International: Open Source CMS in Thailand

Reflections on the Thai Joomla! community

There are many factors contributing to the popularity in Open Source CMS in Thai users community. For instance, they do not have to pay license fee, and feel assurance due to worldwide developers, including being easy to use since they do not have to do any programming. However the most important of all is its “interface in Thai language” that makes Thai users choose specific Open Source CMS. In Thailand, most of the web sites are in Thai, and most of the end users do not familiar with interface in other languages.

Various Thai users groups could be categorized as follows:

Non-technical user group: They do not directly study IT but they are capable of developing content, for example, those in marketing or public relations.
Graphic Design user group, non-programming users: They’ll learn how to use the CMS and create new templates.
Developer group or Web site developing companies: This group will study and have in-depth understanding of an Open Source CMS. They can develop Web sites, as required.

From the above three groups, the number of users in the first one is the biggest. Most of the CMS users are non–technical therefore it is not surprising that the Thai interface of CMS is a key factor for them to make decision in choosing the Open Source CMS.

During the first phase of Open Source CMS, there was no Thai interface provided yet. However, its flexibility made Open Source CMS in wider users and making them come together as Open Source CMS users in Thailand. In 2003, the web site mambohub.com was initiated as a center for communication among mambo’s users.

Thanks to mambohub.com, more and more users in Thailand were aware of Open Source CMS very widely. The web site was not only for communicating and sharing ideas and information, but it was also sources of relevant information and it was the place where users looked for help on Open Source CMS in Thailand. Later on, the web site joomlacorner.com was also initiated for Joomla! users group in Thailand.

Not only providing information, guidelines and knowledge through the web site, Thai users also participate in developing various modules and components for further distribution. Another area that encourages new users is related to training sessions organized for the largest group of non-technical users.

Currently, mambohub.com and joomlacorner.com are acknowledged as the pioneer of Open Source CMS in Thailand.

Activities

Training Courses

Mambo Basic Workshop
Mambo Component Workshop, working with different Components
Mambo Template Workshop, how to create Templates
Joomla! 1.5 Mastering Workshop (2 days workshop)
On-Site Training, customized classes as required by organizations

In addition to new training classes being open monthly, the existing classes are further developed into the higher education for communications art and mass communications at Burapha University, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce as well as staff training for Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.

Events

2004 First Mambo Meeting #1 Keynote Brian Teeman

2005 Mambo on the Beach Keynote Peter Lamon

2006 LaiThai Talk the mixed event Mambo / Joomla! (Rey Gigataras / Samuel Moffatt)

LRU Joomla Camp #1

2007 Thailand Open Source Software Festival 2 Days seminar and Show case (Alex Kempkens / Samuel Moffatt)

Mambo Training for Police region 7 (240 persons from 150 police stations)
JoomlaDay 2007
Asia Open Source Software Festival#9 (Samuel Moffatt)
LRU Joomla Camp#2v
Joomla! Workshop for Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (www.maf.gov.la) this’s workshop we prepare Joomla 1.0.x Lao localize package full translation frontend and backend
Joomla & VirtueMart Workshop at Chiangmai
The Northern Open Source Software Festival #2

2008 Seminar on Driving Open Source Using in Software Industry 2008 at Suranaree University of Technology

Joomla!Day 2008

There is an excellent collection of Thailand open source photos in Flickr.

Who’s using it?

Limitations

Lack of support from the public sector in promotion, and financial support in various events. Relevant expenditures for different events usually came from the private sector, i.e., only Marvelic Engine Co., Ltd. (http://www.marvelic.co.th) is the main organizer.

There is no government policy for supporting activities in this area since they are only interested in specifically required scope more than providing support in general development or promoting for continuity and sustainability usages.

Lack of common responsible body in the Community, whether from users or from organizations beneficial from CMS implementation. The donation is minimum or almost not existing for building and strengthening the Community. Many groups just look at it and feel indifferent on its continuation or sustainability of the Community, as long as it is still beneficial for them.

Given the above-mentioned limitations, one can conclude that relevant work for Open Source CMS’s community in Thailand; after being established, on-going and its growing; is responsible by few core group of people. It’s such a pity if their efforts goes unnoticed. And, well, that’s one thing that make the Open Source CMS movement in Thailand rather slow than it should be. Hopefully, the developers group has not yet thrown in their towel.

Future expectations

In Thailand there are lots of capable software designers and developers. But still only a handful of them have understanding and participating with Project open source. Typically ones will get tie up with income generating activities, and forgot to share or help each other for benefits of people in general. Had one followed sufficiency economy’s principle, one would find happiness and still enjoy working and living. We could have sharing and kind society, it is not necessary based on the affluent of any society but rather based on one’s kind heart and sharing spirit. And that’s the principle of LaiThai team. It always keeps us happy at work and enjoy life.

13 Votes