News Roundup

Applications for DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 scholarships and community grants close tomorrow, December 20, 2024. The program offers full funding, including travel, lodging, and event registration, for eligible individuals from marginalized communities. Prospective applicants are urged to apply before the deadline to secure financial support and mentorship for the event.

Drupal enthusiasts gear up for a Dive Day adventure on February 20, 2025, ahead of Florida DrupalCamp in Orlando. The unofficial pre-camp event invites ocean lovers to explore West Palm Beach’s underwater world and build community bonds. The main camp runs from February 21-23, featuring workshops, sessions, and global industry networking.

The Acquia Engage Awards 2025 is now open for submissions, recognizing excellence in digital experience design, strategy, and innovation. Participants can compete in six key categories, with a deadline set for January 10, 2025. Entrants are encouraged to showcase measurable results and success stories, with resources like a submission guide available for support.

Tag1 Consulting launches CKEditor 5 support for Drupal 7 under its D7 Extended Support (D7ES) service, addressing security risks from CKEditor 4’s end-of-life. The new module, exclusive to D7ES users, offers upgraded features, enhanced functionality, and ongoing security updates. Pantheon.io users get free access to the self-service D7ES plan, with premium upgrades available.

The Linux Foundation has launched LF India to boost open source contributions from India’s vast developer community. With only 200K of 13.2M Indian GitHub users contributing to Linux Foundation projects, the new entity aims to bridge this gap. LF India will collaborate with enterprises, startups, and government bodies to promote open source education, training, and development.

Kelly Jacobs of Kalamuna highlights the importance of neurodiversity as a driver of innovation within the Drupal community. Drawing on personal stories from industry professionals, Jacobs emphasizes how neurodivergent talent brings unique creativity, problem-solving skills, and productivity boosts. By fostering neuro-inclusive workspaces with clear policies, flexible accommodations, and supportive hiring practices, Drupal organizations can unlock untapped potential, driving the CMS's next big leap forward.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has revamped its digital platform with a decoupled Drupal 10 and Gatsby architecture in just three months. The project improved website performance by 38%, SEO by 49%, and accessibility by 28%, enhancing storytelling, navigation, and search functionality. This transformation, powered by Axelerant, showcases how non-profits can leverage cutting-edge technology for advocacy and humanitarian impact.

MidCamp 2025 is calling for session proposals, with a deadline of January 12, 2025. Speakers of all experience levels are welcome to submit talks, panels, and creative formats. Join the Last Chance Workshop on January 7, 2025, to perfect your proposal and claim your spot!

Drupal Costa Rica Meetup on January 6, 2025, offers an exclusive preview of the new Drupal CMS, launching January 15, 2025. The event, conducted in "Spanglish," invites live Q&A via Twitch and social media hashtags #PreguntaDrupaleada and #DrupaleadaQuestion. Attendees can explore new features and access free consulting support.

Registration and session submissions are open for Drupal Dev Days Leuven 2025, happening April 15-18, 2025. Speakers have until February 15, 2025, to submit proposals, with rolling session approvals starting early. The event invites developers, designers, and project managers to present on topics from Drupal development to advanced technical insights.

XDA Developers highlights 10 powerful open-source tools for home network monitoring, catering to beginners and advanced users. The list features Ntopng, Prometheus with Grafana, and Pi.Alert, alongside enterprise-grade solutions like NetXMS and Zabbix. This guide offers essential insights for managing smart devices and securing home labs.

Drupal remains a top e-commerce choice in 2025, powered by modules like Drupal Commerce, Commerce Kickstart, and Ubercart. A JoomTech Solutions blog highlights how these tools enable fast store launches, customizable shopping experiences, and SEO-friendly designs. Businesses can leverage Drupal’s flexibility, security, and scalability to stay competitive in the evolving e-commerce landscape.

LocalGov Drupal marked 2024 with major milestones, including 53 council participants and 30+ new microsites. Key advancements featured the Mercury drag-and-drop editor, live design previews, and enhanced access controls. Accessibility remained a core focus, with WCAG 2.2 compliance and plans for further microsite audits in 2025.

TechDrupalogy publishes a step-by-step guide on how to publish themes or modules on Drupal.org. The guide covers coding standards, essential files, licensing, and the community review process. New contributors are encouraged to join the Drupal ecosystem with clear instructions on submitting and maintaining their projects.

DrupalCon Singapore 2024, as recounted by Alex Moreno, marked Drupal’s return to Asia after nine years, with record first-time attendance and a surge in contribution activities. Key highlights included AI-driven innovations like autonomous Drupal agents, the "Recipes" approach for faster site-building, and a preview of the Experience Builder ahead of its January 2024 release. The Drupal Association’s Starshot initiative aims to tap into Asia's $1 billion market potential, while the Splash Awards crowned PreviousNext's Mentally Healthy Project as "Best in Show."

OpenSource.net reveals its most impactful articles of 2024, spotlighting key insights from industry leaders. Highlights include Thomas Di Giacomo on Open Source strategy, Dawn Foster on community metrics, and tributes to FreeBSD and FreeDOS milestones. The platform, led by Editor-in-Chief Nicole Martinelli, continues to showcase expert perspectives in Open Source business, community, and DEI.

1xINTERNET features an exclusive interview with Drupal CMS Search Track leads Christoph Breidert and Artem Dmitriiev. They discuss progress, challenges, and goals for enhancing search functionality ahead of a January 15th deadline. Backed by Dries Buytaert, the initiative aims to deliver a more intuitive, user-friendly search experience for Drupal.

Drupal 11.1.0 has officially launched, bringing major upgrades in performance, flexibility, and developer experience. Key features include a revamped recipe system, object-oriented hooks, a new icon management API, and support for PHP 8.4. The release marks a significant milestone, with enhanced site-building tools, better caching, and streamlined development workflows.

DrupalCamp Spain 2025 will take place in Santiago de Compostela from September 18 to 20. Hosted by the Spanish Drupal Association, the event aims to unite the community in Galicia’s historic capital for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The proposal was led by the local Drupal group and approved by AED.

Vardot, in collaboration with the Drupal Association and Open Strategy Partners, has unveiled a groundbreaking open-source RFP template for selecting Drupal Certified Partners. This free resource streamlines the RFP process with clear project goals, certified vendor criteria, and evaluation metrics, making it easier for organizations to find the right Drupal partner. By drawing on real-world project experience, Vardot played a key role in shaping the template, now available for free download.

Agiledrop's November 2024 blog roundup highlights key insights from the Drupal community, covering governance updates, migration tips, and technical guides. The curated selection features expert perspectives and practical advice for developers, site owners, and contributors. It serves as a one-stop resource for staying ahead of Drupal's latest trends and developments.

Tag1 Consulting's latest blog explores migrating users and taxonomy terms from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10. It addresses key challenges like entity ID conflicts, revision differences, and configuration dependencies, offering guidance on Drush commands and the AUTO_INCREMENT Alter module. The post provides step-by-step instructions for clean, efficient migrations, with the next installment focusing on entity type transformations.

How is the Dutch government driving open-source innovation? ?? DICTU’s Drupal Developers Day brought 50+ devs together to contribute to the community. ?️ From collaborative coding to open-source contributions, this event emphasized transparency and sustainability in government projects.

The Chattanooga Drupal Users Group will host a special Christmas party meetup on Friday, December 19, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST. Attendees can join in person at Code Journeymen's office or online. The event promises community networking, holiday cheer, and a chance for Drupal enthusiasts to connect and celebrate together.

ImageX Media's latest blog, "SEM Excellence: Navigating the Road to Online Success," outlines strategies for boosting online visibility. It emphasizes goal-setting with SMART criteria, audience analysis using tools like Google Analytics, and the importance of competitor research with platforms like SEMrush. The post serves as a practical guide for businesses aiming to enhance their SEM performance.

QED42 has launched the Twig to Single-Directory Components (SDC) Generator, a new Drupal module powered by Generative AI (GenAI). The tool automates the conversion of Twig components into SDC-compatible components via a Drush command, reducing manual effort for developers. Maintained by Anand Toshniwal, the module aims to modernize Drupal workflows, with ongoing improvements based on community feedback.

A11yTalks has released the video of its December 12 session featuring Lise Noble of Discover Financial Services. Noble introduced the A11Y Theme Builder, Discover’s first open-source tool for building accessible, cross-platform digital experiences. A11yTalks continues its mission to promote accessibility and inclusivity in tech through education and diverse representation.

The Drupal Meetup Haneda community will host its 70th online event on December 19, featuring talks on Drupal’s role in digital experience platforms and its integration with IoT, AI, and modern frameworks. Key speakers include Genero Iwata Kazumi and Issey Kensuke Naoe, who will present "Recent Trends in the Drupal Community." The event invites enthusiasts, developers, and marketers for knowledge sharing, discussions, and networking.

ItsFOSS highlights six essential open-source tools for Windows users seeking privacy, customization, and functionality. The list features ShareX for screen capture, Notepad++ for coding, Microsoft PowerToys for power user utilities, and Greenshot for lightweight screenshots. PuTTY for SSH and Rufus for USB boot drives complete the lineup, promoting open-source adoption on Windows.

Drupal enthusiasts have three key events this week. On December 16, learn to streamline development with the "Working with the SDC Styleguide Module" session. On December 19, join the "Chattanooga Drupal Users Monthly Meetup" for a Christmas party and networking, or explore Drupal's role in CX, DX, IoT, and AI at the "Drupal Meetup Haneda."