19 Years on Drupal.org

Nineteen years ago, I created my account on Drupal.org.

I didn’t know then that Drupal would become a constant thread running through my professional life, my volunteer work, and a good portion of my identity. I certainly didn’t expect to still be here nearly two decades later, still contributing, still arguing for better decisions, still excited about where this project can go.

But here we are.

I joined Drupal in a different era. There were fewer people, fewer processes and fewer guardrails. You learned by breaking things, reading issue queues, and asking questions in public. Sometimes those questions were answered kindly. Sometimes they were not - one of my first interactions was VERY negative, but ultimately the person who flamed me became a friend. Either way, you learned fast.

Over the years, I’ve contributed in a lot of different ways. Some visible, some not. A little code, some documentation, a gagillion events, governance, mentorship, and - perhaps most importantly - advocacy. I’ve helped organise camps, sat in board meetings, volunteered behind the scenes, and spent more hours than I can count trying to make Drupal a little more sustainable. I like to think I've made it a little more human. I've done my best to make it welcoming.

What’s kept me here isn’t just the software. Yeah Yeah Yeah, you've all heard it. "Come for the code, stay for the community." But friends, this isn't just rhetoric. It is TRUE. Many of my best and closest friends have come from this community. This community has kept a roof over my head and my family fed for 20 years! So, thank you. Many of you understand just how grateful I am to have found you all.

It’s the people who take responsibility when something is broken instead of waiting for permission. It’s the organisers who quietly do the work year after year. It’s the contributors who show up in issue queues, in Slack threads, in community calls, and in hard conversations about governance, EQUITY, and the future of the project. I can't think of any other professional community that would have embraced my neurodivergence as quickly and so completely as this one. You've considered it a feature, not a bug. (I'm honestly crying here a little bit while I write this part.)

Drupal has changed a lot in 19 years. Some of those changes have been uncomfortable. REALLY uncomfortable. Some have been overdue. We’ve grown up as a project. We’ve professionalised. We’ve made mistakes. (I've made mistakes.) We’ve corrected course. That’s what community does over time.

I’m extraordinarily proud of the things I’ve helped build. I’m equally proud of the things I’ve helped question. Drupal has always been at its best when people are willing to care loudly and stick around long enough to do something about it.

Right now, Drupal is once again at an inflection point. AI, accessibility, sustainability, community health, and governance are not abstract ideas. They are practical challenges that will shape whether Drupal remains relevant and trustworthy for the next generation of builders.

After 19 years, I’m still here because the work isn’t finished.

If you’ve crossed paths with me in a camp hallway, a Slack thread, a board call, or an issue queue, thank you. If you’re new and just finding your footing, stick with it. Drupal rewards persistence. I want to call out the organizations that have made all this possible for me.

• Creative West (formerly known as WESTAF)

• pingVision, also known as pingV Interactive

• Drupal Colorado

• Drupal 4 Gov

• The Drupal Association

• Clarity Digital Group (Examiner.com)

• Trellon

• Aten Design Group

• Cheppers

• Vintage Digital (and the friends who founded it with me)

• Pfizer

• and, currently, amazee.io

Here’s to the future. It seems bright and I'm excited for the journey.