Cheryl Hills (@cahptionz) creator of CAH Productions is starting up a new Hamilton Joomla P2P group! The first event is happening this Monday:

Sep-16-2013

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

McMaster Innovation Park

Join us for a Peer2Peer session for Joomla users and enthusiasts in the Hamilton area. Come out to this inaugural Joomla Peer2Peer, network and learn from your peers. If you have any questions or to register for this event please contact Cheryl Hills – cahproductions@rogers.com.

Check out this short interview with Cheryl!

Tell me about yourself.

I’m a visual artist who is obsessed with computers and technology. I love being able to apply my creativity to code; turning what looks like nonsensical symbols into beautiful design projects.

What do you use Joomla for?

Several years ago when I decided to start my own business, I spent considerable time researching, testing and playing with a variety of CMS. Joomla was the one content management system that gave me the best of both worlds; it allows me to be very creative with the web design AND it provides a powerful platform to run websites, from the simplest single page to the most complex ecommerce sites.

How long have you been using Joomla?

I still consider myself a newbie; having only spent two solid years designing with Joomla. Joomla, like everything in the world of IT, is constantly evolving. It’s this constant growth; the ebb and flow of the internet and the technologies it inspires that fuels my passion for my web and graphic design work.

WordPress has become the “go to” CMS for a lot of people. When do you think people should use Joomla instead of WordPress?

Simple answer: whenever they can. The thoughtful answer: Wouldn’t it be boring if everyone drove the same car? Ate at the same restaurant? Wore the same clothes? My fear is that with the ever-growing popularity of WordPress, soon there will only be WordPress websites. How boring will that be?? Not only that; having only one content management system on the WWW would put it at risk. Someone only needs to create a single nasty virus to shut it all down. Variety is important to survival.

Why are you starting a Joomla peer-to-peer group?

I want to help raise awareness in the software community and in the business community about their options for content management systems. Joomla is a very powerful platform and I feel it is underutilized.

What are you hoping attendees get out of the peer-to-peer group?

I am hoping participants will gain a greater understanding of Joomla and learn how and when this CMS can be used for their website projects. I would also like this group to provide an opportunity for web designers, developers and others interested in web site creation to share ideas and tips.

How can people become involved in the peer-to-peer group?

Come out to our meetings. We will be meeting once per month at Innovation Factory, the third Monday of the month at 4pm. Bring a friend and your laptop if you wish.