Why We Write, What We Write?
Even after four years of publishing, questions still surround TheDropTimes: Who are they? What do they want? Why do they do what they do? Is there financial gain involved - or some ulterior motive? The skepticism hasn’t disappeared, and that is fair. These are important questions, and it is time we began answering them - one at a time.
Let us start with the most common question:
Why do we write what we write?
But before that, a more basic question needs to be answered:
What do we write?
The content you see on TheDropTimes falls into several categories. These include external blog summaries, news articles, events, interviews, articles and features, case studies (both internal and external), listicles, press releases, internal blogs, newsletters, and job listings. Each content type serves a specific purpose in how we inform, connect, and support the Drupal community.
External Blog Summaries: Building Bridges
External blog summaries on TheDropTimes are concise, AI-generated overviews of blog posts published on third-party websites. Each summary is just a paragraph long and aims to give readers a quick grasp of the original article's key message or insight. We always credit the source and author (when available) to ensure proper attribution. They serve as a bridge between the original content and the TheDropTimes audience, helping readers discover valuable external perspectives relevant to the Drupal and open-source ecosystem. You will find these content under the 'Blog Syndication' category on the website.
News Articles: Staying Updated
News articles on TDT report current events, updates, and announcements relevant to the Drupal ecosystem. These articles are typically short, informative, and focused on facts, covering topics like software releases, rebrands, tool launches, event updates, and leadership changes. Each piece highlights what's new or important, often quoting official sources or summarizing announcements to keep readers in the loop with minimal fluff. The tone is professional and direct, aimed at developers, agencies, and community members who want to stay updated on developments around Drupal and the community behind it.
Unless we consciously put in effort to sustain the makers (individuals and agencies) within the community, the collective effort that goes back towards maintaining the technology and the community itself will continue to dwindle and ultimately wither away.
Events: Connect, Learn, Contribute
TheDropTimes covers nearly all Drupal events and select open-source events. So far, the platform has published over 1,455 events, making it a comprehensive source for staying updated on what is happening across the community. These events range from global conferences to regional gatherings, local meetups, online webinars, and hybrid sessions. Whether it is a major industry summit or a small training workshop, TDT tracks and shares it, helping readers discover opportunities to learn, connect, and contribute. Find the list of events here.
Interviews: Humanizing the Tech
Interviews on TheDropTimes offer in-depth conversations with key figures from the Drupal and open-source communities. These pieces spotlight developers, leaders, contributors, and innovators who share their experiences, insights, and personal journeys within the tech world. The interviews go beyond technical talk, often exploring broader themes like leadership, collaboration, diversity, and the evolving role of open source. Each interview is carefully structured to provide both inspiration and practical takeaways for readers who are part of or curious about the Drupal ecosystem.
Articles and Features: Stories that Matter
Articles and features on TheDropTimes offer thoughtful coverage of key developments and personalities within the Drupal and open-source communities. These stories often highlight prominent individuals, including project maintainers, event organizers, and featured speakers. The content spans module releases and updates, community initiatives, organizational changes, and more. With a mix of reporting and commentary, these articles aim to give readers a closer look at the people, tools, and ideas shaping the Drupal ecosystem.
Case Studies: Real-World Impact
TheDropTimes publishes both original and external case studies that showcase how Drupal is being used in real-world projects. Original case studies are original features created by TheDropTimes, developed in collaboration with experts from the organization involved. These provide detailed insights into project goals, technical approaches, challenges, and outcomes. External case studies, on the other hand, are straightforward reports based on case studies published by other organizations. Both types aim to inform and inspire by showing the practical impact of Drupal across industries and use cases.
Listicles: Structured Discovery
Listicles on TheDropTimes are curated collections centered around a specific theme or context within the Drupal ecosystem. They are designed to organize information clearly and purposefully, offering readers a structured way to engage with content that fits a particular topic or need.
Press Releases: Straight from the Source
Press releases on TheDropTimes are official announcements from companies and organizations within the Drupal and open-source space. These releases cover product launches, acquisitions, leadership changes, program rollouts, and other major updates. The content is published as provided by the issuing organization, maintaining the original tone and structure to preserve authenticity and accuracy.
Open: Sharing from Within
We believe in building in the Open. Open is where our team members share things related to the community project, 'The Drop Times'. Yes, you heard it right. We consider TDT a community project and maintain it as a not-for-profit organization. Internal blogs on TheDropTimes are original articles written and published by the in-house editorial team. These blogs reflect the platform's voice and perspective on topics relevant to the Drupal community, such as these.
Editor’s Pick & Daily Digest: Curated Insights
TheDropTimes maintains two newsletters. The Editor's Pick is a weekly editorial digest that brings together key updates, insights, and highlights from the Drupal ecosystem. While its format as a weekly digest has remained consistent, the presentation has evolved over time to provide a more polished and reader-friendly experience. It now combines original editorial commentary with curated content, including interviews, event announcements, module updates, and notable community contributions, all delivered with a clearer structure and improved visual layout. We also have a daily digest for Drupal Ambassadors who are willing to share our stories for better reach. It packages featured stories published each day. If the number of featured stories is fewer, we might send it twice or three times a week.
Jobs: Supporting Careers
TheDropTimes has published over 3,632 Drupal-related job listings, making it a key resource for career opportunities in the ecosystem. It features global openings across all experience levels and contract types, connecting professionals with hiring organizations in the Drupal and open-source space.
In short, TheDropTimes is a one-stop resource for all news and updates about Drupal.
Why We Write
Now, circling back to our initial question, "Why do The Drop Times write what we write?"
Our founder, Anoop John, often points to the "Maker Taker Imbalance Problem" as a key inspiration behind TheDropTimes. Dries Buytaert has explained this mathematically in his blog on balancing the makers and takers. We see the community behind Drupal as a precious common-pool resource. The collective effort that drives and maintains the community and the technology is a limited resource. Unless we consciously put in effort to sustain the makers (individuals and agencies) within the community, the collective effort that goes back towards maintaining the technology and the community itself will continue to dwindle and ultimately wither away.
The mission of TheDropTimes is to contribute towards the growth of the Drupal community, not just by reporting news and promoting everything around it, but also by connecting the community, amplifying its work, and encouraging shared responsibility. Though we operate as a not-for-profit news platform, our purpose extends beyond publishing - it is about giving back and contributing to the growth of the Drupal community.
We also try to support all makers - individuals and agencies - in whatever way we can, whether that means helping individuals find jobs or contracts, or helping agencies promote their work and win new projects and clients. The viability of the Drupal ecosystem largely depends on makers - both individuals and agencies - being able to operate as commercially sustainable entities that meet their financial needs and goals through Drupal.
We write because stories shape ecosystems. In a Free and Open Source (FOSS) project like Drupal, contributions often happen quietly, behind the scenes, without recognition. By documenting those efforts, we bring visibility to the people and organizations that keep the project moving forward. This visibility encourages participation, fosters collaboration, and helps prevent burnout by showing contributors that their work matters.
Our content is a record of Drupal's growth and evolution. It connects one update, one event, and one initiative to the next. It helps new users understand where the project has been and where it is headed. For long-time contributors, it is a reminder that their time, ideas, and code are part of something larger. Accurate, consistent reporting builds accountability and strengthens the bonds within a global community. That is why we write what we write. Not just to inform, but to invest in the long-term health of Drupal.
We also believe that honest reflection is essential to progress. TheDropTimes does not shy away from criticism when it is needed for the community's growth. We are committed to fairness and transparency, providing space for all voices without bias. We do not market or endorse any individual or organization, and we remain independent in our purpose and reporting.
This approach reflects our mission to support open dialogue and collaboration in the Drupal space. We believe the stories, struggles, and successes of this community belong to everyone. Over time, we hope TheDropTimes will become a shared community resource, owned and operated by the Drupal community itself, and guided by the same values that built Drupal and continue to sustain it.
