Articles - Page 114

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

matt-garrepy

Ghost has always been an excellent blog platform but since the <a href="/ghost-3-0-brings-subscriptions-memberships-and-more/">release of Ghost 3.0</a>, the development team has been slamming out the features on a regular basis to make it even better.
This latest feature is the ability to send native email newsletters with Ghost using their new Members &amp; Subscriptions feature (which you can read more about <a href="https://ghost.org/members/">here</a>).
The way this works is simple; when you write a new post, you can now choose to deliver the post to subscribers via email as shown below.
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image.png" alt="Ghost 3.0 Native Newsletters" /></figure>
This isn't just a quick email notification, however, you can even set a custom subject line, preview the email before it goes out and send yourself a test one to make sure everything looks OK.
The dev team have included a stunning new email template that does a great job of making the content look beautiful. If you use the members function within Ghost to offer paid subscriptions, then content specifically marked as paid only will only go to that subset of users and the same goes for free content of course. 
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image-1.png" alt="Ghost Email Template" /><figcaption>Here's a look at the email template.</figcaption></figure>
There is an unsubscribe link within each email and users can, of course, choose whether or not to subscribe from within their profile on your website.
There's more information about this feature over on the Ghost blog where they first shared the news so <a href="https://ghost.org/blog/native-email/">go check it out</a>.

You Can Now Send Email Newsletters Natively With Ghost

cms-critic-staff

Despite still being in its development stages, AllianceCMS is on its way to becoming a flexible, powerful and feature extensive content management system.
Currently, AllianceCMS is at a stage where it is installable and ready for experimentation. However, it should be noted that the platform is still pre-alpha, which means it is still being developed and honed.
The developers who are carrying out work on the system are actively adding new features on a daily basis, and have also made the theme and plugin API available for public use and experimentation.
<h2>Current Features</h2>
Although AllianceCMS is in the pre-alpha stage, you can install it via a browser based installation, and begin tinkering with the various features available.
At the time of writing, AllianceCMS offers a flexible template system which allows you to create templates that can be used inside your main site theme. You also have the ability to create templates that will can be used within another template.
Additionally, a useful FormHelper class which makes building form elements a lot easier, which is a big help when creating themes and templates.
To help speed up initial installation and streamline future updates, AllianceCMS is divided into three separate folders consisting of axis, public_html and zones.
The axis folder contains the main functions of the system, and should therefore be left well alone. The public_html is of course where other basic files such as themes reside, whereas the zone folder contains all custom plugins, as well as database connection files.
<h2>Planned Features</h2>
As AllianceCMS grows, more features are being planned and implemented.
From amongst these features, the developers over at AllianceCMS are working on fully incorporating an installation/updates database schema API for all major system updates. Essentially, this feature will allow all users to install or update from any version to the most current version, almost instantly.
It goes without saying that such a feature would offer plenty of convenience, and the most exciting part is, the developers are currently working on how to automate the updating process even further.
<h2>Can You Help?</h2>
As previously mentioned, Alliance CMS is currently pre-alpha, and thus there is still plenty of work to be done before it can experience its first stable release.
In order to speed up the development process, AllianceCMS have appealed for assistance in the following areas:
<ul>
<li>Graphic Design / CSS / Theme Creation</li>
<li>Plugin Development</li>
<li>Data Management</li>
<li>Documentation</li>
<li>Translation</li>
</ul>
AllianceCMS is without doubt on track to be an open-source platform which is genuinely interested in enjoining communities. Their name, slogan and website all reflect their social awareness, and reaching out to the public for development assistance is also a friendly touch.
<h2>Screenshots</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/alliancecms-home-page1395x0.png" alt="Alliance CMS - Home Page" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/alliancecms-wiki1395x0.png" alt="Alliance CMS Wiki" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/alliancecms-api1395x0.png" alt="Alliance CMS - API" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/alliancecms-installation-start1395x0.png" alt="Alliance CMS - Installation Start" />
If you can help out in any of the areas listed above, or if you simply wish to find out more about the exciting Alliance CMS project, visit their <a href="http://www.alliancecms.com/"> official website </a> .

Introducing AllianceCMS

mike-johnston

In Hollywood, sequels are a roll of the dice. Few manage to capture the magic of an original film, and most burn up on re-entry. I won’t partake in any “sequel shaming,” but the list of losers is long.
But then there’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” a film that surprisingly managed to <a href="https://boardroom.tv/highest-grossing-sequels-of-all-time/">earn $1.4 billion globally</a>. While not the biggest franchise follow-up (that still belongs to Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame”), it cemented its place at the top.
At this year’s <a href="https://the.machalliance.org/machtwo/">MACH Two Conference</a> – the sequel to the <a href="https://machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance’s</a> inaugural event in 2022 – Tom Cruise wasn't piloting any box office blitz. But as the final session wrapped, there was more Maverick in MACH than anyone could have predicted.
I had the opportunity to attend the much-anticipated event in Amsterdam this week at the swank <a href="https://delamar.nl/en/">DeLaMar Theater</a>. And while dodging airport delays with international connections was nerve-racking, it was well worth the effort.
Because MACH Two was, in a word, awesome.
Don’t take my word for it. As <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/netlify-to-host-headless-commerce-summit-for-talks-on-building-world-class-e-commerce-experiences/">Netlify</a> co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbachdk/">Chris Bach</a> observed, it was the “crème de la crème of events, and I wanted to talk to everyone.”
While the MACH Alliance is still a relative newcomer to the tech landscape, its signature conference has already attained world-class status. Along with an impressive lineup of 36 speakers, the event featured expert practitioners, technology vendors, integrators, and brands willing to share their MACH journeys.
Betwixt the lively keynotes, there were numerous workshops, a co-lab zone, learning circles, social groups, afterparties, and more. Even the tasty plant-based bites provided by Food Line-up – Europe’s first <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/" target="_blank">B Corp</a> caterer – were <a href="https://the.machalliance.org/machtwo/?overlay=Sustainability-pledge">sustainably produced</a> (and you know how boring conference food can be).
Over the two days of the conference, I connected with Alliance leaders, sponsors, and attendees to discuss MACH and how it’s shaping the composable landscape. While innovation and technology were central to the content, it was evident that the “Art &amp; Science” of this event’s theme had more to do with people and community.
I met so many great people and there are too many stories to tell, so I tried to compress everything into six big takeaways that made MACH Two a winning sequel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-1.jpg" alt="MACH Two presentation" />
<h2>1. Interest in MACH and composable is growing in a big way</h2>
During Tuesday’s opening keynote, the lower bowl of the DeLaMar Theater was solidly packed. This echoed what MACH Alliance president <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a> said during his opening remarks: “The footprint has grown.”
To be sure, last year’s shindig was smaller – which makes sense when you’re throwing a party for the first time. During the planning phase for MACH One, a few Alliance members admitted to me that they weren’t sure if anyone would show up.
But that wasn’t the case this year. With just over 600 attendees from numerous countries, things sometimes got elbow-deep.
Since last year’s event, the Alliance has grown to nearly 90 members, with a pipeline of new applications streaming in. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions/">AWS joined</a> as an Enabler in 2022, bringing industry-leading brands to the ecosystem ­– and that trend has continued. In fact, as the show was opening, it was <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/stripe-joins-mach-alliance-bringing-organization-to-nearly-90-members/">announced that Stripe</a> had joined the ranks.
At one point during the opening session, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-diliberti-73801140/" target="_blank">Danielle Diliberti</a> of Sommsation (who shared MC duties with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nialledwards/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Naill Edwards</a> of Lego Group) asked for a show of hands to see who was attending their first MACH event. It looked to be around 60% – evidence that interest is swelling, and the market sees more potential than it did just 12 months ago.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-2-1.jpg" alt="MACH Two ASICS presentation" />
<h2>2. MACH has moved from early adoption to real impact</h2>
One of the most notable transformations from MACH One to MACH Two is the shift from ideas to successful implementations. Across both days, the event featured customer stories from an array of verticals, all told through the voice of the internal MACH champion. In every example, we saw the realization of the MACH journey through working architectures and KPIs.
Each use case was brilliant, from Interflora to IKEA to M&amp;M. But as a runner, I was a bit partial to ASICS, the international sportswear brand. With a global omnichannel platform serving Japan, Europe, North America, and Australia, it was a perfect example to showcase the potential of MACH at scale.
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmontgomery/" target="_blank">Mindy Montgomery</a>, Associate Director of Product Management at ASICS, gave a fantastic overview of how her company evolved beyond a purpose-built eCommerce solution and broke its monolithic dependency. Starting with a change in mindset, her team built a modern DXP to support loyalty, search, promotions, design systems, and other functions across its digital business. She’s now looking to make parts of the stack available via headless for other company initiatives.
One concept that kept surfacing with ASICS and other brands is the concerted move to a product-led philosophy. As Montgomery explained, removing the small, feature-based approach was critical to embracing MACH. She also emphasized the importance of having a trust-based relationship between product and engineering to improve delivery.
AI made its way into numerous stories, and ASICS was no exception. Montgomery admitted that the emergence of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">ChatGPT</a> forced them to pause and rethink their product search initiative. The company is now considering a generative AI application to augment its shoe finder experience.
One key takeaway: while AI might be changing the game, composable could make the pivot much less painful.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-3.jpg" alt="MACH Two Media Q&amp;A" />
<h2>3. More education, tools, and transparency are on the way</h2>
During a dedicated media Q&amp;A on Tuesday, I had an opportunity to engage with a panel of Alliance leaders and ambassadors. In addition to Casper Rasmussen, the group included <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/" target="_blank">Kelly Goetsch</a>, MACH Alliance Chair &amp; CSO of commercetools; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jguthmann/" target="_blank">Jasmin Guthmann</a>, Alliance VP &amp; Head of Corporate Communications at Contentstack; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balakrishnancs/" target="_blank">Balki Subramanian</a>, VP Digital Experiences, Mars; and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anca-iordanescu-phd-computer-science-3756971/" target="_blank">Anca Iordanescu</a>, VP Engineering at IKEA.
When asked about what’s changed since MACH One, Rasmussen said, "MACH is at an intersection, " leading to more opportunities. He suggested that it also requires a carefully managed expansion that relies on improving interoperability and standards for new and current members.   
Kelly Goetsch also reflected on the last year of growth, saying MACH “now feels like the default,” and that “we’re no longer advocating from the sidelines.” Jasmine Guthmann also suggested that the MACH philosophy will play a bigger role moving forward, helping reinforce the organization's spirit.
There was a clear consensus around the need for more education, a key requirement for improving adoption. Along with a cache of thought leadership content and other knowledge resources, the Alliance just launched a new MACH TCO tool, and plans to release a maturity assessment tool that focuses on 6 key pillars, such as governance.
Later this year, we can expect new educational programs for brands and members, and Rasmussen hopes to offer some degree of certifications based on different levels of MACH expertise. This would include foundational programs, developer and architecture modules, and even a “MACH Expert” certification.
Rasmussen also talked about the evolution of MACH principles. He said that two years ago, we didn’t talk about MACHifying operations or enterprise resource planning. To that end, the framework needs to be flexible, as definitions and criteria will continue to change over time.
The panel shared a few other insights worth mentioning. First, there’s been a noticeable growth of MACH requirements in RFPs. In fact, one brand mentioned that MACH membership had become a baseline requirement when picking technologies – positioning MACH as a standard for the future.
The other topic was transparency. At both evening mixers, I heard from multiple ISVs and SIs about their concerns regarding the membership selection criteria and wanting more visibility into the process. According to Rasmussen, 53% of membership applications are rejected – but the majority resubmit. He noted a clear evolution in those resubmissions, suggesting that companies understand the gaps and adjust to meet the criteria. That said, the panel recognized this need for even more transparency and expressed a commitment to deliver it.
<h2>4. Relationships and trust continue to drive value</h2>
One of the persistent gaps in composable strategies is the responsibility model. Monoliths provide one throat to choke, while composable architectures might require seven.
Researching, procuring, and managing multiple technology partners can be challenging and time-consuming. More importantly, when things go sideways – and they always do – who takes responsibility? Who owns the issue?
For vendors like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contentstack-launch-aims-to-simplify-front-end-hosting-interview-with-dean-haddock-senior-product-manager/">Contentstack</a>, its “Care without Compromise” provides an SLA-like template for handling problem resolution. But not all vendors have that kind of framework in place.
Over the last few days, I spoke to numerous SIs and ISVs about their composable partnerships and how they handle the hard stuff. I kept hearing the importance of their human relationships and the clear reliance on trust.
In one such example, an agency praised a headless CMS and its dedicated customer service manager, crediting them for their ongoing success. In another conversation, I used the word “vendor” to describe a platform, and was politely asked to use “partner” instead.
I heard several attendees talk about the need for more guidance when handling these partnership challenges. There may not be a common template or SLA yet, but it’s evident that MACH members are investing in the quality of their relationships to deliver and maintain high-value customer outcomes.  
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-4.jpg" alt="MACH Two Impact Awards" />
<h2>5. The Impact Awards is a win for the MACH movement</h2>
It was an honor to help judge the MACH Two 2023 <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards" target="_blank">Impact Awards</a>. Over the last month, I read through dozens of detailed entries, each with a compelling story of composable transformation. They were bold, ambitious, innovative… and sometimes downright scary.
I say that with the greatest reverence, but I won’t pull any punches on the level of complexity in some of these use cases. But that’s just it: MACH isn’t for the faint of heart. Building a composable stack requires the right use case and a thoughtful implementation strategy. As Kelly Goestch once said on LinkedIn, “I love MACH, but regularly tell people 'MACH is not for you' – and then promptly refer them to Shopify.”
American Bath Group, winner of the "Best Overall Change Project,” truly brought the rain from an innovation perspective. Not only did they embrace MACH tenants at a foundational level, but they embodied the MACH mindset from planning to best practices. From an architectural perspective, this was all reinforced by its agency partner, Konabos, and its headless CMS, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-raises-40-million-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-content-management/">Kontent.ai</a>.
The <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards">winners in each category</a> were all well-deserved. At the same time, the bulk of the 150+ entries showcased how far MACH has progressed. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">Sonja Keerl</a>, former president of the MACH Alliance, spoke about the importance of demonstrating real change when selecting the Impact Awards – and American Bath Group delivered the most compelling results from end to end. You can read the <a href="https://kontent.ai/customers/american-bath-group-success/">complete case study here</a>.
Even if you didn’t take home a statue, the Impact Awards represent a win for the MACH movement. With this much adoption and successful implementation, we can only expect more entries next year.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-5.jpg" alt="MACH Two mentoring program presentation" />
<h2>6. Women in MACH, mentoring, and other initiatives are becoming top of mind</h2>
Above all, the MACH Alliance is a community that strives to put people first. That was made abundantly clear throughout MACH Two, just by watching the networking and interactions between attendees – many of whom were experiencing a MACH event for the first time. Even the Whova conference app encouraged social engagement, with groups sprouting organically around various business and personal interests.
Aligning with this cornerstone of its mission, programs like <a href="https://machalliance.org/women-in-mach">Women in MACH</a> took on an elevated level of visibility within the physical event space and throughout the MACH Two communications. The group is still relatively new but has already established an important role within the Alliance community.
While credit is due for making this effort, there’s still work to be done across the tech industry to shatter the silicon ceiling. We need more allies to support programs like this – and for businesses to truly walk the talk.
Surely, we can do better by emphasizing STEM education and career mentoring at the earliest stages. But here and now, we need more female tech leaders in MACH and a continued focus on diversity. In his closing session, Casper Rasmussen called for more female representation, and this is where the Alliance is acting as a conduit for change. 
In addition to people, there’s our planet, and several attendees inquired about the roadmap for weaving sustainability and green technology initiatives into the fabric of the MACH Alliance. Rasmussen also touched on this in his final presentation, suggesting that more can be done with partners like AWS to enable greater sustainability in the cloud – and that more is coming.
<h2>Accelerating ahead to MACH Three</h2>
I'm still feeling the sonic boom of MACH Two. It might be hard to top the success of this sequel – but with so much growth and potential ahead, MACH Three could be an even bigger story.
As more brands evaluate MACH and composable strategies, hearing successful use cases from actual stakeholders might be the best way to overcome reluctant executives. Couple that with a community of ambassadors and members – many of whom are willing to share their time and expertise – and you might build consensus at MACH speed.
While no specific date or location has been publicized, MACH Three is tentatively planned for 2024 in North America. We’ll keep you posted on the details as they emerge.

MACH Two Conference Wrap: Six Takeaways from the Composable Event of the Year

MACH Two featured image with photos from the event in a collage

<a href="http://www.cmsmadesimple.org">CMS Made Simple</a> has won the best Open Source CMS award in the 2010 Packt Publishing Open Source awards.
CMS Made Simple is a an open source content management system that allows rapid website development in a fraction of the normal time, avoiding hours of coding by providing modules and 3rd Party add-ons.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitefinity6-580x387_zmvjzb.jpg" />
Runners up were <a href="http://silverstripe.org">SilverStripe</a> in second place and <a href="http://modxcms.com">MODx</a> in third.
Congratulations to all.

CMS Made Simple wins best Open Source CMS award

<img title="Responsive Design" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/responsivedesign.jpg" alt="Responsive Design" />
 
There’s no arguing about this fact:  Responsive Design is really important. No doubt you’ve heard of it. Maybe you know a little bit about it. Perhaps you even have a responsive site already. Whatever the case, responsive design is the new must-have of website design. Here’s why.

<h2>The Importance of Responsive Design – A Word from the Pros</h2>
The tech oracles have spoken on the importance of RWD. Neil Patel (<a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/03/04/how-to-optimize-responsive-design-for-conversions/">QuickSprout</a>) wrote that “ responsive design is “ a standard that’s taking everything you know about web design and turning it on its side.” He claims that responsive design influences everything about a site, including conversion rates. He’s right. John Polacek’s masterful treatment of the subject declares that it’s a “fundamental shift in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.” <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/responsive-web-design/">Mashable</a> prophesies that 2013 is “the year of responsive design.” .net Magazine placed responsive design at number two of their <a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/features/15-top-web-design-and-development-trends-2012">Top Web Design Trends</a> for 2012.
This is kind of a big deal.
There’s more to responsive design that just tweaking CSS or adding bits of code to a site. Responsive design is all about how the web is maturing.
<h2>Responsive design is important because mobile is dominating.</h2>
Responsive design was born because of mushrooming mobile statistics. When the market became saturated with mobile users, we all finally realized that tiny screens weren’t optimal for traditional websites. UX stunk. Responsive design was the answer. The growth in mobile is where every discussion of responsive design must begin.
<h2>Responsive design fills in where apps left off.</h2>
Apps are not the answer to a mobile-saturated society. As mobile devices grew in popularity, so did the demand and appetite for apps. Remember Apple’s slogan,  “there’s an app for that”? That was so 2010. We’ve reached a point now where apps have plateaued. Plus, the iPhone isn’t the only big player in the mobile market. There are more platforms that need to be appified. Savvy companies don’t feel the need to rush out and make a fancy app. Instead, they unleash the power of responsive design. It’s better, smarter, cheaper, and way more 2013. Besides, if conversions are the goal, why create an app? An app can often be a distraction or barrier to conversions. Responsive saves the day by allowing a businesses website to do what it’s supposed to do rather than get bogged down in app building.
<h2>Responsive meets the need of multiple devices.</h2>
Today, we've got desktops, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and handhelds of every size, dimension, and resolution. With all these net-accessing devices, there is no way that a static site design will please everyone. The variety of devices demands responsive design.
<h2>Responsive design is a design necessity.</h2>
We can’t forget that responsive design is at its core a design phenomenon, despite its far-reaching implications. As a design feature, it is designed to take away the unnecessary aspects of a web presence. After all, when you access a responsively designed site on your mobile device, you don’t see everything that you would see if you were to visit from your desktop browser. Responsive design is about simplicity. In order to meet the scaled-down sizes of tablets, minis, and mobiles, responsive sheds the excess, and offers the beautiful and simple core. This is a design trend that’s not going away soon.
Regardless of what CMS you use, what industry you’re in, or what your role in your company is, responsive design is important. Now, it’s time to do something about it.  If you are on WordPress, check out our list of where to get <a href="/where-to-get-responsive-wordpress-themes/">Responsive WordPress themes</a> to get started in your transition to a responsive design.

Why Responsive Design is So Important

daniel-threlfall

Shopify Inc.  has announced the launch of Shopify Ping, a free mobile app that brings business conversations and tasks all within one interface. With Shopify Ping, merchants will be able to manage their tasks through messaging on their mobile phones, spend more time serving their customers and grow their businesses without having to fumble between apps and tools.Shopify Ping is a free iOS app available to Shopify merchants in the App Store. It consolidates messages from other apps used to interact with customers through social media, a merchant’s online storefront, email and more in one single interface, making it easier to manage conversations and respond in real-time. In addition, it comes built-in with Shopify’s free virtual assistant, Kit, which helps merchants plan, create and manage marketing activities through a conversational interface. With these integrations, Shopify Ping will support actions like running Facebook and Instagram ads, email campaigns and retargeting campaigns, as well as quicker customer conversations.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ping_email_banner_eqkvyx.png" />“Shopify merchants are conducting many business conversations across multiple apps every day, not only to run their day-to-day operations, but also to manage customer inquiries. Shopify Ping was created to make all of this easier to manage,” said Michael Perry, Director of Product at Shopify. “It’s a one-stop messaging app that lets them spend more time on what matters most – running their businesses seamlessly and deepening customer relationships.”With almost half (45%) of Shopify’s entrepreneurs running their businesses and engaging shoppers on their mobile devices, flexibility and timeliness are key success factors. Ensuring that entrepreneurs have the tools to keep up is critical to minimizing redundancies and saving time.At launch, integration partners include Facebook Messenger, Rep.ai and Chatkit. Shopify Ping is now available in the iOS App Store for all Shopify merchants. For more information visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-ping">https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-ping</a>

Shopify Introduces a New Way to Work on Mobile

Following two years worth of development, Elgg – a social networking CMS – has rolled out a release candidate for version 1.9.0.
Elgg is a free and open-source social network software. With it, you can build a variety of online social environments, from a campus-wide social network for your university, school, or college to an internal collaborative platform for your organization.
Although this release is only a release candidate meant for developers and bug hunters, this is still great news for all Elgg users, as the final release of Elgg 1.9.0 cannot now be far away.
<img style="max-width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/untitled_2-1.png" alt="Elgg " />
For those not yet fully up to speed with what's new with version 1.9.0 of Elgg, here's a quick overview:
<ul>
<li>New responsive theme – aalborg_theme</li>
<li>Adds image uploading from editor</li>
<li>Replaces fancybox lightbox with colorbox</li>
<li>Replaces Tinymce editor with CKEditor</li>
<li>Liking and friending use ajax</li>
<li>Removes topbar Elgg logo and made “powered by” themable</li>
<li>Allows keeping group content limited to the group</li>
<li>Site notifications moved into separate plugin from messages</li>
<li>Various accessibility fixes</li>
<li>Improved theme sandbox</li>
<li>Ajaxified the discussion reply edit form.</li>
<li>Alphabetize friends/friends-of, group notifications, group owned/member lists</li>
<li>Adds support for simplecache minification of CSS and JavaScript</li>
<li>Adds new notification system</li>
<li>Changes user directories use GUIDs rather than join date</li>
<li>Adds robots.txt configuration</li>
<li>Adds maintenance mode</li>
</ul>
For the full list of enhancements, check out the changelog.
If you intend on taking this release candidate for a test drive, be sure to report all bugs to <a href="https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg/issues" target="_blank">Elgg's GitHub issue tracker</a>.
Elgg has also advised developers on how to approach this release candidate:
“Developers who have been waiting to test out their 1.8 plugins in 1.9 should take this as a cue to begin upgrading those plugins.  Note that back-compatibility was a big consideration in this release so upgrading plugins should hopefully not be as painful as it was for the 1.7 -&gt; 1.8 upgrade.”
Find out more about Elgg via our CMS Directory.

Elgg Rolls Out 1.9.0 Release Candidate

Weglot - The easiest way to translate a website

The easiest way to translate a website

#18164c

<a href="http://www.seosamba.com/" target="_blank">SeoSamba</a> – the company behind open surce CMS, SEOToaster – have launched a completely redesigned version of their CMS, in the form of SEOToaster 2.2.
SEOToaster is a <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Aar2Bzc3bWq6p-CGH6S2HBsZBUsT7T6ydnbca3TwIYqXxyp865xx6u2pu-84bq_uHNCB1vRz-OK5IbJQeeeXUyqtO7zQMlOBz_2WyRNsdpILIbGII0T6gV6lrUbEekG58H2nmso0iIyCZ0Vy5osBuynDreyb4DRQHRi84EH3s0eIUprW5FH8Cw==&amp;c=A36mZx83ukTZ22I76bM9dTod1PAW16HZBFtFl336OLABBTJauFfjyg==&amp;ch=bkSXcoWrfrJfvrgzgUcGSlcJnoUy2ZadBcU1dL0lFhOE8Y5AbCRX0g==" target="_blank">high-performance and open source free CMS software</a> that makes creating, managing and marketing corporate and eCommerce websites easy for people of all skill levels.
As the platform's name implies, SeoToaster CMS employs a focus on SEO and web marketing technology. SeoToaster eCommerce sits on top of SeoToaster CMS, carrying inline edition through the entire experience.
<h2>Fresh User Interface &amp; Over 100 New Features</h2>
With the introduction of SeoToaster 2.2, SeoSamba have completely revamped the front-end user interface, and have piled on over one hundred new features. Now, that really is a lot of features. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/toaster.png" alt="SeoToaster" /> Below is some highlights of what SeoToaster users can expect in terms of new functionality:
<ul>
<li>Apps: an entirely new way to add functionalities from the cloud and switch services provider with no plug-in tinkering.</li>
<li>Built-in media servers   now provide up to five-times faster web serving, regardless of your web hosting provider.</li>
<li>New specialized inline editor types (imageonly, textonly, etc) help build unbreakable website themes and minimize end-user support calls.</li>
<li>Built-in tripwire web form protections  to prevent bots to spam your email without interfering with conversion objectives, as sometimes Recaptcha does.</li>
<li>Inline product promotion building: add the promotion to your landing pages, and the system takes care of building the logic for you.</li>
<li>Inline product lists building: no need to alter templates to add/edit automated products lists.</li>
<li>A redesigned store dashboard  theme that introduces custom fields, and more filters to easily find and process transactions.</li>
</ul>
Regarding the release of SeoToaster 2.2, David Culot, CTO of SeoSamba, had this to say:
<blockquote>
“For new users, it's like getting a free content management system or eCommerce solution built for SEO &amp; marketing. Those familiar with SeoToaster will enjoy a host of new features and a brand new interface that will still look instantly familiar.”
</blockquote>
SeoToaster 2.2 is available for <a href="https://www.seotoaster.com/free-seo-software-shopping-carts.html" target="_blank"> download now</a>.
For more information on SeaToaster, check out their <a href="http://www.seotoaster.com/" target="_blank">official website</a>.

SeoToaster CMS Unveils New Features & Revamped UI

If you run a school, university, or training company, you'll want to adopt an LMS (Learning Management System) to help you manage your educational material and keep tabs on all the students who access it.
A learning management system is also an excellent way to expand the reach of your institution by allowing students to access and study course content from anywhere in the world.
But before we discuss anything else, let's take a brief look at what an LMS actually is.
<h2>What is a Learning Management System?</h2>
<h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/computer-768696_12801280x629-cropx0y0-is786x0-is.jpg" /></h2>
A learning management system – also known as e-learning software or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – is a software application designed to help companies deliver educational material through a website, app, or both. A well equipped LMS also has features for tracking student progress, managing multiple courses, storing student information, and so forth.
The LMS space is packed with software solutions, but only a select few truly deliver when it comes to quality. To help you avoid the lesser systems out there, here are my top learning management system recommendations.
<h2>1. <a href="https://moodle.org/" target="_blank">Moodle</a></h2>
Moodle is perhaps the biggest name in the LMS space, and for good reason.
It's a free and open source e-learning software platform that can be configured to manage many types of learning environments for education, training, and staff development. Features include highly customizable design, personalized dashboards, calendars, file managment, user roles, bulk course creation, and more. Plus, Moodle has hundreds of native plugins to help bolster the platform's functionality.
<h2>2. <a href="https://www.neolms.com" target="_blank">NEO LMS</a></h2>
NEO is a simple, powerful, cloud-hosted LMS that has been designed for individual teachers, schools, and universities. It is a freemium product, with a rich set of features in its free plan and additional “power” features in its low-cost premium plans. It boasts mobile apps, portals, built-in gamification, learning paths, lots of integration, and a stunning user interface.
They also offer a platform called <a href="https://www.matrixlms.com/" target="_blank">Matrix LMS</a> – which is for businesses and private institutions. Matrix LMS dishes out the same features, but it's priced a little differently.
<h2>3. <a href="https://www.learnupon.com/" target="_blank">LearnUpon</a></h2>
LearnUpon is a renowned cloud-based Learning Management System, meaning that you can sign up and begin offering courses within a matter of hours.
Their SaaS (Software as a Service) learning management solution is secure and scalable, and comes with award-winning 24/7 customer support. Features include a wide range of course importation options, Salesforce integration, exams, certifications, built-in student reports, eCommerce functionality, and much more.
<h2>4. <a href="https://www.absorblms.com/learning-management-system" target="_blank">Absorb LMS</a></h2>
With a visually superb interface, Absorb LMS has seduced big brands like Sony, Nikon, and Getty Images. The cloud-based platform is ideal for large companies looking to train their staff, but it's also suitable for course selling and educational institutes.
Its features include instructor-led training, the ability to embed web content like YouTube into courses, eCommerce, reports, bulk purchasing, and contests. Also, Absorb LMS Integrates with SCORM, GoToMeeting, Cisco, Adobe Connect, and more.
<h2>5. <a href="http://www.talentlms.com/" target="_blank">TalentLMS</a></h2>
TalentLMS is a free LMS, but it also brand itself as being able to handle enterprise-grade environments.
With features like single-sign on, course building, website customization, learning paths, eCommerce, and gamification. TalentLMS is geared towards brand looking to train staff first and foremost, but it has the features to help companies sell courses to the public, too.
<h2>6. <a href="https://elearning247.com/" target="_blank">Nimble LMS</a></h2>
Brought to you by eLearning247, NimbleLMS is a cloud-hosted platform with a solid range of features. The pricing is somewhat unique, as you can either pay-as-you-go, or pay for an annual license with far less restrictions.
NimbleLMS has features such as automatic course backups, progress tracking, eCommerce, bulk CSV importing, certificates and lots more.
<h2>7. <a href="http://omniupdate.com/products/oucampus/" target="_blank">OU Campus</a></h2>
OU Campus is a learning management system developed by OmniUpdate. It can be accessed via the cloud or deployed on-site, and is marketed towards higher education institutions.
The OU Campus team boast that their platform is backed by top-rated customer support that is customized for the higher education market. Plus, modules and user-friendly editing makes it easy to create course content.
<h2>8. <a href="http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/ebusiness/human-capital-management/053815.html" target="_blank">Oracle Learning Management</a></h2>
OLM is an enterprise-grade learning management system (LMS) that lets organizations manage, deliver, and track training participation in online or classroom-based staff training environments.
Learners can find the content they need, and carry out their learning activities in the most appropriate delivery mode (in a classroom, virtual classroom, or via e-learning). Instructors can manage their own schedules, classes, and rosters, while executives can measure the effectiveness of learning activities and ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
If your company is relatively small, this solution isn't for you. But if your brand requires a hard-hitting LMS from one of the world's most prolific software vendors, then I suggest digging deeper into how OLM can help.
<h2>9. <a href="http://www.ispringsolutions.com/ispring-learn" target="_blank">iSpring Learn</a></h2>
iSpring Learn LMS is an on-premise LMS solution featuring an easy-to-use Power Point-integrated authoring tool. Plus, it has relatively stellar CMS functions that help administrators to produce and manage website content.
Key features include progress tracking, single-sign on, eCommerce, certificates, portals, and a native mobile app. The pricing is pretty heavy, so I wouldn't recommend it as a solution for newbies.
<h2>10. <a href="http://www.edubrite.com/oltpublish/site/cms.do" target="_blank">EduBrite</a></h2>
EduBrite helps organizations produce and manage their educational content with enterprise-grade efficiency.
With EduBrite, you can make use of eCommerce functionality, micro-sites, mobile apps, courses, tests, surveys, and all the other fundamentals that a good LMS invariably has. Plus, it can integrate with loads of third party platforms like Salesforce, GoToMeeting, and Lynda.
<h2>11. <a href="https://www.canvasvle.co.uk/" target="_blank">Canvas</a></h2>
Canvas is cloud-based, scalable, and geared towards educational institutes.
It serves up hundreds of add-ons, automated tasks, a mobile apps, integrated media, a fast marking system, and much more. They deal almost exclusively with universities, so if you aren't part of such an institution, I'd look elsewhere.
<h2>12. <a href="https://www.joomlalms.com/" target="_blank">JoomlaLMS</a></h2>
Joomla is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, and their LMS arm isn't too shabby either.
It delivers features such as online course building, quizzes, surveys, progress tracking, reports, and monetization. It's not the prettiest or most feature-rich platform on the list, but if your website runs on Joomla, then using JoomlaLMS is a no brainer.
<h2>13. <a href="http://www.uscreen.tv/" target="_blank">UScreen</a></h2>
If you're looking to offer your students video-based educational material, you'll want to hear about UScreen.
It's a video hosting platform that can cater for Subscription businesses, online training course providers, course selling, staff training, and pretty much anything else that involves hosting and delivering videos to people. It's technically not an LMS is and of itself, but it has features like quizzes, course tracks, certificates, and more.
<h2>14. <a href="http://www.docebo.com/" target="_blank">Docebo</a></h2>
Docebo offers a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) Learning Management System.
They have over ten years of experience in the LMS industry, serving up solutions for midsized organizations all the way up to enterprise. Docebo sets itself apart by offering third party integrations (via API), 24/7 support, eCommerce features, gamification, and a range of extensions.
<h2>15. <a href="http://learncore.com/" target="_blank">LearnCore</a></h2>
LearnCore is a learning management system built to provide a user-friendly experience for both administrators and learners. It is primarily used for companies looking to train their staff.
LearnCore has a charming user interface, personalization features, collaborative tools for administrators, light gamification elements, and a range of integration options.
<h2>16. <a href="http://www.litmos.com/" target="_blank">Litmos</a></h2>
Litmos is an award-winning LMS that packs a punch for small, medium, and enterprise-grade companies.
You can use it as an online course builder and an eCommerce solution, plus, it has features like instructor-led training, messages, notifications, gamification, surveys, quizzes, reports, and pretty much everything else an LMS needs. It's a serious player in the LMS space, and their free trial is well worth checking out.
<h2>17. <a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/en-au/solutions/your-requirement/learning-management" target="_blank">ElcomLMS</a></h2>
elcomCMS is a super functional content management system that can also handle your staff training projects. For example, car manufacturers Volkswagen and Kia already make use of elcomCMS to manage all of their dealership training programs
The platform features a simple visual user interface for mapping training programs, reports for employee progress, user profiles, to-do lists, visual qualification pathways, and more. Also, elcomCMS bridges the gap between its solutions by enabling organizations to offer their training courses through their elcomCMS intranets or portals.
<h2>An LMS Worth Keeping</h2>
Switching softwares is difficult at the best of time, but switching LMS? I wouldn't wish that on anybody, particularly because migrating content and courses between one LMS to another is no easy task. In fact, it's almost impossible unless you start from scratch.
So, do yourself a favour and stay within the confines of the list above – because each of them are worth sticking around for.
Have you used a learning management system before? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below!

Top 17 Learning Management Systems

Pop OS by System76 has been around for a while but for the longest time, I hadn't tried it simply based on the fact that I had heard (incorrectly) that it was basically Ubuntu with some themes applied. Recently, however, I've discovered this is not just an Ubuntu distro with themes applied and I wanted to share my experiences in this Pop OS Review.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-1_rpyrri.png" alt="pop-os-review-1" /><figcaption>Pop OS Review – The Desktop</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Installing Pop OS</h2>
The installation process is straight forward and involves pretty much the same process as you'd expect from most installations nowadays with a few exceptions. Where most installations involve going through the entire process immediately, Pop OS goes through the partitioning and installing process and then reboots to allow you to create users, select your time zone, etc. By doing so, it feels like a faster install (whether this is true or not, I'm not sure as I haven't tried to time in it comparison to anything else).
Another interesting change to the process is the option to enable full-disk encryption out-of-the box during the installation, another hint that Pop OS is geared towards those who use their computer for work and not necessarily play (not to say that it couldn't function fine there as well).
Once you've completed the install, you are greeted with the desktop you see above (although I did change the wallpaper to one of their other choices). It's rather simple looking isn't it?
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Desktop</h2>
Pop OS takes the elegant and simplistic Gnome desktop environment and adds a number of improvements to improve workflow, further secure the desktop and give it a more functional and beautiful appearance. In essence, it's what the Gnome experience should be.
Hitting the Super Key or clicking in the top left will present you with the Gnome dock and show you the available workspaces.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-2_mtbuwf.png" alt="pop-os-review-2" />
Initially, there are only a few items such pinned to the dock such as Firefox, Nautilus (file manager), Gnome terminal and the Pop! Shop (System76's version of the software store).
The Pop! Shop is where users can install new software and adjust software sources, etc. In addition, for those who prefer to use a GUI over the terminal, updates can also be installed from within it.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-3_qaeqci.png" alt="pop-os-review-3" /><figcaption>Pop OS Review – The Pop! Shop</figcaption></figure>
There's a good selection of software available to install and from my testing, everything seemed to work well without issue.
<h2>Pop OS Review – Installing Third Party Drivers</h2>
One thing I did notice that was disappointing was that there is no easy way for users to install drivers, something that is present in most other Ubuntu based distros.
While you can drop to the terminal and run ubuntu-drivers autoinstall it would be nicer to have an icon to launch the driver manager and run it as well.
I'm not 100% sure why this was not included but perhaps it's an assumption that developers don't want a GUI and while that's a perfectly fine assumption, I think Pop OS should cater to a wider audience, but that's just my opinion.
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Menu</h2>
One thing Pop OS does very well is beautify the Gnome experience. The icons (basically their version of the popular Papirus icon set) are all in sync and everything feels clean and well presented, as you can see below.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-4_hhslpt.png" alt="pop-os-review-4" /><figcaption>Pop OS – The Menu</figcaption></figure>
Installed by default, we have the essentials; Firefox, Geary and LibreOffice to get things started and I think that's a reasonable selection to begin with.
For utilities, we have a few others such as Eddy for easy package installation and USB Flasher which is a quick and efficient tool for, you guessed it, flashing USB's.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-5_lsqarq.png" alt="pop-os-review-5" /><figcaption>Pop OS – Utilities</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Pop OS Review – The Tweaks and Improvements</h2>
I'm not 100% sure if USB Flasher was developed by System76 or someone else it as I couldn't find anything from a quick Google search but it's definitely a great tool and since I tend to flash USB's like it's nobody's business, I appreciate the simplicity of the app.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-6_v12cji.png" alt="pop-os-review-6" />
As I mentioned, Pop OS has all sorts of little tweaks to make life easier and improve the functionality of the desktop and improve workflow… another one of these is the ability to quick-switch between power management profiles as shown above. This is just one of the many little tweaks that you will quickly realize you miss when trying other distros.
In addition, there's a handy Do Not Disturb feature hidden in the notifications (found by clicking on the date / time) that will prevent notifications from popping up and interrupting your workflow.
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-8_m9pm8l.png" alt="pop-os-review-8" /><figcaption>Pop OS – Do Not Disturb Feature</figcaption></figure>
The main reason I love this distro (and it has since become my daily driver) is the window management additions and keyboard shortcuts that have been added.
Hitting the Super Key (or windows key) launches the window management display shown below where you can quickly drag and drop windows between workspaces and / or switch to them with the click of a mouse.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pop-os-review-7_qfstvl.png" alt="pop-os-review-7" />
In addition, however, there are tons of shortcuts that have been added to allow users to navigate the entire desktop with keyboard shortcuts, something that my fellow Linux geeks are sure to love.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
While there may be one or two missing features such as the aforementioned Drivers GUI, Pop OS has proven itself to be worthy of being my daily driver. I've installed numerous distros, one after the other, as soon as they are released but I always come back to Pop OS to get my work done and because I can't work as well without it's tweaks. I've begun to rely on them in my day to day computer usage and I do feel as though they make my work easier to do. I love the look and feel of the distro so much that I've changed nothing but the wallpaper. In the past, I'd spend hours tweaking things and not actually getting my work done but with Pop OS, I feel at home and that I don't actually need to change anything as it's beautiful as is.
If you haven't given it a go yet, I recommend doing so. Their website has a few good videos showing off the improvements that may do a better job of showcasing them than my explanations so be sure to check that out as well. Overall, I think it's the perfect distro for my needs (In fact I'm writing this post from it right now).
Check out Pop OS here: <a href="https://system76.com/pop">https://system76.com/pop</a>

Pop OS Review - Elegant, Functional, Well Done

Yesterday, LeakedSource reported that <a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Weebly</a>, the world-renowned website builder, had suffered a data breach back in February 2016.
As a result, forty-three million records were stolen, including customer names, email addresses, and IP addresses.
However, LeakedSource, a reliable hacking news source, spoke of their relief when it came to reaching out to the <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> team about their data breach:
<blockquote>
“Unlike nearly every other hack, the Co-founder and CTO of <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/person/chris-fanini" target="new">Chris Fanini</a> fortunately did not have his head burried deeply in the sand and actually responded to our communication requests. We have been working with them to ensure the security of their users meaning password resets as well as notification emails are now being sent out.
This mega breach affects not only tens of millions of users but tens of millions of websites and with Weebly being one of the most <a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/weebly.com" target="new">popular</a> hosting platforms in the world, this breach could have been far more disastrous in the wrong hands had they not strongly hashed passwords.”
</blockquote>
So, kudos to Weebly for cooperating with the LeakedSource team (instead of shunning them, like Twitter once did), and also for safeguarding passwords with a relatively high level of encryption.
<h2>Customer Payment Information Remains Secure</h2>
Thankfully, Weebly also confirmed in an email to customers that they don't believe any of their hosted websites were improperly accessed. They also made it clear that they don't store credit card information, so their customers are safe on that front.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly1164x0-is.png" />
LeakedSource also claimed that password resets were being issued by Weebly – but if you’re a Weebly user and you haven't changed your password since February, I strongly suggest changing it right away.
To follow this news as it develops, <a href="https://twitter.com/BigSecurityNews" target="_blank">LeakedSource's official Twitter page</a> seems to be the place to be. So far, they have reported details on the data breaches at Yahoo, LinkedIn, and DropBox.
And of course, we'll keep you updated here on CMS Critic if any other hacks or critical human errors occur at the expense of business software vendors – just like we did with <a href="/123-reg-deletes-customer-websites/" target="_blank">the 123Reg disaster.</a>
Have you had any security issues with Weebly over the last few months? Let us know in the comments section below.

Weebly Hacked: 43 Million Customer Records Stolen

During the <a href="/cms-critic-is-touring-north-america-and-europe-this-year/">CMS Critic North American Tour</a>, Mike Johnston had a chance to visit the <a target="_blank" href="http://ez.no/">eZ Systems</a> offices in Brooklyn, New York.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ez-logo_max600height250.png" />He caught up with Roland Benedetti, the Chief Product &amp; Marketing Officer at eZ Systems, about eZ Publish 5.4, as well as upcoming product releases and events.

CMS Critic Interviews Roland Benedetti of eZ Systems

As I stepped into the entrance of <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/">PrestaShop’s</a> Paris headquarters,I was greeted by a long timeline of the company’s impressive history, which stretched across the hallway leading to the elevator.
[[__Presta__]]
It was a humbling reminder of PrestaShop’s deep roots in both the eCommerce and open source industries.
When I got to the lobby, Leah Anathan, PrestaShop’s Chief Marketing Officer, welcomed me warmly with tea and biscuits (they had heard about my love for English tea), and we thus kicked off a very casual – yet highly informative – meeting and office tour.
<h2>A Chat With PrestaShop’s CMO &amp; Director of Product Management</h2>
The first thing I did was sit down with Leah Anathan and Sebastien Levaillant, PrestaShop’s Director of Product Management.
As we sipped on some well-brewed tea, we got to talking about <a href="/prestashop-cloud-review/" target="_blank">PrestaShop Cloud</a>, and efforts are being made in order to improve it.
Scalability was the word being thrown around more than any other, and I was told that an announcement regarding PrestaShop Cloud was coming relatively soon. Personally, I’m very excited to see what PrestaShop has in store for us (pun intended).
I even got to share the story of my own father’s business, a UK based training course company called The Learning Station, which is powered by PrestaShop Cloud. Leah and Sebastien were excited to ask me about my father’s experiences, and I was only too happy to tell them about his PrestaShop-powered journey.
They also told me about how much closer the PrestaShop team now is to the PrestaShop community. Their move to GitHub has made it easier for their community to submit code, and they now have at least one volunteer from the community who has been granted record levels of access and authority to the PrestaShop project.
<h2>A Peek at PrestaShop 1.7</h2>
I also got to sit through some short but extremely informative presentations given by various members of the PrestaShop development team.
I was given sneak peeks at PrestaShop’s 1.7 user interface, which has been totally re-worked in line with the feedback received from PrestaShop 1.6 users.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps3388x0-is.png" />
Their development team had spent time with actual users in order to extract their biggest gripes with the PrestaShop 1.6 interface – and they are now working on fixing everything that was flagged up.
And to be fair, they have their plate full, because despite <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">my adoration of PrestaShop 1.6</a>, the user interface had lots of room for improvement.
But with that in mind, I couldn’t help but compliment the newest interface when it was demonstrated in front of me. It really does look good, and you can be sure that I’ll be writing about it in more detail sooner rather than later.
If you want to learn more about PrestaShop 1.7, check out the <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">PrestaShop website</a>.
<h2>The Office Tour</h2>
After getting to grips with PrestaShop 1.7, it was time to explore the rest of PrestaShop’s impressive European headquarters.
Before I talk about the offices though, let me relay something interesting that Leah Anathan told me about the building itself. As she spoke of the building’s rich history, she directed me to a picture printed on the wall of the lobby, which had a French description.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_65642467x1649-cropx0y472-is577x0-is.jpg" /> To cut a long story short, a century ago, PrestaShop’s Paris headquarters was actually a popular marketplace. Today, it houses one of the world’s most popular online marketplace builders. I found that to be pretty amazing.
As for the tour, we started off in one of the three office areas that are dotted around the building.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_65583264x1858-cropx0y430-is678x0-is.jpg" />
Desks were lined with computers and laptops in typical fashion, and sticky notes with ideas covered a board in what seemed like a snap-meeting area.
This central working space overlooks a picturesque Parisian square, which PrestaShop’s employees get to gaze at (during their breaks, of course).
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps2481x0-is.png" />
As I walked around the building, I noticed that the walls were decorated with quirky PrestaShop-themed art, with a surprising touch of Star Wars. It was a slightly odd combination – but it worked.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_6542515x0-is.jpg" />
A subtle amount of tongue-in-cheek banter was present all over the office, actually. For example, PrestaShop’s mascot – Preston the Puffin – could be found around the building in teddy form, in wall murals, and as part of some meme-inspired images.

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_6598314x0-is.jpg" />

Towards the end of the tour, I was then shown three rooms that were dedicated to the relaxation and recuperation of PrestaShop’s workforce.
The first room was a small, featureless one, with a large couch, some chairs, and a comfortable looking carpet. It’s intended for those who want some silence or some private time. I remember thinking to myself that – in such a busy working environment – this quiet room was a nice touch.
Opposite that room was another, this time with a bunk bed and shower area. Obviously, pulling all-nighters is part-and-parcel of working for PrestaShop.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps1411x0-is.png" />
The third room, which can be found along the same corridor, is the designated relaxation room.
As the name suggests, this room was set aside for PrestaShop’s employees to simply chill in.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/relax_room_aka_bungalow5179x2765-cropx0y687-is723x0-is.jpeg" />
It was a spacious room with couches, bean bags, a wide-screen, and a foosetable. There was a beach theme going on too, with surfboards and sun lounges lined up on the left-hand side. The walls were once again full of color, but this time, the murals gave off a feeling of warmth and serenity – which is no coincidence, I’m sure.
All in all, the PrestaShop office felt incredibly homely and yet intensely energized. It was everything a modern software vendor HQ should be, and then some.
A big thank you goes out to Leah Anathan and the wider PrestaShop team for their fantastic hospitality!
Stick around for more PrestaShop coverage through this PrestaShop featured week.

Reflecting on My Visit to PrestaShop’s Paris HQ

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