide regular updates on our progress, keeping the community informed.
The Early Access program represents a practical evolution of open-source collaboration, one that acknowledges market realities while preserving our core values of openness, innovation, and community benefit. By guiding AI development within the Drupal ecosystem, we ensure these powerful tools enhance human creativity, maintain user agency, and remain safely accessible to all.
The future of Drupal is AI-powered, community-driven, and built on the values that have made us strong.
If your company is interested in participating, please submit the Become an AI Maker form on the Drupal AI page.
Over the recent weeks and months I have been creating custom Drupal plugins for various modules so now is the ideal time for me to write a "how to..." article on this topic.
For a full explanation of the definition and purpose of Drupal plugins I recommend reading the Plugin API overview. For the purposes of this article I will quote the pithy sentence at the beginning of the documentation:
Plugins are small pieces of functionality that are swappable.
To create a custom plugin you will require the following five elements:
The following sections will cover each of these elements.
(optional)
As in vanilla php object oriented classes, it is optional to include a plugin interface, but is strongly recommended if there are methods and properties that the plugin must implement.
In the example below all plugins of this type must carry out some form of processing in the method process(). For simplicity I am creating this in a...
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(For site managers, content creators, and the tech-savvy alike, here’s why Drupal 11 is worth the leap.)
Whether you manage content every day, steer digital strategy, or ship code, Drupal 11 delivers a faster, friendlier, and more future-ready platform. Here’s what’s new and why it matters.