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Richard Pearce

When I met Joomla, I had no idea how much it would impact my future. The relationship was frosty at first. Hostile in fact. I was happy the way things were, but Joomla insisted that life could be even better, if I was prepared to make some changes. The problem was, the path to our ultimate happiness required a solution that had not yet been built. And it was up to me to produce the solution. Okay - sure, Joomla did provide the materials, but no cohesive way of moulding it all together.



I made a tentative approach, but was sternly rebuked. Something about having inadequate permissions. I tried again but couldn't find a way to have even the most simple of conversations. Sadly we parted and I went back to my long-term partner, Dreamweaver.



But I knew I was missing out on something. It nagged me day and night until I decided to try again. It was easier this time. Things started to look bright and I was optimistic that I had found my lifelong partner. But alas we fell at the final hurdle. We had come so far, surely something seemingly so small as a menu item couldn't come between us. But is was so. And so tragically we separated again.



This time my reunion with my previous HTML editor was not so pleasant. We were never right for each other. So I knuckled down with a new determination to use the few resources I had to build a Joomla website. The details aren't important. All you need to know is that everything finally came together and now Joomla and I are best of friends.



I want you to enjoy this friendship too, so I have produced a methodical step-by-step solution to learning Joomla. Start with our free course The Basics. Then move on to our advanced courses. I also publish hints and tips via this blog. Your first steps might also be tentative, but with my help, you are guaranteed to save a lot of time and frustration.



Connect with Richard: Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | LinkedIn

Owner of Build a Joomla Website. Responsible for 1 wife, 4 kids and 17 fish.

Joomla Beat #47 - Passwords

Joomla Beat #47 - Passwords

In the latest episode of Joomla Beat, I join host Peter Bui to discuss some rules to consider when creating passwords.

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Happy 18th Birthday to us (save 50%)

Happy 18th Birthday to us (save 50%)

Help me celebrate my company's birthday with 50% off Beyond the Basics - but only until the end of this weekend.

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Recent Comments
Mike Martin
Hi Congratulations Richard, it take a lot of courage to job out of a secure employment and create your own business, very well don... Read More
Tuesday, 10 December 2013 21:01
Richard Pearce
Well I would ... except that it's now full of work stuff and so there's no room for a bed. Besides, you're not going to want to sh... Read More
Wednesday, 11 December 2013 13:57
Darryl Brick
The headquarters of a global conglomerate - love it! Great job with your business too Richard. As someone who aspires to build the... Read More
Wednesday, 11 December 2013 14:35
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Shine up your UniForm with this (almost) free form builder

Shine up your UniForm with this (almost) free form builder

Looking for an easy-to-use form builder for Joomla without a hefty price tag? UniForm from JoomlaShine is the answer and in this post I walk you through it's major features.

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Nance Briscoe
I started learning JOOMLA! 2.5 last fall and needed a form - I've been using UniForm and as a novice I applaud the developers - it... Read More
Saturday, 12 October 2013 22:20
Richard Pearce
You should talk to JoomlaShine about this. That doesn't sound right at all.
Sunday, 13 October 2013 06:46
Dawn
Is it possible with Uni Form Pro Standard version to have a list of recipients on a form and the submitter chooses who the form wi... Read More
Monday, 25 November 2013 15:34
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JoomlaDay Sydney 2013 - The Responsive Event

JoomlaDay Sydney 2013 - The Responsive Event

If you're in Sydney or you can get yourself here next month, join us for JoomlaDay Sydney 2013. It's all about responsive design and there is a great lineup of speakers from the Joomla world. There are also some workshops including how to build a Joomla website from scratch presented by yours truly.

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matthewdavey
Sounds great Ill try to save up for the tickets I have the Australian states eg; http://www.visitnsw.asia/pacific/ http://www.visi... Read More
Friday, 20 September 2013 09:53
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New Course: Build a Joomla 3 Website From Scratch

New Course: Build a Joomla 3 Website From Scratch

Our latest release is an update to our ever-popular "Build a Joomla Website from Scratch" course. This is the third time I have produced this course, but this version is a massive update with 43 lessons and over 6 hours of video tutorials.

Recent Comments
Dave
This looks interesting but I wonder if a portion of a couple lessons are available to preview.
Friday, 20 September 2013 09:42
Richard Pearce
Not as such. However our entire introductory course - The Basics (http://www.buildajoomlawebsite.com/joomla-tutorials/the-basics/)... Read More
Friday, 20 September 2013 10:08
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Sneak Peek: Build a Joomla Website from Scratch #3

Sneak Peek: Build a Joomla Website from Scratch #3

I dropped into the Joomla Beat studios this week to share some Joomla installation tips. This coincided with some recordings I made this week for the latest version of our upcoming Build a Joomla Website from Scratch course, so I thought I should share these lessons publically. These tutorials demonstrate how to install Joomla using Softaculous and how to save time if you install Joomla manually. 

Recent Comments
Andrew
As always detailed explanation without going overboard on technical stuff to frighten us. What I did notice when I loaded Joomla ... Read More
Friday, 02 August 2013 11:17
Richard Pearce
I'm not quite sure what you mean, but keep in mind that frontend and backend logins are treated as separate sessions. If you have ... Read More
Friday, 02 August 2013 11:28
Andrew
Hi Richard, Yes what you describe is not a problem, standard from my first adventures with Joomla 1.5. What I am trying to descr... Read More
Friday, 02 August 2013 11:57
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Sneak Peek: The Next Big Extension to Hit the Joomla World

Sneak Peek: The Next Big Extension to Hit the Joomla World

The folks who brought you groundbreaking Joomla extensions such as EasyBlog, EasyDiscuss and Komento will soon release their latest creation. Read on to discover what it is and if you should be adding it to your Joomla website.

Recent Comments
Andrew
"Last time I counted," Richard you have too much time on your hands :-) Having looked at the intro site it appears to cover the ... Read More
Friday, 26 July 2013 11:31
Richard Pearce
Andy - I don't know if this is the best solution for your goals. Rather than try to compare it to WordPress, think of it as your o... Read More
Saturday, 27 July 2013 10:28
Michael Ellis
Richard, great overview of the Joomla social extensions. You didn't mention JFBConnect which seems to be attracting a lot of users... Read More
Friday, 26 July 2013 19:19
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How Safe is Your Website?

How Safe is Your Website?

Who is Hosting This? has produced an interesting infographic with some security stats for Joomla and WordPress.

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Have you got the Joomla Beat?

Have you got the Joomla Beat?

You might think podcasts are on the decline thanks to the rise of social media and video. However there are tens of thousands of podcasts listed on iTunes including Joomla Beat - a weekly production overflowing with Joomla news, views, reviews and interviews. Find out all about it and see if you recognise this voice ...

Recent Comments
Egg Bramhill
Interesting interview. I first learnt how to use Joomla via Richards free tutorials and listening to his own self-taught way of te... Read More
Friday, 28 June 2013 11:37
Giovanni Yarabek
Smooth professional interview with interesting content. Thanks for sharing!
Saturday, 29 June 2013 07:24
Peter Bui
Glad you enjoyed the podcast!
Saturday, 29 June 2013 08:54
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Win User Engagement Extensions from StackIdeas

Win User Engagement Extensions from StackIdeas

That's right, it's contest time again and this time we're focusing on user engagement. Have you been avoiding this vital aspect of your website strategy? Well, there has never better a better opportunity to get going because we have three great commercial extensions up for grabs.

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