2023 has been an eventful year, full of ideas, discussions and plans regarding innovation, where Drupal is heading, and, in our case, how the Drupal Association can best support. On top of that, you may have already heard, but innovation is a key goal for the Drupal Association.

Drupal is nothing but a big, decentralized, community. And before we can even think of how we can innovate, we need to understand how contribution actually happens and evolves in our ecosystem. And one of the things we agreed early on was that, without numbers, we don’t even know where we are going. 

For that reason in 2024 we want to introduce you to part of the work we’ve been doing during the last part of 2023 to make sure that we know where we are coming from, we understand where we are going and how the changes we are doing are affecting (or not) the whole contribution ecosystem. I want to introduce you to the Contribution Health Dashboards (CHD).

The CH dashboards should help identify what stops or blocks people from contributing, uncover any friction, and if any problems are found, help to investigate and apply adequate remedies while we can as well measure those changes.

One thing to note is that the numbers we are showing next are based on the contribution credit system. The credit system has been very successful in standardizing and measuring contributions to Drupal.  It also provides incentives to contribute to Drupal, and has raised interest from individuals and organizations.

Using the credit system to evaluate the contribution is not 100% perfect, and it could show some flaws and imperfections, but we are committed to review and improve those indicators regularly, and we think it’s the most accurate way to measure the way contribution happens in Drupal.

It must be noted as well that the data is hidden, deep, in the Drupal.org database. Extracting that data has proved a tedious task, and there are numbers and statistics that we would love to extract in the near future to validate further the steps we are taking. Again, future reviews of the work will happen during the next months while we continue helping contributors to continue innovating.

You can find the dashboards here, in the Contribution Health Dashboards, but keep reading next to understand the numbers better.

Unique individuals and organisations

Jumping to what matters here, the numbers, one of the most important metrics to understand in the Drupal ecosystem is the number of contributions of both individuals and organisations.

As you can see, the number of individuals has stayed relatively stable, while their contribution has been more and more significant over the years (except for a slide in the first year of the pandemic). In a way this is telling us that once a user becomes a contributor, they stay for the long run. And, in my opinion, the numbers say that they stay actually very committed.

The number of organisations on the other hand displays a growing healthy trend. This shows that organisations are an important partner for Drupal and the Drupal Association, bringing a lot of value in the form of (but not just) contributors.

It definitely means that we need to continue supporting and listening to them. It’s actually a symbiotic relationship. These companies support and help moving forward, not just Drupal, but the whole concept of the Open Web. And their involvement doesn’t end up there, as their daily role in expanding the reach, the number of instances and customers of every size using Drupal is as well key.

In practical terms in 2023 we have been meeting different companies and organisations, and the plan is to continue listening and finding new ways to help their needs in 2024 and beyond. One of the things we are releasing soon is the list of priorities and strategic initiatives where your contributions, as individuals as well as organisations, are most meaningful. This is something I have been consistently asked for when meeting with those individuals and organisations, and I think it’s going to make a big difference unleashing innovation in Drupal. I recommend you to have a look at the blog post about the bounty program.

First year contributors

The next value we should be tracking is how first time users are interacting with our ecosystem.

While the previous numbers are encouraging, we have a healthy ecosystem of companies and a crowd of loyal individuals contributing to the project, making sure that we onboard and we make it easier and attractive for new generations to contribute to the project is the only possible way to ensure that this continues to be the case for many years to come.

That’s why we are looking at first time contributions, or said differently, how many users make a first contribution in their first 12 months from joining the project. During 2024 I would like to look deeper into this data, reveal contribution data further on time, like after 24 and 36 months. For now this will be a good lighthouse that we can use to improve the contribution process.

Although last year's numbers give us a nice feeling of success, we want to be cautious about them, and try to make sure that the trend of previous years of a slight decline does not continue.

That is the reason why my first priority during the first months of 2024 is to review the registration process and the next step for new users on their contribution journey. From the form they are presented, to the documentation we are facilitating, to the messages we are sending them in the weeks and months after.

The changes we make should be guided as well by the next important graph, which is the Time To First Contribution. In other words, the amount of time a new user has taken to make their first contribution to Drupal.

You’ll see that the Contribution Health Dashboards includes other data that I have not mentioned in this post. It does not mean that it is not equally important, but given the Drupal Association has a finite amount of resources, we consider that this is the data that we need to track closely to get a grasp of the health of our contribution system.

For now, have a look at the Contribution Health Dashboards to get a grasp of the rest of the information that we have collected. If you are curious about the numbers and maybe would like to give us a hand, please do not hesitate to send me a message at alex.moreno@association.drupal.org

Have you ever wondered what a media partnership means to us? Simply put, it's like teaming up with some of the most remarkable events to bring their incredible stories directly to the readers through multiple channels, including our social media handles. We are humbled to acknowledge that The DropTimes (TDT) got the opportunity to be a media partner for several upcoming events, such as Florida Drupal Camp, Drupal Mountain Camp, and NERD Summit. We're already in friendly talks with events happening in 2024 for web coverage! We're planning to bring you even more fantastic stories.

Now, let's take a trip down memory lane with captivating carousels. Think of them like visual stories capturing the most exciting moments from events. It's our way of sharing each event's fun, happiness, and success. These carousels are like time machines, taking you back to the best parts of our media partnerships and the lively Drupal community.

The first features highlights from last year's events, including DrupalCon Pittsburgh and DrupalCon Lille 2023. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek into what's coming up at DrupalCon Portland 2024 and DrupalCon Barcelona 2024.  

But that's not all! Brace yourselves for a visual feast as we proudly present a collection of the best moments from Splash Awards (Germany and Austria), Drupal Developers Day Vienna, and DrupalCamp Costa Rica in 2023.

Moreover, we've compiled The Drop Times 2023 Carousel, a journey back to revisit the year's most noteworthy moments and achievements.

A big shout-out to the fantastic Drupal community for all the support in 2023. Your love and encouragement mean the world to us!

These moments are just the beginning. We're eager to build more partnerships in the future and share even more exciting stories with you. Now, let's shift our focus to the present. Explore some of the latest news stories and articles we covered last week. We've got a mix of engaging content waiting for you.

Elma John conducted a captivating interview with Nneka Hector, the Director of Web Development at DSFederal and a co-lead for Drupal GovCon. Nneka reflected on the community's eagerness for in-person interaction and valuable lessons learned.

Lukas Fischer, Founder of NETNODE AG and one of the developers behind the Content Planner module, shared a customised Dashboard for Drupal websites. Covered by Alka Elizabeth, the latest enhancements promise to make your Drupal experience even more delightful and user-friendly.  

The Event Organizers Working Group (EOWG) election has wrapped up, and we're eagerly awaiting the results. Alka Elizabeth shared insights into the candidates' unique contributions. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Meet Drupal Droid, a specially crafted AI model designed exclusively for the Drupal Community. Offering assistance with Drupal 9+ site building, development, and coding standards, this innovative tool was introduced by Michael Miles. Alka Elizabeth, sub-editor of The Drop Times, connected with Michael to glean insights into the creation and potential of Drupal Droid.

Now, let's explore what's been happening on the event front: Get a chance to showcase your talent and win a ticket to DrupalCon by submitting your design for the official DrupalCon Portland t-shirt. Enter before February 12! Volunteer as a Trivia Night Coordinator and embrace the opportunity to contribute to the organization of the iconic DrupalCon Trivia Night at Portland 2024. 

Drupal Mountain Camp is leading the charge for diversity and inclusion in the Drupal community with a new initiative. They actively encourage underrepresented voices to participate, promoting a more diverse and enriched community. For more information, click here. 

Explore exclusive sponsorship opportunities for NERD Summit 2024, a prominent mini-conference in web development and technology. Today is the last day for the NERD Summit 2024 for session submission. Make sure to propose your sessions or ideas before midnight. Get more details here. 

Discover the upcoming Drupal Iberia 2024 event, set to convene in Evora on May 10th and 11th. 

The largest Drupal Conference in Poland, DrupalCamp Poland 2024, calls for session submissions until April 16, 2024. 

Secure your spot at Drupalcamp Rennes 2024! Ticket reservations are now available for the three-day event featuring insightful conferences and contribution opportunities.

Join the Drupal Delhi Meetup Group as they bring back the joy of in-person gatherings on February 24, 2024. Get more information here. 

Missed LocalGov Drupal Week 2023? Don't worry! Dive into the virtual experience on their YouTube channel. Explore 14 sessions over five days, where 530+ participants shared experiences, best practices, and innovative code. 

Join the GitLab Innovation Pitch Competition to showcase your software innovation skills. Compete for a $30,000 prize pool and the opportunity to collaborate with GitLab, focusing on DevOps, Machine Learning/AI, and Social Good projects. Deadline: Feb 27, 2024.

Here is a noteworthy update from the past week: Drupal pioneers innovation with its new credit bounty program, encouraging contributors to align with impactful projects and fostering a purpose-driven community for lasting impact.  

There are more stories available out there. But the compulsion to limit the selection of stories is forcing us to put a hard break on further exploration.

As always, stay tuned for more exciting stories and updates. follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you,

Sincerely
Kazima Abbas
Sub-editor, TheDropTimes

1. Creating an AWS Bucket

1. Log in to AWS Console: Go to the AWS Management Console and log in to your account.
2. Navigate to S3: In the AWS Console, find and click on the "S3" service.
3. Create a Bucket: Click the "Create bucket" button, provide a unique and meaningful name for your bucket, and choose the region where you want to create the bucket.
4. Configure Options: Set the desired configuration options, such as versioning, logging, and tags. Click through the configuration steps, review your settings, and create the bucket.

2. Uploading a Public Image

$settings['s3fs.access_key'] = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY";
$settings['s3fs.secret_key'] = "YOUR_SECRET_KEY";
$settings['s3fs.region'] = "us-east-1";
$settings['s3fs.upload_as_public'] = TRUE;

Developers of the ADCI Solutions Studio explain why you need to upgrade your Drupal 7 and 8 websites to Drupal 10 and what makes the migration process different from a routine CMS update.

For over a decade, Drupal has been using Symfony Components. In 2015, with the release of Drupal 8, these components became a part of Drupal's core software. It's possible to build complex Drupal sites without worrying about what these components do. But learning about the system we're using will make us better developers of Drupal sites and other PHP applications.

In this first part of a 3-part series, we'll explore how Symfony helps Drupal with its HttpKernel component. We'll look at the component itself and how Drupal uses it to coordinate the request/response cycle.

Drupal contribution: All You Need to Know

Drupal contribution refers to the collective effort of individuals and organizations who contribute their time, skills, and expertise to the development, improvement, and maintenance of the Drupal content management system (CMS). 

Drupal is an open-source platform, and its development relies heavily on contributions from a diverse community of developers, designers, themers, testers, documentation writers, and more.  

Why Contribute to Drupal

The Drupal Core project provides the base functionality of Drupal, you can contribute to improving its design, code, documentation, etc

The Drupal Association is excited to announce the DrupalCon Portland 2024 t-shirt design contest! For this year's DrupalCon North America, we want to see the Drupal community's design ideas for the official DrupalCon Portland t-shirt. Do you have a fantastic idea in mind? Let’s see your creativity!

The winner will get THEIR design on the front of the official t-shirt for DrupalCon Portland 2024!

Now, for the finer details…

Your design must include the DrupalCon Logo and will only be featured on the front of the t-shirt. Sponsor logos will be added to the t-shirts sleeves after the design is finalized. Specs: PNG or PDF preferred, 16 inches tall, and graphics need to be 300 dpi. All designs must be submitted by 12 February 2024 at 24:00 UTC, after which the submission form will close.

The top four designs as chosen by the Drupal Association will then be voted upon by the public, with voting closing on 28 February. The winning design will be on the front of the official DrupalCon Portland 2024 t-shirt and will be announced during the Driesnote at the conference! The winner will receive a complimentary ticket to their choice of either DrupalCon Portland 2024 or DrupalCon North America 2025.

How do I enter?

To enter: Simply create your design, then fill out our submission form by 12 February to submit your final design. We also ask that you include a sentence or two describing why you chose your design and how it represents the Drupal community.

So, what are you waiting for? Submit your design now, and please help us spread the word throughout the Drupal community!

Good luck to all of our participants!

** Drupal Association staff will not be permitted to enter this contest.