About JoomlaChicago

Come Join Us At JoomlaChicago!

Chicago has three Joomla meetings a month for you:

Original JoomlaChicago - Palatine
JoomlaChicago In The Loop
JoomlaChicago South

Founded in 2008, JoomlaChicago is a registered Joomla!^® User Group, with over 600 members. Each meeting has its own format, topics, speakers and focus, conveniently timed and located to suit most everyone! Come one, come all!  See listing of upcoming meetings.

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Joomla! Come 'n' Get It!

It may take you a few weeks or a few months, but sooner or later you'll get it. And when you do, you'll wonder what the heck you did without it. With over ten million downloads (and growing), Joomla!^TM web site software is the most prolific CMS software on the planet, period.

Why? Because it's also one of the most powerful and versatile web content management systems on the planet! Sure Joomla! CMS software has a little learning curve, but once you "get it," you'll love it. And once you love it you'll want to show others all about it too! It's actually fun! Download Joomla! for free (no email address needed, no marketing pitch, no bs - go for it).

There's no better place for you to learn about Joomla! than JoomlaChicago, one of the most active independent user groups for web designers, developers, administrators and entrepreneurs. Join today! It's free!

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Getting Started at JoomlaChicago

If you're reading this, you're obviously interested in what's going on in Chicago regarding Joomla's CMS. We've written up a brief introduction on how you can move forward within JoomlaChicago, to find out more about the software, about its members and leadership team.

Whether you're one who prefers one nibble at a time, or if you're ready to just jump in, it's your choice. Here we go:

Currently, the is no charge to be a member of JoomlaChicago, so there's no risk to give it a try. The good news is, the rewards could be quite abundant. Take a look, and decide for yourself.

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Why Learn Joomla?

Whether you're new to site development or a seasoned pro, Joomla provides one of the most powerful content management tools available today.

So Simple. So Powerful.
So Darn Smart.

Joomla is open source content management software (or "CMS" for short).

Joomla's rocket-powered rise to prominence in the CMS world started in 2006, after its core team emerged from another popular open source CMS program called "Mambo." Joomla has since earned a reputation as one of the most powerful CMS programs around.

A Day to Learn. A Lifetime to Master.

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Joomla: Cool Beans.

Folks around Chicago are starting to hear about this thing called "Joomla," and they're starting to take notice. Once they get around the whacko name (which in Swahili means "All Together"), they really like using Joomla.

One guy said to me, "You mean, I don't really NEED Dreamweaver to create and update my own site?" The official answer?  "Nope." The off-the-record answer? Uh, still "Nope."

Dreamweaver shmeamweaver - hey, lots of us still use it (and other programs), for certain specifics, but if you're wanting to start your own site, and want the freedom of working on a web-based site, without the expense of an html editor and a whole bunch of other mashoogana (is that really a word?) then Joomla's for you.  Beyond that, if you're shooting for a more high-test site, you'll be relieved to know that governments, major non-profits and corporations are employing Joomla too.

Know what's really cool? When you finally DO commit to using Joomla, a whole new world of opportunity will open up for you - one perhaps you never expected.  There's a long list of functionality you'll want to employ; a vast amount of creative freedom you've never experienced, and best of all - there's an open source community with an "open arms" approach toward sharing the journey with you.

There. Now you know a few reasons why JoomlaChicago is truly an "all together" different kind of user group.