For years, Joomla felt like a digital barn-raising—everyone pitching in, sharing tools, and building something bigger than themselves. I’ve been part of that from the start, releasing free extensions like my Fields - XMLForm because that’s what kept the engine running: a community of creators trading ideas freely, no tolls or tickets required. My SaaS gig—hosting aviation platforms—pays the bills, and sure, it’s a quieter part of my story, but the extensions were always the heart of it—pure Joomla optimism in action. My SaaS business was built on top of Joomla. It was a potluck where everyone brought a dish to share, until lately. Some developers feast on what’s still free, then lock even the basics behind a paywall—whatever happened to tossing out the staples for free and charging for the spice?
A Flea Market With a Toll Booth
But lately, I’ve been scrolling the Joomla Extensions Directory, and it’s like stepping into a flea market where every stall’s got a toll booth. Take this one gem I stumbled across: a plugin touting Google Consent Mode v2 support. Sounds fancy, right? Except it’s a modal popup that, when you click 'accept' or 'decline,' fires off four lines of JavaScript—barely a sneeze of code—relying on an already-configured gtag.js to do the heavy lifting (hardly a gem). And it’s paid. Then there’s the kicker: want Google Tag Manager to make it actually functional? That’s another paid extension from the same crew. I kept digging—curiosity’s a curse—and found their developer page stuffed with 99% paid offerings. Stuff I’ve given away for years—mundane utilities, basic fixes, the kind of thing that used to be a 'here you go' in the forums—now comes with a price tag and a straight face.
The Slow Bleed of a Community
This isn’t just a shift; it’s a symptom. Joomla’s withering not because the tech’s outdated or the ideas have dried up—it’s because the spirit’s leaking out. When every tweak and trinket gets a dollar sign, you’re not building a community anymore; you’re running a strip mall. I’m not here to name names or point fingers—I’ll leave that to the folks who can spot their own reflection. But I’ll keep doing what I do: coding, sharing, and keeping the old Joomla flame flickering. Because if we all start charging for the air, pretty soon there won’t be any left to breathe.
Not the Platform, Not the People
Let’s get one thing straight—this isn’t a jab at Joomla or the folks who still show up to the potluck with open hands. The platform’s still got bones, thanks to the core developers who pour their guts into keeping it solid—tireless folks who don’t get half the credit they deserve. The community’s got heart, too—volunteers who troubleshoot forums, write docs, and spread the word, plus developers like me and others who chip in with free extensions to make Joomla better, not just for profit but for love of the game. My fight’s not with them.
I'm calling out the opportunists who scarf down the free buffet, then turn around and charge for a slice of bread. They’re the ones snuffing out the flame—not the tech, not the true believers who keep it flickering. I’m calling out the greed, not the soul of Joomla—because this platform deserves better than scavengers picking over its bones.
Free extensions - that's where WordPress beats us. Not in quality, not in speed, not in security, not in SEO - in their extension ecosystem.
A Line in the Sand
And here’s where I draw it: if I see another piece of mundane nonsense locked behind a paywall—some trivial fix or basic utility that should’ve been a gift to the community—I’m not just going to shrug and scroll past. I’ll do what you should’ve done in the first place: build it, polish it, and release it with my other free extensions. Not out of spite, but because that’s what Joomla needs to survive. I’ve got the time, the skills, and the stubborn streak to make it happen. The Google Tag Manager and Google Consent Mode v2 are already covered by my free extensions System - Google Tag Manager and System - EU e-Privacy Directive.
Free Extensions
So go ahead, keep slapping dollar signs on table scraps—just don’t be surprised when I hand out the full meal for nothing. This isn’t a threat; it’s a promise to the platform I’ve called home for years. Test me if you want. Download them, use them, hire me if you need something custom.
