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Just a thought... many 3PDs of GPL/GNU extensions are creating and distributing them with the idea that providing downloads will increase traffic to their own websites for custom work.  While I do know the author's name is available in the backend, along with a link, that certainly doesn't generate the same traffic.

In the spirit of Joomla community, I would tread lightly and while you are not legally *bound* to ask permission to redistribute OS extensions, it might be a good idea lest you tick someone off that you need support from one day.

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http://www.motherroaddesigns.com

True that is what we are talking about, but what about other options - like if I down load virtue mart and rockettheme and they both do it, but I want both features...which one do I choose?? or better yet what if both were in one package and it matched my server set up...so no conflicts...hmmmm, wouldn't that be sweet???  (Note: not saying I am going to package RocketTheme and give them away, that is a commercial template company, but if I made it easy for GPL items to conviently packaged and Rocket them used those packages to add to their already great service...wooo woooo

I had 15 sites before joomla...and I made lots of money on them...so, when I switched to using Joomla (Which I have 35 Joomla sites now on top of my 15 other sites) I though wooo fun fun fun and easy - that is what everyone tells me -- well, it has been a nightmare...

Not that I am giving up on Joomla - no, quite the opposite...  What I want is ONE JOOMLA SITE OF MINE TO WORK...just one...  Look at this site... the one in the my signuture box....go check it out.  See if it will even load for you...probably not...and guess what...goooooood luck if you get that $70 a month (actual monthly hosting cost and that is just one of my hostings) site to open.

Oh, wait it is the hosting you say, but Ummm duh that is part of Joomla - even Microsoft provides hosting environments for its software.  But if your a newbie -- all you see is - OOh joomla comes with this hosting, they support it...and you buy it and set it up to have no one see it...good luck and I own the site....

So, as person who cares about results...I am think that I will work at this for future Newbies and NOOBs like me who stumble across Joomla and want our sites too work like ummm, Joomla.org does.

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William the Artist

One I am not talking about stepping on toes... nor would I ever just package without asking -- hence I am looking at streamlining, and creating a better Joomla environment for everyone,  So, reckless blatant toe stepping - defeats the point.

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William the Artist

William, what problems are you having with your site?  What items have you installed, what hasn't worked, what has worked.

Don't say go to this link and it doesn't work, it has been a nightmare.  Tell us what problems you are having and we'll help you work them out.

What do you mean by this:



I cannot understand what the point of the above statement is.  If you have an issue with your hosting company, then change to another hosting company.

I have set up approximately 50 or so Joomla! sites.  I haven't had a nightmare experience at all.  I have had some issues, but for the most part asking the community for help has solved them all.

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Co-author of the Official Joomla! Book http://officialjoomlabook.com
Marpo Multimedia http://marpomultimedia.com

Oh boy I suck at this quote thing...let me start a reply...

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William the Artist

MMMedia,

I've seen your work - good stuff, but I am not as angry as I sound...I just come from a newbie point of view...  Example:

I am changing hosting...but like any good newbie - I have Joomla hosting...of course I know this because - they have a auto install button in my control panel...but wait.

It installs and outdated version and - PHP oh, you can't change that, nor .htaccess (I probably spelled that wrong) basically I have security issues - so, what is the point in making a site that will get 30 million plus hits a month only to be hacked by kiddie scripts.  See, your right, all these are easily solved or answered questions.  But I find it silly to have gone through all this just to find a hosting plan...that works well with Joomla.  Mine says it works with Joomla - Yeah, whatever.

So, I am going to come up with a plan to help newbies, not with just hosting, I want to help with streamlining...plus, give back to the community.

But more than that - I have over 2000 non-profits waiting in line for me to finish a website for them (with more on the way)...the fact that I chose Joomla to use for its creation means that I think highly of Joomla.

Hence, if I can't even get a stupid little site up - how are this Non-Profits going to keep up with the site???  Because although you might of taken a different path to achieve your Joomla Zen - I have not been as fortunate...

I want one site to work - thats it.  Then I know other site I am working on - the site for the Non-Profits will be that much closer to making happen...  Yes, I know I am asking a lot, but I want Non-profits to be able to sign up, push a button and bam their site is up and running and they are making money (not just a little bit of money, but a lot of money)...and it does not cost them a dime...NO HOSTING COST, NO BLAH BLAH, BLAH


So, my thought is - if I have to create a site that HELPS the Joomla community, so, that I can get the help I need, by gosh darn it, I am going to do it...

Thats what this is about...I want results on a mass scale and am willing to do what it takes to make it happen.  Plus, just as important - I see how much more the Joomla community has to offer...potential that they haven't even imagined yet, let alone even realize, because you have to imagine it before you can realize it.

In the Spirit of Helping one another - I am posting this not because my hosting sucks and I have to switch - I know that, but to put out the feelers to find people to make something that will be a contribution to the Joomla community, because I have sites waiting that money couldn't buy or make, only the spirit of working together will they be achieved.

Sorry so long winded, its burger and fries time...off to eat.

William

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William the Artist

Then state what your issues are, and the community will help...

You say you are having problems, but that it rests with your hosting... there are a plethora of hosting choices, most that are Joomla! friendly.  You don't have to use Fantasitco to install if your hosting company hasn't updated their Fantasico.  It is easy to install manually if you gather all the required information before hand.  If you have issues installing, then there are over 100,000 community members to help you get it right.

I am having some hosting issues for a site I am doing right now.  If they aren't willing to make the changes necessary to make things work, I will move to another host that will.  --> This is for a non-profit school.  I will bear the cost if necessary.

We are talking about newbies... The best thing you can give to people new to websites, new to Joomla! and new to hosting is to give them the tools to learn and grow.  One click is great, but what about when problems happen down the line?

Teach people how to actually do the work, you are creating something that really works.  Teach someone how to press the easy button, teaches them to press the easy button.. and it does nothing to help them in the future.

Just my $0.002

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Co-author of the Official Joomla! Book http://officialjoomlabook.com
Marpo Multimedia http://marpomultimedia.com

Hope you all enjoyed the ride.. posts split and topic moved.. twice

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Brad Baker - Follow me on Google+
http://www.rochen.com - Joomla! Hosting, the correct way.
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^Now with Joomla 2.5 and Joomla 3.0 Tutorials

Hello Amy -

Thank you for the comments, they mean a great deal to me. I've actually been a silent fan of yours for a while and your feedback is very appreciated 



Yes - I have considered this. My original intention was to satisfy the "general" Joomla audience as well as website developers who are designing for clients. 

In the case of the latter, clients would have the no-hassle ability to use the included extensions at their leisure; nothing extra required (just a brief glance at the documentation to see what's possible). This benefits both the developer and their client.

Even with this and other benefits, your concern is certainly valid.  Perhaps a new method to select what goes into a bundle is needed? I'm definitely up to the challenge of exploring ideas!



I absolutely agree with you here.  My appreciation for 3PDs is sincere and I am no stranger to making donations. The credit given on the current site doesn't do them justice... This is another one to explore. How can we effectively and adequately promote 3PDs that are included?

I would love to see the bundles get to a level where 3PDs are requesting to be included; where it would benifit them (advertising or otherwise) to have their extension included.



Thank you again, Amy!

Sean

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Jump Start Your Joomla Site at http://www.jumpstartjoomla.com

William -

I saw you called yourself a Joomla Noob Extraordinar! lol! I love your energy!  If you plan to work with 2,000 non-profit organizations, the platform issues are the challenges. I recommend you start there before considering packaging extensions (in fact, you'll see in this numbered list, I give you a link to learn how to package extensions.) These skills are needed to run a site, let alone provide hosting. Walk through this material and see what you think, ask questions in the forum areas I listed below. I think you'll find this exercise very helpful.

1. Create a webserver environment on your desktop:
-- Spend time *understanding* security (yes, try to read each of these items - ask questions in the security forums)

2. Use the Joomla! Health, Installation, Security Audit (HISA) tool to make certain things are ready (Questions)

3. Install Joomla! (Q Installation forum)

4. Use Joomla! Diagnosticsto verify the installation (Questions)

5. Add extensions (Questions to individual developer website).

6. Create a backup and restore process for your database (largely driven by your host) (Q Installation forum)

7. Do the same for your website. What files must be backed up on your website on a regular basis? (FTP? largely driven by your host) (Q Installation forum)

8. Learn to move your website from your desktop to a hosted site. And, back. (Q Installation forum)
-- learn to move your database
-- update the configuration after the move

9. Learn how to preinstall extensions; pack it up; and install that. (See how knowing how to do this could help you with this topic?) (Q General Forum)

10. How do you reset your admin password? (Q General Forum)

11. Yes, read every one of those, do not cheat yourself  (Q Security Forum)

12. Learn to do an upgrade.

++++

And, we didn't even *talk* about configuring Joomla!. Go through all of the resources listed in Absolute Beginner's Guide to Joomla!. That will teach you, soup to nuts, everything about configuring Joomla! and building templates. One thing I did was regularly read the FAQs, over and over until things started making sense. I recommend that. Now, thanks to mcsmom and rliskey, we have *fantastic* FAQs.

++++

OK. So, for me, learning to do that stuff took me a year and I am still not solid on platform issues. I would be scared to death to offer hosting services. But, this list should help you along the way. But, if you are going to provide services to people, especially SO MANY people, these are the things you really must know *solid* before you start.

Also - spend time answering community questions in the forums - if you really know the answer. That *will* strengthen your knowledge and help you know what your non-profits will expect, too.

And - Check out PicNet and see if Ryan might be able to help you reach your non-profits. He provides easy Joomla! services - click and go - to build J! sites. Maybe you could work with him, somehow? He does good work and runs a very reputable business.

I *love* to see the drive you have because there's a lot to learn if you really want to get into it. I trust you'll be one of those who is a real asset to our community as you come along!
Amy

PS - the moderators might have to move this one, too. Sorry! 

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http://Twitter.com/AmyStephen
http://www.alltogetherasawhole.org/

No move necessary Amy, excellent advice all round there.    Much more better put than my "easy button" theory. 

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Co-author of the Official Joomla! Book http://officialjoomlabook.com
Marpo Multimedia http://marpomultimedia.com

Sean -

Thanks for complement, that was nice.

Check out wpzipper.com. I talked to Noah Coffey, who built this site. If this type of capability was combined with a paypal front end, that might an interesting approach. This is totally something that would have to be coordinated with 3pd's, of course! Maybe they'd sign up - give their price. ? Automating the accounting functions could be a real challenge. (Scratch could, insert would.)

Noah said he built the site himself using php and MySQL, plus the zip functionality from this library. He also said he has considered doing this free service for other CMSs, but, all of this work is done in his spare time. (Sound familiar?). I asked him if he'd consider GPL'ing his work and building a little community to help enhance the tool. There have to be dozens of projects who could use this. I'll post his response when I hear.

This could be a good alternative to a prepackaged package and build on much of what you have started. It would obviously be *very cool* to reinforce the responsibility we have as end user community members to pay for good work. Getting it all packed up and ready to go could be enough for people to willingly pay.

Lately, I've been wondering if the proprietary software extensions might have stymied open source donations. Having a mix made it easy for people to think - open source extensions are always *free of charge* - so, paying for these is not a big deal. Also, there is a feeling of being "nickled and dimed to death" if you are pulling out your credit card at every extension site. A central spot to pick it all out, get it zipped up nicely, and pay once would be *far* more acceptable, IMO, to most people.

Also, what an EASY WAY for web site developers to get the products that their customers need and, at the same time, produce an expense receipt indicating what their customers must reimburse them for, in addition to the service charge. Making that process easy would certain help generate a bit of income for the extension developer.

Or, for those of us who work in government and university institutions, we can't "donate" but we certainly pay our bills!

It takes many steps to perfect things, and already, you have done a great deal of work in this area. You might start thinking about how you can involve the broader community in this effort, too. Perhaps (and I hope they don't hear me) this could eventually become some type of connection to the JED. That would also help support better revenue for developers because the community traffic flows that direction. (But, possibly not something J! would want to get into.)

Obviously, this is something that the open source developers need to really think on, but it's some ideas. Some already have groups they will be working with. But, there are many independents who would benefit from an organized, centralized front end.

Amy

Jenny - lol! funny! I'd love just one big button *somewhere* in my life! 

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http://Twitter.com/AmyStephen
http://www.alltogetherasawhole.org/

I was following along with this, and Amy did bring up an interesting point about the extensions, and it made me think how nice it would be to have a universal front end that gave you options to pick and choose your plug-ins, but she beat me to the punch!

In this way, you wouldn't have to have several prepackaged installs.  You could include everything in one, and give the installer the option to choose exactly what they needed.

Finish it off this off by offering web hosting and you could have a one stop for a 'complete' solution, offering domain setup, etc.. etc.. for those who really want a soup to nuts joomla.

You could even take this one step further and look at a wamp / lamp  install that would give them an easy way to set up a local test bed.

Definitely has some serious potential.

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If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

You sound very much like a team member to me! 

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http://Twitter.com/AmyStephen
http://www.alltogetherasawhole.org/

I am going to state this...that - AmyStephen, Rogue4ngel, MMMedia, rSean - that your input only makes each other stronger...hence that is the power behind anything in life...why do you think Joomla has been anything but a program?  Actually it is not just a program - it is people making a difference - (sorry, read that after the fact and said oops I need to edit that - my meaning didn't match my grammar)

AmyStephen - you speak with understanding, and goodwill.

Rogue4ngel - you speak with authority and experience.

MMMedia - you speak with confidence and the ability to get to the point, and you do it with no hesitation...which challenges people. (Believe me...that is a good thing, if people are not up for a challenge - they are not ready for life...)  I look at your confidence as a meter to making it happen...not as hindering.

and rSean - you walk without barriers of how it should be...see, we (speaking for myself as an old fart) only speak from are knowledge base...which at times can be our greatest strength (look at Rogue4ngel's resume and you will understand what strength is, MMMedia and her wonderful sites that speak leaps and bounds about her efforts and AmyStephen - I have not looked at her work yet, but its her understanding that shines on these boards...), but if we rely solely on that - without the openness that allowed us to achieve that strength, which is cool, because right or wrong - you just jumped out into the deep end with trying to do something - If we don't keep that openness -- we set are self up for falling (notice I didn't say Failure?  Because falling is a good thing...it is what makes us who we are - because I know that you will understand one day - that someone who has fallen and got back up - will bring you more understanding to what life is about than someone who has lived a perfect life and never ventured out past the horizon.  So, hang on to that trait...of course I could be a complete dufus and not know that you know that already, but I willing to fall on my face.

Alright, enough goofy sentiments... (what - you think I am going to lose my macho - a@#hole image for you guys???  Please!!!!!)

After reading your post - I only want to work harder at helping others...

Now, some big points -  I have ideas that help developers maximize their money making while doing just what they do - develop (your ever hear about the manager of a rock group making a million dollar hit single song?  Unless, you saw the Idol Maker  - the movie, probably not...some people are good at managing and some are good at playing...hence, I look at it as this - we are all in this together...I may not know code, but I can market and make money on the web...hence, in trade developers make the code and help me.  I make the marketing and I help them market - because that is what I have to offer...they spend less time marketing and more time developing and I spend less time hacking (making more grey hairs) and more time marketing.

This helps the community too...as they get products that are developed...I have never said anything as to taking away from Joomla - mine is to strive to help all parties involved.

But it is not going to happen - if we - as in all of us do not decide to say - it's time and sign our John Hancock.  So, again, all of you have a lot to offer...let's create the tools to make that happen...

Call me silly, call me a Noob...(you can finish the last line as you see fit)

William the Artist

P.S. I am going to tell you right now - don't drink and post...because drunk dialing (calling someone on the phone drunk - like a ex) is easily forgotten...drunk posting is forever archived in GOOGLE....or email...

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William the Artist

Thanks for the kudos William, but I doubt I rank up with Amy and MMMedia in the contributions they've made to this project and community.  If I can devote even a fraction of time they put in, I'll call it an accomplishment.

You can see why the Joomla is such a strong product just from the community that is involved with it.  It speaks volumes compared to some of the other projects that I've seen, and a testament to what open source is really about.  Part of the reason I'm here.

Don't get me wrong, I like Joomla, but it's the people working on it that I have a great deal of respect for, and can see a lot of potential for Joomla to be one of the best open source products on the market.

Getting back on subject, Sean seems to have made the most progress in this venture, and it would seem definitely on the right track.  William looks like he has the right idea, and obviously has a vision for something that would seem to benefit the community in a lot of ways.

For myself, I'm still not in a place yet where I'm ready to devote myself to a project, but I'm getting there.  I'll be hopefully settling in for the next few months and getting myself geared up for my new endeavor, which is going to steal a lot of my time, but after I get into the swing of things, I'm hoping to find a project to throw myself into.

This could be something that would definitely be worthwhile, and I think once it's running, will have some momentum to carry itself rather far.

Although I'm not ready to make a commitment to something yet, I'll be happy to help you develop the framework through discussion and see where this leads.

So you have my vote of confidence that you do have something that is worth exploring more seriously, and I'll give my input where I can to help develop the concept.

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If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

This idea is brilliant. I actually came across the very cool MooTools downloader when the site launched and immediately starting thinking along the lines of what Noah Coffey has put together for wpzipper.com (thanks for that, BTW).  The ideas of having this functionality combined with some type of donation/payment method are surging through my mind. I can see this having a lot of potential to make a very big impact on the community (for end users and developers).

As far as accounting goes, a system (both application and method) will need to be *carefully* planned out.  If it's done right, everyone benefits.



I'll look forward to hearing his response!



Agreed. Perhaps William (being the marketing expert) has some good insight on this as well. How appealing (and at what cost) is the idea of bundles to end-users?  The folks who want Joomla and want it working for their purpose straight away. How appealing is it to developers to have their extension available on a site where they can receive a) monetary benefits and b) exposure? Just thinking out-loud here 



Exactly! Couldn't say it any better myself.

Sean

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Jump Start Your Joomla Site at http://www.jumpstartjoomla.com

I humbly agree. The comment is appreciated, William, but I am not one to be listed among Amy an MMMedia.



Undoubtedly so. There is a huge amount of potential for such a venture, and it would be beneficial for everyone.



Extremely happy to hear that. I'm looking forward to seeing where these ideas will go.

Sean

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Jump Start Your Joomla Site at http://www.jumpstartjoomla.com

Look at Red Hat - people got to hold it, touch it, pick it up and look at it and it came in a cool looking box - that when you walked into Best Buy, Comp USA or whatever computer store it was sitting on the shelf or sitting in the front of the store in the aisle.

That is open source  at is finest...reaching the masses...you didn't even have to be a Internet computer geek to have exposure to Linux. 

I don't look at open source the way everyone else does...open source to me is a non-profit in my eyes (now hold on, don't say - duh yet)

See, I don't look at non-profits the way everyone else does.  I think that donation are all good, but I think that it has to be more than that...that death, taxes and charitable giving should be the only "three" (instead of the traditional "two") things you can count on.

Obviously, dying without a doubt is a sure guaranty, but taxes??  That is man made, and it was ingrained in our heads since we were born...so, take that same "attaboy" about taxes and put it towards charitable giving.

Meaning, just like taxes everyday that you pay - (if you work, buy, eat, own, drive, sleep, travel etc...ya pay taxes), but when it comes to charity...well, you donate, you put or push a donate button on a website, hold events or (this is no lie - I've seen it repeated again and again by non-profits) - you spend more on marketing than you actually receive in donations or because your not promoting Art or Fluffy Furry things, just the homeless, well, your not in the in crowd and not hip enough to donate to.

So, donation are great, but charitable giving with "Super Duper Enhanced Features" is better...meaning make charitable giving a part of everyones lives (work, buy, eat, drive, sleep, travel etc...like taxes) and you will have done more for the community than just collect a donation to provide them with goodness, no, you have set in to place for future generations to grow up with the understanding that charitable giving is a part of life...and hopefully they will understand why it is too.

So, when I look at non-profits - I look at them as being leaders and examples of the future of the human race, so, I expect more...yes, I am an arrogant a@@...and proud of it.

Joomla has great potential as a community to set new standards for all non-profits, because one - the program itself is a wonderful tool they can use for their non-profit and two - Joomla could lead by example...of what the next generation of non-profits should do - when it comes to receiving charitable giving...but I will cover that more later...

I don't just see Joomla the program...I see the people who have and can make a difference.

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William the Artist

Ok, so we all see that nonprofit (again, we clarify this does not mean free) is something of a focus.  Now, how is this applicable to the project in question; creating a modular packaging system that can be use with Joomla and all it's nefarious templates / extensions / etc.

I'm assuming, given the nature of the project, we're talking about a php web based system that will do this.

Here's something to consider:  Having a central repository on the web so we don't necessarily have to package the components with the program itself, but have it pull them on the installation as necessary.  This way we can do one update and guarantee that one someone does run the installation, they'll be getting all of the latest versions of what they need.

This might be overreaching a bit, but perhaps we don't have to distribute any software.  Could we run a site that allows users to go through a series of questions, which then in turn connects to their site and installs everything for them.  They wouldn't even necessarily need a separate program, ftp program, or anything else.

That could get a bit complex, and may leave for too many variables with hosting and other things that we wouldn't have any control over.  Just some thoughts.  Not that I even necessarily would go that route; just putting down whatever comes to mind.

Another consideration as well, now that we're getting into this a bit more.  Do we offer support for both 1.0 and 1.5.  Can we build a generic enough framework that would allow use to use it for both?

_________________
If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

Well, that is where one has to look at the whole project...

1. - to eliminate the server issues - we have seriously address it as - here is a list of host that provide the right environment and not just a random posting in the sea of post in the forum (this also makes me think to charitable giving.)

2. - if we put a list of hostings that cater to the Joomla environment - everyone can rate them and give tips...since most hostings have an affiliate program...all funds could go to the Joomla Foundation. 

Okay, before people get offended and say that is taking away from people who do affiliate hosting as a living.  The Joomla community works in layers...there are those that develop, those that use it, those that provide services for it and blah, blah, blah...meaning there are sooooo many layers...that if if Joomla Foundation made money off of "those that use it" (meaning people like me - who dive in and use it and become involved with the community) there are a million people who don't jump in and just want to make a website and turn to those who provide service from people who use it...hence, the market is too big to say -- ooh he is cutting into my profits...plus if Joomla becomes more marketable - those service providers will have more than enough market share to handle... 

Let's just say when people I have worked with in the past said - they were not making any sales on the web and blamed it on the competition or blah, blah, blah...I laughed.  WWW stands for WORLD WIDE WEB...there so much money to be made and the Internet is still young.  It's not the competition - it is how marketable you are.

This addresses - the elephant in the living room...Joomla is not perfect in all environments...nor is most programs...I swear when I downloaded I-Tunes it made sure to see whether I had a Mac or Windows or blah, blah, blah...but I-Tunes is a commercial product that has the support teams to put together all the different versions (they still needed Open Source to get there, but we won't talk about that Elephant)

3. Yes, Yes, Yes, - making Joomla more marketable is worth it...so, putting together a system like that would be easier to market Joomla...would benefit everyone in the food chain

4. Treat it like it is - 1.0 is now and 1.5 is the near future...set up a system for 1.0 and by the time 1.5 is considered final we will have gotten our feet wet and will be able to make the release of 1.5 better... or by pass...1.0 and start work on 1.5 with a fresh clean slate...and a little head start.

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William the Artist

woooah... Let's back up a little bit here. As previously stated, William, your enthusiasm is great and we all appreciate/enjoy it, but I believe your naivety is causing you to race ahead of us.

Let's not create problems or controversy before there are actually problems. If the community embraces the project as we think they will, there's nothing to worry about but making our project better for everyone.

Secondly, those involved with Open Source and Joomla are not against making money.  If your start hosting Joomla sites, that's a perfectly reputable business/service that I doubt anyone is going to have a problem with. 

Hopefully I've understood you correctly, William.

Anyway back on track here:

Rogue4ngel, you mentioned some excellent ideas:



This is my ideal setup as well. I'm not sure what programming level you're at, but I would like to collaborate and share ideas of a practical way to accomplish this using PHP/MySQL/XML/etc.  Just thinking about it without putting it on paper, I have a few ideas that may a good start.



Not overreaching at all! In fact, I think it's a valuable idea. If you've ever noticed how many people use JoomlaPlug's remote installer, it's quite shocking. Big time saver for a lot people.

That said, however, I don't think it is something that would need to be implemented immediately. First things first: develop a stable system that packages Joomla along with 3PD elements (templates, extensions, etc).

1.0 vs 1.5
Again, just thinking about it, I don't believe it would be a major challenge to have 1.0 and 1.5 Joomla bundles built using the system. We'll have the logic in place, updating table names and file names and locations shouldn't be difficult.

Also, let's remember that a good majority of extensions aren't even 1.5 compatible yet. So, even when 1.5 is officially released, it will take some time for everyone to migrate over their extensions and websites. Supporting both versions is a good way to get community support, IMO.

Another Idea
Here's an idea that's inline with William's focus... Offer "Optimized Joomla hosting" as a service that can be added at some point during the process where users are "building" their bundles.  This gives them the option to build a package and a) download it or b) have it setup and hosted on an "optimized server".  The idea needs refining, but I think you see where I'm going with it

That's all for now

Sean

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Jump Start Your Joomla Site at http://www.jumpstartjoomla.com

This is already done, it isn't a random posting, http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,6856.0.html

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Co-author of the Official Joomla! Book http://officialjoomlabook.com
Marpo Multimedia http://marpomultimedia.com

Yes, I am naive - NEWBIE NOOB EXTRONDINARE!!!  I'm under a lot of pressure and am easily excitable...right now.  So, oops on the outburst in the above post.

I will work on refraining...

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William the Artist

Thanks...MMMedia...now if we can only have that on the front cover of Joomla.org. next to the download Joomla button, maybe like a hosting button...I know who am I to be so demanding. 

Trust me I am not trying to step on anyones toes here...I am looking at it from the marketing/consumer/newbie/noob side 

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William the Artist